TSA CAT units to improve screening during holiday travel season at Wichita airport

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The holiday travel season is approaching, and TSA and AAA expect it to break records.

At Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, the three busiest days for travel will be the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday and Sunday following.

Officials advise that you arrive at the airport at least two hours before departure so you have plenty of time to park, check-in, and pass through security to your gate. The busiest hours in Wichita are from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. and then from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

You can bring food items for Thanksgiving; it is best to put them in your checked bags. For Christmas, be careful about wrapping gifts before getting on the plane.

Nearly 80 million expected to travel for Thanksgiving

"Another thing with holiday travel, we do want to remind people, especially with Christmas travel, that gifts, presents, if you do wrap those up, and we do have to do additional screening on them, then, we will have to open them," Erin Crowley, TSA screening manager, said.

The TSA in Wichita is also using new credential authentication technology. It compares the traveler's photo on the ID against the in-person, real-time photo. Once confirmed, the TSA officer verifies, and the traveler can proceed through the checkpoint.

"If you don't feel comfortable having your picture taken, you can opt out of it. If you do have your picture taken, passengers should know it does not stay in any sort of database. Our machines are rebooted daily, nothing stays in there," Crowley added.