FRESNO, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — The travel rush was in full swing at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport on Monday as thousands of travelers got a head start on the Thanksgiving holiday.
“It does get busy at the Fresno airport during peak travel departure periods: first thing early morning, mid-morning, and then late at night,” airport spokesperson Vikkie Calderon said.
The TSA expects millions to take to the sky on Tuesday, and more than 40 passenger flights are scheduled to take off from Fresno.
“Because it is going to be a busy week at the Fresno airport, travelers (should) arrive early for their flights,” Calderon said.
“It is recommended two hours prior to flight departure for domestic flights and three hours prior to departure for international flights.”
AAA projects nearly 80 million travelers will head at least 50 miles from home. Most will travel by road, where gas prices are lower this year.
“We are starting to see more and more stations below the $4 mark across Fresno,” Patrick De Haan at GasBuddy said.
Gas prices continue to decline in Fresno, where the average is down about 11 cents from last week and now stands at $4.16 a gallon.
The price at some pumps is even cheaper.
“At least, for now, there’s a couple stations in Fresno all the way down to $2.66 a gallon,” De Haan said.
De Haan says gas prices tend to be much lower in Nevada and Arizona, so he says to fill up before crossing back into California.
As drivers fill up and passengers board flights, the weather could slow them down. Storms are expected to move through the West Coast and parts of the Northeast Tuesday.
The weather could pose knock-on effects in Fresno as planes and crews come from nationwide hubs.
“It is recommended for all travelers, regardless of where they’re traveling to, to keep in contact with their airline, especially before leaving their home, to check on their flight status,” Calderon said.
