San Diego International Airport was experiencing hundreds of flight delays and cancelations Friday as thousands of travelers commute for their holiday vacations.
Delays began as soon as flights got underway Friday due to a blanket of dense fog along the coast, which has been affecting San Diego for several days this week. There was a dense fog advisory in effect early Friday for the coastal communities lowering visibility down to 1/4 of a mile or less that impacted travel.
Flight delay and cancelation numbers continued to climb as the day progressed and by 9 p.m., there were 326 delays and 157 cancellations, according to the unofficial flight tracking website FlightAware.
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Busy air travel season
According to AAA, 119 million Americans will travel this holiday season.
San Diego airport is anticipating 1.3 million travelers during an 18-day period which began Thursday and goes through the Sunday after New Year's Day. That's about a 4 to 5% increase over last year, according to the airport.
About 80,000 people will pass through the airport during this time period, SAN said Morning and evening are the busiest times, so travelers are advised to avoid those periods if possible.
On Thursday, there was traffic congestion on westbound North Harbor Drive. The airport advised travelers to allow additional time on their way to the airport.
Tips for airport travel during the holidays
San Diego International Airport has the following tips to help smooth things out this holiday travel season:
- Make parking reservations in advance
- The roadways around SAN are changing. Due to the construction happening, the airport is alerting drivers to pay attention to the roadway signage
- Pack wisely and avoid bringing prohibited items in carry-on luggage
- Check your flight status before coming to the airport and arrive early
- There is a free electric shuttle bus service between the Old Town Transit Station and SAN. The electric shuttle buses operate seven days a week, with an average arrival time of every 20 to 30 minutes. The first pick up is at 4:45 a.m. and the last pick up/drop off at 12:30 a.m.
- Get dropped off or use a ride-share
Traffic lights up SoCal freeways
The vast majority of travelers are expected to reach their destinations by car.
AAA projects that 8.7 million SoCal residents will hit the road this holiday season, which they track starting on Saturday, Dec. 21 through Jan. 1.
The worst traffic congestion is expected to occur on the weekends before Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
The Auto Club noted that Southern California gas prices are about 40 cents per gallon less than they were a year ago.
