TSA, airport share tips for a tranquil holiday

Few inconveniences in life are more annoying than trying to book a last-minute flight home for Thanksgiving or Christmas or relegating a carry-on item that doesn't meet federal requirements to the trash can.

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration and the San Antonio International Airport have some holiday travel tips for San Antonio residents. Here are some of the highlights:

Punctuality

If you're flying during peak rush hours, arrive early to increase your chances of making your flight. The windows of time between 5 and 7 a.m., 12 and 2 p.m. and 3 and 5 p.m. are typically the busiest at the airport,

according to TSA Deputy Assistant Federal Security Director Don Miano, so you'll need to budget plenty of time to make it through security.

Gift wrapping

Don't wrap presents. TSA officials don't have time to handle every package that crosses their path with kid gloves.

“If it goes through the X-ray and we have to open it up, we don't take our time in unwrapping it,” Miano said. “And then that's going to kind of ruin your surprise when you get to your destination.”

Gift bags are a convenient alternative to wrapping paper.

Snow globes

Don't pack snow globes. The amount of liquid they contain exceeds the TSA'S 3.4ounce carry-on limit. Miniatures are OK.

Perishable food

Consider food safety. Products such as pies, fruit, cakes, meats, casseroles, mac 'n' cheese, vegetables, candy and spices are all permissible to take on planes, but that doesn't necessarily mean doing so is advisable.

“If you have something that can spoil (during) your transit, it's a good idea not to bring it. We don't want anyone getting sick because … when they got to their destination, they ate something that became spoiled,”

Sanitizer

Know that hand sanitizer is an exception to the 3.4ounce rule. The TSA has decided to permit passengers to carry on up to 12 ounces of sanitizer because of the pandemic.

Weapons

Make sure you’re checking — or leaving behind — all weapons. Officials routinely encounter and have to confiscate keychain knives, pocketknives, Mace, pepper spray, handguns and their ilk here in Texas.

The 2021 holiday season is projected to blow the 2020 holiday season out of the water in terms of activity.

Last year, San Antonio International Airport employees processed about 7,000 to 8,000 customers a day the week of Thanksgiving, according to Miano. This year, they can expect to process more than double that number — about 16,000 to 17,000 a day, Miano said.