PORTLAND, Ore. -- Thursday marks the official kick-off of the spring break travel season and AAA Oregon predicted a lot more people on the roads and in the skies this year.
Portland International Airport expects roughly 700,000 travelers passing through during Spring Break, or about 5,000 more travelers than normal over the next two weeks.
"We're starting to experience a lot of pent up demand people who didn't go anywhere last year are all starting to get back into the mindset that it’s time to travel again," said Doreen Loofburrow, a spokesperson for Oregon AAA.
To handle the increase PDX has reconfigured and sped-up its security lines and increased staff. Even top TSA administrators are working security lines to ensure smooth, quick travel.
"We normally wear suits and ties," said Mike Irwin, the state's Federal Security Director. "We bought these shirts so we can actually get out and help the rest of the officers during Spring Break to try and move passengers through quickly."
The airport’s new long-term parking structure is also helping ease the stress by giving travelers 3,000 extra parking spaces to choose from at a discounted rate of $12 per day, instead of the normal Spring Break fee of $16.
Mexico vacationers were warned to be on guard because of drug-war violence along the U.S.-Mexican border from Texas to California.
But Loofburrow said AAA thought travelers would "be fine" so long as they stayed within resort areas.
