Thanksgiving travelers met by long lines at Pittsburgh International Airport

MOON TOWNSHIP, Pa. — With vaccination rates climbing, more people feel safe traveling this holiday season.

“Being at the beach, being with my family, being away from school,” said Sara Parker, who’s heading to West Palm Beach.

“Everybody tries to connect with family and friends when they can,” said Mary Casanova.

For many, that journey started at Pittsburgh International Airport Wednesday morning, but to the surprise of travelers, the busy travel predictions were true.

>>RELATED STORY: Pennsylvania Turnpike expects Wednesday to be busiest day for Thanksgiving travel

“Three words: longest line ever. I’m serious, I’ve never been in a longer line,” Casanova said.

Security lines stretched past the doors and down past the people movers. It’s expected to be the busiest air travel day since pre-pandemic, with Sunday and Monday coming in a close second and third.

According to a PIT spokesperson, the airport will see about 30,000 passengers a day.

“My husband said it would be, but sometimes you have to experience it for yourself,” Casanova said. While the Transportation Security Administration recommends travelers purchase pre-check for busy times like this one, even those lines were not short.

“Well, usually when you do TSA pre-check, it’s a lot shorter. The line’s like five minutes, and I was like, oh, the line is out the door. I was so surprised,” Parker said.

But agents helped keep things moving, with travelers spending no more than 20 minutes in security.

TSA told Channel 11 News that with the federal employee vaccine mandate in place, Pittsburgh is not expected to be impacted this weekend when it comes to staffing shortages.

So, the hope is those lines keep moving throughout the weekend.

“Definitely add a couple hours or two to your trip. Definitely, you want to add as much time as possible,” Parker said.

With more people flying, the parking lots are filling up faster, too. Before you head out the door, you might want to check the airport’s website to see which lots are open and the best spots to park (CLICK HERE).

Pack your patience: Roads, airports expected to be busy for Thanksgiving travel

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