Tips for easy holiday traveling

Given heightened security measures by Transportation Security Administration corps in airports across the nation, here are some tips to help you maneuver more easily this holiday season.

• Use the free park-and-wait lots south of the main parking garage at Salt Lake International Airport, as waiting curbside for more than a few minutes no longer is permitted.
• Parking in the airport's other lots, the parking garage and outside areas, is free of charge for the first 30 minutes.
• Arrive 90 minutes early during holiday season peak days — today and Wednesday and this Saturday and Sunday for Thanksgiving — because of the heavy crowds expected, and also during inclement weather this winter.
• Don't bring tightly wrapped gifts. Either ship them, wait to wrap them after reaching your destination, or wrap the lid separately from the box so federal security officers can easily look inside.
• Always bring government-issued identification, such as a passport or driver's license.
• Avoid placing metal items in your pockets, such as car keys.
• And remember that weapons, explosives and other incendiary devices — even if brought into the airport accidentally — can result in criminal or civil prosecution.