Holiday travel takes off at the Santa Barbara Airport and beyond

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.-Travelers may not be going over the river and through the woods like the holiday lyrics say but plenty of people are going to their grandmothers house.

And many are flying -- so we asked some seasoned Santa Barbara Airport travelers to share their travel tips.

"We are going to Kingston we are going to see our grandmother and grandfather and a travel tip is try to pack light but pack all the things you need you might be like, dang it, I forgot something," said Joshua Schuette.

His family arrived early.

"My dad is always bright and early, "said Amelia Schuette.

That goes along with FLYSBA's tips for stress free travel on social media.

They recommend arriving two hours early, checking with airlines directly for flight status, checking their airports real time parking availability website or get dropped off or try the economy lot.

"My best tip is not to park in the airport because when you get the long term parking you end up having to walk a long distance, when we go to the other to offsite parking you get the shuttle and you get dropped off right here at the street, so that is my tip and it is cheaper," said Sandy Rios.

Rios' large family is heading to a wedding in a cold climate, so they couldn't pack too light.

Another tip this time of year is to make sure your holiday gifts are unwrapped or in a gift bag TSA can easily inspect.

"Okay, why I learned something actually, that is just dumb luck, because I have presents and I didn't wrap them" said Rios.

Speaking of presents, Katie Schuette said she always packs an extra bag to bring presents home.

Travel forecasters say the busiest travel days kick off Thursday and run through New Years Day.

While many people, fly Triple-A says 90 percent of holiday traveler will be driving to their destinations.

That's about 14 million Californians.

Christmas and the first day of Hanukkah are both next Wednesday --making that the lightest travel day . 

Driving before 10 a.m. and after 7 p.m. may help you avoid jams, but check the weather for safety.

And if you do arrive early, find ways to enjoy the passage of time.

Kathy Keith played holiday tunes on the community piano near the baggage claim at the Santa Barbara Airport.

That may have helped travelers get into the holiday mood.

For more travel tip information visit https://www.flysba.santabarbaraca.gov