DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — From the roads to the skies, it's going to be a busy day across the country travel-wise as people head out for their July 4 holiday weekend getaways; AAA says about 47.9 million people are going to be traveling this weekend.
Friday is expected to be one of the busiest days to hit the road, so if you’re planning to leave today, get going. AAA also predicts the worst time to travel today will be from 12 to 9 p.m. Tomorrow, the busiest hours will be between 2 and 4 p.m.
AAA also predicts that by Sunday and Monday, most people will be at their destinations already, so if you have somewhere to be later in the holiday weekend, you shouldn’t run into much traffic.
If you can’t avoid the busy travel times, AAA recommends you avoid highways and take side and back roads where you can, even if it means adding a few miles to your trip.
And yes, that means more gas, but even with the historically high gas prices we’re currently seeing, AAA says we could set new records for road trips this weekend.
“People are really excited to get out and travel," Doni Lee Spiegel, public relations manager for AAA Central Pennsylvania said. "We know early this year, travel was picking up tremendously. We also know that was a sign that this summer is going to be a big travel year. People are ready to get out and have a good time with friends and family, make some memories, and just let off some steam."
A few safety reminders: AAA says to make sure you’re paying attention to the roads and not your cell phone or distracted by any other things going on in the car. Watch your speed, and be patient. Remember that everyone is just trying to get to their destinations and enjoy a fun weekend with family and friends, the organization says.
They add that drunk driving and speeding are the leading causes of death during July 4 weekend.
On the local level, officials with Harrisburg International Airport say they are expecting about 18,000 passengers to fly in and out of the airport this weekend; that is about 90 to 92% of what they had back in 2019, which is currently the busiest year on record.
Officials with the airport also say that today will definitely be the busiest day of the weekend and they expect Tuesday, the day after July 4, to be the slowest.
Some popular destinations for those traveling through Harrisburg International Airport include Orlando and Tampa, Fla., Denver, and Dallas.
With the number of delays and cancellations happening recently, airport officials say there are things you can do to make things run more smoothly.
"Number one: be prepared," Scott Miller with Harrisburg International Airport said. "Have your documents ready, have your bags packed, know what to pack and where, be here two hours before your departure. Be flexible. The airlines want to get you where you want to go, but if there’s a safety issue, whether that’s related to weather, or crew, or mechanical, they’re going to delay a flight or maybe even cancel one. They’re not doing it to ruin your weekend, they’re doing it because there’s a safety reason why you can’t travel."
Officials also say to be patient at the airport as they deal with staffing shortages. They say while the service still remains steady overall, things might just take a little bit longer due to the airport not having enough staff.