SAN ANTONIO — Thanksgiving is still one week away, but Friday marks the beginning of the holiday travel season.
30 million fliers are expected to travel across the country for Thanksgiving, about 30,000 of them traveling to or from San Antonio International Airport (SAT). Airport officials expect 20% more fliers than last year's holiday.
But they say there's plenty of parking and options for travelers.
"We're on our way to Miami, Florida, to visit my son and his family," said Valerie Cooper, who flies often and uses the airport shuttles. "We get out of our car and the shuttles are right there. We only have to maybe wait a minute, two minutes tops."
Airport officials agree the shuttle is the most convenient way to get right to the terminal.
"We want to make sure that our travelers have a seamless stress free travel experience when they're in the airport," said Tonya Hope, an airport spokesperson. "That means to plan ahead."
The 10-day holiday travel period begins Friday, and the busiest days during the period will be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The busiest return day will be the Sunday after.
If you don't want to deal with parking, utilizing rideshare is another popular option.
"It's a very convenient option for a lot of our customers," said Ryan Rocha, chief of operations at SAT. "They use it and they use it a lot, especially out here on the curb."
Valet parking through Fly Away Valet is also available. You can even make a reservation online.
But if you're self-parking, you should have no trouble finding a space, including in the airport's new red lot.
"We have planned an additional 500 spaces this year," Rocha said.
For information on the number of parking spaces available at all the airport lots and arrival options, click here.
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