John Wayne Airport offers Thanksgiving travel tips

John Wayne Airport Offers Thanksgiving Travel Tips

(Portions courtesy of John Wayne Airport)

By: Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzer

In anticipation of one of the most heavily traveled holiday periods, John Wayne Airport offers travel tips to help passengers prepare for a safe and enjoyable holiday. Passengers traveling through John Wayne Airport between Friday, November 22 and Monday, December 2 will experience higher-than-normal passenger traffic due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

“The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year,” Supervisor Todd Spitzer said. “By following these Thanksgiving travel tips, passengers will be able to get more quickly to their destinations and reduce the stress of the holiday.”

KeepOCSafe is a partnership between the County of Orange, the City of Anaheim, the City of Santa Ana, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The County, through KeepOCSafe and John Wayne Airport, encourages travelers to be more aware of their surroundings and to report questionable objects or activities. A Giant Red Backpack (pictured below) will be on display in the Thomas F. Riley Terminal throughout the holidays to remind passengers and visitors: “If You See Something, Say Something™.”

Travel Tips for Passengers and Visitors:

• Arrive 90 minutes to two-hours before the flight departure time to find parking, check luggage and go through the security checkpoint. Passengers who are members of TSA Precheck can expedite the screening process in Terminals A, B (morning only) and C.
• Drivers picking up passengers at the Airport are encouraged to utilize 2-hour parking spaces, located on the lower level of Parking Structures A1, B2 and C.
• Passengers are allowed one small carry-on bag plus one personal item as long as the carry-on bag fits airline dimensions. Check with your individual airline for specifics.

Parking Options at JWA:

• Curbside Valet Parking for $30 per day, is located on the Departure (upper) Level between Terminals A and B, or in front of Terminal C.
• Parking Structures A1, A2, B2 and C are located adjacent to and directly across from the Riley Terminal at a rate of $20 per day and $2 per hour with the first 15 minutes being free for those dropping off and picking up passengers. Access to terminal parking structures is available from the Departure (upper) Level only.
• Off-site Main Street Parking Lot located at 1512 Main St., Irvine for $14 per day with free shuttle service to/from the Terminal every 15 minutes.
• For parking availability call 949.252.5200 or for directions to JWA, visit: http://www.ocair.com/parking/rates.aspx.

Know Before You Go from TSA and CBP:

• Review Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Travel Tips to become familiar with what items are prohibited, including the 3-1-1 rule for liquids in carry-ons.
• International travelers should check the U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) website to ensure they have appropriate documentation for traveling to and from the United States. Visit http://cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/vacation/ to learn more. Note: Passengers who are members of the Global Entry Trusted Traveler Program will be able to expedite their Customs clearance into the U.S. at John Wayne Airport. Those passengers traveling to and from Canada will clear Customs in Canada before returning to the United States.