Possible record-breaking Memorial Day weekend travel rush gets underway in SoCal

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The travel rush is underway for the Memorial Day weekend. An estimated 3.6 million passengers will be traveling through airports nationwide.

People moving through LAX on Friday are part of what's expected to be a record-breaking Memorial Day weekend for travelers.

AAA predicts a record set 20 years ago will be broken as more than 45 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more this holiday weekend.

"I was trying to go to Miami, but, man, tickets are way too expensive. So I'm going to chill on the southwest side, Phoenix or Vegas, still deciding," said Daniel Mompi, who is traveling for Memorial Day.

Even though domestic flights are a little more expensive this year than last year, approximately 3.6 million people are expected to fly.

"Man, I'm a procrastinator so I've missed so many flights from this airport, it's so unfortunate, but I'm getting there pretty early now," Mompi said.

REAL IDs or passports are required for domestic flights. Anyone who doesn't have one will still be allowed to travel but they may have to go through additional screenings.

AAA says 39 million people will also be driving this holiday weekend, so if you plan to stay local, bumper-to-bumper traffic should be expected.

"You want to be mindful that there are going to be a lot of cars on the roads, people heading to the airport," said AAA Spokesperson Gianella Ghiglino.

For those who don't want to sit in traffic, it is recommended to leave early and avoid peak times. On Monday, peak travel times will be between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., so it's best to leave before 2 p.m. to avoid any heavy traffic.