Security worries and weather add stress to holiday travel this year

It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without dressing — or stressing.

Especially for people who are traveling. More people at the airport means more people going through security and more people who may not be as familiar with the rules. Laptops out. No liquids or gels more than 3.4 ounces. Yes, you have to take your shoes off. Here are more tips.

“The masses of people who will be traveling are not seasoned business travelers,” Joe McBride, spokesman for the Kansas City Aviation Department, said Tuesday. “They will be families with children and the elderly. Allow plenty of time and plenty of patience.”

On top of regular security concerns, the State Department issued a worldwide travel alert asking people to be particularly vigilant about terrorist threats. The motto is “If you see something, say something.”

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said recently that U.S. and local authorities have been increasing security measures in anticipation of the holiday travel surge, even though there are no specific threats indicating terrorists intend to strike.

Travelers at airports across the country can expect more careful screening and more bomb-sniffing dogs. Travelers at KCI may see more patrols, but there may be other, non-overt security measures as well, McBride said.

KCI traffic officers also will strictly enforce parking restrictions. Parking at terminal curbs is not allowed except for active passenger loading and unloading.

Then there’s the weather. The National Weather Service is forecasting a 40 to 60 percent chance of rain on Wednesday, one of the three peak days for air travel. There is even a chance of snow here on Friday.

The industry association Airlines for America is expecting 25.3 million people to travel globally on U.S. airlines during the period from last Friday through next Tuesday, an increase of 3 percent from 2014. More than 400,000 people are expected to pass through Kansas City International Airport in that period, with more than 41,000 on Sunday, the peak day.

The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen 40 percent more people at airport security lines during the holidays than the rest of the year.

The good news is that, as of midday Tuesday, the vast majority of flights in and out of KCI were reported to be on time. Across the country, most airports were reporting delays of 15 minutes or less.

For those hitting the highways this Thanksgiving — and AAA estimates 42 million will — gas prices will be the lowest since 2008. The national average price on Monday was $2.07 and is projected to fall below $2 by Christmas. Kansas was among 10 states that saw the largest monthly decline in gas prices.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 1:31 PM with the headline "Security worries and weather add stress to holiday travel this year."