Avoid rush hour and get to the airport early this holiday

Friday is B-Day, as in busy, at O'Hare and Midway International Airports as Americans mark the unofficial start of summer with the Memorial Day holiday.

Air travel is ticking up in 2015 at both airports, the Chicago Department of Aviation reports with 1.6 million fliers expected, an increase of 1.5 percent from 2014.

More than 242,000 passengers are expected at O'Hare Friday and more than 73,000 at Midway. Travelers are advised to give themselves plenty of time to reach the airport and get to their gates.

Several construction projects are ongoing at O'Hare including work on I-190 and Mannheim and Irving Park roads. Lane reductions are also in force on the upper roadway along O'Hare's Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

Meanwhile, AAA predicts 33 million people will be driving 50 miles or more over the holiday. That includes 1.7 million Illinoisans getting away, a 5 percent spike from 2014.

Gas prices are at $2.71 for a gallon of regular on average in the state, a welcome decline from $3.84 a gallon a year ago. It's a trend that is contributing to the higher numbers of travelers, AAA explained.

In the Chicago area, gas is hovering around $2.94 a gallon.

If you are flying this weekend, the Transportation Security Administration has a few tips.

• If you're packing a big bottle of sunscreen, stick it in your checked luggage. TSA rules limit liquids in carry-on bags to 3.4 ounce containers, confined in a clear, quart-sized zip bag.

• Children 12 and under can keep their shoes on when passing through screening.

• Not all razors are equal. The TSA allows electric razors and disposables in carry-on bags but straight razors with blades that can be easily removed must go in checked luggage.

For more do's and don'ts, go to http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information.