Record Holiday Travel Expected for Michigan This Thanksgiving

With the holidays quickly approaching, many people around the country will be boarding flights to visit family for Thanksgiving dinners full of mashed potatoes, turkey, and green bean casserole (yuck).

If you're planning on traveling or expecting people for the holidays, you may want to show up at the airport early this year because the Transportation Security Association (TSA) is predicting yet another record travel season, following in the footsteps of Spring Break 2024 and the 2023 Holiday season.

⬇️AIRPORTS AROUND THE US THAT HAVE THE LONGEST TSA WAIT TIMES⬇️

According to a press release made by TSA, an estimated 18.3 million people will be screened from November 26th to December 2nd, with the three busiest days being the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after. TSA's 10 busiest days on record have all come in 2024.

READ MORE: The Future Of Airport Security: TSA Self-Service Innovation |

Thanksgiving being on the latter end of things this year has also most likely encouraged people to travel more this season. If you're one of the unlucky ones facing a potentially long TSA line on a packed plane with crying children, here are a few tips to make your journey as stress-free as possible.

Arrive Early

This is an obvious recommendation, but showing up at least 2-3 hours early for your flight will ensure you can get any bags checked, make it through TSA, and find your gate with time to spare for food or a bathroom break.

Check-In Early

Most flights let you check into your flight online up to 24 hours in advance. This can save you from having to print out a boarding pass at the airport if you get a virtual boarding pass.

READ MORE: Michigander's Top Connection Airport Named Most Stressful in US |

Look into TSA PreCheck

If you travel often or if you're traveling with a large party, it might not hurt to look into TSA PreCheck. I travel pretty often and have been using TSA PreCheck for a while, and it has made TSA an absolute breeze. For $78 for a five-year membership, you and children 17 and under get access to an exclusive line that is significantly shorter than the main line, with waits being less than 10 minutes. If you want to enroll, you can here.

Review the "What Can I Bring" Page When Packing

TSA can be very picky about what you're allowed to bring on a flight, especially when it comes to liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, and pastes (do not be that guy with a full water bottle having to drink the whole thing in line). There is an entire webpage of what you can bring and how much of a thing you can bring on a flight on the "What Can I Bring?" page.