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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting to see around 40 million passengers pass through security checkpoints between December 19th and January 2nd. The TSA broke records on December 1st when the agency recorded its busiest day ever with over 3.08 million passengers on December 1st.
BREAKING NEWS: We expect to screen nearly 40M people from Dec. 19 – Jan. 2, a 6.2% increase from last year. #TeamTSA is prepared to handle the high travel volumes. Busiest days will be 12/20, 12/27, & 12/30. Check out these travel tips before you fly! ⬇️https://t.co/kG6FWnsj8y pic.twitter.com/UvPHw6WFTX
— TSA (@TSA) December 17, 2024
The TSA is planning for a 6.2% increase over the 2023 holiday season. The busiest days will be December 20th, 27th, and 30th. I’m glad I’m not flying on any of these days this year.
This record-breaking number that the TSA beat on December 1st pushed past the previous high set this year on July 7th by around 74,000 travelers. July 7th was also a Sunday after a holiday and saw record numbers (at the time) return home from their holiday trips. It was not all smooth sailing, er flying, as hundreds of thousands of travelers were delayed or had their flights canceled over the holidays. Airlines canceled about 120 flights and more than 6,800 were delayed according to FlightAware. The largest numbers of delays occurred at some of the country’s biggest airports like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
To make holiday travel go as smoothly as possible, the TSA offers the following tips:
- Pack smart and start with an empty bag
- Arrive early
- Bring an acceptable ID
- Prepare, pack, and declare firearms
- Be aware of new checkpoint screening technology
- Travel with ease with TSA PreCheck®
- Call ahead to request passenger support if needed
- Text or @AskTSA before heading to the airport with specific questions
- Listen to and respect frontline employees
- Remain aware
Even if you’re not traveling on one of the busiest days this holiday season, you’ll still find packed gates, crowded lounges, waits for security, food, restrooms, and more.
Anthony’s Take: Record numbers are taking to the sky once again. Plan accordingly and be patient. It’s going to be a busy one.
(Featured Image Credit: TSA.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
