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BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) – With holiday travel expected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, the roads and the airways were already packed in Boston Wednesday morning.
Car lines to drop off family members as well as security lines and bag checks snaked around Logan Airport. Many people had to wait until the day before Thanksgiving to travel, including college students who had to wrap up their finals before hopping on a plane.
“As soon as they were over we were like, ‘alright it’s time to head out,’” one student said.
“I had classes and work on Tuesdays,” said another student. “So, this was the earliest option.”
AAA predicts that an estimated 53.4 million people will travel this year for Thanksgiving, a 13% increase from 2020. With 6.4 million more people travelling this holiday season, the agency has urged travelers to be proactive when making their travel plans.
“This Thanksgiving, travel will look a lot different than last year,” said Paula Twidale, senior vice president of AAA Travel. “Now that the borders are open and new health and safety guidelines are in place, travel is once again high on the list for Americans who are ready to reunite with their loved ones for the holiday.”
Read More: Getting Out Of Town; Holiday Travel Season Begins At Logan Airport
Logan is expected to stay busy through next Monday with an estimated 900,000 people passing through. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA), along with the Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), recommends that travelers get to the airport at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
“We also ask travelers to come prepared to the airport for security screening,” said Bob Allison, TSA’s federal security director for Massachusetts. “That means knowing what should and should not be packed in a carry-on bag or checked bag. The TSA website has a lot of helpful information on preparing for a flight.”
The TSA expects to screen about 20 million passengers during the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday. This past Monday was also the deadline for federal workers, including TSA employees, to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The administration reported that nearly 93% of workers are in compliance with the vaccine mandate.
WBZ’s James Rojas (@JamesRojasNews) spoke to travelers at Logan:
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