The holiday travel season is underway, and Denver International Airport expects three-quarters of a million people to pass through its security checkpoints by the end of the week.
The holiday rush started Friday and won’t end until Sunday, with an estimated 750,000 people flying out of Denver between those days. The busiest days likely will be Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, according to a news release from the airport.
People who haven’t flown since last Christmas will see a few changes at the airport:
- Everyone will have to go through the north security checkpoints, since the south checkpoint has closed.
- Passengers leaving from concourse A now have the option to skip the train from the terminal and walk across a pedestrian bridge.
- Most airlines’ check-in areas are temporarily on level 5. United, Southwest and Frontier are on level 6.
The airport advised people flying out to allow at least two hours to check their bags and clear security. Lines tend to be longest between 3 and 4:30 a.m., 8 and 10 a.m. and 3 and 5 p.m.
The Transportation Security Administration advised flyers not to put fully wrapped presents in their bags, since they could have to unwrap them if the contents look suspicious on the X-ray. Snow globes contain too much liquid to go in a carry-on and must ride in checked bags.
As of Monday, the Pikes Peak shuttle lot was full, but all other lots remained open. People who plan on driving to the airport can check the lots’ status at . Those who don’t want to chance it can for $45 a day, which is $10 more than the typical daily rate.
