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Holiday Season Brings Out Infrequent Travelers: TSA in SYR Offers Security Tips

This December is expected to be one of the busiest travel seasons in history, so the Transportation Security Administration at Syracuse’s Hancock airport is gearing up to handle the holiday rush.

T-S-A spokesperson Lisa Farbstein says it’s more than just an increase in travelers.

“What we’re seeing are a lot of people who tend to travel in December who aren’t frequent travelers.  So they’re not as familiar with what you should and shouldn’t bring in your carry-on bag.  And so, we have an app for that. It’s called my TSA.  It’s free, downloadable.  It has this great feature that says, “can I bring my ‘blank’?”. And you type in the item and it lets you know right away.” 

This service is also available on the T-S-A website.  Farbstein says when preparing for a trip people tend to forget about items that draw red flags because of simple oversight.

“What’s interesting about what you would think would be common senses is that I think that we’ve gotten further away from 9/11 and people are not as cognizant.  One example could be that, oftentimes people who are hunters might have an extra bullet in a pocket, or hunting knife or fishing knife in a pocket in a jacket that they haven’t used in a long time.  Now they’re pulling that jacket out to use for the first time because it’s getting chillier.”

In the wake of the Paris attacks, officials say travelers should expect tighter security and longer lines on top of the usual holiday delays.  The TSA is encouraging people to familiarize themselves with security regulations to expedite the screening process. The security increases will not be as drastic as they were after 9/11, but Syracuse Airport Authority Executive Director Christina Callahan says there is no reason to relax.

“We can’t let the passage of time or our own comfort level deter us from what the mission is, which is: we have to provide a safe and secure airport for our passengers, our employees, for the public who use the facility.” 

Passengers aren’t the only ones who can do their part to streamline security. People picking up or dropping off air travelers are encouraged to use the proper parking lots rather than add to congestion in the terminal driveways. Callahan says this poses a security threat and reduces the efficiency of the airport.

“I think they will probably see an increase in law enforcement at the curb line.  We’re really stressing, especially during the holiday season, please don’t leave your vehicle unattended in front of the terminal.  We have a free cell phone lot.  When the flight arrives, pick up your passenger and head home.”

Another service available to travelers is the TSA pre-check, which allows passengers to use a shorter line, keep their shoes and belts on, among other benefits when going through the security checkpoint. Passengers can apply for TSA pre-check at the Syracuse International Airport. Officials say the applications take 2 weeks to be processed so there is still time to get yours in before the holiday season.

Chris Bolt, Ed.D. has proudly been covering the Central New York community and mentoring students for more than 30 years. His career in public media started as a student volunteer, then as a reporter/producer. He has been the news director for WAER since 1995. Dedicated to keeping local news coverage alive, Chris also has a passion for education, having trained, mentored and provided a platform for growth to more than a thousand students. Career highlights include having work appear on NPR, CBS, ABC and other news networks, winning numerous local and state journalism awards.