The Holiday Travel Rush Is On
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The holiday rush is on.
More than 50 million Americans are expected to take to the roads and skies for Thanksgiving, according to AAA. That's 1.5 million more than last Thanksgiving weekend.
This year cheaper airfares are drawing more people to the skies.
Miami International Airport (MIA) said they expect to handle about 1.5 million travelers over the holiday.
At Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International (FLL) , officials expect a 13 percent increase in passengers compared to the same period last year.
Also, this year Fort Lauderdale rounds out as one of the top ten holiday destinations.
"Surprising, wonderful, we came in last night. It was a non-event and today, as you can tell, so far so good," said traveler Francis Walker-Baptist.
The Baptist family had an overnight layover. They're on their way to Barbados.
They're expecting 670,000 travelers between yesterday (Tuesday) and the Monday after Thanksgiving.
Miami International officials say their busiest travel times are the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday after Thanksgiving.
Ft. Lauderdale's airport officials expect about 110,000 passengers on their busiest travel day, Saturday, November 25th.
Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale's airports are among the busiest car rental locations in the country, according to AAA.
Nationwide, more than 28 million are expected to fly over the holiday. In fact, it's forecasted to be the busiest air travel holiday in over a decade.
Whether you're flying or hitting the road, it's important to remember you'll have lots of company so along with your clothes and toothbrush, be sure to pack some patience.
"A lot of congestion in flights, a lot of passengers. This evening will be very busy," said FLL Spokesperson Allan Siegel.