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Thanksgiving travel predicted to be busiest in years, especially in California

Randol White - KCBX News

Two of the busiest airports in the nation are expected to be right here in California during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Some experts predict this year will be the busiest for air travel since the start of the recession.

A report released Wednesday by the travel booking site Orbitz says Southern California's LAX will be the busiest airport in the nation for Thanksgiving, holding steady with its ranking from last year. San Francisco's SFO comes in at number four just as in 2013. But the number of people flying is expected to rise with an improved economy and lower fuel prices.

Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend could be the busiest day for air travelers of the entire year.

Craig Piper is the Assistant Manager at San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (SBP) and says they've seen a 12 percent increase overall this year. 

He says, as far as holiday travel goes, Central Coast flights are directly impacted by operations in the bigger connecting cities.

"The impacts we would potentially have is what kind of weather is taking place in those locations," said Piper. "If there's an impact that way, then that can affect when our flights depart from here." He says flights out of San Luis Obispo are often delayed to open up space for the flights coming in from the East Coast.

Lynn Houston with the Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) says it's a good idea to arrive at least an hour-and-a-half before your flight. She also says to remember; if you're traveling presents, keep them unwrapped for airport security.