HOUSTON — A few days out from Thanksgiving and holiday travel is in full effect. Officials with Houston Airports expect to hit pre-pandemic numbers when it comes to travelers.
Augusto Bernal, the spokesperson for Houston Airports, said over the upcoming 13-day period, they are anticipating nearly 2.3 million travelers, 3% more than in 2019. The busiest travel days are expected to be the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after it. The busiest travel times are in the late afternoons and evenings.
“At each point through your airport journey, you’re going to experience a lot more people,” Bernal said.
That's why he suggests arriving at least two hours before a domestic flight.
Travelers should also keep in mind that the roads leading to the terminals will likely be busy. It’s best to book parking before arriving, as onsite parking is expected to fill up. You can check garage capacity here.
When it comes to bringing holiday food favorites through security, Patricia Mancha, TSA spokesperson for Texas, said as long as it’s not liquid and it’s a domestic flight, you can likely bring it.
“You can bring a turkey, you can bring stuffing, cornbread, green beans,” Mancha said.
She said the No. 1 food question for the southwest is about tamales. Yes. You can travel with those domestically, too.
Anything you can spill, pour, spread, or pump will need to be checked if it’s more than 3.4 oz.
And no carving knives or any other weapons, either. Mancha said this year alone they’ve confiscated 268 guns at Bush and 107 guns at Hobby.
For more information about Houston Airports, click here.