Spring is a busy travel season at America’s Friendliest Airport®, and with several of the Valley’s biggest attractions and sporting events in full swing as well as the upcoming Men’s College Basketball Championship, it’s important to stay travel ready.
One of the best ways to avoid congestion at the airport, if you’re picking up and dropping off, is to take advantage of the PHX Sky Train® stations. Both stations at 44th Street and 24th Street offer passenger pick-up and drop-off curbs with significantly less crowds than driving to the terminals.
When flying out of the airport, there are several ways you can add ease to your trip and reduce stress. First, always confirm your flight status with your airline before leaving for the airport and give yourself plenty of time. Delays and unplanned events happen, a safe rule to live by is arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. This will allow you and anyone you’re traveling with plenty of time to get through the entire airport process and board your flight on time.
It’s also critical that when flying, passengers check their bags for prohibited items before coming to the airport. If a prohibited item is found in luggage, it can slow done the security screening process for all travelers trying to get through the checkpoint.
Additionally, when going through security, passengers can utilize PHX RESERVE. This is a program that allows you to reserve your spot in the TSA security line before coming to the airport. Reservations can be made up to six days in advance of your trip and will give you a dedicated time and location to go through security, avoiding long security wait times.
Speaking of reservations, travelers can also reserve a parking spot in advance in the terminal garages, East Economy and the 24th Street Express Pay Parking areas. Making a parking reservation can be done at skyharbor.com/parking and ensures that there will be space available for you in one of the airport’s parking facilities.
With more than 130,000 passengers each day, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a busy place and not everyone is a frequent flyer and familiar with the airport layout and where to go. To help get travelers where they need to be and make their flight on time, look for Navigator volunteers dressed in purple. They offer friendly assistance, directions, and information.
Travelers headed to the airport after the Men’s College Basketball Championship should also keep in mind the Five, Four Three, Two, One rule. Leave your hotel five hours before your flight departs, return your rental car four hours before your flight departs, check-in at the ticket counter three hours before your flight departs, get in line at the TSA security checkpoint two hours before your flight departs, and finally be at your gate one hour before your flight departs.