GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The upcoming winter storms will create traffic troubles for holiday travelers. AAA estimates 2.2 million Wisconsinites will journey 50 miles or more away from home from December 23 to January 2 with more than 125,000 traveling by air, that’s an increase of 13.5% from last year.
Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport Director, Marty Piette, says passenger travel is up 15% compared to 2021 and expects the next week to be extremely busy. He encourages air travelers to be as flexible as possible and offered the following tips:
- Pack your patience
- Bring unwrapped presents
- Know your airlines rules for bag size and weight limits, which are strictly enforced
- Be as flexible as possible
“Keep track of the weather yourself and the status of your flight,” said Piette. “I always tell people the first thing they should do is download your airlines app so you can keep up to date with how the status of your flight is doing.”
The busiest travel days at GRB are Monday, Thursday, and Friday, and it’s expected to be the same for the week of Christmas. Piette explains airlines are operating larger aircraft with more seats, but that sometimes means less frequency. And flights are full, not just out of Green Bay, but also connecting airports.
Several airlines including United, American, Delta and Southwest are offering travel waivers for air travelers to change travel plans at no cost to avoid delays and cancelations due to the winter storm.
AAA says that nearly 113 million Americans will travel for the holiday in its AAA 2022 travel forecast.
