BOI expects nearly 165,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving travel season

BOISE AIRPORT, Idaho – The holiday season is the busiest time of year for the Boise Airport. Travelers may encounter long lines and unexpected delays, but there are ways to make your Thanksgiving flight go smoothly.

• The biggest tip for success is to arrive at the airport at least two hours early.
• The cell phone waiting area has moved to a much larger parking lot, a 5-7 minute drive from the terminal. Further information about the new cell phone lot can be found here.
• BOI has nearly 8,000 parking spaces with many different options for leisure travelers. You can find more information about parking at the airport here.
• Thanksgiving foods such as cranberry sauce, jam, jellies, gravy or wine will be confiscated at the TSA.

(Below is the transcript of the broadcast story)

“Thanksgiving and Christmas are definitely our busiest travel times of the year,” said Boise Airport spokeswoman Jennifer Kronberg.

She tells me the holidays bring thousands of people through BOI.

“If you’re traveling this week and visiting loved ones who live outside of Boise, the biggest tip is to arrive early,” says Kronberg.

Travelers leaving Boise should expect longer lines to check in luggage and go through TSA screening. Arriving at least two hours early gives people time to move through these long lines.

“This will be a great test for our new cell phone waiting area,” Kronberg added.

As we previously reported, Boise Airport also recently opened a new cell phone waiting area located a 5- to 7-minute drive from the terminal – a new stop for those picking up passengers.

“I’ve lived in Boise most of my life, my family is here, my husband’s family is here. We come to visit them and celebrate the holidays,” said Maelyn Brieske, who traveled from Miami to spend Thanksgiving with her family.

“Florida is a two-hour difference, so it’s always a very, very long day when we come here,” Brieske said.

She tells me she got to the airport two and a half hours early to make sure she and her checked luggage got to Boise on time.

“And if we didn’t get there early enough, I don’t know if we would be able to check a bag because the lines were long,” Brieske says.

The airport is busiest between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. and between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Travelers heading out for Thanksgiving dinner may want to leave some items at home.

“Please do not bring any of your liquids or gels with you. So bottles of wine, cranberry sauce, gravy – these things will be taken away and we know you want them on your table, so please don’t bring them,” says Kronberg. “Arrive early, but also bring patience and a little holiday cheer.”