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Busy Morning At Philadelphia International Airport As Thanksgiving Holiday Travel Underway

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Holiday travel is underway at Philadelphia International Aiport as Thanksgiving is just two days away. Airport officials tell CBS3 that with more and more people being vaccinated we are going to see travel numbers go up and come close to the pre-pandemic levels.

CBS3's Wakisha Bailey was at Philadelphia International Airport Tuesday morning as travelers made their way to their flights. Lines were formed outside the TSA gates where flyers begin to kick off their travel and just about everyone was excited to fly.

Some travelers were opting for warmer weather traveling to places like the Bahamas and Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands.

TSA expects to screen about 20 million passengers who are going to be taking flights around the world over the Thanksgiving holiday and PHL International estimates more than 848,000 guests will pass through the airport between now and Nov. 30.

The busiest travel days are expected to be Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday.

"A little bit nerve-wracking but it looks like all the airlines have everything organized and pretty much everything in place," another traveler said.

There are a few things you're going to want to keep in mind if you are flying over the holiday. Travelers should arrive to the airport at least three hours before boarding time, face masks are required for all passengers ages two and older, and there is limited parking available. Guests should make arrangements to avoid on-site parking.

CBS3's Wakisha Bailey says it feels great to be back inside the airport seeing lines of people traveling and looking forward to spending time with family.

"Just spending time with the family and having a great time," one traveler said.

"See all my family, I don't get to see that much, it's pretty nice," another traveler said.

One woman heading to St. John USVI to visit her sister is having an interesting Thanksgiving spread. She tells CBS3 they will probably be having cheeseburgers for Thanksgiving dinner.

For those travelers keeping it traditional, did you know you can pack a turkey in your carry-on luggage?

If you are going to pack food in your carry-on baggage it must be solid.

So you can pack your favorite pie, whether it's apple or pumpkin, but if it's a liquid or spread, like cranberry sauce, you need to make sure those items are packed in your checked luggage.

On Monday, CBS3's Jasmine Payoute broke down what you can expect if you're flying over the Thanksgiving holiday.

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