The Port Authority forecasts a record 3.2 million travelers will pass through the doors of JFK, LaGuardia, Newark and Stewart airports this Thanksgiving season.
That equals an average of about 400,000 people a day departing or arriving through the New York area’s already-crowded airports over the eight-day holiday period from Monday, Nov. 25, through Monday, Dec. 2. Officials say the crowds are likely to be thickest at JFK and Newark, the region’s busiest airports, and the overall number of travelers will put local air hubs on track for their busiest year ever.
The peak of the holiday crush will be the mass exodus of visitors from the area on Sunday, Dec. 1, as travelers head home after the holiday. About 100,000 more fliers are predicted for this Thanksgiving period than last year’s, an increase of about 3%.
To avoid potential snafus, the Port Authority recommends travelers arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international departures.
“NYC airports can get quite chaotic during the holiday crush,” said Jason Rabinowitz, an airline analyst who lives in Brooklyn. While he got out of town ahead of the holiday rush, he shared several tips for those who can’t beat the crowds.
“Self-service is the name of the game,” Rabinowitz said. In short: Check in for your flight before you leave for the airport, use airlines’ express bag-drop services for quick stops at the ticket counter and plan ahead for food you’ll need while traveling.
The free apps every airline has also shouldn’t be overlooked. Travelers can download them and use them to check in and receive their boarding passes, check the status of their flights and make changes to their trips.
Here’s what else you need to know to navigate local airports during an already-stressful time of year that’s looking to be even busier than usual, based on official travel forecasts.
Take transit or try new ride-hail options to get to the airport
Holiday journeys start with the trip to the airport, and for New Yorkers, that often means sitting in traffic on the Grand Central Parkway or overlooking the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
“People should be utilizing any mode of public transport they can, or have that Uber — if they’re flying out of JFK — [drop them] at the AirTrain and completely bypass trying to get to a terminal [directly by car],” said Katy Nastro, a Long Island-based spokesperson for the Going travel app, which helps users get deals on flights.
Port Authority-owned AirTrains connect JFK and Newark airports to the region’s rail network, and MTA buses link LaGuardia to Manhattan and Queens.
Those who choose to begin their holiday journeys with a ride-hailing service can try the new UberX Share option to Newark. The service can save travelers up to 25% off a typical UberX fare by sharing their ride with just one other passenger, according to the company. And to get to LaGuardia, there is the Uber Shuttle van service between the airport and either Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station or the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown.
Bypassing the curbside at one of JFK’s terminals, as Nastro suggested, might not be a bad move this holiday season given ongoing work at the Queens airport. Construction of a $19 billion upgrade to JFK, including a new Terminal 1 and Terminal 6, has resulted in numerous detours and delays for travelers on airport roadways.
As an added bonus, travelers who catch the JFK AirTrain at the Lefferts Boulevard station skip the $8.50 one-way fare they pay when transferring to the AirTrain from the subway or Long Island Rail Road. But Port Authority officials said they have no plans to discount AirTrain fares to JFK during the holidays as they did over the summer.
For intrepid travelers with little luggage, Citi Bike has several docks located a short walk from both Terminals B and C at LaGuardia.
The Port Authority recommends that anyone driving their own vehicle to the airport this holiday season reserve parking ahead of time to guarantee a spot.
Gravy and cranberry sauce go in your checked bag
The Transportation Security Administration’s advice to holiday travelers is clear: Pack the viscous Thanksgiving dinner trimmings, like gravy and cranberry sauce, in your checked bag if they weigh more than 3.4 ounces.
The TSA is preparing for a roughly 6% jump in holiday travelers nationally, to an estimated 18.3 million people screened from Nov. 26 through Dec 2.
“This holiday season is expected to be one of the busiest travel periods on record,” U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. He recommended people use trusted traveler programs, like TSA PreCheck, and follow the agency’s punch list of tips for a smooth trip through airport security.
PreCheck costs a one-time fee of up to $85 and is good for five years, though enrollment requires both an application and an in-person interview with TSA agents.
“It really is the most cost-effective way to have less stress navigating those long lines at the airport,” said Nastro from Going. She added that if travelers sign up for PreCheck before Thanksgiving, they will likely be able to use it for their return flight or year-end holiday travel.
At JFK and LaGuardia, certain Delta Air Lines and United Airlines travelers have an even speedier PreCheck option: touchless identity verification. Travelers who opt in to Delta’s Digital ID or United’s PreCheck Touchless ID offerings have their identities verified biometrically and don’t need to show IDs or scan their boarding passes at TSA checkpoints.
CLEAR, a private company that offers travelers expedited identity verification, is also available at JFK, LaGuardia and Newark through a partnership with TSA. Membership starts at $199 annually and you can sign up at the airport.
International arrivals spike around year’s end
For international travelers to New York’s airports, experts said the coming days are likely to be generally smooth — before they get more bustling.
“Thanksgiving is not really a peak for us, it’s more domestic,” said Francis Russo, director of operations for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which runs Customs and Border Protection services at JFK and Newark airports. “We’re always getting passengers from Europe at a pretty steady pace, [but] it’s just a regular week for us.”
While DHS officials said they expect a fairly normal week over Thanksgiving, Christmas is a different matter. The agency currently forecasts a roughly 3% increase in international arrivals at JFK and Newark this upcoming holiday season, compared to 24 million travelers who arrived from abroad during the same period last year, Russo said.
The agency clears 70% of all international arrivals through customs at JFK and Newark in 30 minutes or less, he added. Only 2% of travelers face waits of more than an hour-and-a-half.
While DHS will temporarily increase staffing at JFK and Newark during peak times to ease crowding, according to officials, programs like Global Entry and Mobile Passport can speed travelers through customs and immigration. The former requires a prior application and interview before one’s trip, but the latter is available as a free app that any U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or Canadian passport holder, can use.
“Mobile passport control is a great way for passengers to get through quicker this holiday season,” Russo said.