BROWARD COUNTY, FL – The Thanksgiving holiday is a cherished time for families and friends to spend together building new memories while sharing in the traditional Turkey Day feast and festivities. But if you’re planning to jet away for the holiday it could be a bit challenging and stressful given that it’s one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

As the holiday nears, officials at Broward County’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) are predicting approximately 800,000 travelers will pass through the facility from Tuesday, November 26 to Monday, December 2. That’s a 6.8 percent increase in passenger traffic over the same seven-day holiday period in 2018. The airport’s busiest travel days are expected to be Saturday, November 30 and Sunday, December 1, with an estimated average 111,714 passengers daily.

“We want to wish our airport guests a safe and happy Thanksgiving Day,” said Mark Gale, CEO/Aviation Director. “In the spirit of the holiday, we extend our thanks to everyone for their patronage in 2019.”

The Aviation Department is also grateful for the dedication of the 18,000-plus employees at FLL who diligently work to deliver the best guest experience possible each day, Gale added.

Consider these tips should your travel plans have you trotting through FLL:

PARKING
Download the free FLL Airport App for information on parking, flights, restaurants, and shops before arriving at the airport. If you plan to park at FLL, allocate extra time to get here and secure a spot as the parking garage’s 13,000-plus spaces typically fill up during the holidays. Tap into the garages’ smart parking technology to find the closest open spot. In the garage driving lanes, look at the monitors mounted to the ceiling for the number of open spaces in each aisle.

Travelers can use SunPass Plus as a convenient way to pay for parking using a SunPass transponder in the Airport's three parking garages. The traveler must use a SunPass Plus lane to enter and exit for the account to be charged. No ticket is required with SunPass Plus entry. FLL offers travelers a variety of parking options in its garages: Daily Parking is $15 a day, Curbside Valet costs $25/day, and Hourly Parking is available for $3 an hour with a maximum daily rate of $36.

FLL’s Overflow Parking Lot has more than 500 spaces and will only open after the garages are at full capacity. It is located west of the Airport at 1661 S.W. 40th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315. Take Griffin Road just west of I-95 to 30th Avenue, turn right. Then turn right on Southwest 42nd Street and follow the orange wayfinding signs. Shuttle buses run every 15 minutes to bring passengers to and from the terminals. The drop-off and pickup locations are between Terminals 1 and 2 and Terminals 3 and 4 on the upper level (departure) roadway. A flat rate of $10 per day applies, and only credit card payments will be accepted.

Curbside Valet Parking is available at Terminals 1, 2, and in between Terminals 3 and 4 on the upper level (departure). For more information, call 954-359-8108.

PICKUP/DROP OFF
The Cell Phone Waiting Area is located under the airport’s main entrance roadway to the airport. As you enter the airport on the main entrance roadway, stay in the left lanes, follow the sign to All Parking, and bear left. Then follow the signs to the Cell Phone Waiting Area. This road will bring you around the Rental Car Center to the Cell Phone Waiting Area. If the free Cell Phone Waiting Area is full, please proceed to our Hourly Parking of the garage. Short-term parking is available for $3 per hour with a grace period under 20 minutes. Please remember that the curbside areas are for immediate pickup and drop-off only.
Unattended vehicles will be ticketed and towed. During peak evening hours, consider meeting your passengers on the upper level. The lower-level roadway is frequently congested during evening hours.

REMINDERS
FLL participates in several expedited security and Customs processing programs including TSA Pre-Check, Global Entry, Mobile Passport and CLEAR, which are available in select locations and security checkpoints. Please visit their respective websites to learn more about the programs, how they work and any associated costs.

If you are a traveler with a disability or have a medical condition, you can plan ahead with TSA Cares or call their toll-free helpline at 1-855-787-2227 to enhance your airport experience.

View the attached parking map found under "Release Properties" at the bottom of the page.

About Broward's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) 
The Aviation Department is a self-supporting department of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. It does not rely on local tax dollars for operations and capital improvements. FLL is located in Greater Fort Lauderdale in the heart of Florida's Gold Coast. In 2018, the Airport ranked 18th in the United States in total passenger traffic and 10th in international passengers. With more than 350 departures a day, the Airport offered nonstop service to 85 U.S. cities and global connectivity to more than 62 international destinations in 33 countries. The Aviation Department also operates the North Perry Airport, a general aviation airport for private and charter aircraft operators. Call 954-359-6100 for more information. For updates on airport programs and services, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or visit  fll.net.

DATE: November 25, 2019
MEDIA CONTACT: Greg Meyer, Public Information Officer
Broward County Aviation Department
PHONE: 954-359-6116
EMAIL: gmeyer@broward.org