SAN ANTONIO — Thousands are expected to fly out of San Antonio for Thanksgiving this week, and it'll be tougher than usual to find parking if you plan to be one of them.
While airport officials say they have planned for an additional 500 spaces at its Economy Red Lot for Thanksgiving travelers, even those spots are lucrative real estate; San Antonio International's parking website indicates zero Red Lot spaces were open as of Monday night. Depending on where you park for a trip on airport grounds, you can expect to pay anywhere from $10 to $29 a day for extended trips.
Another option, however, allows San Antonians to take advantage of free overnight parking, so long as they allow themselves enough time. VIA Transit is offering $2.60 rides from its Stone Oak Park & Ride station, located at U.S. 281 and Stone Oak Parkway, where free parking is available.
VIA calls the option "simple, quick and affordable," especially for north-siders, and the VIA trip to the airport takes 15 to 20 minutes. Riders should make sure to take VIA Service Route 7 from the first floor of the Park & Ride station.
Service runs every half-hour, Monday through Friday, from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. VIA's Park & Airport initiative kicked off earlier this year, transit officials say.
How early you should plan to arrive
About 7.68 million passengers went through the TSA the weekend before Thanksgiving, up from 7.07 million over the same period in 2022, according to officials with the Transportation Security Administration. They expect 2.69 million passengers on Wednesday alone; that would make it one of the busiest U.S. air travel days of the last few months.
TSA is recommending that you arrive at least two hours before your flight if you're flying domestic, and three hours if you're flying internationally. If your flight is early in the morning on Tuesday, Wednesday or Sunday, arrive an extra hour earlier.
"Additionally, travelers should check in to their flight prior to getting to airport, check with airline about travel delays and pack smart," said Patricia Mancha, regional spokesperson for the TSA. "Empty out luggage they will be using, so they know what they’re bringing to airport."
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