BOSTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) usually sees passenger numbers increase during the holidays and the TSA team at Boston-Logan (BOS) has been proactively preparing for the increase in holiday travel volume.
Holiday travelers should expect to see higher passenger volume from Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 27. Typically, the busiest days during the Thanksgiving travel period are the Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving and the Sunday afterward.
This year Transportation Security Officers (TSO’s) at BOS security checkpoints expect to screen nearly 64,000 on the busiest days of this holiday travel period. BOS TSO’s are currently screening 52,900 people on average this month. In 2021 TSA screened 46,590 people daily during the ten-day Thanksgiving travel period.
“TSA along with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) recommend travelers arrive at the terminal two hours prior to their scheduled flight,” said Bob Allison, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Massachusetts. “We also ask travelers to come prepared to the airport for security screening.” The TSA web site has a lot of helpful information on preparing for a flight.
When travelers approach the travel document checking podium, they will be asked to provide the officer with their ID and in some cases their boarding pass, electronic or paper.
To help speed up the security screening process, TSA recommends travelers place items from their pockets such as wallets, keys, lip balm, tissues and cell phones into their carry-on bags to be screened instead of putting items from their pockets directly into bins. This also reduces the chance that travelers will leave something behind in a bin.
TSA is still allowing travelers to bring one liquid hand sanitizer container up to 12 ounces per passenger in carry-on bags until further notice. Passengers can expect that these containers larger than the standard allowance of 3.4 ounces of liquids permitted through a checkpoint will need to be screened separately, which will add some time to their checkpoint experience. Travelers also are permitted to bring anti-bacterial wipes in carry-on or checked luggage.
“Our TSA officers are professionals and are very good at their jobs, so when you get to the checkpoint, listen to the guidance that they are offering. That guidance is intended to make sure you have a smooth checkpoint experience,” Allison said.
Travelers whose items trigger an alarm at the checkpoint and have their carry-on bags flagged for a search typically state that they did not realize that they had the item with them. “Prohibited items, especially firearms, can slow down the security screening process for everyone in that lane,” Allison said. He added, to help reduce the likelihood that a carry-on bag will require a search, travelers should start with an empty bag before they begin to pack.
This year TSA officers at BOS security checkpoints have detected a record 26 firearms. Passengers cannot carry firearms with them into an aircraft cabin, but they can check their firearm by following a few rules. Visit TSA’s Transporting Firearms and Ammunition page to see how to properly travel with a firearm.
Individuals with disabilities, medical conditions and other special circumstances can contact the TSA Cares Helpline for additional assistance during the security screening process and to find out what to expect at the checkpoint. Individuals may request assistance through the TSA screening checkpoint by clicking here: https://www.tsa.gov/contact-center/form/cares or by calling (855) 787-2227 (Federal Relay: 711) 72 hours prior to traveling with questions about screening policies, procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint. The TSA Cares phone lines are staffed weekdays from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET and on weekends/holidays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. TSA staff can explain the screening process for travelers requiring special accommodations or concerned about the security screening process.
Individuals who are planning to travel this holiday season should consider enrolling in TSA PreCheck®. The popular expedited screening program allows travelers to leave on their shoes, jackets, belts and enables them to keep their electronics and 3-1-1 bags in their carry-on bags.
Unsure if an item should be packed in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither? Download the free myTSA app, which has a handy “What can I bring?” feature that allows you to type in the item to find out if it can fly. Or ask us on Twitter or Facebook Messenger at @AskTSA.