Flying out of CLT airport this July Fourth? Prepare to pack patience
Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials are encouraging travelers not to fly by the seat of their pants this holiday as it anticipates record-breaking crowds for the upcoming Fourth of July travel period.
Starting Thursday until July 5, the airport expects about 229,000 passengers to venture through Charlotte Douglas. This is a 13% increase from this time last year and “23% busier than 2019,” according to CLT officials. The airport also expects an additional 367,000 connecting passengers during this period.
Charlotte Douglas ranks as the seventh busiest airport worldwide for arrivals and departures, according to the Airports Council International 2022 preliminary rankings. The airport saw 35,931 screenings on June 19, ranking in the top 20 of TSA daily security screenings at checkpoints.
Jerome Woodward, chief operating officer of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, credits American Airlines for their “great job giving people options in terms of where to get to from Charlotte, so they’re pushing more activity throughout the airport.”
Other contributing factors include the post-pandemic travel era and “people’s confidence in the aviation system and the airlines has increased,” Woodward said.
“Parking will be – as always – in very high demand. So we’re always pushing people to book parking ahead of time,” Woodward said.
In terms of the ratio from pre-booking to drive-up spaces, Woodward says, “it’s about a 50/50 mix.”
People typically book parking about two or three days ahead of their actual travel. “So if you do so just a little within that window, you’ll have the best success,” he said.
On CLT’s website, travelers can view options for parking which include the express decks that connect the airport by shuttle, the hourly deck that is within walking distance of the airport, and curbside valet.
While the airport’s parking must be booked within “a minimum of 3 hours in advance,” CLT has real-time parking maps displaying where parking is available.
You can register for parking in advance via the airport’s parking website at cltairport.com.
Pack your patience
In order to enhance the travel experience, Woodward recommends you “plan ahead and arrive early.”
CLT Airport officials recommend you arrive two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
If you’re curious about how long you’ll have to wait in the TSA line, the CLT website is where travelers can check times and open checkpoints. But, along with TSA wait times, Woodward also encourages travelers to check roadway travel times.
In order to be in the know about more airport-specific information, follow their Twitter and Facebook social media accounts.
Other travel tips to know
According to Beth Walker, a security director at TSA, there are a few things you should remember before traveling.
Assaulting a TSA officer is a federal offense: federal law prohibits interference with a TSA Agent. This could include threatening, assaulting, intimidating, or interfering with airport screeners while they are performing screening duties.
Make sure you have an acceptable ID: All adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint. Among acceptable IDs are U.S. passports, U.S. passport cards, permanent resident cards, and driver’s licenses.
Leave your firearm at home: In 2022, Charlotte Douglas had 117 firearm discoveries. Carrying prohibited items may cause delays for not only you but other travelers. Having a prohibited item can lead to fines and sometimes even an arrest.
