F1 weekend projected to surpass Austin-Bergstrom travel records

Busy travel day expected at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport following F1

ABIA officials say they expect today to be one of the busiest travel days of the year as Formula 1 fans leave after a weekend of fun and racing. FOX 7 Austin's Kelly Saberi has details.

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is warning passengers to prepare for a busy airport as people leave following the United States Grand Prix race.

The airport says that passengers should be prepared for peak departure times throughout the day due to Formula 1 weekend at the Circuit of the Americas. Officials say the day after the race is considered to be one of the busiest days of travel at ABIA, even topping numbers during the holidays.

You can check on wait times online here.

According to airport spokesperson Bryce Dubee, officials are expecting 5,000 more fans to come through the airport this year, than the last time F1 was in Austin.

Dubee says the mornings are generally the busiest time at the airport for security wait lines. The lines should pick up again around 3 to 4 in the afternoon.

Formula 1 comes back to Circuit of the Americas

Formula 1 weekend at Circuit of the Americas is expected to bring in more than 300,000 spectators from all over the world.

Departing passengers are advised to do the following to plan ahead and ease their travel experience:

Arrive early - Passengers should arrive to the terminal a minimum of 3 hours early for all domestic flights and a minimum of 3.5 hours early for all international flights
Plan ahead for pre-security screening activities — Passengers who need to return a rental car or check luggage should prepare to give themselves additional time beyond the 3 - 3.5 hour minimum arrival recommendation
Use both the lower curbside and upper curbside for drop-off — from the lower level, passengers can quickly get upstairs to ticketing and security via escalators and elevators
Pack any F1 promotional items, "swag bags" or bulky souvenirs in carry-on bags, not checked bags, for faster screening
Ensure carry-on bags do not contain any prohibited items, such as firearms or liquids exceeding 3.4 oz.
Use mobile phone or online flight check-in, or print boarding passes from a self-service kiosk to skip the busy airline ticket counter lines.
Contact the airline directly prior to arriving at the airport to arrange for wheelchair service

The first TSA checkpoints and airline ticket counters will open at 3 a.m., says the airport.

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