TSA shares travel tips, advice ahead of Labor Day Weekend for travelers flying out of Albany International Airport

Jun 08, 2023

ALBANY, N.Y. — The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at Albany International Airport is staffed and ready to handle the expected increase in travelers for the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend during what has been one of the busiest travel summers in TSA’s history.

“The Labor Day holiday will be the final busy travel period of the summer, and our passenger volume will see a spike as early as Thursday,” said Bart R. Johnson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Upstate New York. “If you are flying this holiday, you will see that our TSA officers are focused on keeping passengers safe so that others may enjoy their trips. I encourage passengers to listen to the guidance that our officers are offering as our team wants to help ensure that everyone has a smooth screening experience so that travelers get to their destinations safely and get home safely,” he said.

“Planning ahead and packing properly can facilitate the TSA security screening process and ease a passenger’s travel experience at the airport,” Johnson added. “That’s why it is important to know what can be packed in carry-on and/or checked baggage before arriving at the airport.”

TSA’s advice is that when a traveler is ready to pack for a trip that it is best start with an empty bag so the passenger knows with certainty what they have inside and they know that there is nothing prohibited in a side pouch, zippered pocket or just in the bottom of a bag. That goes for backpacks, roller bags, handbags, messenger bags, shoulder bags, laptop bags, duffle bags and any other carry-on bag or luggage.

It’s also important to remember that even if an item is generally permitted, it may be subject to additional screening or not allowed through the checkpoint if it triggers an alarm during the screening process, appears to have been tampered with, or poses other security concerns.

Here are some valuable, family-friendly travel tips to know before you go:

Travel with ease with TSA PreCheck®. Our trusted traveler program has more than 80 participating airlines and has two authorized enrollment providers. Most applicants get a Known Traveler Number within three to five days and 99 percent of members wait 10 minutes or less in a screening lane. Members are not required to remove shoes, belts, laptops, or light jackets when going through airport security. If you already have TSA PreCheck®, your kids 17-years-old and younger may join enrolled adults in the dedicated lanes when traveling on the same reservation and if the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the child’s boarding pass.