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The TSA urges travelers to check their carry-on baggage after more guns are dropped per traveler than ever before.
AUSTIN, Texas – Changes are arriving at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) just in time for a busy summer travel season, and TSA staff are eager to help you get to your destination smoothly.
Alex and his family waited patiently to check into their flights for their first vacation since the pandemic.
“First vacation in 16 months and also visiting schools in New York and Boston for my daughter, who is a junior at Westlake High School,” said Alex.
Charlen Hill saw her grandson for the first time in over a year.
“I don’t want to send him back, but I have to because he has school,” said Hill.
Air traffic is approaching normal. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport predicts this Friday before Memorial Day will be the busiest travel day of the year with more than 23,000 passengers. For comparison: On the Friday before Memorial Day in 2019, 28,852 passengers passed through AUS, in 2020 there were only about 3,702 passengers.
“Before you start packing, make sure you know what’s in your carry-on baggage. Empty it out and leave the prohibited items at home,” said TSA spokeswoman Patricia Mancha. “What I mean by that are knives, stun guns, pepper spray, novelties like grenades and toy guns.”
All of these items were found at security checkpoints this month alone. Mancha said with the combination of new technology and people getting used to travel again, this year they have discontinued more guns per traveler than ever before.
Lately they have seen a trend towards hidden items, like a comb that turns into a knife and a phone that is actually a taser. The TSA urges passengers to check their hand luggage before arriving at the airport.
These are just a few of the items @TSA seized from @AUStinAirport this month!
Many of these items are not what they appear to be. TSA said they saw a trend towards hidden objects. pic.twitter.com/gWYAw2HeXi
– Daranesha Herron (@daraneshav) May 28, 2021
Passengers arriving in AUS will have more direct flights, shopping and dining options, and a new way to find sanitary stations.
New routes to Aspen, Boise, Burbank, Destin, Honolulu, Nassau and Pensacola are just a few of the more than 65 non-stop destinations available to travelers from AUS this summer.
AUS, in collaboration with LocusLabs, has also launched a new online route finding platform to help travelers navigate the airport.
According to AUS, travelers can use the digital map to find the nearest toilet, disinfection stations and restaurants. The map also provides real-time information on everything from locations for garage locations, stores, restaurants to changes in gate assignments and the latest pandemic logs. The map can be found on the AUS website.
As the number of people vaccinated in Austin increases, AUS is welcoming more travelers to the terminal. The latest available data shows that 841,089 passengers passed through AUS in April. That number is close to what the airport recorded in the 2016 summer travel season, but still 30% lower than the airport’s previous passenger record in 2019.
In order to be prepared for a smooth trip, AUS urges travelers to keep up to date with the new airport changes.
AUS offers the following tips for travelers:
- Before you arrive, find out which terminal your flight is departing from.
- The economy parking lot is now open as a walk-in parking lot for $ 8 per day with free tram service. Garage parking spaces are still available at reduced prices, reservations can be made online at www.abiaparking.com.
- Get on your flight at least two hours earlier during peak travel times and at least 90 minutes earlier during off-peak hours. You can view the waiting times at security checkpoints online in real time.
- A mask is required in the terminal. Federal mask guidelines remain in effect at AUS and all other U.S. airports under the TSA ordinance issued in April.
- Incoming passengers are encouraged to exit the stairs and be picked up on the upper departure level of the terminal to reduce traffic on the lower curb.
- Highway construction around the airport, road traffic and weather can all affect your travel times. Check the highway conditions in advance.
- The TSA allows a liquid hand disinfection container with up to 12 ounces per passenger in hand luggage until further notice.
- Walk-up and drive-through Covid-19 tests are now available on-site near the AUS cellphone.
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