CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - If it feels more crowded at the airport than last Thanksgiving, it’s not your imagination.
The airlines expect an 11 percent increase in travelers at O’Hare this holiday.
Many of us step into the role of cook for Thanksgiving, but Steve and Kirk are there all the time. The professional chefs were flying to Pennsylvania to cook for over 100,000 fans and players for Saturday’s Penn State game.
“I have food in my backpack right now. I brought it from Portland, and it would be smoked ribs, macaroni and cheese and collard greens,” Steve said.
TSA says gravy, cranberry sauce and all other liquids or gels should be packed in checked bags if they are more than 3.4 ounces.
It’s Thanksgiving week, but the Tibrewala children from River Forest were wearing Christmas jammies for their flight to Mexico with their mother Sandra and a dozen other relatives, where they may not eat a traditional turkey dinner.
“We are staying at a house with a chef…We asked, but we’ll find out when we get there,” Sandra said. “I would be just as happy eating tacos.”
Eight-year-old Trey, who also happens to be from River Forest, was looking forward to eating mashed potatoes with his grandparents in Naples, Florida.
“I like spending time with my family and having dinner and going swimming,” he said.
With 1.8 million people projected to fly through O’Hare and Midway by Monday, Aviation Department spokeswoman Georgiaree Godfrey said it will be crowded at times.
“Pack your patience, I know that sounds very cliché, but make sure that you are prepared for those little incidents that may come up,” Godrey said. “It may take a little longer for a TSA line, whether it’s changing shift, people call out, it’s human, people get sick.”
With Sunday projected to be the busiest day, some 254,000 people are expected to make the return trip from O’Hare.
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