Taking Flight--Without Stress : Holiday: John Wayne Airport officials warn that today and Sunday are likely to be their busiest. But travelers can save time, money and their nerves by following a few simple tips.

Take John Wayne Airport, add 18,000 travelers, and mix at the frantic pace of the holidays. You have produced a sure-fire formula for stress.

But not necessarily gridlock, according to airport officials.

Several simple precautions should allow the predicted record numbers of Thanksgiving weekend travelers to avoid long and potentially costly delays, officials said.

“We anticipate a very heavy travel day” Wednesday, said Pat Ware, airport spokeswoman. “A large number of passengers will be going through, and it will be a larger than usual influx of travelers.”

Historically, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of the heaviest air travel days of the year, with 18,000 people going through John Wayne Airport--6,000 more than usual. Sunday is also a heavy travel day, airport officials said.

Most important, travelers should give themselves extra time. Airport officials recommend planning to arrive at John Wayne about an hour and a half before scheduled departure time.

Sensible survival tactics include planning where to park. Airport officials recommend calling the airport terminal operator at (714) 252-5006 for the latest information on which lots still have spaces available.

Or travelers can drive directly to the remote parking lot on Main Street, between Red Hill Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard.

“You get the best of both worlds at the remote parking lot,” Ware said. “It’s a real ebb and flow situation, so it might be best to just go to the remote parking lot.”

For the first time, an extra shuttle bus and cashier have been added, Wednesday through Sunday, to help speed travelers from remote parking to the main terminal.

The second shuttle will operate from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Sunday. There will also be an additional cashier from noon to 10 p.m. to accommodate the deluge of returning travelers.

“A larger percentage of passengers are parking at the terminal. It’s been going on all summer and now with another layer of passengers, we expect more of them to be parking at the airport,” Ware said.

For travelers who want to bypass parking problems altogether, shuttle buses and cabs are available. Although most shuttles are already heavily booked for Wednesday and Sunday, shuttle officials said there are still some openings left.

“We are busier in general this year, so I’m anticipating that we’ll be even busier over the Thanksgiving weekend,” said Tom McLean, one of the owners of Southern California Coach. “We can only take so many for one particular time slot, but we still have openings available.”

The busiest times for shuttles are 5 to 8 a.m. and 7 to 8 p.m., according to McLean. Depending on where the person is going, the shuttle picks them up at least two hours before their flight during the Thanksgiving weekend, to ensure the passenger makes it to the airport on time.

Survival Guide to Holiday Travel John Wayne Airport gets busy during the Thanksgiving holiday. A little planning can make flying in and out of the airport go more smoothly. Terminal A Alaska American American Eagle Continental Delta Morris Air/Sierra Pacific Skywest/Delta Connection Terminal B Alpha Air America West Northwest Stateswest/US Air Express TWA United United Express Parking Short-term parking $1 per hour, maximum $14 per day. After two days, additional days cost $7. Long-term parking $7 per day. Fills early in week. Call (714) 252-5006 to check status. Remote long-term parking $7 per day. From freeways, exit at MacArthur Boulevard, go to Main Street. Shuttles run at least every half-hour to terminal. Hours: 5:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Stress-Free Travel Tips Allow at least an hour and a half of waiting time. Consider taking only carry-on luggage. Take a shuttle or taxi. Park in garage closest to your airline. Take Corona del Mar Freeway, which is less congested than other freeways. Check to see if parking lots are full by calling airport operator at (714) 252-5006. Consider parking in remote lot to avoid airport congestion. Call airline to confirm flight times. When People Fly The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally the busiest day of the fall holiday season, although last year, the Sunday after Thanksgiving saw more people traveling. Note: Does not include commercial flights to local airports such as Los Angeles International Note: Does not include commerical flights to local airports such as Los Angeles International. Source: John Wayne Airport Researched by DANNY SULLIVAN / Los Angeles Times