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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing for one of the busiest travel weeks of the year. It expects more than 18.5 million passengers to pass through airport security checkpoints between Tuesday, July 1st and Monday, July 7th. The agency forecasts Sunday, July 6th will be the busiest travel day, with approximately 2.9 million travelers forecast to travel across the country.
This summer travel season has already set records. On Sunday, June 22nd, the TSA screened nearly 3.1 million passengers. This became the single busiest day in the agency’s history. The TSA screened more than 18 million people this past Memorial Day weekend (May 22nd through May 28th). This came just weeks after REAL ID requirements went into effect, but the agency handled this change well.
The TSA is implementing family-friendly practices at security checkpoints to make traveling with children smoother. This includes:
- Children 12 and under can use TSA PreCheck® lanes with an enrolled parent or guardian (no additional enrollment is needed).
- Families will not be separated during screening.
- Strollers, baby carriers, and car/booster seats are permitted through checkpoints, but must be X-rayed.
- Modified screening procedures are in place to reduce the likelihood of patdowns for younger travelers.
TSA Acting Administrator, Ha Nguyen McNeill, said:
TSA continues to work closely with our industry partners and ensure our airport security checkpoints are fully staffed and prepared to handle the heavy rush of traffic. We are deploying technologies and procedures to improve security and enhance the passenger experience, including for families.”
As airports are preparing for record-breaking volumes, travelers are advised to arrive early, stay informed, and be patient. The TSA says its goal is to deliver maximum hospitality (even amid the inevitable hustle and bustle of holiday travel). Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) has felt incredibly busy lately and apparently it’s not just anecdotal. On Sunday, June 22nd, the TSA broke the record for most people screened on a single day at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) (just under 114,000 individuals).
Anthony’s Take: Be prepared for lines, waits, and lots of clueless, once-a-year passengers milling around the airports next week. I’ll be leaving for Italy on June 27th and looking to avoid the worst of it.
(Image Credits: Transportation Security Administration.)
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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.
