COVID Travel: Coronavirus Warnings Slow Holiday Travel at Bay Area Airports
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Health officials pleaded with people to not travel this Thanksgiving. From the look of things at Bay Area airports, many took that advice to heart.
"In the Chicago suburbs where I live, the prevalence of Covid, it is almost nonexistent," said Scott Peterson after landing in San Francisco International Airport. "We've been traveling through all of this. It has not been a problem. Just take the proper precautions and try to do it right."
For a pre-Thanksgiving weekend, it was a very quiet SFO Saturday with plenty of space in the parking lots and short lines at the security gates. There was no sign of a holiday rush.
"I've been on far too many flights this year," said Cade Shipman. "I'm not too concerned, I know everyone is taking the right precautions. I am too."
Shipman had just landed at Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International airport where there was even less evidence of a travel rush.
"For sure, it's probably the least packed I've seen," Shipman said. "Some (airports) that are hubs have far more people."
That's something several travelers mentioned -- that airports in other large cities, like Los Angeles and Houston, seemed to have significantly more traffic.
"I came from Chicago and it was very busy," said Deb Berger.
Berger said she is aware that local public health officials would rather she have not made this trip but that was not enough for her to cancel.
"It did make me feel guilty. But I'm traveling here to see my daughter. We're going to be at her apartment, it's just the two of us. We're going to cook Thanksgiving dinner and be together," she explained.
In the era of Covid, judging a busy day at the airport must be done on a curve. Still, Saturday seemed particularly quiet.
"It's slow for any day," Shipman observed. "Let alone the holidays."
