CLEVELAND, Ohio — TSA is projecting more than 68,000 passengers at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport between Thursday Dec. 21 and Tuesday Dec. 26. The agency says travel is up 6% this year compared to last.
"I had to work up until my flight," Gustavo Medina sais, "so I've been awake for a little over 24 hours now."
Medina traveled to Cleveland from Texas, where he is stationed as a surgical technician with the Air Force. He says he's thankful to be able to spend Christmas in Northeast Ohio with his family.
"All my buddies are stuck working: some people are working Christmas," he added. "And I'm over here in an airport going to see my family and I get to be with them for the holidays, which not many people get. So I'm incredibly grateful."
His brother Benjamin is thankful, as well.
"I'm so happy," he said of seeing Gustavo. "I miss this guy so much. It's great."
Hailey Bernot, from Mentor, ended a long travel day Thursday evening.
"I came from Zurich [in Switzerland], so it was alright there," she detailed. "And then when I got here, I went through TSA precheck and it was fine."
She was reunited with her family after studying abroad in Italy.
"Best three to four months of my life," she said. "I'm sad to be home, honestly, but I'm happy because it's Christmas."
As for advice for travelers? Arrive early and expect high volume.
"If you are flying on those first flights of the day — the 5-7 a.m. flights — those are busy everyday," TSA regional spokesperson Jessica Mayle told 3News. "So we want to make sure that those people are definitely giving themselves enough time."
Mayle adds you should make sure your gifts are unwrapped until you arrive at your destination so they can be inspected, if necessary.
"We are back to that pre-pandemic experience," she said, "and make sure that you are ready for that when you get to the airport."