by Donald Wood
Last updated: 8:47 AM ET, Tue December 20, 2022
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced travel volumes at airports across the United States are expected to be close to pre-pandemic levels.
TSA officials said the busiest days are expected to be Thursday, December 22, and Friday, December 30, with security checkpoints expected to be busier this holiday travel season than last year.
"During the Thanksgiving travel period, we saw the highest throughput volume since 2019, and we expect that trend to continue over the upcoming holiday travel period," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said.
To provide more assistance, travelers can now send a text using any mobile device to "AskTSA," where a virtual assistant is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The TSA is also providing other tips and tricks for all travelers to avoid potential issues at airports, including never attempting to bring a firearm through a security checkpoint.
In addition, the security agency said to avoid other prohibited items in luggage, leave gifts unwrapped so they can be inspected, bring an acceptable identification card and join the TSA PreCheck program to enjoy expedited security screening.
"We are prepared for the increased volume and expect to meet our wait time standards of 30 minutes or less in standard lanes and 10 minutes or less in TSA PreCheck lanes," Pekoske continued. "However, there may be some situations where the capacity of a checkpoint is exceeded."
Another important part of the TSA's message is to be kind to frontline workers this holiday season, as they will be exceptionally busy. Pack an extra dose of patience and show gratitude to those working diligently to get everyone to their destinations safely.
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