‘Airport personnel are the few who don’t want it to snow in Bellingham on Christmas’
Santa’s got it easy. Visiting every home around the world, delivering toys to every good little boy and girl on Christmas Eve is simple child’s play ... and he even has cookies and milk waiting for him along the way.
Getting the millions of holiday travelers to the thousands of locations before Santa’s elves even dust off the sleigh — now that’s the real Christmas miracle. And then everybody has to get home.
According to a Transportation Security Administration release on Tuesday, a record number of travelers are expected during the 2018 Christmas and New Year travel season, as the number of holiday travelers scanned nationwide this year compared to 2017 is predicted to increase by six percent.
Though things won’t be quite that hectic at Bellingham International Airport, Director of Aviation Sunil Harman and Airport Landside Supervisor Marie Duckworth told The Bellingham Herald in an email Wednesday they expect to see 1.25 percent more travelers during the holiday travel season, which begins Thursday and runs through Jan. 3. Harman and Duckworth estimated they will have 1,175 daily arriving and departing passengers for a total of 14,100 arrivals and 14,100 departures during the holiday season.
The busiest days to travel through BLI, Harman and Duckworth said, are this Friday through Sunday and Jan. 2-3, though BLI’s airlines still have seats available for anyone who’s procrastinated with more than Christmas shopping.
“Passenger numbers are slightly higher this holiday season because we have additional air service that we did not have previously,” they told The Herald. “Allegiant launched its new twice weekly flight service to Tucson in November, and Alaska Airlines has increased frequency to Maui and Kona and increased seats to Seattle. “
And for those of you who will check in a little further south at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport or are connecting there, Seatac is expecting to see an 11 percent increase in holiday passenger traffic, the TSA release said.
The busiest travel day at Seatac is anticipated to be this Thursday, with 63,300 passengers passing through TSA checkpoints, the release said, but Friday, Saturday and Dec. 26 are each expected to top 60,000. The highest volume of passengers at Seatac each day is expected in the 5-7 a.m., 9-11 a.m. and 2-5 p.m. windows.
Despite the increase in traffic, Harman and Duckworth said they anticipate no significant issues, providing weather doesn’t become one.
“Airport personnel are the few who don’t want it to snow in Bellingham on Christmas,” they told The Herald. “As far as the passenger experience goes, our travelers routinely tell us that flying through BLI is a less stressful experience than flying through a larger airport. This holiday season should be no exception.”
To help make sure your trip is at least as easy as Santa’s, they suggest:
▪ Arriving at the airport by the time your airline suggests.
▪ Know TSA requirements for packing liquids and gels and follow them.
▪ Visit the TSA website or your airline’s to find the carry-on size limits.
▪ Also visit the TSA and your airline’s websites ahead of time to learn about assistance for travelers with special needs. TSA suggests calling its TSA Cares number at 855-787-2227 at least 72 hours before traveling.
▪ TSA is encouraging people to ask questions via Twitter at @AskTSA or on Facebook Messenger at Ask TSA.
▪ Allegiant Airlines also has started using Facebook Messenger to answer individual questions from travelers, or airlines can be reached at their websites (allegiantair.com and alaskaair.com).
▪ BLI’s updates will be posted on the the airport’s social media accounts on Facebook and on Twitter at @FlyBLI. Seatac also has Facebook and Twitter accounts that are worth checking if you’re flying through there.
▪ Check with your airline for any changes or updates for your flight.
In its press release, TSA offered these additional tips:
▪ Unpack and repack your bag before you leave home to make sure you are not bringing any prohibited items, which can be found on the TSA’s “What Can I Bring” feature on its website.
▪ Dress for security screening by avoiding bulky jewelry, scarves, hair accessories and large belt buckles. Slip-on shoes also make security checkpoints easier.
▪ Use gift bags instead of wrapping paper for presents to make sure TSA doesn’t get the joy of unwrapping if your package sets off a security alarm.
▪ Baked goods, including Christmas cookies and fruit cake, and other solid foods, such as ham or turkey, are allowed in carry-on luggage, but the amounts of jams, sauces, etc. are limited to 3.4 ounces.
▪ Make sure your electronic devices are easily accessible in your carry-on luggage, especially those larger than a cell phone, so they can be pulled out for inspection at security checkpoints.
This story was originally published December 20, 2018 at 5:00 AM.
