WASHINGTON — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is predicting the busiest summer on record as more travelers pass through airports across the country.
Twelve of the TSA’s busiest 15 travel days nationwide have occurred since mid-May, and the agency expects that number to only increase.
On the Sunday after Independence Day, the agency plans to screen a record 3 million people.
They plan to screen more than 16.2 million people from Wednesday, July 3, to Monday, July 8, which is a 5.5% increase over travel volumes during the 2023 Independence Day holiday.
Tito Collins is heading to the Philippines to escape the fireworks weekend and has chosen to arrive at the airport early for a reason.
“That’s why I chose to leave early, so I wouldn’t be in too much of a rush, because first of all, I’m on welfare,” Collins said, pointing to his cane, “and I thought no, I’m not going to deal with all that stuff. I’m going to take the first flights out.”
For passengers who find their flight is cancelled, airlines are required to provide a refund, even if it is due to weather conditions.
The Ministry of Transport, however, reported some good news on this front. Compared to the same period last year, airlines recorded around 3,000 fewer cancellations.
When it comes to delays, policies differ by airline, so check the DOT dashboard.
On the roads – last week, AAA predicted that a record 60.6 million people would travel by car during the week of Independence Day – nearly 3 million more than last year.
For those driving to their weekend plans, it is recommended to leave before 10 a.m. on Friday.
On the way back, they suggest leaving before 11am on Sunday and after 7pm on Monday.
AAA said the worst times to be on the road are between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Sunday and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday.
