SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — This could be the busiest Memorial Day travel season in nearly 20 years.
AAA predicts that nearly 44 million people will travel from Thursday through Monday, with 38 million traveling by car and 3.5 million by plane.
Read more: Memorial Day weekend travel: Busiest day for air and road travel
Air travel
SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said the airport expects more than 755,000 people to use the airport this weekend, about 8 percent more than last year.
“I think the post-pandemic recovery continues to occur, but that recovery is already happening primarily in the domestic sector,” Yakel said. “But in reality, what we have seen over the past 12 months is a very meaningful recovery in the international sector. This year I'm back at SFO.
The travel rush comes after federal data showed San Francisco International Airport ranked last in the nation for on-time performance in February.
SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said runway construction and weather conditions meant delays were more likely than usual in February.
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Just two years ago, San Francisco International Airport was ranked the top large airport in the United States by the Wall Street Journal based on on-time arrivals and on-time departures.
Domestic airfares are up about 1% to 2%, according to AAA data, but not enough to deter people from traveling this holiday weekend.
AAA Travel's senior vice president said in a statement that the high volume of travelers on Memorial Day suggests the summer travel season is just beginning.
Sarah Kopit, editor-in-chief of travel site Skift, said if you haven't booked your summer trip yet, now is the time to do so.
“The sooner the better,” she says. “We're already past the peak of bookings. But if I could give you one piece of advice, it's that the Olympics will be held in Paris this summer. Flights to Paris right after the Olympics are very cheap right now.”
If you're traveling this Memorial Day weekend, it's a good idea to arrive at the airport two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights, Yakel said.
Travelling by car
If your holiday travel plans include driving, there are some best and worst times to be aware of for when to leave the house.
Eastbound I-80, especially from San Francisco to Highway 37, is expected to be the busiest in the Bay Area.
Avoid the East Shore Freeway if possible, especially at 11 a.m. on Fridays. It gets very crowded during peak traffic hours.
A drive from San Francisco to the Vallejo area, which typically takes about an hour, can take over an hour and 25 minutes.
AAA gives the worst and best travel times for the next five days.
If you want to go on Thursday but haven't left yet, wait until after 7pm.
Friday, departure before 11am or after 8pm
Also, if you plan on returning on Monday, avoid traveling between 3pm and 7pm.
In terms of vehicle travel, AAA's outlook shows the number of drivers is up 4% this year compared to last year and 1.9% compared to 2019, before the pandemic.
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