Palm Springs International Airport Expects Record Thanksgiving; Asks Travelers to Plan Ahead & Arrive Up to 2.5 Hours Early
Palm Springs, California – Officials at Palm Springs International Airport expect Thanksgiving passenger numbers to set new records this year. They’re asking travelers to arrive two and a half hours early to catch their flight if they need to check luggage and 90 minutes early with only a carry-on. The airport also encourages travelers to consider taking a taxi or Uber/Lyft to catch their flight. Palm Springs International Airport has been on a record-setting trend this year. Airport officials stated that this Thanksgiving will be even busier than last year with 20% more passengers expected to fly out of PSP.
“We’re planning for a very busy Thanksgiving weekend and tourist season,” said Harry Barret, Executive Director of Aviation. “We had our busiest holiday season ever in 2021, and this year we have more flights and available seats than last year, so we’re asking travelers to plan ahead and arrive early so they don’t miss their flight.”
PSP expects these trends to continue throughout the entire tourist season thanks to more flights and larger planes with more seats being added since last year. The Thanksgiving travel period, typically Wednesday through Sunday, is expected to have nearly 20% more passengers passing through PSP than in 2021. The airport is planning for more than 30,000 people to depart from PSP during this time, and the day before Thanksgiving will be the busiest with over 7,600 people flying out that day. Which is almost 24% more than the day before Thanksgiving last year.
“The airport will be busier than many locals have ever seen it,” said Barret. “We’ve expanded our overflow lot and added over 100 spaces to accommodate growing demand. However, we also ask travelers to consider taking alternate forms of transportation to the airport because we expect demand for parking to exceed the capacity of our lots.”
To help ease the stress of travel over Thanksgiving and during the Valley’s tourist season, PSP is offering some travel tips to make your trip more enjoyable. Before you leave for PSP:
- Follow the airport’s facebook and twitter to ensure easy access to information on parking and more. Their social handle is @flyPSP
- Know TSA’s 3-1-1 Rule: Each passenger may carry liquids, gels and aerosols in travel-size containers that are 3.4 ounces or less. Each passenger is limited to one quart-size bag of liquids, gels, and aerosols, in carry-on bags.
- Download your airline’s app and check-in before leaving for PSP. If you are not checking luggage, this will allow you to skip the ticket counter.
- Monitor the status of your flight before you head to PSP via your airline’s app.
- Check the drive time to PSP so you arrive in plenty of time.
- Check flyPSP.com to view parking and food & beverage options.
- Unsure about an item you’re packing? Visit TSA.gov to find out if you should carry it on, check it, or leave it at home.
When to arrive: PSP recommends arriving at least 2.5 HOURS prior to departure for passengers that need to check luggage, and 90 minutes prior to departure for those with only a carry-on. This will ensure that passengers have plenty of time to park, check luggage if needed, and pass through security. The busiest time of day will be between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM when more than 3,000 people are expected to pass through the security checkpoint. Wait times of up to 30 minutes are expected at the checkpoint during this time.
Parking Options: Palm Springs International Airport will offer two parking options over Thanksgiving. The main parking lot in front of the terminal at $20 per day and the overflow shuttle lot at $18 per day. The Airport’s overflow lot, located on Kirk Douglas Way, will be available only to travelers parking overnight and paying with a credit card.
The overflow lot will be available for parking starting at 8:30AM on Friday, November 18, and will remain open for parking until the last departure on Thanksgiving Day. Shuttle service to/from the terminal will operate from 4:30AM until 10:00PM through Thanksgiving Day. Starting Friday, November 24 shuttle service for returning travelers will operate from 8:30 AM until the last arrival each day through Tuesday, November 29. Signs will be placed along airport roadways directing travelers to the overflow lot. More information on parking, and a map of parking lots, can be found at flyPSP.com.
