Vancouver International Airport is warning travellers to arrive early and pack their patience during what will likely be the busiest travel day of the year.

"Give yourself an extra hour right from home to get through holiday traffic," said Reg Krake, director of customer care for the Vancouver Airport Authority.

"Get into parking, get though check-in and security and then get into the festive spirit. It's the holidays."

Travellers were met by long lineups early Thursday morning and things are likely to get busier. The airport is expecting up to 83,000 travellers by the end of the day.

Officials say to factor in winter weather and to always check the status of your flight before leaving home.

Some of those who didn't do so Thursday ended up waiting much longer than they had to.

"I'm pretty frustrated that I didn't check my flights before I left the house," said Caitlyn Wood, who arrived at YVR at 7 a.m. for a 9 a.m. flight to Phoenix, only to find that it had been delayed by almost four hours.

According to the airport's website, travellers can also avoid delays by packing carefully to meet the restrictions that apply to carry-on baggage. Passengers are also advised not to wrap holiday gifts before packing them into your carry-on baggage as their contents may need to be inspected during security screening.

Travelling on the Canada Line is usually the fastest and most efficient way to get to YVR, the website says.

If you've followed all those travel tips and are still facing long waits, it's always good to have a backup plan, according to traveller Carson Gilmore.

"Go have a couple of beers," he said.

With files from CTV Vancouver's Nafeesa Karim