BOISE, Idaho — The holiday season is one of the busiest travel times of the year at Boise Airport, and travelers should aim to arrive two hours before their flight.
The Boise Airport expects about 200,000 passengers between Dec. 18-30 this year. Airport officials say the Saturday after Christmas will likely be the busiest travel day, with more than 16,000 passengers heading home.
Neighborhood reporter Brady Caskey talked to travelers headed to Denver, Memphis, San Francisco, Spokane, New York, Atlanta, Florida, Palm Springs, Oklahoma, San Diego, and more destinations for the holidays.
WATCH | Hear from some of those travelers and get some tips from Brady
Steven Sterns is going international this holiday season, looking for a destination that feels more like winter — he's headed to Seoul, South Korea.
"It's not here, right, so I might as well go somewhere where maybe we'll get some snow," Sterns said.
He makes a point to spend the holidays with family — this year, he and his sister are spending the holidays together.
"Family is the most important thing in life, and if you don't have family, you have friends, and if you don't have friends— find someone to love," he said.
When asked if he’s ever worried about delays, Sterns kept an optimistic outlook on holiday travel.
"It's part of the adventure of it all, isn't it?" he said.
Jodie, from San Diego, shared a similar perspective.
"What good does it do to worry?" she said. "Why waste your time to get stressed? It's not fun to be stressed. Go talk to somebody! I meet the most interesting people in airports — like you."
As of last week, new technology was installed at BOI that allows CLEAR+ members with TSA PreCheck to move quickly through screening. The new e-gate matches a traveler’s facial image to their passport and boarding pass.
Another recent change that will help streamline your trip through security — passengers can keep their shoes on while going through TSA.
For travelers with hidden disabilities, Boise Airport offers sunflower lanyards to signal to staff that users may need a little extra support during the trip.
And with the REAL ID requirement now in effect, starting Feb. 1, TSA will charge a $45 fee if it has to verify a traveler’s identity. Passengers are urged to bring their passport or Idaho Star Card.
This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
