RALEIGH, N.C. — Friday is expected to be the busiest day of holiday travel at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
More than 38,000 travelers are projected to pass through the airport.
Many didn’t waste time getting out the door for their flights.
“(We) got up a little early — about 3:30 this morning. Traffic was good on the road. Found a parking spot fairly early. It was smooth sailing all the way here,” Luke Feudale said.
Feudale is one of several passengers who planned their day around inclement weather.
Other than a brief morning rush, most travelers in Terminal 2 navigated the unknown nicely.
“Weather sucks but that’s OK,” Aubie Smith said. “I was scared it was going to be canceled but that’s OK."
Smith flew to Orlando with her mother and father for a trip to Universal Studios.
The family of three said they are ready to leave the cold behind for sunshine in Florida. Smith’s mother, Lisa Smith, was glad freezing rain, powerful winds and the elements had not derailed their upcoming five days of vacation.
“It feels pretty good right now. I’m hopeful that we’re kind of squeaking in between the weather here yesterday and what’s coming south,” Lisa Smith said.
What has come south is an arctic front affecting flights across North Carolina.
FlightAware, a site that tracks flight patterns across the country, listed 5,494 delays within, into or out of the United States on Friday. Cancellations sat at 4,423 at midday. RDU had 39 cancellations.
Julie Goldberg never missed a beat for her 8:15 a.m. departure to Philadelphia. She was confident a winter storm wouldn't keep her from landing in the City of Brotherly Love.
“I’m flying early in the day, so I think I’ll miss the worst part of it, but I have someone who can pick me up if I can’t fly,” Goldberg said.
Waking up was half the battle.
“I got Starbucks,” Goldberg said as she raised her coffee. “I just have a feeling it’s going to be fine for this one.”
Feudale was one member of a group five who felt good about booking a cruise in advance for Christmas out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
“(I am) super excited. I saw how cold it was going to be tomorrow and the rest of the weekend, and I was like, it is going to be nice to be on a boat and see clear blue water,” he said.
