Labor Day weekend prompts travel rush

SAN DIEGO (FO 5/KUSI) — One after another, planes could be seen arriving in sunny San Diego Saturday, carrying thousands of visitors who have come to the city for the long Labor Day weekend.

For some travelers, it’s been surprisingly easy.

“It was smooth, no lines through TSA,” said traveler Nicole Caballero. “So that was a breeze.”

Another traveler, Janzel Pila, also said it wasn’t as packed as she thought it would be this weekend.

Others, however, have said there have been some bumps along the way.

“Honestly, the airport at Vegas was kind of a nightmare to get out of,” recounted traveler Cody Jones.

AAA predicts a 9% increase in domestic travel this Labor Day weekend compared to last year, and many of those people are traveling by way of road. This comes as gas prices are about 60 cents less than a year ago.

As you can expect, the rush to get back home will also be busy. Anlleyn Venegas with the Auto Club of Southern California offered some advice on the best times to hit the road.

“Sunday and Monday early evenings are going to be the worst hours to be on the road,” said Venegas. “So if you are going to be driving back from your vacation, make sure you wake up early to avoid that traffic, especially on the 5 [freeway].”

American Airlines officials said Labor Day will be one of the carrier’s busiest travel days with about 6,300 flights. So if you are planning to fly out that day, one thing you can do is get to the airport early.

“Make sure you are here two hours before, TSA lines can get crazy,” traveler Caballero suggested.

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