New Orleans-- The second wave of the holiday rush won't hit until Sunday, and at Armstrong International Airport, there was little evidence of a national security threat.
"I travel a lot and this was actually one of the smoothest traveling days I've ever had," said one arriving passenger from Atlanta.
However, others said they noticed a stepped up security effort. Michael Bridges of Philadelphia described it as "tighter than usual."
The Department of Homeland Security promised tighter security following a Nigerian nation's alleged attempt to blow up Delta Northwest Flight 253 outside Detroit on Christmas Day.
The suspect, 23-year-old Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was formally before a judge in a Detroit hospital.
The Associated Press reported some airlines were telling passengers the government was imposing tighter rules while inflight, including a requirement passengers stay in their seats during the last hour of a flight.
Many passengers arriving at Armstrong late in the afternoon said they had experienced no such restrictions during their flights.
The extra security seemed to vary from airport to airport, and even airline to airline.
Diane Glaude of New Orleans was waiting on family members to arrive from Oakland, where they nearly missed their flight due to extra security.
"It was very stressful," said Glaude. "The line was long and they had to wait."
The new restrictions might prevent passengers from having access to carry-on luggage while in flight or from having anything on their laps, including laptop commuters, according to the AP report.
The Transportation Security Administration has yet to issue any formal announcement about possible restictions in flight.
