Memorial Day weekend travel in full swing as 140,000 expected at SFO Friday

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- On Friday before Memorial Day, 140,000 people are expected to go in and out of San Francisco International Airport and the recommendations are simple. Get there early, two hours for domestic flights, three hours for international flights; and reserve your parking spots because the SFO lots are expected to reach capacity.

Crowds of people and planes can mean only one thing. It's a holiday weekend and at SFO, some are going that way and Tashameek Morgan from Chicago, is going... well, where hasn't she gone?

"I have to go from Honolulu to San Francisco, San Francisco to Vegas, Vegas to Dallas/Fort Worth so I have a busy day," said Morgan.

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Yes, that's the route you take in order to get a deal and make it to your daughter's graduation on time. Plenty of people may be on that same plan Friday as Memorial Day weekend travel kicks into high gear at the airport.

"We just reached a new milestone we haven't see for about three years at SFO and that's 70,000 people going through our security checkpoints in a single day. We expect to see that same level tomorrow," says Doug Yakel of San Francisco International Airport.

Yakel says SFO isn't back yet, but it's getting there at about 85% of pre-pandemic travel levels. He credits the increase in people traveling internationally.

'We're heading to Sydney actually for a graduation gift, I just graduated yesterday actually," said Yusra Qureshi.

"I've been traveling, went to Europe three times," said one man.

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"To beat the rush, we're flying out tonight which is Thursday and then we're going to fly back Sunday," said Lorraine Lin.

There aren't lines everywhere at the airport but while we were in the international terminal Thursday night, you could see people waiting everywhere, one of a number of locations like this.

"This airport is the busiest I've ever seen! Crazy, I mean O'Hare is bad but this is bad," said Morgan.

Our friend Tashameek is determined though to see her daughter graduate, even if she is the one doing all the work.

"My husband is actually sitting at a restaurant. He said it's too much. He said call me when you check the bags," said Morgan.

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