Planning key to avoiding travel headaches this Fourth of July

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Independence Day is Thursday and many people plan to celebrate by taking a vacation. The Transportation Security Administration is preparing for a busy travel season.

TSA says they typically screen 2.5 million people nationwide. But since last month, that number has increased by several hundreds of thousands each day and some travelers like Tyler Miles have noticed.

News10NBC’s Antonina Tortorello went to the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport to speak with travelers to see if they’ve been affected.

“Traveling to Orlando is really busy around this time that’s where we were going to and coming back was really busy because families are connecting and meeting each other for the holidays,” Miles said.

Others like Marcus Hill, not so much. “Was it busier than normal? No, I wouldn’t say so no,” Hill said.

Hill said he didn’t have much trouble with the crowds but took precautions to be safe.

“We booked pretty early to make sure we were able to get out here,” Hill said.

On the other hand, Miles says to secure a stress-free flight he planned his trip ahead of the holiday weekend.

“Honestly I did know the Fourth of July week would be hectic so booking a week or two ahead of time did let us get to our destination a little bit faster and less congested,” Miles said.

TSA says they recommend being proactive like Miles and expect travel to be high.

“The lines were very long, I recommended getting to the airport two, three, hours ahead of time,” Miles said.

If you are traveling this holiday season TSA reminds you to be prepared for checkpoint screening and to arrive at the airport early before your flight.

Two days away from the Fourth of July also means the highways will soon be packed with folks on their way to celebrate Independence Day.

News10NBC’s Antonina Tortorello talked to experts about what you should do to prepare for the extra traffic.

This holiday many may hit the road to visit friends and family, but before you do there are a few things to know before you head out.

Emily Baumbach packed up her dogs and is on the road to Cayuga Lake. The first stop, and maybe the most important, is the gas station.

“You don’t want to run out of gas, you won’t have AC in your car, so usually above a quarter tank is the threshold,” said Todd Ingrham, AAA employee.

AAA says you also should check your tire pressure and car battery before heading out.

Emily isn’t the only one on the road this week. AAA expects over 60 million people to be too, since traffic will be higher at this time AAA says to avoid stress it’s important to plan your trip in advance.

“Leave early, try not to leave during peak travel times,” Ingrham said.

AAA says the earlier the better when it comes to leaving on your trip, any time before 10 a.m. is good.

“While making sure everything with your car is good to go you also should look at that day’s forecast and even make a road trip checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything.

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