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Get Ready For An Unusually Busy Weekend At The Airport

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- If you are traveling out of town this President's Day weekend, get ready for longer lines at the airport.

Officials said an extra day or two off for schools means more families are looking to travel and get away from what is unusually-cold weather this time of year.

"I think people like to take advantage of their days off to travel around," said Karen Banner, who is flying to San Antonio.

Patrick Hogan, spokesman for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, says they expect to see about 40,000 travelers roll through on Friday, which is about 9,000 more than usual.

"We are seeing quite an uptick this year for some reason," Hogan said. "The TSA is aware of the numbers so they have staffed for it."

Hogan says they are hoping to avoid what happened last year.

"It wasn't unusual to see 40-minute waits. Much longer than we wanted to see," Hogan said.

TSA transitioned from five smaller security checkpoints to two larger ones, which caught many spring breakers off guard.

The waits got so bad that Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar got involved. Klobuchar even brought the head of TSA to the airport to see what changes could be made.

Hogan is hoping a larger TSA staff, along with more people signing up for pre-checks, helps cut down on wait times. There are also signs in the terminals that show how long it is taking to get through each of the checkpoints. TSA and MAC officials are hoping that all these elements will come together to keep travelers from getting delayed in line.

"Just give yourself plenty of time," Hogan said. "That can make all the difference so you don't have that stress of, 'Am I going to make it through security and get to my gate on time?'"

President's Day weekend is actually the beginning of a very busy time for airports across the country, with spring break coming up in March.

Hogan says now is the time you definitely want to arrive at least two hours before your flight.

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