SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Carl White expected to be greeted by a chaotic scene when he arrived at San Francisco International on Sunday for his flight home to the UK after taking his family to the Bay Area over the Thanksgiving holiday had visited.

But instead, the lines moved smoothly and there were few delays. The experience for most travelers was surprisingly stress free.

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“We’ll be here probably six hours before departure – way too early,” said White. “I’m just trying to avoid the traffic on the way. Although we didn’t really come across one. “

For White and Samantha Jayasuriya, it was their first trip since the COVID pandemic started in 2020, so they just didn’t know what to expect specifically on such a busy weekend.

“We definitely had some concerns,” said Jayasuriya. “We had a great time in the US and bonded with the family we haven’t seen in two years, so that’s important.”

Kendyl Stewart said she was pleasantly surprised when she went through SFO too.

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“I honestly didn’t have any problems today,” she said. “I was expecting stress everywhere and just headaches and crowds and really wasn’t encountered.”

But Stewart has been aware of COVID and remains cautious.

“I try to stay away from the people at the airport,” she said. “When everyone is at the gates, I try not to interfere in other people’s affairs.”

The news of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron preoccupied many travelers. Starting Monday, new restrictions for travelers from South Africa and other countries will apply at airports across the country.

Travelers say they will be following the same precautions they followed during the pandemic.

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“People are wearing masks, all measures are being taken, so it’s more or less okay,” said Konstantin Korodkii, who had come to the SFO from Russia on Sunday. “I think it’s similar to the Delta variant.”

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