San Francisco International Airport is expecting a 15% increase in holiday travel compared to last year, with more efforts geared toward streamlining the baggage drop-off and check-in process.
The airport anticipates about 6.3 million travelers between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. The number has steadily increased since the pandemic and could potentially surpass pre-COVID figures in November and December for the first time. Last year saw about 8.3 million passengers in both November and December, compared to 9 million during the same period in 2019.
While the airport itself does not tend to increase the number of staff, SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel said many airlines increase the number of flights and operations.
“We hold planning meetings with all our airlines and agencies, including TSA and the police. The goal is to match up our staffing with the volume we’re expecting,” Yakel said. “We look at airline forecasts to see what are the busiest days and make sure the resources are available at the right times.”
The airport is bracing for heightened volume starting this weekend, but it still does not get as hectic as the summertime, Yakel said.
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“There is a common misconception that the busiest travel time for us is Thanksgiving, but it’s not,” he said. “Our typical busiest travel days are Fourth of July or Labor Day.”
Last November, about 4.1 million passengers traveled through SFO, compared to almost 5 million in July. The same was true in 2022, when July numbers were higher than both November and December figures.
International travel accounted for about 30% of holiday travel in December in 2023, although it’s unclear what the breakdown will be this year. The percentage was similar even prior to the pandemic as well.
Even though airport staff hasn’t significantly increased, Yakel said it just launched a pilot program that allows passengers to check in their luggage at long-term parking or rental car centers, which “frees them up at the terminal,” Yakel said, although it’s only available from certain airlines this weekend.
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