South Florida’s airports are bustling with Fourth of July travelers

MIAMI – Both Miami and Fort Lauderdale’s airports were bustling with travelers on Wednesday as the Fourth of July travel period kicked into high gear.

It’s the busiest travel day ahead of the holiday weekend.

At Miami International, more than a million passengers are expected during the holiday travel period from Monday, July 1st to Monday, July 8th.

“We highly suggest arriving three hours before your flight,” said Miami International Airport Director Ralph Cutie. “Parking is limited starting today, so we encourage passengers to use other methods or other methods of transportation such as Uber, Lyft, taxi public transportation and or family and friends.” 

Nationwide, 5.74 million people will fly to their July 4th destinations, up nearly 7% compared to last year and 12% more than in 2019, according to AAA.

Mornings will be the busiest time to fly over the holiday. 

According to the travel website Hopper, “Wednesday, July 3rd will be the busiest day to depart with 3.5 million seats scheduled to depart from U.S. airports ahead of the holiday, while Sunday and Monday will be the busiest to return with over 3.7 million seats scheduled to bring passengers home from trips.”

More than 4.5 million Floridians are expected to travel over the holiday, 3.9 million of those will hit the road.

The worst times to travel by car before and on July 4th are between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Drivers should hit the road in the morning, and travelers returning on Monday, July 8th should avoid rush hour traffic in the morning and afternoon.

Drivers in large metro areas can expect the worst traffic delays on Wednesday, July 3rd, as they leave town, and Sunday, July 7th, as they return. Road trips over the holiday week could take up to 67% longer than normal, according to INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Beryl is causing problems with some holiday plans. Flights to and from Jamaica have been canceled at Miami International and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International.

Several cruise companies, including Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line, have re-routed their ships to avoid the dangerous weather.

Experts predict Beryl could increase the cost of U.S. gas by five to ten cents a gallon over the next week if it disrupts Gulf Coast oil refineries.