Long lines expected at Austin airport following Formula 1 weekend
AUSTIN, Texas - Lines are getting longer by the minute at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport following Formula 1 weekend at Circuit of the Americas.
"That Monday after F1 has historically been our busiest day our record-breaking day," said airport public information specialist Lesly Ramirez. "Just based on the sheer volume of people that are going to be departing the airport, [travelers] can expect to see lines at the security checkpoints and also at the ticket counters."
"It is kind of crazy, how long the lines are getting," said traveler Gabrielle Thornhill.
In response to the surge in travel for Formula 1 weekend, the airport is asking passengers to plan ahead by arriving at least two and a half hours early for TSA screenings and domestic flights. Passengers flying international are asked to arrive 3 hours before departure,
"This weekend with F1 it's been super busy. Like getting from the airport to our house took an hour just because of traffic to the airport, because we live over at Westlake. So yeah, big airport a lot of people coming in and out," said Thornhill.
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In addition to arriving early, AUS recommends allowing extra time to return rentals, check luggage, and to double-check carry-on bags for prohibited items.
"For passengers who have souvenirs we are really asking them to keep those souvenirs out of their checked luggage, cause that can cause delays through the security checkpoints" said Ramirez.
As the volume of travelers at the airport increases, so do the hours for service.
"Some of our concessions are offering extended hours just to make them available for passengers after the security checkpoint, so they can explore the terminal and try out some of our concessions," said Ramirez.
On Monday, the airport estimates more travelers, more luggage, more traffic, and even longer lines.
"We are expecting over 40,000 passengers," said Ramirez.