TYLER, Texas — With a projected rainy forecast for the Thanksgiving holiday in Tyler, timing is important if you’re traveling.
AAA said more people will hit the road and take to the skies than last year.
"We love to see the uptick in traffic compared to previous years," said Steve Thompson, manager of Tyler Pounds Regional Airport. "It's great to see people back traveling again."
Thompson said there has been a steady stream of travelers this week and his crews are prepared.
"We have 180 seats available in and out of this airport pretty much daily," Thompson said.
About 4.5 million Americans are projected to fly this Thanksgiving holiday. That’s an 8% increase from last year.
Big Sandy resident Sally Allen said she’s flying to Fort Lauderdale, Florida to visit her son.
"We're heading to Orlando tomorrow to have a Puerto Rican American Thanksgiving with his girlfriend's family," Allen said. "From there we will be doing some fun things in Orlando."
Allen also said traveling through Tyler Pounds Airport has always been a good experience.
Another traveler who flew into Tyler on Tuesday, Lara Garcia said she came to visit her godparents but her ticket wasn’t cheap.
"I think it was like $500," Garcia said. "It was a little bit higher than usual, but because I come here every year I planned ahead to make sure that I could afford it."
Planning ahead for your travels and arriving early is key.
The airport also offers TSA PreCheck which gets you through the line quicker. Thompson also mentioned that if you arrive one to two hours before your flight you should still make it on time.
"Tyler is a great place to be for the holidays," Thompson said. "We really see more people coming into Tyler then departing over the weekend instead of the opposite."