We are officially in the holiday travel season as millions of Americans take to the road and skies to celebrate the holidays with friends and loved ones.

With holiday travel comes the stress of getting where you need to go. For Laney Bonner and her sister Leah, who were traveling from Tampa to Raleigh, it was the opposite of what they hoped to see.

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“People were pushing, complaining, and just making it negative during the holidays,” Bonner said.

AAA predicts more than 200,000 people will fly in and out of Raleigh-Durham International Airport over the next two weeks. The airport also reported that several parking options are already selling out. 

As of Saturday, both economy lots at the airport are more than 50% full, and the Economy 4 lot is more than 80% full. They won’t be full for long, however, as both lots are sold out for the holiday season, according to the airport’s online booking page for the economy lots.

However, Bonner said she and her sister arrived at the airport three hours ahead of their flight, which helped them keep a positive mindset.

"My dad keeps being like, 'Don't let it steal your holiday joy,' so we're not letting them do that," Bonner said.

Candace Seagroves, who said she’s no stranger to traveling this time of year, said she has her travel ritual all figured out.

“Knowing it would get busier as it got closer to the Christmas travel date, we decided we would arrive and depart ahead of that time,” Seagroves said. 

But even Seagroves told WRAL News that travelers should prepare for the unexpected.

“[We] landed in Charlotte about 20 minutes behind schedule, then we took off from Charlotte about an hour behind schedule,” Seagroves said.

For the best results, AAA recommends that travelers check their flight status before they head to the airport. They also recommend arriving at the airport well in advance of your flight, packing smartly, and knowing your airline’s policies. Also, make sure you have your Real ID when you travel. While you can still board your flight without one, you won’t have to do extra screening ahead of your flight.

Knowing those tips helped George Green work some Christmas magic to get where he needed to be.

“I was on a later flight, and I got bumped up to the earlier flight, so I’m home an hour early,” Green said.

Identification Requirements 

After years of delays, this is the first winter holiday season TSA is enforcing the Real ID Act.

Triple A recommends having your REAL ID. You still can board a flight without one, but you may have to do extra screening in order to fly. 

Tap to watch: No REAL ID? Expect extra screening at the airport

TSA Spokesperson Carter Langston says most people are compliant.

"We're seeing about 5% of the population coming through without either a state-issued Real ID or an acceptable form of ID, like a Passport," he said.

For those who don’t, TSA may ask you to complete an identity verification process, and you may have to go through more screening. But starting February 2026, passengers without a Real ID will also have to shell out extra money.

"We're going to start charging $45 for Confirm ID, which is another ID confirmation method that's going to cost...for the passenger who shows up without either the compliant Real ID or an alternative," Langston said. "The best way to avoid that $45 fee between now and Feb. 1, is to hurry up and get that state-issued Real ID."