Tampa International Airport saw its highest number of travelers since the beginning of the pandemic, with nearly 75,000 people coming through the airport on Sunday. They expect to break that record Wednesday before Thanksgiving.
Experts say Tampa is one of the most popular cities in the country for air travel this holiday.
With widespread availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, experts say people are more comfortable and confident traveling this year. "The Auto Club" is predicting more than 53 million Americans will travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. That’s up 13 percent from 2020.
When it comes to traveling, experts say plan ahead. Before you go to the airport check with the airline to see if your flight is delayed and review TSA guidelines.
“A lot of people again are traveling for the first time in a couple of years and they’re not really sure. There are certain liquids you cannot bring. Obviously, you can't bring any weapons. People a lot of times during this time of year, forget they have a concealed weapon in their briefcase or their old pocket. We do we see a lot of that,” said Emily Nipps, spokesperson for Tampa International Airport.
At TPA they’re expecting a total of 900,000 travelers this Thanksgiving week.
The airport just opened the Blue Express Curbsides that allows travelers without checked bags to bypass the ticketing or bag claim levels.
Sunday is expected to be the busiest travel day of the year. Experts recommend you get to the airport three hours before take-off, so you can get to your gate on time.
