Busy travel continues at airports, on roads as people return from holiday weekend

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- The great return continues as people make their way home after what was supposed to be the busiest Memorial Day travel weekend on record.

The TSA screened nearly five million flyers on Friday and Saturday nationwide, and 24,000 were expected to pass through Milwaukee in total. Hartland resident Neely Basich was one of the many that flew out of General Mitchell International.

"I flew out on Friday and spent the weekend in Memphis. [I] landed last night and now back it, repacked my suitcase, and we're headed to Washington D.C. with my younger son's school trip," she said Tuesday morning before boarding her flight.

Basich tells CBS 58 she had smooth travels despite some delays. Over the four-day weekend, TSA reports they screened almost 9.8 million people nationwide, about 300,000 higher than the same holiday weekend in 2019.

Friday was the highest single-day record for the TSA post-pandemic, with 2.74 million people screened. Overall, the holiday weekend was relatively smooth flying. This was good news for airlines after a brutal Summer travel season last year.  Reports of unruly passengers are something a lot of airlines have experienced over the last few years, but Basich said everyone on her flight to Memphis was respectful despite changes to their departure time.

"The flight on Friday was very busy, and we were delayed but the airlines were wonderful, they communicated, and they were friendly. The passengers really held it together. We did pretty good," she explained.

Basich said her flight from Tennesse to Wisconsin on Monday was seamless, and she hoped for the same experience on her trip to D.C. 

While the airways were clear of any major issues, many opted out of buying plane tickets completely. According to AAA, more people took other modes of transportation. Almost 2 million people were expected to travel by train or bus, a 20% increase over 2022.