Holiday Travel Tips From the TSA

The TSA has some new systems in place to help make holiday travel smooth and easy this year.

Everyone knows the feeling…

“You’re always behind that…like…one person who’s never been through security before and they’re taking forever,” said Alexis, a frequent traveler.

“That’s me. I always forget one thing that just takes me back. They’re like take off your shoes,” her slightly less experienced friend Maribel said.

The TSA says one way to speed up the lines is to have your ID and boarding pass ready before getting in line.

With Hector International expecting to service 1,600 people each day around the holidays, keeping the line going is important.

“Delays of even a few seconds per passenger can add up over the course of the morning or a busy afternoon,” said TSA Spokesperson Lorie Dankers.

In case of a traffic jam, the TSA has a new system that will alert their Airport Operations Center.

“We can get the security wait times down to be most efficient at getting people through the check point,” Dankers said.

The TSA says if you’re bringing gifts, don’t wrap them.

Use a gift bag.

If you travel with your gift in a bag, the TSA can easily remove the tissue, take a look at what’s inside, put it back in and then you can repackage your gift without any worries.

The TSA now offers a free service on Twitter and Facebook where passengers can find out if their items will be good to go through security prior to arriving at the airport.

“Passengers can send a picture of an item to ask if that’s allowed in their carryon bag through the security check point,” Dankers said.

If you need special assistance, the TSA offers a service called TSA Cares.

“You can even ask to have someone meet you to help you through the security screening process,” says Dankers.

You can contact TSA Cares by calling 855-787-2227.

They recommend calling at least three days before your flight.

Always make sure to check your boarding pass to see if you’ve been approved for TSA pre–check.

If you are, you can get through security quicker.

For additional information you can visit the TSA’s website by clicking this link.