"Tis the season

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Megan Wilson held her teddy bear, Alfonso, in her lap at Will Rogers World Airport as she waited to board a flight for the first leg of her trip home to California on a recent afternoon.

Alfonso is missing an eye and his nose is mostly worn off, but such is the life of a beloved, well-traveled bear. Wilson brings Alfonso with her everywhere. Once, the stuffed bear even had his own front-row seat at a performance in London"s West End, an area famous for its theater scene.

There was no way he would miss this trip.

Wilson, 18, was among the nearly 350,000 passengers who were expected to fly in and out of Will Rogers World Airport from Nov. 15 through Jan. 7. Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration expected to screen more than 100 million travelers during that time period.

Last week, "Frosty the Snowman" and other holiday music played overhead at the airport as travelers with rolling suitcases, duffel bags and backpacks waited to board their flights. Many, like Wilson, were headed to visit family.

Wilson was looking forward to her family"s holiday traditions, like a lobster dinner together on Christmas Eve and the trail of golden chocolate coins that Santa Claus leaves at their house every year.

"This is my first time going home since July, so I"m really excited," she said.

AAA predicts that more than 103 million Americans, which would be the most on record, will travel for the year-end holidays between Friday and Jan. 2. That would be a 1.5 percent increase compared to last year.

An estimated 911,300 Oklahomans will travel during that 11-day holiday period, which represents an increase of just under 1 percent from 2015, according to AAA, and about 91 percent will travel by car, pickup or RV.

Transportation officials offered tips to help people navigate the busy holiday travel season.

Karen Carney, an airport spokeswoman, urged people who are flying to make sure they allow enough time. Officials recommended people flying from Will Rogers World Airport arrive at least an hour and a half before their flight.

The airlines have cutoff times for checking in to get a boarding pass as well as checking bags, so travelers should check with their airline to find out what the airline"s cutoff time is, Carney said.

"If you don"t, you certainly risk not getting a boarding pass or not having your bag fly with you," she said.

Ice or snow in other cities can affect travel in Oklahoma City, so people should check their flight before coming to the airport.

Carney also encouraged people to allow enough time for parking.

"That"s one of the biggest things people don"t really factor in when they"re coming out here," Carney said. "The airport has a lot of parking options, and we anticipate that they"ll be full. We have extra parking staff that will be working and making sure that everybody is accommodated."

Some facilities, like the parking garage, fill up faster than others, Carney said.

Being prepared for the security checkpoint is another way travelers can ensure they will have a smoother screening process and travel experience. Security officials collect about 80 pounds of prohibited items per month in Oklahoma City, said TSA Oklahoma Federal Security Director Steve Crawford.

Passengers who have questions about what items they are allowed to carry with them can visit TSA.gov and use an app to search whether certain items are allowed. Twitter also is a great way to contact TSA, officials said. People can tweet their questions to @AskTSA.

Officials encouraged people who are carrying on presents to leave the gifts unwrapped because if gift items need secondary screening, officials will have to unwrap them.

Those who are picking up family or friends from the airport can use one of three "cellphone waiting areas" until their friends or family are at the curb ready to be picked up.

Travelers who need special assistance can contact the TSA Cares program at (855) 787-2227.

Source: http://newsok.com/tis-the-season/article/5531599