South Florida Airports Expect Busy Thanksgiving Travel Period
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - If you're planning on flying somewhere to be with family or friends for the Thanksgiving holiday, you're going to have lots of company.
Miami International Airport (MIA) officials say they more than 914,000 travelers to pass through their terminals during the eight-day Thanksgiving travel week which began Monday, November 24th and runs to Monday, December 1st. That's a about a one percent increase over the same travel period in 2013.
The busiest days are expected to be the Saturday, Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving, with more than 127,000 passengers anticipated on each of those days. Weekend and weekday passenger totals at MIA are typically 113,000 and 105,000, respectively.
If you're planning to catch a flight out of MIA, airport officials say you should plan to arrive early. Departing passengers should arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and two and a half hours before an international flight to allow sufficient time for parking, airline check-in and screening at the security checkpoint.
On Tuesday, November 25th, the airport launched a new free mobile app – MIA Airport Official. Tap dancing employees reminded travelers to "tap the app."
"It gives our travelers the opportunity to find the status of their flights, where they might find something to eat, where they can park their cars, where they can shop," said Director of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department Emilio Gonzalez.
CLICK HERE To Watch Ted Scouten's Report
Parking is available in the Dolphin and Flamingo garages. It's $2 for every 20 minutes up to two hours and 40 minutes with a maximum daily rate is of $17. Click Here for self-parking options and ticket counter locations.
Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is expecting than half a million travelers to pass through its terminals over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Airport officials said they expect approximately 72,000 passengers a day during the seven-day travel period which begins Tuesday, November 25th, and runs through Monday, December 1st.
The busiest travel days will be Wednesday, November 26th, and Sunday, November 30th.
The airport has a number of parking options. Workers will be directing drivers away from full garages to others with plenty of parking.
"One of the parking garages was full so we had to be re-driected to another garage, but it was fairly simple," said traveler Thea Wolfson.
Travelers can choose to Valet ($21/day), park in the garages ($15/day), or do airport economy parking ($7.50/day). Airport Economy Parking is located west of the airport with 3,750 available spaces. Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes to bring passengers to and from the terminals.
For those who decide to park at one of the airport's garages, they can use SunPass Plus to pay. Just use a SunPass Plus lane to enter and exit for the account to be charged. With SunPass Plus entry, no ticket is required.
For travelers who haven't been to FLL in a while, the entrance is very different.
"We have a tunnel system on US-1 in place that wasn't in place last Thanksgiving. So if you're not familiar with approaching the airport, we encourage you to give yourself that extra time," said FLL spokesman Greg Meyer.
Airport officials urge those planning on picking up arriving family and friends to use the cell phone waiting area under the main entrance roadway. As you enter the airport from the main roadway, just stay to the left and follow the signs.
Passengers on domestic flights are advised to arrive two hours; three hours early for international flights.
Remember the Transportation Security Administration 3-1-1 liquid rules for carry-on's = 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume); 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring.
Just follow the wise words of traveler Pat Von Alden, "Get to the airport early, plan ahead and plan for delays, because there possibly could be."
To track your flights follow the links for MIA or FLL.
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