AUSTIN, Texas — Almost 4 million Texans are expected to travel this Fourth Of July holiday weekend, a new all-time high, according to AAA Texas travel forecast data.
Fourth of July is expected to be the slowest day for the holiday weekend, but Monday, things are expected to ramp back up.
Walking through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, you'll quickly find two groups of people: those who are flying for the first time since the pandemic and those who scratched their travel itch a long time ago.
"I am a little nervous. I hope I won't get a panic attack, but we will see," said traveler AJ Eclair.
"October, we went to Vegas," said traveler Roberto Barron. "It was nice. And months ago, we went to Hawaii and it was crazy, which is why we got here early."
On this Fourth of July, TSA checkpoint lines were short. According to the airport's spokesperson, it's expected to be the slowest travel day of this holiday weekend, with almost 19,800 passengers.
On Saturday, 20,484 people caught a flight at the airport. And Friday was one of the busiest days since the pandemic, with 27,312 passengers.
To put that into perspective, the Friday before Memorial Day in 2019 saw 28,852 passengers.
Every passenger has their own reason for taking a ride in the air. For Eclair, it's seeing family in Hawaii for the first time in over a year.
"I can finally get to hug them and not be scared to infect them," said Eclair.
For Roberto and Lupita Barron, it's the turn-up in Las Vegas.
"It's my birthday, so I have to be there," said Barron.
TSA encourages flyers to arrive two or three hours before boarding. Also, check your carry-on bag to make sure there are no prohibited items.
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