Tips for Milwaukee Mitchell holiday travelers: Don’t bring wrapped gifts

Security officials at Milwaukee’s Mitchell International Airport offered advice for passengers navigating the busy holiday travel season this December.

Tim Goodman, Wisconsin assistant federal security director at the Transportation Security Administration, said Dec. 19 that the agency is prepared for high passenger volume at Milwaukee Mitchell in the next two weeks.

Goodman said the airport expects to process as many as 12,000 travelers during the busiest holiday travel days. These dates are projected to see the most traffic:

• Sunday, Dec. 21
• Monday, Dec. 22
• Tuesday, Dec. 23
• Sunday, Dec. 28
• Monday, Dec. 29
• Tuesday, Dec. 30

Here’s what to know about holiday travel at Milwaukee Mitchell this year:

Arrive early, especially for morning flights from Mitchell Airport

Goodman recommended travelers arrive no later than 90 minutes before their flight takes off, and longer if they’re boarding early morning flights.

Mornings are the busiest time of day for the airport, Goodman said.

“We are at capacity at the early morning hours,” he said. “We may see as many as 2,000 passengers going out before 7 a.m. on our busiest days.”

Don’t forget your Real ID when traveling through Mitchell

This is also the first winter holiday season after TSA began enforcing Real ID requirements for domestic flights. Starting on May 7, 2025, all domestic passengers must present a Real ID-compliant drivers license or other other acceptable forms of identification.

Earlier this month, TSA announced it will charge passengers $45 if they do not present a Real ID or other accepted identification starting Feb. 1, 2026.

In Wisconsin, Real ID-compliant drivers licenses are marked with a star in the upper right corner. More information about how to obtain a Real ID is available on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s website.

Goodman said 97% of Wisconsin passengers already have a Real ID. Those who don’t have proper identification will see longer waits and additional screening at security checkpoints.

A list of acceptable identification is available on TSA’s website.

Some holiday items may not get through security at Mitchell

Goodman said some common holiday items should not be put in carry-on bags since security officials struggle to open and inspect them.

Those items include snow globes and wrapped gifts. Goodman recommended any gifts instead be put in a gift bag.

Goodman also said passengers should completely empty bags before packing them for a flight. It’s common for travelers to forget to remove prohibited items in their bag, only to find themselves stopped at security checkpoints.

Forecast looks clear, but weather is always a ‘wild card’

Goodman said the current weather forecast shows no significant winter storm activity, but that could change closer to the holidays.

“We can plan for everything else,” Goodman said. “The weather is always the wild card.”

Goodman also said severe weather at popular hubs like Chicago and Minneapolis could impact flights at Milwaukee Mitchell.