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Be prepared before heading to the airport for your Thanksgiving travels

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. — More than 31.6 million Americans are expected to fly this Thanksgiving season, including here in South Central Pennsylvania. This is...

DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. -- More than 31.6 million Americans are expected to fly this Thanksgiving season, including here in South Central Pennsylvania.

This is known to be one of the busiest travel weeks of the year.

Scott Miller with Harrisburg International Airport says Wednesday morning should have a slow start, and is expecting things to pick up just before noon. He wants to remind travelers to get to the airport early, and come prepared.

TSA also has some tips for people flying this Thanksgiving, here are some of their top tips for turkey day travelers.

  1. Get to the airport early—two hours prior to a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Only a turkey gets to the airport in the last minute during the Thanksgiving travel period. Don’t be a turkey!
  2. Know which foods can travel in your carry-on bag. Pies, cakes, stuffing mix, casseroles, are all good in a carry-on bag because they are solid food items.
  3. Know which foods should go into a checked bag. Gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam, preserves, should all go into a checked bag. Why? They are not solids. Basically if you can spill it, spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, (say that three times fast) then it’s not a solid and should be packed in a checked bag.
  4. Pack smart. Don’t bring along any prohibited items. If you are not sure if an item should go in a carry-on bag, checked bag, either or neither, don’t be shy, just tweet your question to @AskTSA or ask via Facebook Messenger.
  5. Download the free MyTSA app. The best thing about it is the “Can I bring” feature. Type in an item and it lets you know immediately if you should pack it in a checked or carry-on bag. It also can let you know if there is an airport delay and whether TSA Precheck lanes are available. Super helpful. And if you get bored during the holiday, you can use it to play a game with your relatives by asking them to guess if an item should be packed in a checked or carry-on bag and using the app to provide the correct answer.

You can find more Thanksgiving travel tips from TSA here.

Miller says the busiest times at HIA on Wednesday will be around noon, and right after work. Saturday and Sunday will also be busy days for travelers.

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