Officials at Palm Springs International Airport expect passenger counts for Christmas and New Year’s to set new records this year, and PSP is asking travelers to arrive two and a half hours prior to their scheduled departure time to check luggage and 90 minutes early with only a carry-on.
Airport officials stated that this holiday season is forecasted to be the busiest in the airport’s history, with 15% more passengers expected to fly out for the holidays. TSA-Checkpoint wait times are predicted to exceed 30 minutes during peak times, and the airport also encourages travelers to consider taking a taxi or Uber/Lyft to catch their flight as parking lots may reach capacity.
“We’re planning for a very busy holiday season this year,” said Harry Barret, Executive Director of Aviation. “We recently had our busiest Thanksgiving, and we’re expecting travel for Christmas and New Year’s to be record setting too. We’re asking travelers to plan ahead and arrive early so they don’t miss their flight.”
The Christmas travel period, Wednesday through Monday, is expected to have nearly 15% more passengers passing through PSP than in 2021. The airport is planning for more than 35,000 people to depart from PSP during this time, and Friday, December 23 is expected to be the busiest with over 8,000 passengers expected to fly out that day.
“The airport is going to be very busy this holiday season,” said Barret. “We’ve expanded parking by adding more than 100 spaces to accommodate growing demand, but we also ask travelers to consider taking alternate forms of transportation to the airport because demand for parking may exceed the capacity of our lots.”
To help ease the stress of travel during the busy holiday 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 3,500 people are expected to pass through the security checkpoint. Wait times at the checkpoint may exceed 30 minutes during this time.
Parking Options: Palm Springs International Airport will offer two parking options over the holidays. 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 4:15 AM on Monday, December 19, and will remain open for parking until the last departure on Christmas Day. Shuttle service to/from the terminal will operate from 4:15 AM until departure of the day each day through Christmas Day. Starting Monday, December 26 shuttle service for returning travelers will operate from 8:30AM until the last arrival each day through Monday, January 2. 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.
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ABOUT PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is owned and operated by the City of Palm Springs and is the only commercial service airport in the Coachella Valley. The airport’s 12 air carriers provide nonstop service to more than 30 airports in season, including 5 in Canada, and 13 airports year-round. US nonstop routes include Atlanta, Austin, Bellingham, Bend/Redmond, Boise, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas Love, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Des Moines, Eugene, Everett, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York City-JFK, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Seattle. Canadian nonstop routes include Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Vancouver, and Winnipeg. PSP is served by Air Canada, Alaska, Allegiant, Avelo, American, Delta, Flair, JetBlue, Southwest, Sun Country, United, and WestJet. Some airlines and routes operate only on a seasonal basis.
For additional information, please refer to flyPSP.com or get social with PSP on Facebook (www.facebook.com/flyPSP), Twitter (@flyPSP), or Instagram (@flyPSP) to stay informed about the airport and the airlines that serve the Coachella Valley
