Flying Out Of Pensacola Soon? The Airport Says Arrive Early And Pack Patience

November 21, 2022

Pensacola International Airport officials are advising passengers traveling during the Thanksgiving holiday to arrive extra early in anticipation of a record-setting travel week.

Airport Assistant Director Erica Grancagnolo said that national trends coupled with a record breaking year at PNS indicate a busier-than-normal Thanksgiving week, which is already one of the busiest travel times each year.

“The passenger numbers we’re already seeing this month, plus the national trends of increased air travel, are sending us a clear message that it’s going to be a very busy Thanksgiving week here at PNS,” said Grancagnolo.

“We encourage passengers to plan ahead and arrive at least two hours before your scheduled departure, so you have plenty of time to park, get checked in, go through security, and make it to your gate. Sometimes travelers don’t need the full two hours before their flight, but all indications are that you’re going to need every bit of that time this coming week,” she said.

In addition to arriving early, Grancagnolo recommended that passengers confirm their flight schedules with their airlines and if possible, check-in early via the airline website or mobile app. Passengers should review the TSA rules for carry-on and checked luggage to avoid any delays at security.

Finally, Grancagnolo suggested one more thing every traveler should include.

“We all want to have time with our families and loved ones over the holidays, including the gate agents, food vendors, parking attendants, flight crew, and TSA staff. It’s the holiday season, so let’s all pack a bit of patience and carry-on some consideration for each other.”

Comments

One Response to “Flying Out Of Pensacola Soon? The Airport Says Arrive Early And Pack Patience”

  1. RaD on November 21st, 2022 9:07 am

    On the day before Thanksgiving (these numbers could be higher)
    Early morning, 5:15am to 7:40am, will have about 850 passengers.
    Late morning, 9:45am to 11:45am, will have about 850 passengers.
    Early Afternoon, 2:00pm to 3:00pm, will have around 400 passengers.
    Early Evening, 4:00pm to 5:00pm. will have around 500 passengers.
    Later Evening, 6:30pm to 7:30pm, will have around 300 passengers.
    About 3,000 passengers for the day.

    Depending on what flight you are on, 2 hours might not be enough.

    The question is, how many passengers can TSA process per minute. Considering passenger loading is not consistent all day, with the morning hours being the worst, I would think about 4 passengers per minute.