Holiday travel buzzing, but some making last-minute cancellations due to Omicron

SEATAC, Wash. - Health officials are predicting a COVID-19 surge this winter due to the new variant Omicron.

More than 109 million Americans are expected to travel for the holidays, according to AAA, and air travel this holiday is expected to nearly triple over last year.

Travelers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were buzzing with excitement to spend time with loved ones this holiday and make up for lost time.

Lilly Bauer flew in from Germany with her mom and brother to spend the rest of the year with her host-family in the Tri-Cities area. 

"We had to postpone the trip twice. So now that it was finally possible for us, we just did everything we could to make it as safe as possible," said Lilly Bauer. "We’re all vaccinated and we also got tested every time we could. So yeah, we feel pretty safe."

Frank Buysse said his entire family is traveling down to Arizona. "We have gone every year for 20 years to Arizona," he said. "This last year is the first year we didn’t so we’re really looking forward to going back."

While travelers hurried onto their flights, Christi Proffitt decided to cancel her trip and unpack her bags.

Her mom lives in London where the Omicron variant is surging. Officials there have declared a major incident, and there are more than 10,000 new cases in the U.K.

"To be there for Christmas was supposed to be a big deal for us," said Proffitt. "My mom and I have already made plans for doing a video call at like Christmas Eve here, Christmas morning there so that we can have a little bit of the magic of Christmas morning together."

Tanya Starcevich is leaving back home to Los Angeles but said her trip to Seattle was a must.

"It was really about, is this necessary, and obviously being with my dad by his side when he died was necessary," said Starcevich. 

Starcevich said she’s canceling trips to Washington, D.C. and New York for the holidays due to Omicron.

"I just think there’s so much unknown yet, like I’m watching what’s happening in Europe and that’s what seems to be our guide of what’s going on here soon, so I think we have to listen to the scientists. We have to get through this together as a team and be united."

On December 18, 2020, 1,073,563 travelers went through TSA checkpoints. A year later, 2,035,273 people were recorded going through a checkpoint on December 18, 2021.

Health officials are urging people to get vaccinated, wear quality masks and use other layered protective measures.

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