Holiday travel season is here!
With almost 1 million more travelers transiting through Australia this year than last year, with total passenger numbers expected to reach a record 22 million this year, AUS urges passengers to plan ahead and stay early. Here are some tips for arriving and traveling to the airport.
Please arrive early to allow plenty of time.
For general TSA screening, please arrive at least 2.5 hours before departure for domestic flights and at least 3 hours before departure for international flights.
If you have TSA Pre-Check, Clear and are not checking a bag, we recommend following TSA’s general rule of thumb for all airport travelers nationwide, regardless of your departure airport. This means arriving 2 hours before departure.
Should I park at AUS or be dropped off?
No matter what option you choose, AUS has tactics to make it easy.
AUS has made it much easier to park your car on-site. You can secure your parking space in advance with just a few clicks through the airport’s parking system website ABIAParking.com. Yes, all parking lots on the airport campus are available. Don’t worry, reservations can be made up to 24 hours before the traveler’s arrival time at the airport.
Parking lots tend to fill up quickly during the holidays, so it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to transportation options. If on the day of the flight he decides to park his car at AUS, we strongly recommend that he check real-time parking availability at ABIA Parking before coming to AUS.
Drop-off, on the other hand, should be easy. Remember that if you approach the airport and see a long line of cars heading to “Departures”, you can swerve to the left and move to “Arrival” to get off faster. Once you get off the plane, all you have to do is go upstairs to the ticket counter and security check.
Read this before you pack your bags!
Appreciate the effort you put into packing (and preparing the gift).
While wrapped gifts are not prohibited at TSA checkpoints, if your bag is flagged during the screening process, TSA officers will have to unwrap your gift as a security precaution. To avoid this inconvenience, we strongly encourage travelers to wait to wrap gifts until they reach their destination.
Please do not bring firearms to the checkpoint. Firearms are not permitted at security checkpoints under any circumstances. Keep your firearms away from the area and properly pack your firearms according to TSA guidelines.
Before you leave home, make sure your luggage complies with TSA rules and guidelines for all types of luggage. If you are carrying prohibited items, such as liquids larger than 3.4 ounces (including bottled water), you and other passengers may be delayed.
Is all this travel talk making you hungry?
no problem! Our terminal is your gateway to a variety of great restaurant experiences to whet your appetite.
With over 30 local brands and concepts, Barbara Jordan Terminal is sure to give you a taste of Austin. Check out dining options and other in-terminal experiences at AUS with just one click.
You can also carry non-liquid solid foods in your checked baggage. You may not bring in any food other than solid food. This means that smearing, spreading, spraying, or pouring is not allowed. So avocado passes the test, but guacamole doesn’t. Note that you can always turn avocado into guac, but you can’t turn guac back into avocado.
Arriving early gives you time to explore on your own.
As a reward for arriving early, we offer a variety of experiences to enjoy while you wait for your flight. Isn’t it nice when you’re the last to board or don’t miss your flight entirely?
At AUS, we love serving music as much as we love spreading holiday cheer. In that spirit, we have a talented group of musicians playing special holiday music each month. Of course, there will be no performances on December 24th and December 25th. Our hard-working team and local musicians have the same right to spend time with their loved ones as anyone else. Please visit our homepage and check out the lineup.
Check out our art collection! We have permanent art installations, including the much talked about relay departure gate, as well as eight rotating art galleries and spaces. Find them all on our digital map.
Finally, keep in mind that we are all human. Everyone can feel stressed during this time for a variety of reasons. Therefore, we ask that you please show kindness to all her AUS employees and those around you. As always, AUS will have additional Department of Aviation staff available to assist with line management, TSA support, and passenger navigation within the terminal during this busy period. Our goal is to provide everyone with a safe and comfortable experience at the airport. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact airport staff. Let’s work together to keep the holidays happy, Happy!
