ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) (WXYZ) — With less than a week until Christmas, travel through Detroit metro airport is picking up, ready for the busiest holiday season since the COVID-19 pandemic.
AAA predicts nationally, it will be the third busiest holiday travel season in the last 22 years, with more than 7 million Americans flying between Dec. 23 and Jan. 2.
“The crowds are heavier and more confusing as ever,” traveler Robert Toye of East Lansing said. "Just glad we can do it again.”
Toye and Pam Andrews are flying from Detroit to San Diego to visit their two daughters on a nine-day trip.
The couple is just two of the roughly 3.5 million Michiganders expected to travel over the holidays, with 3.2 million hitting the roads. Many are traveling to visit family.
Oscar Shelton and his mother Danita Shelton are on their way to Arizona for Christmas, resuming family get-togethers after the pandemic
“It's really nice because I don't get to see my grandparents very often,” Oscar said.
"It’s very exciting because my mother's brother is coming in and my aunt already lives there," Danita said. "It’s the first time all three of them have been together in three or four years.”
AAA recommends people follow weather forecasts and leave earlier than planned as a potential winter storm heads toward the Midwest
“We're definitely expecting a lot more travelers on the roadway this year than last year,” AAA spokesperson Adrienne Woodland said. "Certainly, that storm could affect those travel times and could certainly lead to more congestion and hazardous road ways.”
The storm could also impact air travel, which AAA projects will be 14% higher than last year nationwide.
“Winter conditions can not only cause delays but combined with strong demand in the season, you could have a hard time getting rebooked in a hurry,” Woodland said.
Woodland recommends those flying during the storm should pack any needed medication and extra clothing in their carry-on bag in case they get stuck at the airport for longer than expected.
If traveling by car, drivers should also have an emergency kit with things like an ice scraper, hats and gloves, water, a shovel and whatever else you need in a pinch if you get delayed or stuck.
Those traveling early are breathing a sigh of relief, hoping the storm will come and go by the time they get back home.
“My son was asking me about the weather and I'm like 'Nope, we're going to bypass it and get out of there,” Danita said.
