Metro Airport Offers Holiday Travel Tips

By Edward Cardenas

ROMULUS (CBS Detroit) - The Thanksgiving holiday weekend is one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and Detroit Metropolitan Airport is offering help tips for those flying in the coming days.

"It is great to see the formal business handshakes replaced by joyful family hugs," said Airport Authority CEO Thomas Naughton, in a release. "Being prepared, especially for infrequent travelers, is the first step to a pleasant and stress free holiday travel season."

The airport is offering the following tips for travelers:

• Know your airline, and/or terminal before arriving at the airport. Detroit Metro Airport has two terminals; the McNamara Terminal and the North Terminal. Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM operate from the McNamara Terminal. All other airlines, including charters, operate from the North Terminal.
• Arrive early. During the holidays, the airport welcomes a higher percentage of inexperienced travelers who may need extra time. It is important to arrive early to avoid the stress of rushing to your flight. Travelers are recommended to arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight, and 2 hours before an international flight. Allowing extra time will enable travelers to park, check your luggage, proceed through TSA screening, and travel to their departure gate.
• Check bags for prohibited items before arriving at the airport. Attempting to proceed through TSA screening with prohibited items will delay the screening process. To find out what exactly is considered a prohibited item visit www.tsa.gov. All liquids and gels over 3.4 ounces are prohibited in carry-on luggage.

For those arriving into Metro, or picking someone up, airport officials offer the following tips:

• Never leave a vehicle on the arrivals or departure curb unattended. Unattended vehicles may be ticketed and towed.
• The arrivals curb can become extremely crowded, so it may be worth the money to park and greet your party inside. Short Term Parking at both terminals is $4 for thirty minutes or less, and $6 for up to an hour.
• Those who are flying, or picking up a passenger, should check the flight status before departing for the airport. Flight status can be checked directly on each airline's website.
• Pre-plan a pick up location with arriving passengers, and use the cell phone lots. There are Cell Phone Lots on the north and south sides of the airport. A map of the lots are available on the airport website.
• If the arriving passenger doesn't have luggage, it might be easier pre-arranging to pick them up on the departure level, or international arrivals level. The domestic arrivals level can get very crowded, so pre-plan to avoid the crowd.
• When checking bags, attach a colorful ribbon on your bags. Doing this will help distinguish your luggage from similar looking bags. Having your bag stand out will expedite its retrieval and get you on your way more quickly.
• Arrange for special needs in advance. The Airport Authority and its partners are committed to providing a welcoming and convenient travel experience for all travelers. Travelers who may require special assistance should advise their airline ahead of time directly on the airline's website.
• Travelers should keep their medications in their carry-on luggage.
• Don't wrap gifts. Packages that are wrapped may have to be opened by TSA.