Solar eclipse, spring break combining for big travel crowds at LAX, other airports
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Airports around Southern California are already busy this week because of spring break - and they're getting busier for the upcoming solar eclipse.
The total eclipse will happen Monday, April 8, starting just after 11 a.m.
It will be partially visible in California, but fully visible for about four minutes in a narrow band of North America, moving northeast up from Mexico through Texas and then traveling through Oklahoma, Arkansas. Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, and then into Canada.
People throughout the country are making travel plans to be in those zones to watch the rare phenomenon. During the last solar eclipse, in 2017, some small towns found themselves overwhelmed with travelers, as hotels were booked full and roads clogged with traffic.
At Los Angeles International Airport, travelers say they're already seeing more traffic than normal. Much of that is for the current spring breakers, who will be joined soon by eclipse watchers.
Last Thursday, LAX screened 2.7 million passengers, the most so far this year and the largest number since the winter holiday season last year.
"There's just so many people coming and going, so that was definitely a little overwhelming," said Samuel Herrera, of the San Fernando Valley.
Expedia says the week of April 8 is typically the busiest travel week for spring break.
The FAA expects the busiest travel day this week will be Thursday. More than 50,000 flights are expected to take off nationwide. Expect the heaviest delays along the eclipse path from Texas to Maine.
"Believe it or not, people have been booking hotels for 11 months now," said Clint Henderson, managing editor for travel website The Points Guy. "Airlines have added special flights for the coverage."
For example, in Killeen, Texas, a hotel room that typically costs $100 a night will run more than $860 during the eclipse.
