AVOCA, Pa. — There were warm welcomes as family members landed at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport on Tuesday. Some were even greeted with balloons.
Families reuniting after a year apart means more travelers in the air.
Timothy Spears will enjoy his turkey dinner in warmer weather. He's on his way to spend Thanksgiving with family in San Diego, California.
"It's true; everybody's traveling now. Because I tried to get a flight back, and it's like outrageous prices," Spears said.
It's a different story compared to 2020.
"No, there was hardly anybody, and tickets were super cheap," Abby McCrea said. "It was great."
Like a lot of people last year, Steve and Diane Engelhardt stayed home in Elysburg for the holidays. This year, they're venturing out to the Midwest.
"On Thursday, we'll be with our three kids who are now in their 40s in Chicago," Steve Engelhardt said. "First time our family's been together on Thanksgiving in 20 years."
The TSA expects the airports to be busier than last year but not as busy as they were pre-pandemic.
With about 93 percent of TSA employees making the federal deadline to get vaccinated, long lines and delays shouldn't be any more of a problem than usual.
Travelers we talked to aren't worried.
"I'm only worried about my plane getting delayed. I don't care about crowds," McCrea said. "I bought my ticket over a month ago, and then they were having all of the delays and cancellations, so just hoping that doesn't happen today."
If you're expected to bring some food for the Thanksgiving table, the TSA reminds people what they can bring on the plane.
Any solid foods are OK—pies, baked goods, etc.
But gravy, cranberry sauce, anything that can be sprayed, spread, pumped, or poured needs to go in a checked bag.