Early departure passengers saw winding lines, some delays and cancelations.

Early departure passengers saw winding lines, some delays and cancelations.

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Early departure passengers saw winding lines, some delays and cancelations.

If you're traveling by plane for the July 4th holiday weekend, it's best to give yourself extra time and a backup plan.

At Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport on Friday morning, passengers were greeted with winding lines before they even reached the entrance to the TSA security screening area.

Some passengers arrived more than two hours earlier to ensure they wouldn't be stranded. Others found themselves at the mercy of the lines knowing they would miss their flights.

Once passengers made it through the CVG security line, the airports recently launched TSA CT scan security screening devices greeted them allowing them to keep their electronics and liquids in their bags.

On the arrival and departure boards, passengers could keep up with the latest delays and cancelations. According to FlightAware, Thursday saw more than 5,000 flight delays and cancellations across the United States.

CVG spokesperson Mindy Kerschner told WLWT that it is important for passengers to have a backup plan before they leave for their respected airport. This includes downloading their airline's app and turning on push notifications, making not of their airline's booking number, keeping track of what other flights are available that day in case you need to quickly rebook, make yourself aware of other airlines' flights to your destination in case you need a back-up and allow for plenty of buffer room both for departures and connections.

Should someone need immediate help with making a connection, luggage or customer experience, Kershner said to consider tweeting at an airline.

"Contract them through social media," Kerschner said. "A lot of the airlines respond very quickly I've heard a story of someone who was trying to connect and they put out a tweet and I think the airline held the plane for them."

Kerschner said if you've noticed planes becoming more full with passengers, you're not alone. She said especially during busy summer travel months, plans are not sticking with the estimated pre-pandemic status-quo seating capacity, instead potentially booking at 90% or above.

"Pre pandemic it would be more like 80 percent full," Kerschner said. "If you know that information, like I was sharing, of knowing your airline rebooking options, you can act quickly to get into whatever seats are available on that next desirable flight."

Kerschner stressed the importance of acting as quickly as possible in order to rebook or find a new flight if possible. In some cases, it may be more efficient to use an airline app to rebook versus waiting in line to speak to someone at a ticket counter or waiting on the phone to speak with a representative.

Kerschner told WLWT she expected there to be another rush of CVG travelers arriving late Friday night and encouraged passengers to plan accordingly for longer wait times.

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