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Sacramento International Airport sees an increase of travelers for the holidays

Sacramento International Airport sees an increase of travelers for the holidays
FORECAST IN A BIT. SOUNDS GOOD. HEATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE HOLIDAY TRAVEL RUSH IS UNDERWAY. GOT A LIVE LOOK HERE AT THE SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. AND YOU CAN SEE TRAFFIC MOVING ALONG PRETTY GOOD THERE OVER BY TERMINAL B KCRA 3’S ANDRES VALLE IS TRACKING ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO TAKE TO THE SKIES. HOLIDAY TRAVEL IS IN FULL SWING AT THE SACRAMENTO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE PATIENCE, RIGHT? ENJOY THE JOURNEY. IT’S UNBELIEVABLE HOW THAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE COULD ENLIGHTEN YOU. AND WHILE SOME ARE BEING PATIENT, OTHERS SAY IT’S THE TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS THAT HAVE MADE THEIR HOLIDAY TRAVELS EVEN SMOOTHER. I GUESS WE CAME LIKE PROBABLY ABOUT 2.5 HOURS EARLY, WHICH IS A LOT EARLIER THAN WE NORMALLY COME. BUT IT WASN’T ALL NEEDED. BUT IT WAS NICE TO KNOW THAT WE HAD THE TIME. IN TIME IS WHAT LINDA MEYERS, A SPOKESPERSON FOR SMF, SAYS YOU NEED. THAT’S BECAUSE THE AIRPORT HAS MADE CHANGES TO THEIR PARKING LOTS THAT COULD CAUSE TRAVELERS VALUABLE TIME. OUR PARKING GARAGE AND DAILY LOT ARE FILLING UP SOME DAYS, SO WE WANT TO ASSUME YOU’RE GOING TO GO TO AN ECONOMY LOT, AND THEN YOU NEED TO TAKE THE SHUTTLE. AND THAT MEANS THAT YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME. IT CAN TAKE AN HOUR FROM THE ECONOMY LOT TO THE TERMINAL. SO JUST GOT TO TAKE THAT TIME IN. TSA EXPECTS TO SCREEN MORE THAN 40 MILLION PASSENGERS NOW TILL JANUARY 2ND, WHICH IS A 6% INCREASE FROM A YEAR AGO, AND CHANGES ON HOW YOU’LL BE SCREENED AT SMF MIGHT EASE THOSE WAIT TIMES. WE DO HAVE NEW SCREENING PROTOCOLS WITH TSA, SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO TAKE THOSE LAPTOPS AND LIQUIDS OUT OF YOUR BAG. YOU CAN LEAVE IT ALL IN YOUR BAG, PUT IT IN THE BIN, AND IT GOES RIGHT THROUGH. AS TRAVELERS BRAVED THE CROWDS, THEY SAY THEY’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS WITH THEIR LOVED ONES TO SEE FAMILY. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. IT’S GREAT TO BE BACK WITH EVERYONE AND JUST GET TO, YOU KNOW, ALL MY FAMILY IS BASED HERE. REPORTING IN SACRAMENTO, ANDRES VALLE KCRA THREE NEWS. WELL, THE TSA SAYS THAT THEY ARE EXPECTING THE BUSIEST DAYS AT THE AIRPORTS TO BE THE F
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Sacramento International Airport sees an increase of travelers for the holidays
The Sacramento International Airport was busy with thousands of travelers arriving and departing from the airport on Monday. The airport expects to see 20,000 to 22,000 travelers every day this week. Despite the large number of people traveling through the airport, travelers told KCRA they had not noticed any major issues. "Surprisingly, today, it went really smooth. I got through security in just a couple of minutes. I don't think I've ever seen security go so smoothly," said Kathleen Boyack.Other travelers like Max Porazzl decided to head to the airport extra early to avoid being rushed. "Guess we came, like, probably about two and a half hours early, which is a lot earlier than we normally come. But it wasn't all needed. But it was nice to know that we had the time," Porazzl said. Airport officials recommend travelers give themselves that same allotted time to get to the airport. That's because there's been changes to parking lots at SMF. "Our parking garage and daily lots are filling up some days. So we want to assume you're going to go to an economy lot, and then you need to take the shuttle. And that means that you're going to need to give yourself extra time. It can take an hour from the economy lot to the terminal. So just got to bank that time in," Myers said. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 40 million passengers now till Jan. 2, which is a 6% increase from a year ago. Changes in how you will be screened at SMF might ease those wait times."We do have new screening protocols with TSA, so you don't have to take those laptops and liquids out of your bag. You can leave it all in your bag, put it in the bin and it goes right through," Myers said. TSA said they're expecting the busiest days at airports to be the Friday after Christmas as well as Sunday, Dec. 29.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter

The Sacramento International Airport was busy with thousands of travelers arriving and departing from the airport on Monday.

The airport expects to see 20,000 to 22,000 travelers every day this week.

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Despite the large number of people traveling through the airport, travelers told KCRA they had not noticed any major issues.

"Surprisingly, today, it went really smooth. I got through security in just a couple of minutes. I don't think I've ever seen security go so smoothly," said Kathleen Boyack.

Other travelers like Max Porazzl decided to head to the airport extra early to avoid being rushed.

"Guess we came, like, probably about two and a half hours early, which is a lot earlier than we normally come. But it wasn't all needed. But it was nice to know that we had the time," Porazzl said.

Airport officials recommend travelers give themselves that same allotted time to get to the airport. That's because there's been changes to parking lots at SMF.

"Our parking garage and daily lots are filling up some days. So we want to assume you're going to go to an economy lot, and then you need to take the shuttle. And that means that you're going to need to give yourself extra time. It can take an hour from the economy lot to the terminal. So just got to bank that time in," Myers said.

The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen more than 40 million passengers now till Jan. 2, which is a 6% increase from a year ago.

Changes in how you will be screened at SMF might ease those wait times.

"We do have new screening protocols with TSA, so you don't have to take those laptops and liquids out of your bag. You can leave it all in your bag, put it in the bin and it goes right through," Myers said.

TSA said they're expecting the busiest days at airports to be the Friday after Christmas as well as Sunday, Dec. 29.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter