Summer doesn’t end until September 23rd, according to the calendar, but Labor Day weekend in the U.S. typically marks the season’s final breather as school resumes and vacations end.
A last chance to sunbathe on the beach means airports will be a little busier this holiday, with the Transportation Security Administration predicting it will screen more than 14 million passengers from September 1-6 this year. Expect.
This is a significant increase compared to the same summer travel period before the pandemic, making it the busiest summer travel period on record.
“This Labor Day holiday weekend is expected to be busy, with passenger numbers up nearly 11% from last year, and that number is already higher than the 2019 Labor Day holiday weekend,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a release. This exceeds the number of tourists.”
Pittsburgh International Airport officials said capacity, or the number of seats for arriving and departing flights, will be approximately 160,000 seats for flights scheduled from September 1 to 5, which is not much different from a typical August figure. , the number of passengers served is expected to increase, leading to more fully booked planes.
Fuller flights mean fewer parking spaces available and longer terminal wait times. Passengers will need to be a little more patient and allow a little more flexibility in their travel itineraries during the holidays, says Elise Gomez, customer experience manager at PIT.
“Our staff is ready to help passengers in any way possible,” she said. “Plan ahead and check your flight status with your airline to avoid panicking. The more prepared you are for your trip, the less stressful it will be.”
TSA also provided tips from the sheriff for travelers on Labor Day.
When purchasing your ticket online, please enter your full name as it appears on your ID. The name on your boarding pass must match the name on your ID. Enroll in TSA PreCheck. Her children 17 and under traveling on a parent’s reservation can go through her TSA PreCheck lane with their parent. Please wear shoes that are easy to put on and take off. And don’t forget to wear socks! If you find yourself in line at a checkpoint, use your time wisely. Remove everything from your pockets and put it in your carry-on. Empty your pockets completely. That way, you can avoid a physical exam. Travelers don’t like being searched, and TSA agents don’t really like being searched either. At the checkpoint, please put your mobile phone in your carry-on baggage. Don’t put your phone in a shoe box and hold it up to your face. Hmm.
TSA officials also shared some “don’ts” based on their experiences.
Never joke about having explosives or claim to have a bomb. This goes without saying. Never bring a firearm through security. This goes without saying. Never put your pets or children through a checkpoint X-ray machine. (Yes, it happens.) Remove pets from their carry-on cases and children from their carriers to go through the metal detector. Don’t place small items directly on the X-ray belt. Phones, keys, boarding passes, etc. are likely to fall between the rollers of the conveyor belt and may be difficult (or impossible) to retrieve. Instead, place these small items in a bowl, trash can, or preferably in your carry-on bag. Never bring a plastic bottle of water through security. Bring an empty water bottle or reusable insulated container and fill it with water on the safe side of the checkpoint.
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