AAA expects travel to be up this year for the holidays

Holiday travel is underway as people head in and out of the Coachella Valley for Christmas and New Year gatherings.

Even with the Omicron variant surging, AAA is expecting this holidays season to still be busier than last year. The travel forecast suggests that holiday travel will be up by 37% this year. However, it is still below 6% since before the pandemic during 2019's travel season.

8.8 million Southern Californians are expected to be taking a trip of 50 miles or more during this time frame.

If you're headed out the door to catch a flight, it is recommended that you leave earlier than usual. AAA said you need to get to the airport early and that is by at least two hours for domestic travelers, and three hours before for international travelers.

The travel forecast for this holiday season was put together before the Omicron variant surge. The newer variant has already put off some people's plans, however, AAA believes that its data will remain nearly the same.

When heading out of town, familiarize yourself with what the COVID-19 restrictions are for where you will be visiting.

It is also recommended you get tested for COVID-19 as close as possible to the gathering you plan on attending.