Busy morning at PHL Airport as travelers hope to beat storm
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The travel rush is on at Philadelphia International Airport as people try to beat the incoming winter storm. Thursday and Friday are expected to be the busiest travel days of the holiday season.
The countdown to Christmas is on -- and so is the race to beat a powerful winter storm that is expected to move into the region Thursday morning around 9 a.m.
For anyone traveling today, the rain is expected to get heavier as the day goes on so get an early start if possible.
As travelers arrived at Philadelphia International Airport, they stopped to see if their flights were on time, delayed or even canceled, before heading to the TSA security checkpoint.
At 5 a.m., there were already long lines forming filled with people hoping to get on a flight to their holiday destination. One family is happy they arrived early for their flight to warmer weather.
"It's insane," Annie said when asked about the lines. Her father added that "at this hour, it's crazy."
Annie, her brother and her parents are headed to sunny Florida for the holidays.
Another traveler, Vinu Varghese, is just hoping to get to his destination prior to the storm's arrival.
"I am hoping I beat it," Varghese said.
Varghese said he didn't have to change his flight, he just got lucky with the timing of it.
PHL Airport says more than 980,000 people are expected to pass through the airport between Thursday and January 3.
Some airlines already started canceling flights due to what the National Weather Service is calling a "once-in-a-generation storm" that will produce blizzard conditions in the central and eastern parts of the country.
The storm blasted the northwest region with snow and arctic temperatures.
Some travelers CBS3 spoke with say they booked early to beat the storm.
Airlines tell CBS3 they've seen a big spike in people using the travel waivers to change their flights ahead of the storm. If you haven't done so, you might want to consider it before airlines start rolling out cancellations.
The roads are also expected to be just as busy, 102 million people will travel by car for the holidays. Some families left late Wednesday night to get a head start.