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\u201cHe has never flown, this will actually be his first flight,” Zimmerman said Friday. \u201cMe and the kids just wanted to come see him off.\u201d<\/p>\n[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.91″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”2px|0px|8px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Featured Image caption” _builder_version=”3.17.3″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px”]<\/p>\n
With the right preparation, holiday traveling can be stress-free and safe. Columbia Metropolitan Airport is preparing for\u00a0first-time and Thanksgiving travelers in advance this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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For Kayla Zimmerman and her family, traveling over the holidays was a foreign idea until her husband joined the military.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has never flown, this will actually be his first flight,” Zimmerman said Friday. \u201cMe and the kids just wanted to come see him off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zimmerman’s husband was headed to a military base in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n
Many military personnel fly over the holidays, adding to the number of airline passengers and the stress of travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThanksgiving is one of our [airport] busiest holidays, particularly with our military travelers,” said Lynn Douglas, the spokeswoman for Columbia Metropolitan Airport.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many travelers underestimate the potential for flight delays during this heavily traveled season. \u00a0\u00a0A snowstorm Thursday stranded some travelers in the Northeast, resulting in a vast number of flights getting delayed. According to CBS News, nearly 5,000 flights in the U.S. were delayed and 1,300 flights got canceled.<\/p>\n
Although the Midlands is not experiencing weather to that extreme, a freeze warning had been in effect for most of the Upstate \u00a0this past week.<\/p>\n
The Columbia Metropolitan Airport has been seeing some buildup of traffic but Douglas said\u00a0the staff is well prepared for the holiday chaos set to come.<\/p>\n
The biggest tip for holiday travelers is to be patient, Douglas said. \u201cWe have a lot of folks traveling for the first time; we see a lot of first time travelers,\u201d Douglas said. \u201cThey are not quite familiar with travel as many of our savvy travelers are.”\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the holidays right around the corner, many people forget that the same rules do apply at the security check.<\/p>\n
The Transportation Security Administration wants to stress that arriving early can result in an effective check- in process. \u201cIf you are traveling with gifts, remember to keep those gifts unwrapped,\u201d Douglas said.<\/p>\n
She said TSA is ordered to unwrap gifts to inspect them. \u201cWe would suggest to put the wrapped gifts into your checked luggage,\u201d Douglas said.<\/p>\n
Being patient, arriving on time, and being well-prepared are some tips for holiday voyagers this year. Although the Midlands has not experienced unexpected weather, travelers must be prepared for what\u2019s to come to ensure holiday traveling is completed safe and stress-free. \u00a0<\/p>\n