N. TX travelers hit the road, head to airports

The busiest holiday travel time is underway as people hit the road and the sky on Wednesday for the long holiday weekend.

Anyone getting on a plane may face big crowds and stepped up security after the State Department issued a worldwide travel alert heading into the most traveled season of the year.

It’s not specific and even urges Americans to exercise caution in crowded places and at holiday events. 

The alert came just 10 days after the attacks in Paris, and while Brussels, Belgium remains on lockdown, the alert says current information suggests terrorist groups continue to plan attacks in multiple regions, possibly using conventional and unconventional weapons.

The alert does not name any specific countries for heightened risk, but points out countries like France, where recent attacks have occurred.

Passengers at D/FW Airport seemed to take the alert in stride, and there didn't appear to be significant delays getting through security.

Things were looking up at Dallas Love Field to start the Thanksgiving weekend; a stark contrast to last year’s painful parking debacle.

Last Thanksgiving was the first major post-Wright Amendment holiday, and there wasn’t enough parking to go around, causing some to miss flights.

Parking was remedied with an additional off-site lot, and even airlines gave travelers a heads up to plan accordingly.

Last year, about 65,000 people passed through security. This year, about 73,000 are expected. At peak time Wednesday morning, there was about an 18 minute wait for security.

For those staying off planes and sticking to cars, gas is at its lowest during the holidays since 2008.

We saw prices at $1.83, but FOX 4 viewers have reported prices as low as $1.50 a gallon.