Holiday travel gets under way this week in Oklahoma

Will Rogers World Airport expects 80,000 passengers to pass through its doors this week; Thursday and Friday are the anticipated busiest days. With Christmas on a Tuesday this year, many people are off work the Monday before and plan to get a jump on the long weekend as soon as they are able, said Karen Carney, a spokeswoman for the airport.

“We'll be seeing the same trend after Christmas,” she said. “A lot of people will travel back the day after, but we'll see Thursday and Friday busy too.”

Airlines are predicting full flights, and airport workers encourage travelers to arrive in plenty of time to handle lines at the ticket counter and security checkpoints.

Carney urges Will Rogers World Airport patrons to pay close attention to parking because the hourly lot is temporarily relocated to the first floor of the five-story garage, next to the surface lot. The remaining spaces in both five-story garages are for long-term parking, and drivers who park long-term in the short-term area will receive a more expensive bill.

Also, people picking up passengers are not allowed to park or wait at the curb outside the terminal, Carney stressed. Visitors should use hourly parking or the cellphone waiting areas until the passenger is at the curb.