Holiday travel rush expected to kick off, officials advise caution

The holiday travel rush is already underway, and a record number of people are hitting the roads and taking to the skies.

At SFO on Sunday, domestic travelers breezed through check-in and TSA lines ahead of what’s expected to be a record-setting travel week. However, it was bumper-to-bumper traffic for drivers picking up travelers.

“We beat the holiday rush,” said Phoenix Gudiel, who’s flying to San Diego.

Airlines expect the busiest days to be right after Christmas Day and before New Year.

Separately, road trips might take longer than usual.

According to AAA’s prediction, a record 107 million people will hit the road between this weekend and New Year’s Day, two million more than last year.

Drivers should expect heavy traffic and slick roads when the post-Christmas rain hits the Bay Area.

“The additional travel that we are going to see and are already seeing, and add in storms and things like that, it’s going to be very busy for us,” said Sargeant Andrew Barclay, a public information officer with the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division.

The CHP plans to have more officers out on the roads beginning Christmas Eve and continuing through New Year’s Day.

“The biggest thing is to plan ahead for any travel; expect that it is going to take longer than you think,” Barclay said.