Final countdown: last-minute travelers leave town as Thanksgiving approaches. In addition to flying, some also drive to their destination by car. Stephanie Bennett from FOX 10 reports. PHOENIX – Vacation travel is expected to increase in 2021 as more people become comfortable to visit their loved ones and Sky Harbor staff see more and more vacation travelers. In 2019, the TSA screened more than 26 million travelers during the Thanksgiving travel season, a record-breaking number. For Thanksgiving 2021, they expect about 20 million passengers to be screened. Greg Roybal of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport says the numbers have steadily increased. “In 2021 we are leaning towards our 2019 numbers. 2019 was our record year and 2020 was of course an outlier in terms of years,” said Roybal. Some started their air travel early. Travelers passed Sky Harbor on November 19th. “We got through security pretty quickly. We were actually two hours earlier than planned and just sat at our gate, ”said one traveler. Mike Cortez, who was from New Orleans, said he made the best decision to come early. “I got my TSA pre-check, I went straight through it. It worked out really well,” said Cortez. For Matthew Rounis, leaving several days earlier means spending more time with the family. “I always watch soccer with my father and grandpa and always spend time with the dogs and with my mother and grandma,” said Rounis. The airport gets busy as Thanksgiving approaches. Travelers are still coming to Phoenix on November 23, just days before Thanksgiving. For some travelers, it’s the first flight since the pandemic began. “Flights were a bit cheaper, and then just hoping to avoid any rush. I mean we’ll see. It’s fine. I’m personally vaccinated and my whole family is. We take just as many precautions as we do. ” can, “said Olivia Fredette. Other travelers leaving Phoenix say the vacation times and delays for family reunions are worth it.” I’m just going home from school. We’re on a break so I’m going home, “said Carter Bierman, who was traveling to Omaha, Nebraska. Sallie Dinkler, who runs a passenger pick-up business, says she has made 26 trips to Sky Harbor this week alone.” Sometimes I’m here up to six times a day, “says Dinkler.” I’ll be down here tonight and it will be pretty busy. It’s going to be a jam because I’ve been down here on Thanksgiving and it’s the busiest day of the week. “” We have extra staff on site to meet demand, “said Heather Shelbrack of Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.” We have our customer service teams, our operations teams, our volunteer navigators. Everyone is available to our travelers. ”However, as the number of trips increases, so too do COVID-19 cases, with CDC officials increasing 16% or nationwide this week report an average of 88,000 new cases daily. With the airports going to be busy, TSA officials remind people to check with the airline before going to the airport and be patient. “This is expected to be one of our busiest Times is going to be, if not the busiest time of the year, and again, it’s really important that travelers take extra time to check out what’s going on in you Your bag is located before you get to the airport of all prohibited items, “said Shelbrack. Some Driving Out of Town Meanwhile, traffic slowly pushed its way down I-17 on November 24th, but securing it was welcome business for the Rock Springs Cafe. “I know a lot of people hate it because it happens bumper to bumper or, in the worst case scenario, something terrible happened, but it makes a lot of our people come in,” said Angel Bronk. For many, the restaurant’s famous pies are actually a Thanksgiving tradition that is worth taking the traffic for. “We started construction in late September so we broke numbers,” said Bronk. “We usually do 12,000 to 13,000 this month, and we actually have – I actually saw it when you showed up. Pretty sure we’re at 15,000. ”“ They’re delicious, and it’s a tradition, ”said Allie Baire. “It’s just fun to do with my parents because there are so many fun things to do, like where the cakes are.” A driver waited until the last minute to start his vacation drive just for these cakes. “The whole trip revolved around the cake,” said Stephen Schaeffer. “We’re also taking her to our cousin’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Officials with AAA say if you have to be on the road this week, do it after off-peak hours, such as during the week. B. in the morning before 11:00 a.m. The worst times of the week are after noon until around 7:00 PM Arizona Stories Tune on FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news Download the FOX 10 local breaking news and weather apps
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