Air travelers passing through San Antonio International Airport this Christmas will find a couple of new features that will speed them though a little faster.
First, TSA will take a picture of IDs to quickly confirm identifications.
TSA Spokeswoman Patricia Mancha said new 3-D imaging will speed up baggage checks through security. "The officers will be able to see what's in there. They don't have to touch the bag," she said. "They don't have to open it as much. It's much more efficient. It's much more secure."
Mancha said they see a lot of cooking utensils come through. She said those are not permitted in carry-on bags and must be placed in checked baggage to be stored in airliner cargo bays. She also reminded travelers that liquids must be kept to 3.4 ounces or less — that includes salsa for tamales.
Tonya Hope, airport spokeswoman, said a new bag curbside concierge should prove helpful too: "Instead of driving up to the curb and checking your bags and then going to park, you can actually do it in the parking garage. So, once you're in a short-term parking garage, you can just check your bag and walk to the airport."
She also said the airport now offers a drive-in, drive-out parking option and parking reservations up to six months in advance of travel.
The busiest travel days will be the Friday before Christmas and the Friday and Saturday after Christmas.
Local military service members are expected to join the Christmas travel crunch with their biggest travel days this Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday mornings, so everyone should add an hour to the two-hour arrival time before departure now recommended by the TSA.
Up to 18,000 passengers passed through the airport each day of the Thanksgiving holiday. Travel for Christmas is expected to exceed those levels by 6%.
Hope said the holiday decorations are up across the airport, along with lots of live Christmas music performances, to put travelers in the holiday spirit.
