If you’re planning to fly out of Austin for the Thanksgiving holiday this year, get ready to wait in long lines at the airport.
Officials at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport say they expect a “significantly busier than usual terminal experience” throughout the holiday travel period — Friday, Nov. 19 through Monday, Nov. 29.
Wait times are expected to be particularly long in the early morning hours, especially for passengers traveling before 9 a.m.
Passengers are encouraged to arrive at the airport at least three hours early for all flights, even if you have TSA PreCheck and Clear. Security checkpoints open at 3:30 a.m., with PreCheck available at Checkpoints 1 and 2.
In an effect to help ease traffic, airport officials say passengers can be dropped off at both the upper and lower curbsides. The lower level is usually reserved for arriving passengers only.
Parking options are expected to fill up quickly, so passengers should plan ahead. The blue and red garages have limited reservations online. You can reserve a space and check real-time parking availability here.
Passengers requiring wheelchair assistance are asked to contact their airline directly prior to arriving at AUS.
Airport officials also remind travelers face masks are still required inside AUS and other airports. The requirement is in place through Jan. 18, 2022.
Nationwide, TSA says it expects Thanksgiving travel to be on par with 2019, when a record 26 million passengers and crew passed through airport screening in the 11-day period around Thanksgiving.
Source: kxan.com