If you’re traveling for the Thanksgiving season prepare yourself.
The Transportation Security Administration is projecting that there will be 25 million travelers flying for Thanksgiving this year, which is seven percent more than people who flew last year.
“People are trying to get a jump-start, head start on the crowds, but actually it’s just as busy the Friday before Thanksgiving and the Monday before Thanksgiving,” TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein told CBS 2 New York.
“It starts to ramp up on Tuesday. Wednesday is huge, of course, the day before Thanksgiving. And Sunday, right after Thanksgiving, is probably one of the busiest days.”
The impact of Thanksgiving travel is clear with a closer look at the expected traffic at New York airports.
Speaking of LaGuardia, Farbstein said: “More people, indeed, are traveling, so here at LaGuardia Airport we are going to see just tens of thousands more passengers coming through the checkpoint.”
In fact, 50,000 people are expected to go through LaGuardia daily. Newark Liberty Airport’s predictions are amounting to 70,000, while John F. Kennedy Airport is expecting 100,000 travelers each day during the Thanksgiving season.
Some travelers are trying to leave much earlier for the Thanksgiving holidays so as to miss the long lines at the airport.
“I try to get out before the rush. Saturday to Saturday so the Saturday before Thanksgiving,” traveler Barbara O’Hare said. She’s planning to leave on November 16 and return November 26.
“I tried traveling last year on the day and it was just packed and I thought traveling on the day would be easier. It was almost worse,” traveler Jo Holcomb said.
TSA says that travelers will have a hard time cheating the rush around Thanksgiving season and should just plan to arrive extra early and know what they can and cannot pack.
Turkey, stuffing, pies, and cakes are allowed in carry-on bags, but gravy and mashed potatoes are not as they are considered liquids. Dry yams can go in carry-on baggage, but if they’re wet, it’s a no-go.
While it may be hard to escape the Thanksgiving bustle, there are ways to make it less cumbersome like planning beforehand or flying home much later than other travelers following the Thanksgiving holiday.
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