ST. LOUIS — The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and the travel rush is already heating up.
Millions of Americans are preparing to get out of town sometime in the coming holiday week. That will likely mean busy roads, as well as packed airports and train stations.
The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen over 32 million individuals in airports from this Thursday through July 8, up 5.4% from last year’s numbers.
The TSA expects most people will take to the skies on Friday — an estimated 3 million individuals. That would surpass the agency's current record for most people screened on a single day, which reached just under 3 million last Sunday.
“We expect this summer to be our busiest ever," TSA Administrator David Pekoske said, adding that travel typically peaks around Independence Day.
Impact at St. Louis airports
Both St. Louis airports expect an uptick of passengers. A spokesperson for St. Louis Lambert International Airport said travelers can expect a busy day for TSA on this Friday before the holiday, as almost 21,400 passengers are expected to be screened by TSA. That number does not include travelers connecting through STL, which the spokesperson says usually makes up 25% of passenger count.
A spokesperson for MidAmerica St. Louis Airport says between June 28 and July 7, 54 arrivals and 54 departures are scheduled with an expected 17,000 passengers coming through the airport. Within just June 28 and July 1, 25 arrivals and 25 departures are scheduled with an expected 8,000 passengers coming through the airport.
Travel tips
- Leave early: Airport staff and experts recommend setting aside more time to get to your destination and through airport security, as lines will be longer and roads busier ahead of and during the holiday weekk.
- Keep an eye on weather: and not just for your destination: Look at the weather for your entire travel path. Even if it's sunny skies both at home and the place you're headed, it's important to keep an eye out for any storms in between.
- Be kind: A trip delay or cancellation can be really frustrating — but if you're running into disruptions, chances are others are too. Customer service agents have a lot on their plate at this time of year, and it's important to be patient and respectful as they try to help you.
What to do if flight is delayed/cancelled
Flights can be delayed or canceled for an array of reasons — from plane-specific mechanical problems to major storms impacting popular travel paths.
If your flight is canceled, airlines are required to provide refunds for customers, even if the cancellation is due to weather. Delays are trickier, because they typically have to meet certain criteria for relief, such as refunds or compensation — but carriers will often give customers to chance to switch to alternative flights, if available, at no cost.
In April, the Biden administration issued final rules that include requiring airlines to provide automatic cash refunds within a few days for canceled flights and “significant” delays. Those rules are set to take effect over the next two years, but the Department of Transportation has a site that lets consumers see the commitments each airline has made for refunds and covering other expenses when flights are canceled or significantly delayed.
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