Holiday travel surge not expected to dim with terror alert

Bay Area travelers took to the roads, the rails and the sky to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, fueled by low gas prices and mostly undeterred by a worldwide travel alert issued by the U.S. State Department in the wake of the Islamic State attacks in France.

It was business as usual — mostly — at San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday. Whether coming from Fresno, Eureka or Miami or going to Chicago, New York or Salt Lake City, travelers who passed through were eyeing common destinations: family, friends and food.

“I’m just spending time with the family, hanging out and eating some good food,” said Quinn Dufurrena, a medical student just arrived from New York for a long weekend in Marin County.

Security was noticeable, with more visible police officers in the terminals and longer lines for flight-crew screenings in keeping with Transportation Security Administration procedures put in place after the Nov. 13 attacks in France.

The federal travel alert, citing a continued threat from the Islamic State, warned people to “be prepared for additional security screening and unexpected disruptions.” It noted that extremists have “targeted large sporting events, theatres, open markets, and aviation services,” mounting attacks in the past year in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Turkey, and Mali.

“U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation,” said the alert, which is in effect until Feb. 24. “Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events.”

Despite the stepped-up security and and a spritz of rain Tuesday, delays were few at the San Francisco Airport and several flights from the East Coast even unloaded early. However, Wednesday is expected to be busier.

Joe Crockett, 45, a Miami writer ending a three-week visit to Stockton, was bound for Chicago. Asked how he planned to spend his time in the chilly Midwest, Crockett, already wearing snow boots, said, “Eating some good turkey.”

Anoojam Nathan, a student in the Bay Area from Zurich, Switzerland, was headed to Los Angeles for the weekend.

“I'm not worried at all,” he said of the travel alert while on a BART ride to the airport.

A couple from Huntington Beach, Chris and Pam, who declined to give their last names, said they hadn’t thought about terrorism while traveling. But Pam added, “I think if we were traveling overseas we would definitely be worried.”

Leigh Willis, a police officer from Salt Lake City, also had few reservations about catching flights. “Not too much. I don’t really have a choice,” he said. “Maybe slightly. But I’m not stressed out.”

Those at SFO were among millions expected to travel this holiday weekend, continuing a small but steady rise in Thanksgiving travel.

According to AAA Northern California, more than 5.5 million of the state’s residents plan to travel more than 50 miles from home for the holiday weekend — an increase of six-tenths of a percent over 2014. Nationally, AAA expects 47 million to travel.

Cynthia Harris, an AAA spokeswoman, credited low gas prices and a lift in consumer optimism, despite lingering concerns about the economy.

“A steady pace of consumer confidence continues to motivate budget-conscious Californians to get behind the wheel or board an airplane to gather with family or friends,” she said.

Most travelers will take to the highways, according to the organization’s survey. About 4.9 million plan to drive, another 616,000 are expected to fly, and 180,000 plan to take trains or boats to their holiday feasts.

All three Bay Area airports expect a big bump in Thanksgiving travel, which started last Friday and will continue through next week.

SFO, the region’s busiest airport, anticipates 3.2 million travelers between Nov. 20 and Jan. 4 — a 7.8 percent surge over the same period a year earlier. Last Friday was expected to be the busiest single day, with more than 150,000 fliers passing through the airport.

Amtrak, expecting a surge of holiday travelers on its Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains, will add longer trains on Wednesday and Sunday and run extra connecting buses on some of its busiest routes. Train riders are advised to buy tickets in advance and arrive at stations early.