United States airport security checkpoints are expected to be busier this holiday travel season compared to last year.
Travel volumes will be close to pre-pandemic levels, with the busiest days expected to be Dec. 22 and 30, the administration said in a Dec. 19 news release.
"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,” Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske said in the release. “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. However, there may be some situations where the capacity of a checkpoint is exceeded.”
Airline passengers may text "AskTSA" (275-872) from any mobile device for answers to questions about airport security screening procedures, the release reported.
"A virtual assistant is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," the release said. "For more complicated questions, AskTSA staff are available daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Passengers may still reach out to AskTSA (@AskTSA) on Twitter or Facebook Messenger with questions and comments."
Travelers are reminded not to bring a firearm or prohibited items through a TSA checkpoint, to ensure holiday gifts can be inspected and to carry acceptable identification, according to the release.
