The holiday season can be an exciting but also stressful, especially for those who are flying to visit family and friends.
The Edmonton International Airport (EIA) will be a busy place for the next few weeks, with as a many as 30,000 people expected to go through the airport in one day.
READ MORE: The day before Christmas Eve means the busiest day of the year at EIA
There are certain things travellers can do to make the experience more relaxing. The first thing is arriving early at the airport.
“One of the warnings that we have to say is flights are so full at this time of the year, so if something unexpected happens and you miss your flight, you’re late for your flight, it’s really difficult to re-book,” EIA spokesperson Traci Bednard said.
“There are lots of things you can do from home to give you some peace once you get here.”
That includes checking in and paying for parking online.
“We always encourage customers to book online and in advance,” EIA Parking and Ground Transportation director Brett Bain said.
“Travel is always a stressful time for folks, so anything that you can do to de-stress that process and make it that much simpler in that way makes it easier for customers.”
WATCH BELOW: The Edmonton International Airport’s parking and ground transportation director gives some parking tips at the airport to make travel less stressful.
READ MORE: The 5 best things to do while stuck at Edmonton airport this holiday season
To make the experience quicker and less stressful, it’s also important to understand what you can and can’t bring onto to a flight.
The EIA continues to confiscate various items that aren’t allowed on flights, including weapons such as knives and throwing stars.
Items like wrapped gifts and liquids, gels and aerosols that are over 100 ml are not allowed through security. Even food like Nutella and hummus is banned
“Anything bigger, anything that’s gelly, a liquid, a beverage or food that’s not solid is considered gel and falls under these restrictions,” Canadian Air Transport Security Authority Mathieu Larocque said.
“There are exceptions for kids under the age of two and medications.”
WATCH BELOW: The Edmonton International Airport will be a busy place during the holidays. Kendra Slugoski was at the EIA Wednesday morning to get some tips on how to make the experience easier for travellers.
READ MORE: Edmonton airport welcomes therapy dogs to calm travellers
The EIA has added a screen at security that gives travellers an estimated wait time in line.
“One of the things that helps people, just in terms of their psychology, is to understand how long that wait time is going to be,” Bednard said. “So by having that screen time up and talking and showing exactly how much time it will be, there’s some certainty at least and peace of mind as well.”
Bednard said additional staff will be working during peak hours during the holiday season to manage with the increase in travellers.
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