Bay Area airports are bracing for a surge in holiday travelers, with Oakland International Airport expecting over 500,000 passengers throughout the December holiday travel period and San Francisco International Airport forecasting 6.3 million travelers between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, representing a 15% jump compared to the same period in 2023, CBS News San Francisco reported.

Despite potential disruptions from inclement weather and a possible government shutdown, holiday travel is not seeing a significant delay yet. Most travelers like Jessica Newberry, who picked up her daughter at Oakland International Airport, remarked, "It's been pretty smooth from what I've seen so far," CBS News San Francisco cited.

Airport officials have suggested checking in online before reaching the airport, monitoring flight updates for delays or cancellations, and considering booking parking in advance. San Jose Airport is offering a 15% discount for parking reservations until Jan. 6, as per Mercury News.

On the ground, the American Automobile Association estimated that most holiday travel this year will consist of driving, predicting 119.3 million people to travel 50 or more miles by car nationally, Californians alone accounting for 16 million; the Bay Area traffic is expected to be notably congested, specifically eastbound on Interstate 80 from San Francisco to Napa where travelers may face delays up to an 82% increase in their journey time on Saturday evenings. At the same time, the weekend and early week mornings may provide less hectic commuting options, Mercury News emphasized.

Despite looming concerns of a government shutdown, which might begin Friday evening, airport spokespeople are relatively calm about potential impacts; "there is no information indicating that (the airport) will be affected by a potential government shutdown," Ana State, assistant public information manager for San Jose Mineta International Airport, told Mercury News, with San Francisco International Airport similarly untroubled as their security screeners work for a private contractor and other federal positions are considered essential, continuing to be staffed.