Anyone looking to travel during the July 4 holiday period may need to find ways to stay busy at an airport.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on June 24 that its agency screened 2.99 million travelers on June 23, breaking the record for the most travelers screened in one day.
The TSA now expects to screen more than 32 million jet setters between June 27 and July 8.
The peak travel day for the holiday is expected to be this Friday, June 28, as the TSA prepares to screen more than three million travelers.
While July 4 travel will be busy, TSA reminded travelers in its press release what to do to make their Independence Day plans go smoothly.
The TSA announced on June 24 that its agency screened 2.99 million flyers on June 23, breaking the record for the most people screened in one day.
The TSA confirmed in a June 24 press release that it expects to screen more than 32 million people between June 27 and July 8.
The government agency recommended travelers start packing their things in a completely empty bag so that security staff do not find prohibited items that were in their luggage before adding their vacation clothes.
The TSA also suggested that travelers arrive at the airport two hours before their flight’s scheduled departure time.
However, travelers may need to arrive earlier if they are traveling by air at some point in the coming days due to the holiday period.
The TSA also recommended travelers review guidelines for traveling with children, request assistance, check baggage tags, and check TSA PreCheck.
And on top of all that, TSA stressed that travelers should respect frontline aviation workers while checking in and being screened, for their own good.
Unwelcome behavior or violence during security screening could cause delays at checkpoints.
“We expect this summer to be the busiest in our history, and summer travel typically peaks during the Independence Day holiday,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said after the agency said that seven of the 10 busiest travel days occurred in the past month.
‘The traveling public is on the move, which is a sign of a healthy economy. “We are ready, along with our airline and airport partners, to handle this increase in passenger volume.”
The TSA announcement comes just four days after AAA projected that 70.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more between June 29 and July 7.
The TSA announcement comes just four days after AAA projected that 70.9 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Independence Day holiday period.
This year’s AAA Independence Day holiday travel period lasts from June 29 to July 7, which is a first for the organization in terms of its long duration.
According to AAA, this year’s travel figure represents an increase of 5 percent compared to 2023.
“With summer vacations in full swing and the flexibility of remote work, more Americans are taking extended trips around Independence Day,” said AAA senior vice president of travel Paula Twidale.
“We anticipate this Fourth of July week to be the busiest on record, with an additional 5.7 million people traveling compared to 2019.”
About 3.51 million travelers left airports over Memorial Day weekend this year, and United Airlines expected more than 500,000 travelers each day.
The TSA recommended travelers review guidelines for traveling with children, request assistance, check baggage tags, and check TSA PreCheck.
The July 4 airport chaos comes after about 3.51 million travelers left airports like LAX and Pittsburgh International during Memorial Day weekend.
United Airlines even said more than three million travelers flew with them between May 23 and 28, making it the busiest Memorial Day weekend in airline history.
About three million travelers flew with Delta, while American Airlines had almost 3.9 million travelers.
According to ABC News via Hopper, the busiest Memorial Day weekend days to fly were May 23, 24 and 27.
