Nov 20, 2019
As a major holiday week draws near, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is gearing up for increased passenger numbers.
The busiest days at MSP are expected to be Thursday, Dec. 26 and Friday, Dec. 27, when about 48,000 people are expected to come through airport security lanes each day.
Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 21 and 22, and Dec. 28 and 29, will also be very busy days.
Tips for passenger pick-up and drop-off
- If winter weather develops, check with your airline to make sure your flight’s schedule hasn’t changed before coming to the airport.
- Arrive at the airport two hours ahead of your departure time for domestic flights, and three hours for international. Additional staff will be on the ticketing level at Terminal 1 during the busiest days to help guide passengers.
- At Terminal 1, think opposite as you approach the terminal building when dropping off or picking up a passenger. If you’re dropping people off, consider taking them to the ground-level doors on the baggage claim level instead of the ticketing level. Or use the ticketing level for pick-ups if traffic on the lower level is heavy.
- You can also use the upper eastside roadway to drop off and pick up. As you drive up the ramp to Terminal 1’s departures level, stay in the left lane and follow the signs to the first left and the Upper east curbside. There are Delta check-in counters at this location, as well as the Delta Sky Caps at Door 8.
Security screening
- Check out this list of travel tips from the Transportation Security Administration to help speed your trip through security screening.
- Don’t wrap presents. If they are pulled out for inspection, they may have to be unwrapped.
- If you have only carry-on bags, consider using the Skyway Security Checkpoint, which is located between the Red and Blue parking ramps on Level 2. That checkpoint will be open Monday-Friday the week of Dec. 23 – including Dec. 25 -- from 5:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.