When Aric Roper and Katalina Sanchez got to Denver International Airport on Friday afternoon, they were ready to see long lines. Instead, they had plenty of time — enough to stop and talk with Denver7 about holiday travel.
“We thought it was gonna be crazy,” laughed Sanchez.
“It was actually pretty smooth,” said Roper.
But their trip almost didn’t happen due to fears over cancellations during the U.S. government shutdown.
“He said we might have to cancel our trip,” said Sanchez.
“It was a lot to think about,” added Roper.
According to Cirium Aviation Analytics, Thanksgiving travel bookings are down about 3 percent nationwide this year.
“The rate at which more people are traveling is starting to slow down, and that could be in part due to the government shutdown and people deciding that they maybe didn't want to fly, and are looking at alternate forms of transport. That could be driving as well as taking trains,” said Going.com travel expert Katy Nastro.
Data shows airlines are back to full capacity, with solid schedules for Thanksgiving travel.
AAA predicts more than 81 million people will take to the skies and the roads to celebrate with loved ones this Thanksgiving.
Denver International Airport anticipates more than 845,000 passengers will travel through security checkpoints between Friday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Dec. 1.
DIA estimates its busiest days during this travel period will be Nov. 25, Nov. 29 and Nov. 30, with more than 271,000 total passengers expected to move through security screening on those three days.
“As an airport, we try to make sure we have plenty of personnel throughout the main terminal, throughout all the concourses, that way passengers have the information that they need,” said DIA spokesperson Keylen Villagrana.
But this doesn't mean you should push your luck.
You could still see longer wait times during peak hours at DIA — that’s between 3-4:30 a.m., 8-10 a.m., and 3-5 p.m.
“We're one of the biggest airports in the US in the world. So if you're not used to traveling, then it can be a bit overwhelming, especially as we're, you know, getting our airport ready for the future,” said Villagrana.
Here are some helpful tips from DIA:
- All security checkpoints are located on the north end of Level 6 (opposite end from the Hotel and Transit Center).
- The South Security Checkpoint is no longer operational.
- The walkway/bridge to Concourse A is open for both arriving and departing passengers.
- Check with your airline to confirm your flight status at FlyDenver.com/arrivals and check-in online if possible.
- Check real-time parking availability at www.FlyDenver.com/parking_transit/parking.
- Check real-time TSA security wait times at FlyDenver.com/security.
Additionally, if you want to skip TSA lines, you can make a free advance reservation to fast-track airport security through DEN Reserve.
