MCALLEN - Airports will be busier this Memorial Day weekend; that's on top of a recent uptick seen in McAllen. 

The McAllen International Airport staff is getting ready for a busy travel season.

Gerardo Rodriguez, McAllen International Airport Customer Service Coordinator says, "We're anticipating about 4,000 passengers coming through the airport, departing from the airport this Memorial Day weekend."  

Rodriguez explains Memorial Day weekend will give travelers a good idea of how busy the summer will be.

So far, Daniel Roman who is flying back home to Wisconsin, hasn't seen the crowds.

Roman says, "It's actually a lot easier than I expected. I thought it was going to be a lot of people. "  

During the summer, the airport adds two seasonal flights from Allegiant.

Rodriguez says, "We're looking at 150-seater buses that Allegiant operates."   

The flight to Orlando already started.; another to Los Angeles starts the second week of June. 

This year, McAllen International Airport had more travelers overall.

According to their recent data, about 15% more people traveled in January this year compared to last year.

The following month showed a 14% increase.

With vacations around the corner, Rodriguez recommends pre-planning. "I do recommend that you get here an hour and a half before your scheduled flight. That's to avoid any issues. We have flights that are going to be pretty full and maybe two flights on the ground at the same time."  

With two large flights, there could be up to 300 people packed in at the same time this summer.

Good habits can make all the difference in the experience as they have for Roman.

He says, "We planned ahead of time. We did everything online. We followed up by calling. So, when we do get here, our seats have been claimed. We already have boarding tickets. We can just print them out, and then come in and they can scan them. Just a lot easier having that documentation, is also important, too."  

Travelers are also encouraged to visit the TSA's website to know what items they can and cannot take; that should expedite their clearance process.