SMF Sacramento Airport Offers Tips, Advise For Thanksgiving Travel

November 22, 2016 | 

On this, the reputed busiest air travel week in the United States, Sacramento International Airport is offering advise and travel tips to help make travelers experiences as stress-free as possible.

Whether flying out of town or visiting the airport to pick up loved ones, customers are encouraged to arrive early, anticipate delays, and be prepared with information. 

As an added benefit of arriving early, entertainers will perform on Wednesday, Nov. 23 and Sunday, Nov. 27 in the baggage claim areas of designated terminals. A complete schedule is available here.

Passenger traffic is up 5 percent over 2015, and the airport expects to serve at least 40,000 more passengers this month than November of last year. Here are some tips to ease the way:

• Airport parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so know your options. The Economy Lot ($10/day) will fill and close before Thanksgiving. The Daily Lot ($12/day) is minutes from both terminals by walking or taking a shuttle. It may fill and close on Thanksgiving. Covered parking for both terminals is available at the garage for $17/day and will be the most hassle-free parking option for Thanksgiving drivers.
• Prefer to have someone else do the driving?  Your choice includes onsite taxicabs; on-demand services Uber, Lyft, and Wingz; SuperShuttle; private vans and limousine services, and Yolobus public transportation.
• Save on stress by arriving two hours in advance of domestic flights. 
• Sacramento International Airport now has a TSA Pre Check enrollment office on the ground level of Terminal B.  Drop by during your visit and you may be able to experience the benefits of Pre Check by Christmas.
• Check the TSA website to see current regulations for carry-on items.

PICKING UP FRIENDS & FAMILY

• Parking at the curb is strictly prohibited unless you are actively picking up or dropping off passengers. Avoid circling the terminal by using the free waiting area, also known as the cell phone lot. Located at Crossfield and Lindberg streets, visitors can park for free until their passenger calls to say are ready to be picked up.  It’s a two-minute drive to either terminal.
• The doors at Terminal B are numbered and designated by airline name.  Tell your passenger to pick a numbered door to wait by. Tip: Traffic is most heavy by doors 1 and 2. Use doors 3 or 4 to bypass traffic.
• The fastest way to pay for parking to use a credit card. Only one exit lane per lot is staffed to handle cash transactions.
• Follow the airport’s Facebook page and Twitter page for travel tips.
• The Thanksgiving travel rush lasts from Nov. 18-Nov. 27.

The Sacramento County Department of Airports is responsible for planning, developing, operating and maintaining the county’s four airports: Sacramento International Airport, Executive Airport, Mather Airport and Franklin Field. The regional economic impact of the airport system is more than $4 billion annually. For more information, visit the Sacramento International Airport website.