Thanksgiving '17: Your Survival Guide To Austin Airport Travel

AUSTIN, TX — You're already painfully and acutely aware of this fact: Holiday travel can be stressful. To help ease the tension, Austin airport officials have issued what can only be viewed as a survival guide to prepare for the imminent Thanksgiving travel madness.

In normal travel times, the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is a bustling place. As Thanksgiving approaches and people fly to visit loved ones, that activity grows exponentially as it does at airports everywhere.

To help preserve your sanity amid the chaos, ABIA officials offered a number of airport-travel-related advisories for your holiday travel planning purposes. More nonstop flights combined with the peak Thanksgiving holiday travel period from Nov. 16-27 are expected to increase passenger traffic at ABIA, officials noted. Passengers are advised to be in the terminals two hours before departure.

To check flight status for the various carriers flying in and out of ABIA, click here. Airport parking updates also are available 24/7 by calling 512-530-3300. More information is available at www.abiaparking.com.

Allegiant, Sun Country, ViaAir passengers go to South Terminal

Passengers on Allegiant, Sun Country and ViaAir can go to and park at the South Terminal using a different airport entrance, on the south boundary of the airport off Burleson Road. For more information, click here.

New at ABIA this Thanksgiving

New nonstop destinations from Austin at Thanksgiving this year include:

• Ontario, Calif. (ONT): Frontier
• Pittsburgh (PIT): Allegiant
• Raleigh-Durham (RDU): Delta
• Tampa/St. Pete (PIE): Allegiant
• Cleveland (CLE): Allegiant
• Indianapolis (IND): Allegiant
• Kansas City (MCI): Southwest
• Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP): Sun Country

Passengers are encouraged to check out the interactive flight guide from ABIA at http://aus.fltmaps.com/en and view the new air service from Austin at http://www.austintexas.gov/department/nonstop-flights-out-abia.

There also are new nonstop international flights from ABIA, including London Gatwick, United Kingdom (LGW) on Norwegian Air, www.norwegian.com/us, Guadalajara, Mexico (GDL) on Volaris, www.volaris.com, and Mexico City, Mexico (MEX) on AeroMexico, www.aeromexico.com. New for SXSW 2018: Delta to Amsterdam (AMS), www.delta.com, and SAS to Stockholm (ARN) www.flysas.com/en/us/. Find all nonstop routes with the free interactive flight guide on www.abia.org.

Military eat free – be in uniform or show I.D.

In appreciation of those serving in the United States military, airport concessionaires, Delaware North Companies (DNC) and Paradies Lagardère, will offer free meals to military personnel.

DNC will offer a free meal to all uniformed military personnel (one entrée and a large fountain drink) from Nov. 20-26 at these airport restaurants: Earl Campbell’s Sports Bar, Schlotzsky’s Deli, Maudie’s TexMex, The Salt Lick BBQ, and Saxon Pub.

From Nov. 23-25, Paradies Lagardère will offer one free non-alcohol beverage and one menu item to active and retired military service men and women who show their military identification at the airport’s ThunderCloud Subs, Second Bar + Kitchen and Ruta Maya locations.

East Food Court closed for renovation

The East Food Court will be closed for renovation during the Thanksgiving holiday period. This includes former venues Wok & Roll, Hoover’s, Hill’s Café and Nuevo Leon. This construction, near gates 7-8, will introduce new food and retail concepts/opportunities in the East Food Court such as Berry Austin Frozen Yogurt, Juiceland, The Peached Tortilla and Departure Lounge. Auntie Anne’s will remain open during the first phase of renovations before converting to MAD Greens. Grab & Go kiosks will temporarily operate in the area during the food court renovation.

New Restaurants and Services

• Bark & Zoom – Bark & Zoom (www.barkandzoom.com) is a state of the art pet hotel which also includes covered airport parking. Located at: 2601 Cardinal Loop, Del Valle, TX 78617.
• Hyatt Place – The newest hotel on the Austin airport campus, the Hyatt is located at 9532 Spirit of Austin Lane.
• Knot Anymore – Now offering hand and nail treatment and table massage in addition to chair massage, Knot Anymore is located inside the terminal near gates 7 and 13.
• Second Bar + Kitchen – Newly opened at ABIA, Second Bar + Kitchen is an upscale dining experience that combines seasonal ingredients with local artisan products. Located between gate 6 and 7.
• IVINI – This new Italian restaurant, market and wine bar is found between Gates 21 and 25.

Monitor security line speeds online

Security line speeds at the Barbara Jordan Terminal can be checked online at www.abia.org. Click on “Travel Tips,” or directly at http://aus.tsa.iinside.com. All gates are accessible via any checkpoint. Barbara Jordan Terminal check point locations are:

• Checkpoint 1 is on the east end of ticketing, past Delta ticketing and enters the concourse at Gate 6.
• Checkpoint 2 is located in the center of the terminal, across from American Airlines’ ticketing and enters the concourse at Gate 11.
• Checkpoint 3 is on the west end of ticketing, past JetBlue ticketing and enters the concourse at Gate 14.

Travel Tips

• Check real-time flight status before arriving at the airport on www.abia.org or with your airline.
• On-Airport Parking will stay fluid during the holiday. Call ahead for real-time, 24/7 updates at 512-530-3300. For lots and rates click here.
• Need a lift? Ground transportation options, including Transportation Network Companies, to and from the airport are available. Click hereto view the various options.
• For airport information 24 hours a day, call 512-530-ABIA (2242) or visit www.abia.org .

Security Screening

Be prepared for security screening, staring with dressing and packing smart. Here are a few tips:

• While packing, check luggage to ensure no prohibited items are in the bag or its pockets. For a comprehensive list of banned and permitted items in carry-on baggage, visit the TSA's Web site at www.tsa.gov.
• TSA’s Pre-Check is available at Checkpoints 1 and 2 in the Barbara Jordan Terminal. To enroll, visit www.tsa.gov.
• Carry-on luggage is restricted to one bag and one personal item such as a laptop, purse or backpack.
• Coats, jackets, hats, other such outer garments and shoes must be put through x-ray screening.
• Remember 3-1-1 for liquids, gels and aerosols in carry-on luggage. Three ounces per container, in a clear, one-quart bag, one per passenger and place this in a bin for x-ray.
• Wrapped gifts may have to be opened during security inspections.

New passenger environmental programs

• With the "Good Traveler Carbon Offset" program, passengers now have the opportunity to help make air travel more sustainable by purchasing carbon offsets at an affordable price. For more information, click here.
• Pour it Out to improve recycling. Bottles containing liquids don’t get recycled. Passengers can easily pour out the liquids from bottles at the “Pour it Out” receptacle at checkpoint entries, making the bottles ideal for recycling. For more information click here.

For continual updates and airport information, connect with ABIA on Twitter, @AUStinAirport, Facebook, www.facebook.com/abia and on Instagram, @AUSairport.

So you see, with enough advance planning and armed with valuable information prior to traveling, you can get through this with ease while others scramble or wander aimlessly in their holiday daze. You'll do great!

We're here for you, and we'll get through this...together.

>>> Image via Shutterstock