TSA prepares for record-breaking Thanksgiving travel surge

- Start with an empty bag to avoid bringing prohibited items through checkpoints.

- Arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights.

- Ensure you have acceptable identification as part of the screening process.

- Follow liquid restrictions: all liquids, gels, and aerosols in carry-on bags must be 3.4 ounces or less.

For those traveling with certain foods considered liquids or gels—such as gravy or cranberry sauce—these should be packed in checked luggage if they exceed the limit of 3.4 ounces.

Reflecting on past records, TSA screened about 2.91 million passengers on the Sunday after Thanksgiving last year—a record for a single day—and set another record on July 7 when over 3 million travelers were screened nationwide.

"This holiday season is expected to be one of the busiest travel periods on record," said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. He expressed gratitude towards TSA staff who will work throughout Thanksgiving week and encouraged travelers to plan ahead by following TSA's tips and using programs like TSA PreCheck®.

Passengers enrolled in TSA PreCheck can expect expedited screening processes, avoiding removal of shoes, belts, and light jackets, with wait times typically under ten minutes.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske stated that collaboration with airline partners and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aims to maintain standard waiting times: under ten minutes for TSA PreCheck lanes and thirty minutes for standard screening.

Airlines for America (A4A) forecasts that more than 31 million passengers will fly with US carriers during this period—nearly two million more than last year and three million more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019—aligning closely with TSA's projections of daily passenger numbers reaching around 2.8 million.