BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The holiday buying season is upon us — the Christmas Rush, as it’s often called.
Time to carve out time to purchase presents. A sweater for Grandpa, a bathrobe for Grandma, a pair of sneakers for Uncle Billy to replace the ratty ones he bought along with his Members’ Only jacket during the Reagan Administration.
The desire and financial means to give is a blessing.
But when planning to transport those gifts and other items to family gatherings, know this: All travel is not the same.
Load the wrapped presents in the hatch of the SUV? No problem.
However, according to Colin Riccobon, director of public and government relations for Lehigh-Northampton Airport Authority, the Transportation Security Administration advises against wrapping gifts if traveling by plane.
“If for some reason gifts set off an alarm, they will be unwrapped to learn why the alarm went off,” Riccobon said.
“Better to put the gifts in a gift bag or box to make it easier for the TSA to look at the item. It’s easier for everyone if the contents of the gifts are easily accessible.”
What most commonly slows down a traveler at a TSA checkpoint is having a prohibited item in a carry-on bag. Passengers will spend more time in the security checkpoint if their carry-on items trigger an alarm.
Travelers are reminded about the importance of “Know Before You Go” — being familiar with the contents of their carry-on bags and ensuring that everything inside is permitted to be carried onto a flight.
When traveling by air with food gifts, a few tips from the TSA:
Solid food items — such as fruitcakes, candy canes, and chocolates — may be transported in a carry-on bag.
Liquids and spreadable foods, such as eggnog, wine, champagne, maple syrup and preserves, should be packed in checked bags.
Whether traveling with or without holiday presents, expect to encounter plenty of fellow travelers.
According to the AAA holiday forecast for the Mid-Atlantic Region (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York), an estimated 13 million folks will be traveling over the Christmas/New Year’s season — a 2.6% increase from 2022.
The breakdown:
- Vehicles, 11.7 million.
- Air travel, 901,000.
- Other (bus, train, ship, etc.), 396,000.
Nationwide, AAA expects 115 million — 104 million by vehicles — to travel over the holiday season. That number would mark the second-highest year-end travel figure since the auto club began tracking in 2000.
“We’ve been coming back slowly over the past few years, from people not traveling because of COVID,” said Sally McCorrison, director of travel services for AAA East Central in Allentown.
“Before COVID, we had strong domestic travel. This has been a strong travel year domestically. International travel also rebounded this year.”
Drivers are advised to drive slower and more cautiously during the holiday season.
“We will have a zero tolerance policy on driving under the influence and not wearing seatbelts."Nathan T. Branosky, public information officer, Pennsylvania State Police Troop M, Bethlehem.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper and Public Information Officer, Nathan T. Branosky reports that increased patrols will be in effect in the Lehigh Valley during Christmas and New Year’s.
The Christmas holiday enforcement period will run from Saturday, Dec. 23 at 12:01 a.m. to Monday, Dec. 25 at 11:59 p.m.
The New Year’s enforcement period will run from Saturday, Dec. 30 from 12:01 a.m. to Monday, Jan. 1 at 11:59 p.m.
“The State Police will have a heavy presence on the roads and highways,” Branosky said. “We will have a zero-tolerance policy on driving under the influence and not wearing seatbelts.
“This is the season families come together to celebrate the holiday or to see friends they haven’t seen for a long time. We’re asking people to do it responsibly, to slow down, to be patient on the road.”
During the weekend of Dec. 23-25 last year, Pennsylvania State Police, Troop M, Bethlehem, reported 37 crashes in Lehigh, Northampton and Bucks counties.
The crashes included one accident that resulted in a fatality, and four injuries. Two accidents were alcohol-related, including one fatality.
State Police also made 17 DUI arrests and 37 arrests for speeding. In total, 216 citations were issued for child seat and seat belt violations.
Throughout the Commonwealth, 661 vehicular crashes were investigated by State Police, including seven fatalities and 113 injuries.
Departures from the Lehigh Valley International Airport increased daily by 15-to-20% over recent months, Riccobon said.
The LVIA anticipates heavy air travel over Dec. 22-24, Riccobon said.
“There is available capacity for this holiday season,” he said. “Available seats are in the market. Now it comes down to people booking their flights.
“The difference between travel during Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year’s is this: The Thanksgiving holiday is compressed — Wednesday through Monday — while the Christmas travel season goes from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1.”
Airports nationwide are expected to be the busiest they’ve ever been over the Christmas and New Year’s travel period. AAA projects 7.5 million air travelers this holiday season, surpassing the record of 7.3 million passengers in 2019, the year before the coronavirus pandemic.
