As the campus prepares to shut down for winter break, thousands of students are getting ready to finish finals and head home.
But holiday season travel can always be daunting, especially when combined with typical Los Angeles congestion.
Though few estimates of winter air traffic have been released, Thanksgiving was particularly busy for airlines, and 2007 has been a busier year than 2006, according to the Department of Transportation.
Students planning to fly out of L.A.-area airports should expect to encounter more serious delays than they would at other points in the year.
Jayme Farrell-Ranker, a third-year communications studies and sociology student, usually flies home to the Bay Area over winter break, and said in the past she has experienced difficulty getting from the campus to Los Angeles International Airport.
“The worst part by far is getting to the airport,” she said. “You have to take into account that (traffic) is going to be horrible.”
Farrell-Ranker said last year it took her three hours to get to LAX by SuperShuttle, and some students missed their flights.
But because of where winter holidays fall this year, day-to-day travel may not be as bad as in other years, according to research by Expedia Travel.
Since Hanukkah is early this year, the peak air travel period will be longer than usual, meaning that, on an average day, there may be fewer passengers, according to Expedia.
UCLA is also making efforts to help students get home for the holidays. The Office of Residential Life is offering a shuttle to carry students from the Hill to the FlyAway bus in Westwood, which transports passengers to LAX.
Students driving home should also expect heavier-than-normal traffic in the L.A. area, and may encounter delays on major arteries such as Interstate 5.
Compiled by Julia Erlandson, Bruin senior staff.