It’s that time of year when Americans celebrate, which means one thing… fireworks and a barbecue! Oh, and the airport will be busy flying families to celebrate the 4th of July. Don’t believe us? Check out the numbers, in May alone, we broke the busiest month ever for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) with 2,068,404 passengers, surpassing our previous record from last July by over 27,000 passengers!
So how do you prepare for a busy vacation? Plan accordingly, pack properly, and most importantly, arrive early! For more tips, check out our list of travel tips below:
The early bird takes flight – Arrive early!
- Before arriving, check your flight status on this page in advance and make sure you know your departure terminal. Keep in mind that Allegiant and Frontier are located in the South Terminal, which you cannot access from the main Barbara Jordan Terminal. For more information, visit the official South Terminal webpage at austintexas.gov/page/south-terminal-aus. All other airlines operate from the main terminal at Barbara Jordan.
- Travelers should arrive at least 2.5 hours prior to departure for domestic flights and 3 hours prior to departure for all international flights. Travelers who need to check baggage, return a rental car, or complete other tasks prior to security screening are advised to allow additional time.
- AUS Airport is undergoing improvements and modernization projects to meet the needs of increased passenger and airline activity through the Journey With AUS airport improvement program. Construction work in the terminal may be visible to passengers. Visit AustinTexas.gov/AUSConstructionUpdates for a list of scheduled construction activities that will be visible to passengers.
Make Safety Simple – Pack Right! Since February 2024, Checkpoint 3 has been closed and will remain closed for the duration of the West Infill Project construction (expected completion in 2026). Travelers can visit our Journey construction page with AUS to monitor construction activities.
- Passenger screening with TSA PreCheck and Clear is available at Checkpoint 2 West.
- Travelers without TSA PreCheck or Clear must use Checkpoint 1 or 2 East for general screening.
- Global Entry kiosks will also be available.
- TSA PreCheck enrollment is now available at the CLEAR Enrollment Center at Checkpoint 1, no appointment is necessary.
- Checkpoint 2 West remains open until the last flight. This checkpoint will be able to accommodate all passengers after all other checkpoints have closed.
- Global Entry kiosks will also be available.
Check out our travel advice page at this link for more information on safety or refer to the image below.
Not sure what items are allowed between carry-on and checked baggage? Luckily for you, TSA.gov contains all the rules you need to know to properly pack your luggage in one click. To check whether or not an item can be taken with you to the airport, use the TSA search function What can I bring? list.
- Firearms are prohibited at TSA security checkpoints. Check your carry-on bag before entering the airport to ensure you don’t accidentally travel with your firearm through TSA. For more details on how to travel with a firearm, visit our Know Before You Go – Traveling with Firearms Page.
- Even if items are allowed, they are subject to additional screening. If the item sets off an alarm during screening, the final decision is up to TSA whether the item is allowed on board. For more detailed packing tips, check out our Video on how to pack.
Take off like fireworks – Parking or dropping off passengers
Planning to park in AUS? Visit ABIAParking.com to check real-time availability of our parking options. Currently, the option to reserve a parking space for the Red Garage, Blue Garage and Economy Parking is temporarily unavailable until August 10, 2024. This ensures that all garage parking spaces are available to all customers during the peak summer travel period.
- We encourage you to allow extra arrival time if you plan to use the shuttle service to the terminal, which runs approximately every 15 to 20 minutes.
- You can use the upper level for departures or the lower level for arrivals to drop off passengers. Remember that if you are picking someone up and the lower level for arrivals is quite busy, you can ask your passenger to join you on the upper level to be picked up.
- Passengers traveling with Frontier and Allegiant are recommended to park on-site at the South Terminal.
- Looking to rent a car? Exit the Barbara-Jordan Terminal, take one of the marked pedestrian crossings and follow the floating hollow concrete path to the car rental center. You can also use the AUS digital map at airportmaps.flyaustin.com to locate the car rental agency or this digital document for detailed instructions.
Holidays can start in AUS…
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You know we mentioned barbecue? Oh, we have barbecue and other unforgettable Texas dishes! After you clear security, you can celebrate by enjoying food from our local restaurants. For those thirsty, we have plenty of bars where you can order that summer cocktail that will be a hit. For more details on summer drinks in the terminal, visit our recent blog post, Beat the Heat with AUS: Sweet Retreat with Summer Cocktails.
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Not hungry yet? That’s okay, you can explore our unique retail outlets or admire our many art exhibitions throughout the terminal using our digital wayfinding map at airportmaps.flyaustin.com. Walk through the terminal, find one of our music stages, and enjoy the chance to hear local talent perform! With an average of about 30 shows per week, AUS is excited to present great music from a range of Austin artists. You can browse a detailed schedule of our 8 music stages on the Live Music in the Air program webpage on AUS.
As always, AUS is scheduling additional Department of Aviation personnel during peak periods to assist the terminal with line management, TSA support, and passenger navigation. We strive to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone at the airport. We ask that you remember to be patient, kind, and considerate of those around you and AUS employees. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask an airport employee.
