About 3.6 million people are expected to pass through the Atlanta airport from March 27 to April 7, the busiest stretch of the spring travel period that began in mid-March.
Some Florida locales known as prime spring break destinations in years past, including Miami, have sought limiting disorderly overcrowding and associated crime. But Miami International Airport says it’s still seeing record crowds, with passenger volume up about 9% year over year.
And Orlando International Airport had its busiest weeks of the year during the spring break period, seeing an 11% increase in passengers year over year.
In Atlanta, airport officials advise travelers to arrive at the airport at least 2.5 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international flights.
While Friday will bring the largest crowds in the domestic terminal, Saturday is expected to be a peak day for international travel at the Atlanta airport, according to Zachary Thomas, director of the Port of Atlanta Customs and Protection. of the United States Border.
“This Saturday is the equivalent of our busiest day last year,” with about 23,000 international passengers arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson, Thomas said. It is on par with international volumes last July during the summer peak period.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“People are anxious to travel, anxious to see family members,” Thomas said. “During the pandemic, there were a lot of pent-up travel wishes that weren’t really fulfilled and now they’re eager to go back and see the world.”
International traffic is up about 18% annually in Atlanta, according to Thomas, looking at figures for the fiscal year that began in October.
“We’ve exceeded pre-pandemic levels quite significantly,” Thomas said. Spring is normally a slower season, but “we’ve seen numbers that are commensurate with last year’s summer season.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has added flights, with plans to fly its largest transatlantic flight schedule ever this summer. Thursday, it is launches flights from Atlanta to a new airport in Tulum, Mexicoas part of their larger spring break schedule in Mexico.
Including domestic and international travel, Delta Air Lines is seeing record demand for spring break, with plans to handle nearly 15 million customers in the period from March 9 to April 14.
Atlanta has also gained some new carriers – including South American airline Latam which launched flights to Lima, Peru last October and Scandinavian Airlines which plans to launch service to Copenhagen, Denmark in June. Discount carrier Avelo Airlines plans to offer flights from New Haven, Connecticut, to Atlanta in May.
Other carriers are adding service to Atlanta, including Aeromexico announcing plans for more routes to Mexico pending government approval and Alaska Airlines launch a route to Portland starting October 1st.
Thomas, the director of the port, warns that travelers should “pack their patience”, with some waiting times for Customs reaching 1-2 hours during peak periods.
“It’s very crowded,” said Alex Krijgsman, who arrived in Atlanta on a flight from Holland this week to visit family on spring break in Big Canoe, Georgia, before driving to Florida. However, he said getting through Customs on Wednesday was “very quick”.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
There are options to speed up your way through Customs, including a Global Entry Trusted Traveler Membershipwhich costs $100 to sign up for five years and now has an app, ou free mobile passport check app.
At Hartsfield-Jackson, CBP offers interviews seven days a week for arriving international passengers who have applied for Global Entry membership. The agency also aims to open a Global Entry interview location at Hartsfield-Jackson for passengers departing on domestic or international flights.
