Airlines are preparing for one of the busiest travel periods of the year as Christmas approaches, with millions of Americans expected to take to the skies and roads during the holiday season.American Airlines will operate more t han 330 flights from Tulsa between December 18 and January 5, part of 119,000 flights serving 12 million customers nationwide during the holiday travel period. January 4 is expected to be the busiest travel day of the 19-day period.Tulsa International Airport says airlines operating from TUL expect flights to be full throughout the week, with peak travel days on the Tuesday and Wednesday after Christmas.Travelers can take proactive steps to save time at the airport by preparing documents, pre-planning parking, and checking in for flights up to 24 hours before departure."Do everything you can before you get to the airport. Reserve that parking, check into that flight, pre-pay for checked baggage. It's really going to save you time and heartache when you get there," Melanie Fish said.Fish is Expedia's vice president of global public relations.AAA says just over 8 million people will fly, 110 million will drive, and close to 5 million will take other forms of travel like buses or trains during the holiday period.Travel experts recommend allowing extra time for all forms of transportation, as traffic will be busier with everyone trying to reach loved ones for the holidays."This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy."Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere -- 2 News Oklahoma on your schedule | Download on your TV, watch for free. How to watch on your streaming device Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Like us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Watch LIVE 24/7 on YouTube ...read more read less