Get to the airport early, be mindful of what’s in your carry-on luggage and be patient.
That’s the message from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport officials to the 1.7 million passengers traveling through the airport between now and next Monday. More than 24 million are expected to fly nationwide during the holiday week, according to the trade association group Airlines for America.
“We know we’re going to be able to handle the busy Thanksgiving traffic we see coming on,” said Hartsfield-Jackson General Manager Louis Miller at a news conference Monday.
Hartsfield-Jackson expects Wednesday, Sunday and Monday to be the peak days.
Flying during Thanksgiving week can be challenging for two reasons. There are more people, and most of them don’t fly a lot.
Officials urged travelers to remember the guidelines for packing a carry-on bag and keep liquids and aerosols in 3-ounce containers. It’s OK to bring pies and cakes on board, but Byrd warned they may face additional inspection by security officials.
“Passengers who prepare for screening before they reach the checkpoint will help make the process easier for themselves and for other passengers,” said Mary Leftridge Byrd, federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration.
“Every time we have to re-screen a carry-on bag, it causes more time to be invested by the passenger and by the TSA officer,” she said.
Most people have to remove shoes to go through the security checkpoint, but children 12 and younger and adults 75 and do not.
And while most people know, it bears repeating: Passengers cannot carry guns on board, even if they have a concealed weapons permit. Guns can be packed in checked baggage, but a passenger must tell the airline.
It was mostly business as usual at Hartsfield Monday. Lines for the security checkpoints were short, and were filled mostly with business travelers.
Nationally, more people are flying compared with 2011, according to the airline trade group. Locally, however, Miller said higher fares and an uncertain economy have dampened air travel a little. Airlines also have cut schedules, which has led to fewer people traveling as well, he said.
“We still expect it to be a busy season,” Miller said.
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