JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It's the start to the mad dash toward the holiday weekend. Many have Friday off for Christmas, so it's off to the airport or time to hit the roads.
According to AAA, more than 103 million Americans plan to travel to their holiday destination -- the most on record.
Many of them will be at the airport, but News4Jax found out what is easing any travel tensions at Jacksonville International Airport.
For some, like DeMetrice French, this holiday weekend isn't exactly off to a good start.
"I'm rushing in and the door just closed, so I missed the flight," French said.
She now has to fly out Friday, along with 8,900 other passengers at JIA, but as she waits, she said there is an upside.
"Initially, there was jazz, and that's my genre, so I just figured I'd be relax and enjoy the music," French said.
Music is something that can get everyone in the holiday spirit. News4Jax met Thursday the man behind the keyboard.
"My mother taught me harmony when I was 3 years old," Randell Briggs said. "She got me and my two brothers together and she would make us sing the harmony parts of all the gospel songs she knew."
From that age, he would teach himself how to be a crossover musician who played jazz, country, funk and everything in between, all over the world. He landed in Jacksonville two years ago.
"It's gratifying to me because I can entertain and I can entertain so many different people, but the key to the whole thing is the fact that they are all strangers," Brigg said.
The strangers include Birgit Harrel, who said she needed that extra push this season.
"My daughters leaving and I didn't even put the tree up and stuff, and I thought, 'Hey, I need the music to really go and get me into the spirit,'" Harrell said.
The music helped so much that she was able to reflect and remember the reason for the season.
"Just be good to each other and like today was actually my mom's funeral in Germany, so it's hard, but you need to be nice and kind to each other. That's what it's all about," Harrell said.
On Saturday, an estimated 4,400 people are going to be flying out of the airport, so as always, airport officials recommend that travelers give themselves plenty of time and leave early.