The Perils of Thanksgiving Travel

Michael Yale is a frequent airline traveler, but he learned the hard way the perils of the Thanksgiving getaway gridlock.

First, it took him an extra hour to drive from Long Beach to Los Angeles International Airport. Then there were the long lines at the check-in counter. Two hassled hours after their plane’s scheduled departure time, he and his wife, Jeanne, and their two children arrived at the gate--out of breath and more than a little out of sorts.

Thanks to bad weather, they didn’t miss their plane for that trip several years ago, miraculously saving the family holiday at his mother’s house in Paradise, Calif.

“We vowed never to do that again,” Yale said Tuesday as the family prepared to board their flight at LAX--this time two days before Thanksgiving.

The Yales avoided the traditional Thanksgiving scramble, which kicks off today. Travel experts reiterate the family’s hard-won lesson: allow for extra travel time.

More than 171,000 passengers will pass through LAX each day through the weekend, with tens of thousands more flying in and out of Burbank, Van Nuys and other regional airports.

“It’s definitely our busiest weekend of the year,” John Wayne Airport spokeswoman Nghia Nguyen said.

An additional 2 million Southern Californians are expected to drive to their destinations, the Auto Club of Southern California predicts. “It’s really about flat from last year,” spokeswoman Marie Montgomery said.

No major highway construction is planned in the area, and the National Weather Service forecast through Saturday calls for clear driving weather, with some breezes in mountain passes and canyons.

To make the roads even safer, the California Highway Patrol stepped up its enforcement, beginning early today. Officers will be looking for drunk drivers and people not using seat belts or child safety seats, said spokeswoman Officer Wendy Moore.

But even under the best conditions, sheer volume coupled with the nation’s worst freeway bottlenecks promise headaches and hassles on local highways, traffic officials said. A trip to Las Vegas, anticipated to be the most popular draw for Southern Californians this weekend, may take twice as long as usual, Montgomery said.

“There should be a free-flow for motorists, but they should start early, particularly on Wednesday and Sunday when traffic will be heaviest,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Margie Tiritilli.

Travelers can call California Highway Information at (800) 427-7623 to pinpoint highway closures or unanticipated construction. The information is updated hourly.

Airline passengers must also plan for extra travel time.

“Parking lots are full and along with more crowds, you never know what you are going to run into,” said FAA spokeswoman Kirsti Dunn. “It’s probably a wise idea to leave yourself an extra half hour.”

No extra security measures are introduced during the holiday period, although improved technology since the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 has increased scrutiny of passengers and their luggage, said Bonnie Wilson, spokeswoman for Airports International Council-North America, a commercial airport trade group.

CAT scan technology for probing luggage, as well as small circular pads that detect traces of potentially hazardous chemicals, are among the newer measures travelers may encounter, Wilson said. In addition, anyone carrying their coffee through security checkpoints might be asked to take a sip to make sure it’s really just coffee.

Finding airport parking may also take longer. LAX officials are encouraging travelers to park in long-term parking lots or use bus, rail and vans to get to the airport. Van Nuys, Burbank and John Wayne airport officials also are stressing alternative transportation and long-term parking lots.

LAX travelers can also tune in to 530-AM between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., today and Thursday from 6 a.m. to noon, for the latest airport traffic and parking updates.

Other tips for Thanksgiving travelers include:

* Before leaving for the airport, call the airline to double check flight times.

* Don’t wrap holiday gifts that will be carried onto the plane.

Times staff writers David Haldane and Karima A. Haynes contributed to this story.