ATLANTA — People are hitting the roads, skies, and rails for the July 4th holiday weekend and every method of travel is expected to be jam-packed with people trying to make it to their destination.
AAA predicts it'll be the second busiest Independence Day weekend since 2000 with almost 50 million Americans expected to travel 50 miles or more.
A steady stream of passengers filled Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Friday. The world's busiest airport fluctuated between second and fifth on FlightAware's misery map.
The flight-tracking website reports almost 7,000 delays and around 3,000 cancelations in the United States Friday.
“I’m just coming here to go to a traditional convention," Tony Akubue, Jr. said.
The Akubue family flew to Atlanta from Minnesota for the Nigerian convention.
“The king of our town is in town today," Dr. Anthony Akubue, Sr. said.
The Akubues will give the walking stick to the king and queen of their tribe. The family is among the 1.7 million people expected to travel through Atlanta for the holiday weekend, and they said they're prepared.
"I made sure I got all the toiletries that I would need from Wal-Mart and other stores around and made sure I fed myself even though I’m hungry now as we speak," Akubue, Sr. said. "I woke up early and made sure I was packed."
However, his son took a different approach.
“I don’t like to pack a lot of stuff. I just like to keep it minimal, and I feel like if I can optimize the carry-on, I can get a lot of stuff in it," Akubue, Jr. said.
Akubue, Jr. has the right idea with experts encouraging travelers to pack essential items in their carry-on bags. Akubue, Sr. was the only member of his family to check a bag. It has a three-piece suit and traditional Nigerian clothing in it for the convention.
“I have to look professional somehow," Akubue, Sr. joked.
The Akubues said it's refreshing to see travel get back to normal.
“It hasn’t been easy with COVID, so it’s like opening the gate of people rushing out," Akubue, Sr. said.
The Akubue family will fly back to Minnesota on July 4th, and the airport encourages families like theirs to get to the airport at least two-and-a-half hours before their flight due to long security lines.
The majority of people will travel by car this weekend. AAA reports the worst time to drive is from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The best time is before noon or after 7 p.m. Saturday.
Another tip for air travelers to avoid traffic nightmares is to try and book a direct flight. AAA encourages those driving to have their vehicle inspected before a long road trip, keep valuables in the trunk, and keep a cell phone and charger at all times.