Charlotte airport parking congested before Thanksgiving

Wednesday morning update: The day before Thanksgiving, parking at Charlotte Douglas International Airport was congested and travelers should expect delays. One long-term lot was listed as closed. Visit the airport’s website for live updates.

Original story:

Thousands more passengers will travel through Charlotte Douglas International Airport during the Thanksgiving holiday.

Nationwide, about a 7 percent increase in passenger traffic is projected across all airports. That will make it even busier at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which typically processes 21,000 to 23,000 local passengers and another 100,000 connecting passengers, according to deputy aviation director Jack Christine.

The busiest days are expected to be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday and Monday after.

Nationwide, 25 million passengers are expected to travel through all of the federal airports, said Kevin Frederick, Charlotte’s federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration.

Here’s how to survive traveling through the holidays:

Check your flight status

For the latest information about your flight, stay up-to-date with airlines information about potential delays or changes in flight status online. Also follow the Charlotte Douglas International Airport social media on Twitter @CLTAirport. Passengers on American Airlines flights can download its mobile app, which allows for flight check-in 24 hours prior to departure, and track baggage from check-in to arrival and locate connecting gate information. American’s second largest hub is at Charlotte. American Airlines operates more than 90 percent of the flights out of Charlotte Douglas.

Arrive early

American Airlines advises passengers to arrive an hour and a half prior to departure for domestic flights and two hours early for international flights. That gives passengers time to park, go through security and get to their gate. For updated parking information visit the Charlotte Douglas website. There, officials post current parking on an A, B, C grading system. A C grade means parking is congested and travelers should expect delays. Once long-term parking lots fill up, travelers can use an $8 a day daily lots, $10 a day daily deck or $14-a-day business valet parking with shuttles to and from that deck. “It is a very good option especially for families who are traveling that need that extra little bit of assistance trying to get bags on buses,” Christine said.

Private parking options include The Parking Spot on Wilkinson Boulevard at $5 a day and Park N’ Go lot on Scott Futrell Drive, with similar prices.

Local passengers can use ridesharing services Uber or Lyft to travel to the airport or the CATS Sprinter bus which goes from uptown to the airport.

Leave guns, banned items at home

Do not include banned items in your luggage. To see a list of prohibited items for flights, visit the TSA website. Inspect your luggage carefully when packing, especially if you have not flown recently or are borrowing luggage to ensure no banned items are included, officials said. Guns especially should be left at home. Last year passengers brought 68 firearms to security checkpoints at the airport. This year, passengers hit that number of guns on Wednesday, Frederick said. “Never, under any circumstances, ever try to bring a firearm through one of our security checkpoints,” he said.

Pack patience

It is going to be busy inside the terminal once travelers get through security, Christine cautioned. In addition to a lot of passengers, Concourses A and B are undergoing renovations that include open ceilings and bare concrete floors in some areas. Concourse B construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year. “We will have additional staff on hand to make sure that the pathways are clear and that we can get you onto your aircraft as quickly as we possibly can,” Christine said.

Relax at new restaurants

Charlotte’s airport has free WiFi and several new restaurants and retail have opened recently. NoDa Brewing Company is open in Concourse A, Olde Mecklenburg Brewery in Concourse E, Dylan’s Candy Bar in the atrium and and Chalice Cafe in Concourse C. An 11th Starbucks opened in Concourse A.

This story was originally published November 14, 2018 at 5:52 PM.