Photo Courtesy of JFK Airport
TSA expects this to be the agency’s busiest Thanksgiving on record.
By Forum Staff
The Transportation Safety Administration recently issued several tools and tips for passengers as the agency prepares for what it has characterized as one of the busiest Thanksgiving travel periods on record.
From Friday, Nov. 16, through Monday, Nov. 26, more than 25 million travelers will be screened by TSA at airport checkpoints—a 7-percent jump from last year, according to agency officials. In the city, John F. Kennedy International Airport will see the largest volume of commuters in the country, with more than 100,000 passengers and crew per day expected in the days leading up to Thanksgiving. At LaGuardia Airport, about 48,000 people daily will go through TSA checkpoints during the Thanksgiving travel period.
Passenger preparedness can have a significant impact on wait times at security checkpoints nationwide. To facilitate the screening process, travelers should arrive at the airport early, TSA officials advised. It is recommended that travelers arrive two hours in advance of their domestic flights at LaGuardia and JFK airports and three hours prior to an international flight to ensure that they have time to park their cars or return rental cars, check their bags with their airline, get their boarding pass and hit the restroom—all before heading to the security checkpoint.
Some other TSA holiday tools and travel tips include:
• Be ready when you enter the checkpoint line: Have an acceptable ID and boarding pass out of your wallet and ready to hand to the TSA officer. Once you get to the divesting tables, remove laptops, any electronics larger than a cell phone and the 3-1-1 compliant liquids bag, from carry-on baggage and place those items in a checkpoint bin.
• Prepare for security when packing. Put large liquids, gels, creams and aerosols, into checked bags such as shampoo, conditioner, suntan lotion, shaving cream and anti-perspirant. If you’ve only got a carry-on bag, make sure all of your liquids follow the 3-1-1 Rule: When packing a carry-on bag, it is important to remember that liquids, gels, aerosols, creams and pastes must be 3.4 ounces or less and all bottles must fit in a single quart size plastic bag and placed in a bin for screening. This includes sun block and tanning sprays for those who are travelling to sunny destinations. Let the TSA officer know right away if you’re traveling with larger quantities of medically-necessary liquid medications or breast milk or formula for an infant as those can be screened separately.
