Holiday travelers in high hopes amid delays, cancellations at CLT airport

CHARLOTTE — The holiday season may be wrapping up, but travelers should pack their patience if going through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

TSA officials expect this year to be a record-breaking travel season.

On Christmas Day, more than 100 flights were delayed.

Channel 9′s Hannah Goetz was at the airport on Dec. 25 and spoke with passengers trying to make the best of flying on Christmas.

“It doesn’t matter how old they get, I’m just happy to be home happy to spend Christmas with her,” said Macy Kreitlin, who spent Christmas morning with her father in Alabama before flying to spend the second half with her mom.

The downpour sweeping the Midwest didn’t help ease any holiday aches for Kreitlin.

“It was a little turbulent flight-wise because it was so rainy from both of the places I have been to, but a lot of people were traveling surprisingly,” she said.

Another traveler also wasn’t bothered by the busy bustle of the airport.

“We’ve been listening to Christmas music, we had a great breakfast this morning, maybe some cocktails when we get to the gate. Doing everything to make it fun,” Rynn Caputo said.

Caputo and her family have been traveling for days from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. On Christmas night, they hoped to land in Denver, Colorado for a ski trip.

Triple-A estimates around 115 million Americans are traveling more than 50 miles from home - they also predict airports to be the busiest they’ve ever been with a projected 7.5 million air travelers, passing pre-COVID numbers.

The busiest day AAA expects is yet to come on Dec. 30th ahead of New Year’s celebrations.

(WATCH: )

©2023 Cox Media Group