Summary
- SFO anticipates 930,000 travelers over Labor Day weekend, aiming to reach 97% of pre-pandemic traffic.
- United Airlines error prompts passengers to arrive early, improving efficiency at airport terminals.
- TSA expects over 17 million travelers nationwide during the busy Labor Day period, with California’s airports urging early arrival.
Labor Day weekend is upon us, and as usual, it is one of the busiest weekends of the year in the United States for travel. San Francisco International Airport is already anticipating bigger crows than they have seen in previous years, as reported by the San Francisco Standard. Between Thursday and Tuesday, more than 930,000 travelers are expected to funnel through the airport’s terminals, an increase of 8.7% compared to last year.
A busy weekend at SFO
SFO expects to reach around 97% of pre-pandemic traffic this weekend, almost reaching similar numbers in 2019. With a busy weekend ahead, airlines remind passengers to arrive at the airport with ample time. They should arrive at least two hours before any domestic departing flight and three hours if traveling internationally. However, a report by the San Francisco Standard claims that
United Airlines
advised passengers to arrive with even more time to spare, with one Friday morning traveler claiming the airline requested them to arrive three hours before a flight from SFO to
Chicago O’Hare International Airport
.
Photo: San Francisco Int’l Airport, Ryan Patterson
United Airlines responded quickly, stating that the three-hour warning was issued as a mistake and correcting the Chicago-bound traveler. The carrier has emphasized that passengers should arrive early and get ahead by checking in bags and luggage at the airport’s bag drop shortcut area.
Limited capacity at one of California’s busiest airports
San Francisco International Airport has already reminded passengers that this weekend will be busy and that parking in the airport’s garages will be in short supply. The airport has encouraged passengers to use public transport where available, and luckily, no major infrastructure projects are taking place on arterial routes to the airport.
When arriving at the airport, passengers should ensure that their bags are packed correctly. If holding a boarding pass from checking in online, they should proceed straight to bag drop and through the security checkpoints.
Photo: Ceri Breeze | Shutterstock
Across the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen more than 17 million people during the Labor Day travel period from Thursday, August 29 through Wednesday, September 4. The agency expects this to be the busiest Labor Day travel period on record and could screen as many as 2.86 million people on August 30 alone, which is expected to be the peak travel day.
TSA’s estimates make sense, as the top ten busiest travel days in its history have all occurred this year since May 2024. In fact, the TSA has already screened 239.8 million people since Memorial Day weekend, at an average of 2.7 million per day.