The number of people traveling 50 miles or more away from home is expected to increase this holiday season. Triple A Chicago reports more than 93-million Americans will take to the roads or fly to their destinations between Saturday and January 1st. That’s a nearly two-percent increase from the same time last year. 

 

About six million people plan to fly over the holidays. Gene Olson is the director of the General Wayne Downing Peoria International Airport. He says travelers should arrive at the airport early to catch their flights.

 

“If you show up ahead of time and you have a glitch or there’s something in your check bag that you are not supposed to have. If you’ve got time, then you can go throw it in your car, or you can put it in your check bag, or check your carry on,” says Olson. 

 

”You know, you have options when you have time. Whereas if you show up at the last minute and you don’t have time, you are going to be racing around the parking lot looking for a spot, and you’re not going to have time if something goes bad.” 

 

Olson says travelers should also leave gifts unwrapped while going through TSA screening. He says people should also visit www.TSA.gov to go over any new rules added to travel guidelines. The airport director expects up 700 people to fly in and out of the Peoria airport daily over the holiday break.