Chicago Airports, TSA Give Holiday Travel Tips

CHICAGO, IL — If your holiday travels begin Friday, Dec. 21 and continue through Jan. 5, the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) want to help your airport experience go as smoothly as possible, with some assistance from Chicago's Midway and O'Hare International Airports. According to TSA and CDA reports, Dec. 21 is projected to be the busiest travel day, as the CDA adds that O'Hare will welcome nearly 240,000 passengers and Midway will welcome more than 70,000 by day's end.

A recent report from the CDA said, "Overall passenger traffic at O’Hare is expected to increase by nearly five percent, to more than 4.3 million passengers over the comparable period in 2017. Airlines at Midway anticipate a 1.9 percent increase in passenger volume compared to 2017, with more than 1.4 million passengers anticipated over the holiday period."

Keep up with TSA wait times online via ifly.com.

RELATED: Worst 2018 Holiday Travel Dates For Chicago Area: AAA Report

According to a recent TSA report, there's a 6 percent increase from 2017 in this year's holiday travelers flying throughout the U.S., with 41 million passengers traveling through security screening checkpoints nationwide.

Remember to keep up with the status of your flight at O'Hare and Midway, and allow extra time for parking and security at the airport.

A reminder for those traveling through Midway, and some tips from O'Hare:

Travel Alert: December lane closures on Cicero near MDW for construction of #MDWMOD bridge expansion. Allow extra travel time. For more info visit: https://t.co/eyhcgpzFiR. Two lanes will remain open at all times. pic.twitter.com/wnXgROwyM4
— Midway Intl. Airport (@fly2midway) December 21, 2018

Will you be one of the more than 5.7 million passengers passing through #Chicago’s airports this #holiday travel season? https://t.co/cbpGHoAV5t . Find out more about what to expect while passing through @TSA security checkpoints by watching this short video. #BePrepared pic.twitter.com/SOAHffCwbI
— O'Hare Intl. Airport (@fly2ohare) December 19, 2018

Another reminder from TSA officials; if you plan on flying with #holiday gifts, remember that items may require additional inspection if they trigger the alarm, so you may want to use gift bags or wait to wrap them upon arriving to your destination.

Image via Shutterstock