The holiday travel rush is making its presence felt in Florida, with Miami International Airport (MIA) witnessing a throng of passengers trying to make their way home after a convivial Thanksgiving. According to a report by Local 10, the Federal Aviation Administration estimated that more than 55 million Americans have traveled during this period, marking it as one of the busiest in recent years for holiday transit.
Travelers at MIA on the post-Thanksgiving Friday found themselves amid long security lines that snaked their way through the terminal, no doubt feeling the squeeze of the holiday travel congestion. Camille Juban, preempted to celebrate the festivities a day late, told Local 10, "I live in Guadeloupe, so I was spending the night here yesterday and I’m taking Air France now to go to Guadeloupe."
Meanwhile, at Palm Beach International Airport (PBIA), parking spaces became a rare commodity on Thanksgiving when officials announced that at around 1:33 p.m., all parking lots were at full capacity. The announcement was accompanied by a recommendation for travelers to consider alternatives such as taxis, Palm Tran bus service, and rideshare. It wasn't until 4 p.m. that the parking lots began to reopen as arriving flights offloaded passengers, lightening the load on packed lots, as WPBF noted.
Gina Guilford's journey was just one among the many that saw traveling to Gainesville, Florida, to be with more family, having already celebrated Thanksgiving in Miami. "I had Thanksgiving with my mom and my whole family, it was wonderful. Then up bright and early to visit my son and daughter-in-law," Guilford recounted to Local 10.
Even with today's rush already beating expectations, Sunday is forecasted to outdo all other days, with projections of over 3.7 million passengers taking to the skies nationwide.
