Travel tips ahead of spring break

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Spring break 2025 has arrived, and tourists are flocking to Southwest Florida. At Southwest Florida International Airport, the influx of travelers is pushing the airport to its limits.

Travelers are advised to double-check their bags to prepare for busy security lines.

Items like knives, brass knuckles or cast iron pans should not be in carry-on luggage. Liquids, gels and aerosols over 3.4 fluid ounces also won’t make it past security.

“We’re looking at peaks of around 30,000, close to the record-breaking volume that we’ve seen of 32,000, so it’s very, very busy over spring break,” said Mark Howell, TSA regional spokesperson.

Lines can stretch as far as 150 meters, with more travelers continually joining.

Zachary Flemm, a traveler, described the scene, saying, “Like, 150 meters back. And it just kept adding more people, more people.”

The most common delays arise from oversized sunscreen and tourists collecting mementos from the beach.

“This area is all about tourism, and it’s about the sand that people collect as a memento or bags of shells,” said Robert McLaughlin, RSW federal security director.

TSA recommends packing sand and shells in checked luggage and arriving at the airport two hours early to avoid missing flights.

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