Buffalo, NY (WBEN) 'Tis the season to travel.
Airports are returning to pre-pandemic levels this Thanksgiving, and that means if you're flying out for the holidays, be ready for crowded terminals and checkpoints.
And, if you're renting a car, there's some good news for you.
Lisa Farbstein of the TSA says he first and best advice is to get to the airport early. "We recommend arriving at the airport 2 hours before your scheduled flight, wear a mask, and know what's in your carry-on bag so you're not bringing any prohibitive items that could be triggering an alarm and delaying you at the checkpoint," says Farbstein. She notes because it's been a while since many have flown and may forget some of the things they had practiced prior to the pandemic.
Farbstein says there are some foods you can bring onto your flight in a carry-on. "You might surprised people have brought full turkeys in their carry-ons, and that's A-OK," says Farbstein.
Thanksgiving foods that can be carried through a TSA checkpoint
· Baked goods. Homemade or store-bought pies, cakes, cookies, brownies and other sweet treats
· Meats. Turkey, chicken, ham, steak. Frozen, cooked or uncooked
· Stuffing. Cooked, uncooked, in a box or in a bag
· Casseroles. Traditional green beans and onion straws or something more exotic
· Mac 'n Cheese. Cooked in a pan or traveling with the ingredients to cook it at your destination,
· Fresh vegetables. Potatoes, yams, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, beets, radishes, carrots, squash, greens
· Fresh fruit. Apples, pears, pineapple, lemons, limes, cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, bananas.
· Candy.
· Spices.
Thanksgiving foods that should be carefully packed with your checked baggage:
Cranberry sauce, homemade or canned are spreadable, so check them, gravy, homemade or in a jar/can, wine, champagne, sparking apple cider, canned fruit or vegetables (It's got liquid in the can, so check them), preserves, jams and jellies, maple syrup.
As for the TSA vaccine mandate for employees, taking effect on Monday, Farbstein says it's all systems go. "We have a pretty high compliance rate, and we're working hard to continue to implement the vaccine requirement. We're promoting the vaccine, and getting employees to upload their data into our database as required," says Farbstein.
Brian Murray with AAAWCNY says TSA lines may be long, but they will be staffed with minimal delays, so he recommends "packing your patience." Murray says if your flight gets delayed or canceled, give them your contact information. "Making sure the airline has your cell phone or e-mail to text you with last minute changes or delays" is a good way to stay up to date says Murray. Murray says airlines have done well with avoiding interruptions.
If you need a rental car, Murray says things are a bit easier. "The availability of rental cars has eased up, the prices have eased up a bit too," says Murray. But he says rental car rates have gone up 4 percent compared to last year. "Overall with a reservation, a loyalty number also helps, things have been better than we saw earlier this summer."
The Thanksgiving travel season runs from Friday through next Sunday, November 28th.
