Holiday travel in full-swing at Savannah/HHI airport. Here’s how to avoid any headaches
So far, Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport’s seven-day holiday stretch is off without a hitch.
Despite fewer travelers than other big-ticket holidays like Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, about 10,000 people were expected to move through the airport between Dec. 20 and Dec. 26. Lori Lynah, director of marketing and air service development, said Tuesday and Wednesday will be the busiest days post-Christmas.
But really, it’s an easier onslaught to manage than other holidays.
During Thanksgiving, the airport anticipated up to 80,000 total passengers traveling during the week of Thanksgiving. Fourth of July arrivals and departures were about 13,000.
Across the United States, AAA estimated that 115 million people were set to travel for the holidays, whether it be by car, train or plane. The Transportation Security Administration screened more than 2.6 million passengers nationally on Dec. 21, which was projected as the busiest day for Christmastime travel.
As holiday travel is in full swing, a storm sweeping the nation could cause issues for travelers, particularly those heading to the central United States over the weekend.
Lynah didn’t anticipate that predicted stormy weather heading toward the Southeast on Christmas Day would cause any major disruptions at the Savannah/HHI airport.
“You just always have to be prepared that we might have a delay down the line a little bit, but we’re not expecting anything major this year,” she said.
At Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, Lynah said the influx of travelers has been “pretty seamless.” The only issue is managing parking. While the lots closest to the airport are filled, which is even typical on a normal weekend, Lynah assured there were plenty surface lots and shuttles for easier transport.
Her advice? Go straight to the overflow lot. There, it’s a $30 flat-rate to park, and you won’t waste minutes circling already packed lots.
For the well-versed in the Savannah airport, most days on the off-season, it’s quick to get through baggage check and TSA. But this isn’t the time to test to cut it close. Lynah said leave at least 90 minutes between arriving to the airport and scheduled departure time.
“It sounds crazy, but it’s better to be safe than to be sorry,” she said.
And while it seems redundant to remind travelers to review TSA rules about items that need to be checked versus what can be carried on to a plane, the holidays bring in another guideline: wrapped gifts, even those inside luggage. If TSA cannot determine what’s inside a wrapped package, they have to unwrap it, Lynah said.
