Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Kicks-Off Today at Lambert

St. Louis -- Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is projected to see eight percent more passengers than last year during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period. That's an increase of nearly 13,000 departing passengers over a ten-day period that begins today, Friday, November 18. 

Peak days at Lambert are expected to be Wednesday, November 23, with nearly 22,000 departing passengers, and Sunday, November 27, with departing numbers forecasted to exceed 22,200. More than 20,000 passengers are checking-in and going through the TSA security checkpoints on Friday to kick-off the travel period. Airplane load factors are expected to be above 90% over the next 10 days. In total, STL is expecting more than 167,000 departing Thanksgiving holiday travelers, as compared to just under 156,000 in 2015. 

Lambert expects gate areas to be even more crowded with passengers connecting through STL. Year-to-date in 2016, Lambert is trending 30 percent higher for connecting passengers than 2015. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the airlines recommend the following travel tips for navigating the busiest travel days of the year:

• Arrive two hours ahead of scheduled boarding time, especially if checking luggage or flying international. 
• Visit www.TSA.gov to search what items can and cannot be brought through the TSA security checkpoint, such as liquids, which must be in 3.4 ounce containers or less.  
• Learn more about TSA accepted forms of identification, or traveling with children, medical conditions or disabilities, at www.TSA.gov.
• Do not wrap holiday gifts. They should remain unwrapped for air travel. 
• TSA Pre-Check is available at all checkpoints with participating airlines. 
• Wheelchair assistance is provided by the airlines at no cost. This can be a big help for limited mobility or elderly travelers. For the best accommodation, contact the airline in advance to request. 
• If picking up a passenger at STL airport, use one of the free cell phone lots instead of the parking garages. 
• If parking at STL, shop our lots at www.SuperParkingLot.com, plus see real-time parking availability. 
• Check the status of all flights to and from STL as updated by the airlines here.

Contact:
Jeff Lea,  Public Relations Manager
Office:  314-426-8125
Mobile: 314-795-2235
Email: jrlea@flystl.com 

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is the 31st busiest airport in the U.S. as ranked by Airports Council International-North America. Lambert served more than 12.7 million passengers in 2015. For more information on flights and services at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, log onto www.flystl.com. Facebook/flystl;Twitter:@flystl