Marylanders navigate Labor Day Weekend travel surge ahead of shortened workweek
BALTIMORE -- After heading out for the long holiday weekend, a lot of Labor Day travelers will be returning home on Monday.
Ahead of the weekend, experts forecasted a very busy time on the roads and at airports. AAA projected that all modes of travel would be higher than last year.
However, at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, many travelers who braced for the worst got a pleasant surprise.
Michelle Jackson was one of those travelers. She was headed home to Charlotte, North Carolina, and braced for a crowded and busy airport.
Instead, she was treated to no long lines in sight.
"Usually, it's out of control, especially here in Maryland," Jackson said. "So, I am ecstatic. The fact I don't have a long, long wait to get through."
Cynthia Nixon and her husband had the same reaction. They got to BWI three hours ahead of their flight home to Jacksonville, Florida, in anticipation of crowds.
"We just allowed for a lot of time, but so far, we missed the crowds. I guess we are very fortunate with that one," Nixson said.
For this Labor Day weekend, the Federal Aviation Administration said more than 250,000 flights were scheduled. AAA said domestic flights are up 4% from last year while international flights are up 44%, too.
Additionally, TSA expected to screen more than 14 million passengers.
WJZ caught William Henderson coming back from Atlanta with family. He said he ran into some crowds and both of his flights were full. Still, overall, the weekend was a smooth experience.
"I do think things are a little bit back to normal in terms of just the amount of people that are traveling," Henderson said. "I'm starting to see a lot more people that are willing to travel no matter what the circumstances are."
AAA said most people traveling over Labor Day weekend drove to their destinations, with Friday and Monday afternoons being the worst time to be on the road.