Austin City Limits: Know before you travel through Austin-Bergstrom

ABIA expects big travel day after ACL ends

With the end of the ACL Music Festival, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is expecting a big travel day tomorrow.

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin City Limits Music Festival wraps up Sunday for 2023 and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is expecting thousands to depart from its runways on Monday.

AUS says it expects over 35,000 travelers to depart Oct. 16, another Top 5 record-breaking day for the airport. This surge in travelers is expected to manifest in congestion on the highway leading to the airport and roadways leading to the terminal, as well as lines at ticket counters and TSA checkpoints.

ACL Music Festival ends with final day

Another Austin City Limits Music Festival is officially in the books. Mumford and Sons, Niall Horan and Hozier were some featured performances that closed out the two-weekend festival.

AUS is offering the following travel tips to departing music lovers:

Getting to AUS

Have different options to get to the airport, including rideshare, friend or family drop-off, or CapMetro Route 20
Check real-time traffic info on DriveTexas before leaving for the airport

Getting to the terminal

Use lower-level arrivals curbside to drop off travelers if the upper level is backed up

Ticket counters

Skip if you don't have to check a bag or fly internationally (don't skip if traveling with a firearm)
Use mobile boarding passes on your smartphone
Use kiosks to print boarding passes

TSA

Make sure carry-ons do not contain any prohibited items in them
Keep your laptop, electronics, and liquids inside your bags as TSA has new screening equipment
Be prepared to move to a different checkpoint if asked (all four checkpoints lead to all gates)

Making it to your gate

Gate numbering starts at 1 on the far east side of the airport, to the left of the TSA checkpoints
Gates in the 20s and 30s are on the west side
Travelers can also use AUS's digital map to find their gate

Those traveling with Allegiant and Frontier airlines are advised that their flights will not depart from the Barbara Jordan Terminal, but the South Terminal, a separate facility. There is a small detour in place due to construction.

Map of detour for travelers to reach AUS's South Terminal (Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)

For more information including traveling with children and pets, arrival time recommendations, what you can pack in your carry-on and checked luggage and how to handle customs and international travel, click here.