Thanksgiving-like lines expected at Houston airports after Super Bowl

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Houston's airports are expecting Thanksgiving-like crowds as thousands of Super Bowl attendees head back home.

The Houston Airport System says about 110,000 people will leave Bush Airport today, with about half of those leaving by noon.

Officials say you should not check your bag if you have a Super Bowl program. Instead, they are saying to put it in your carry-on bag.

The problem is there is a hologram inside that can cause a huge backup behind the scenes, setting off an alarm that will require your checked baggage to be opened and checked by hand.

About 35 TSA lanes will be open at Bush Airport today, while Hobby is expecting to open 10 lanes.

With tens of thousands of travelers coming through Houston's airports, it's going to take some time to get everyone through.

Because there are so many people planning to fly, airport officials are emphasizing a 5-4-3-2-1 approach.

What does that mean? First, you should check out of your hotel rooms five hours before your flight is scheduled to depart, and if you have a rental car, return it four hours before your departure.

Get to the ticket counter three hours before your flight so you can get through TSA two hours before your flight. You should arrive to your gate one hour before your flight if you follow this advice.