John Matthews
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON — (WMAL) We hope you asked Santa for patience this year.
The week before Christmas is the second busiest travel time of the year at the nation’s airports – only Thanksgiving sees more people flying – and 2015 is expected to be busier than ever at Reagan National, Dulles and BWI.
“It is a very busy time, and we do advise passengers to give themselves some extra time,” says Chris Paolini with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. “Give themselves some extra time with lines at security, where people can build up,” he added. Reagan National and Dulles are expecting up to 1.6 million passengers between now and the weekend following New Year’s.
The story is much the same at BWI-Marshall Airport, where an uptick in traffic is expected due to the addition of some airlines and added service by existing carriers. The worst of the crowds should be seen in the middle of this week, and spokesman Jonathan Dean a little advance coordinating with arriving passengers can help you to avoid bottlenecks.
“They may want to consider using the upper level – the departures level of the terminal roadway – to pick up arriving passengers, ” says Dean. “That will help avoid some of the congestion on the roadway.”
Regardless of which airport you’re using this week, you’d be well advised to check online for flight delays and other information before you head out. At Reagan National, you can reserve parking in advance, and at Dulles, you can get an estimate on wait times for security lines. Using those tools should make for a more holiday-friendly experience.
Copyright 2015 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (PHOTO: CNN)
