TULSA, Okla. — Despite a cold start to the week, spring break has arrived, and that means preparing to deal with all the coming and going of people who are traveling during this time of year.
Early in the morning on March 18, the TSA's regular and PreCheck lines, as well as CLEAR Plus, were jam-packed with passengers. Luckily, there were no delays to speak of, and the lines moved at an efficient pace.
One airport official told 2 News they've already seen lots of people boarding flights since last week.
"We already seen a lot of families coming through," said Kim Kuehler, a communications manager for the airport. "The spring break travel season here at Tulsa International Airport is really about three or four weeks, given that the schools are staggered here locally and then we also get northwest Arkansas students and those families coming over from a few hours away."
The airport estimates about 8,000 passengers passing through the terminal each day and 114,000 between March 15 and 24. That's a bit more than normal, with officials expecting a 2% increase in traffic over last year's spring break and for flights to be fuller.
However, something the airport is touting is some new family-friendly amenities.
"We are seeing a ton of families already. They're already enjoying the discovery lab play area that just opened this week," said Kuehler. "We're seeing them in the guest services areas, in the sensory room, and in the quiet room, so it's always been to see more kids in the terminal for us."
- RELATED STORY >>> Discovery Lab opens play area for kids at Tulsa International Airport
Another thing that passengers can expect this week is the Tunes at TUL live music program. There will be several live performances at Gate A1 each day.
- Monday, March 18, 12:00 - 1:00pm: COMBSY
- Tuesday, March 19, 1:00 - 2:00pm: Charlie Redd
- Wednesday, March 20, 1:00 - 2:00pm: Desi & Cody
- Thursday, March 21, 1:00 - 2:00pm: Steve Liddell
- Friday, March 22, 12:00 - 1:00pm: Mark Gibson
As always with busy travel seasons, it's best to show up at the airport earlier than usual.
Despite its reputation for passengers not needing to show up hours ahead of their flight, TIA recommends that people show up two hours before their departure time.
Something that may add to the travel time is construction around the airport, especially along I-244.
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