Holiday Travel Season Is In Full Swing

If you are traveling the next few days to spend the holidays with family, expect a lot of company en route.

More than 11.6 million Californians are expected to travel this Christmas and New Year's holiday, representing an overall increase of 3 percent compared to 2009, according to a report released by the American Automobile Association.

"Regardless of ongoing concerns over unemployment and financial uncertainties, Californians are not holding back on their travel plans for the holidays," said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris in a press statement.

AAA estimates more than 10.6 million Californians -- 3 percent more than last year -- will travel by car to reach their holiday destinations.

More than 478,000 Californians are expected to fly, representing an increase of 2.9 percent compared to 2009.

Approximately 560,000 people are expected to travel by other modes of transportation, like boats or trains, representing an increase of 1.8 percent compared to last year.

Rosemary Barnes, media spokesperson for Oakland International Airport, said the airport expects passenger traffic to be up by about 2 percent compared with last year.

"Beginning Monday, the airport will see a lot of people heading out for the holidays," said Barnes. "Wednesday and Thursday are peak days for us because people try to get to their destination by Christmas Eve. Passenger travel will be at its peak again the following week when people return from their Christmas getaway or head out for New Year."

Nationally, AAA projects 92 million people will travel 50 miles or more during the holiday festivities. That's a 3 percent increase over 2009.

Newark resident Adrienne Lee, who owns travel company Here2There Travel, said many of her clients were taking road trips during the holidays.

Lee said she had seen an upswing in travel bookings for 2011, especially for resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico.

"Even in California, where the economy was so hard-hit, clients are feeling hopeful and they are spending a little more than before," said Lee.

David Vossbrink, spokesperson for San Jose International Airport, doesn't forsee any difficulty in handling holiday traffic. He said since airlines had reduced the number of flights at San Jose Airport, the volume of travelers had gone down over the past three years, but flights from the airport were always full.

"Typically half the travelers at this airport are business travelers, but in the holidays we see an increase in vacation travelers," said Vossbrink. "We tend to see more infrequent travelers, or less experienced travelers who are not very familiar with security requirements, or are traveling with families or lots of luggage."

Vossbrink said inexperienced travelers make rookie mistakes like bringing gift-wrapped packages, which they have to unwrap at security checkpoints. Some also tend to miss their flights because of the long lines at check-in and security. 

"Check in online at least two hours in advance of the flight; check the flight status before you leave for the airport. Sometimes flights run late because of weather conditions," advised Barnes.

She said passengers are encouraged to arrive at the airport 90 minutes before departure time for domestic flights, and two hours before departure time for flights to Hawaii and Mexico.

"In the holidays, flights tend to be full and if you miss your flight, you might not get another one for a day or two. More so because airlines don't offer as many frequent flights as they used to," said Barnes.