Travelers brace for busy holiday rush at Chicago airports, highways

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The travel rush is well underway at Chicago O'Hare Airport on Sunday.

Things are moving steadily on Sunday afternoon, with TSA lines averaging about 20 minutes, but you could really feel a rush of people coming in between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

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Monday is expected to be the busiest day at O'Hare ahead of Christmas Eve. Sunday, Dec. 29 is expected to be the busiest day at Midway Airport.

The TSA says it is gearing up to screen roughly 40 million passengers through Jan. 2. That is more than a 6% increase from last year.

United says it is preparing for its busiest travel period on record, adding hundreds more flights each day.

It has made a difference for travelers, who said they are glad to not see any significant delays so far.

"It's just the right day. Shouldn't be too bad," said Gabriella, who is flying to London. "So far, so good. My husband got an upgrade, so we're in good shape."

"It's a little nerve-wracking but you've got to get through it for the holidays," said Will Donohue, who flew in from Minnesota.

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American Airlines is preparing for a similar influx in travelers, noting that more than 6 million bags of pretzels will be handed out.

Some people still adjusting to the congestion at O'Hare, including Elaine from Wisconsin. She is hopping on her first flight in 10 years.

"It's quiet at the Milwaukee airport. This is the busiest airport I've ever been to. My God," she said.

Many Chicagoans said they are dodging the cold weather here, and are headed somewhere warm.

"I'm really happy to be flying out of here. Hopefully, we got on. We're flying standby, so we'll see," said Alyssa, who is traveling to San Diego.

If you are looking to book a last-minute flight, Expedia says the cheapest times to fly will be on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. One of the most expensive days to fly is Sunday, Dec. 22!

Ninety percent of travelers are planning to drive to their holiday destination this year. AAA predicts 107 million people will hit the road.

Gas prices are also lower than last year, with the national average hovering around $3.04 for regular.

The best time to hit the road was Sunday before noon. After that, experts say, the highways are expected to be jam-packed.