Sacramento International Airport is bracing for a busy holiday travel week, with thousands of passengers expected to pass through daily.“It’s all hands on deck this week,” said Scott Johnston, a spokesperson for the airport on Monday. “It’s our Super Bowl.”Twenty-five thousand travelers are expected to journey in and out of SMF throughout the Thanksgiving travel period. Passengers are being encouraged to arrive early, stay up to date with their airlines’ communications and plan logistics ahead of time. “Get to the airport early. Don’t worry about sitting still,” said Kaleah Wright, who arrived at SMF on Monday. “Even the concession lines are long as well, so if you plan to eat in the airport, get here early. And if you plan to drive to the airport, get here early. If you plan to park at the airport, get here early. Just get here early.”Parking has been filling up in the daily lot, so anyone planning to park should expect to park in economy and take the shuttle over to the terminal.The rideshare pickup location in Terminal B has moved. It’s now located outside of Doors 1 and 2. There are also several new eateries open for travelers once they pass security. While there are several major construction projects underway at the airport – a new Terminal B parking garage and a new pedestrian walkway – construction is not expected to slow down any operations despite the increased numbers. Johnston reminded anyone picking up loved ones at the airport to please use the free waiting area instead of circling the terminal to help ease traffic. “It sometimes takes up to 30 minutes from when their plane lands until they have their bags and are ready to be picked up,” he said. “We would encourage you to wait there waiting for that text that says, ‘hey, I’ve got my bag, I’m ready.’ It’s a two-minute drive up here.”He said this holiday season, he feels proud of the strides the airport has made in recent months and looks forward to sharing that with travelers.“We’re really proud of this. We have a great reputation nationwide, really, as far as our ease of travel for our passengers,” he said. “We are definitely seeing growth due to the growth in the region, and we’re trying to grow along with the greater Sacramento region, which is why you see a lot of these different projects taking place.”The busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday last year, Johnston said, was the Monday following Thanksgiving. He expected that to remain true this year. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento International Airport is bracing for a busy holiday travel week, with thousands of passengers expected to pass through daily.
“It’s all hands on deck this week,” said Scott Johnston, a spokesperson for the airport on Monday. “It’s our Super Bowl.”
Twenty-five thousand travelers are expected to journey in and out of SMF throughout the Thanksgiving travel period.
Passengers are being encouraged to arrive early, stay up to date with their airlines’ communications and plan logistics ahead of time.
“Get to the airport early. Don’t worry about sitting still,” said Kaleah Wright, who arrived at SMF on Monday. “Even the concession lines are long as well, so if you plan to eat in the airport, get here early. And if you plan to drive to the airport, get here early. If you plan to park at the airport, get here early. Just get here early.”
Parking has been filling up in the daily lot, so anyone planning to park should expect to park in economy and take the shuttle over to the terminal.
The rideshare pickup location in Terminal B has moved. It’s now located outside of Doors 1 and 2.
There are also several new eateries open for travelers once they pass security.
While there are several major construction projects underway at the airport – a new Terminal B parking garage and a new pedestrian walkway – construction is not expected to slow down any operations despite the increased numbers.
Johnston reminded anyone picking up loved ones at the airport to please use the free waiting area instead of circling the terminal to help ease traffic.
“It sometimes takes up to 30 minutes from when their plane lands until they have their bags and are ready to be picked up,” he said. “We would encourage you to wait there waiting for that text that says, ‘hey, I’ve got my bag, I’m ready.’ It’s a two-minute drive up here.”
He said this holiday season, he feels proud of the strides the airport has made in recent months and looks forward to sharing that with travelers.
“We’re really proud of this. We have a great reputation nationwide, really, as far as our ease of travel for our passengers,” he said. “We are definitely seeing growth due to the growth in the region, and we’re trying to grow along with the greater Sacramento region, which is why you see a lot of these different projects taking place.”
The busiest travel day of the Thanksgiving holiday last year, Johnston said, was the Monday following Thanksgiving. He expected that to remain true this year.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel