MINNEAPOLIS — It's officially spring break season, and thousands of people are expected to fly in and out of Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport over the next week.
In fact, the airport expects March and early April to be the busiest travel season since 2019.
On Monday morning security lines at Terminal 2 ran the length of the skyway and beyond. While the backup might be anxiety-inducing for some travelers, MSP says early morning at Terminal 2 is the time when security gets the busiest. That's partly because Sun Country schedules a bunch of flights early in the morning.
If your spring break plans are still in place, keep these things in mind before heading to the airport or hitting the road:
If you're flying...
- You still need to wear a mask in the airport and on the plane. The TSA extended the federal mask requirement through at least April 18
- At MSP, security checkpoints are busiest in the morning. Give yourself plenty of time to check any bags, get through security and reach your gate
- Be patient! March 20 is expected to be the busiest spring break travel week
- Beware of travel hiccups. Airlines have struggled with staffing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and bad weather has potential to derail your plans. Be flexible.
- Refresh your memory on these important TSA travel rules
If you're driving...
- Expect to spend more at the pump. Gas prices are trending slightly downward locally and nationally, but are still way up year to year. In the metro, gas prices are up nearly 50 cents from last month and $1.21 from last year.
And if you're not traveling but are worried about keeping your kids busy during the break, childcare expert Laura Davis from College Nannies and Sitters says don't feel pressured to have a full schedule of plans.
Organizing scavenger hunts and science experiments or exploring new parts of your neighborhood can be great ways to connect as a family without going far from home.
More local news from KARE 11
Watch more on our YouTube playlist: