Air traffic numbers continue their upward surge as more Americans begin to travel once again. The airline sector has reported a massive upswing in revenue, and air travel seems poised for a boom this summer.
On June 6th, 2021, US air travel recorded the biggest day in more than a year! The Transportation Security Administration scanned 1.98 million individuals Sunday, more than any other day throughout Memorial Day weekend, which peaked at 1.96 million on Friday, May 28th.
While international travel does not seem likely to happen immediately, a spike in summer domestic air travel certainly seems to be happening. The fact that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is planning to hire 1,000 officers by July 4th (in anticipation of the busiest travel period in the United States) further bolsters this prediction.
The upswing in air travel is occurring as more Americans receive vaccinations, businesses prepare for employees to return to work and travel, and more borders reopen. However, the United States continues to bar practically all non-US nationals from most of Europe, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and Iran. It’s not all doom and gloom for international travel, though. According to industry sources, Biden could relax the embargo on the United Kingdom and Ireland as early as June, with COVID-19 cases decreasing in both countries.
As pent-up travel demand is released as more Americans book airline tickets, airline prices may soar significantly, as will the cost of airport parking. Most airports had closed down a significant number of parking garages over the past year due to lack of demand. This trend is seeing a reversal now, with some airports opening up previously closed lots and others adding new lots.
Pittsburgh International Airport opened a new Economy parking lot on June 7th. This new Pittsburgh Airport parking lot offers more affordable parking than existing lots. While the new lot is quite reasonably priced with a daily maximum charge of $7, it does not offer shuttle service. According to the airport’s website, the Economy parking lot is adjacent to the extended parking lot and approximately a ten-minute walk from the moving walkway that connects to the terminals. Most of the offsite Pittsburgh Airport parking lots offer free shuttles to the airport terminal and even cheaper rates if you book your spot online in advance.
The East Economy Lot for DIA Airport parking reopened as air travel returned to pre-pandemic levels. In March 2020, DIA converted the East Economy lot to employee parking as passenger traffic plummeted. Please note that the Pikes Peak and Mt. Elbert shuttle lots are still closed, and DIA Airport valet parking is unavailable.
Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport parking added a new parking deck connected to the domestic terminal last month. The airport had already deployed the new ATL West deck as overflow parking during Easter weekend and following busy periods when economy lots were sold out. The new ATL West deck is expected to operate at full capacity this summer.
Fort Lauderdale Airport parking garages were completely full over the last weekend, even though FLL has two parking garages with an adequate number of parking spots. The airport’s overflow parking lot at 2755 SW 42nd Street in Fort Lauderdale had to be opened due to the garages exceeding capacity. Despite this, several travelers ended up parking at nearby offsite FLL Airport parking lots.
If you’re planning on traveling this summer, it might be a smart move to prebook your airport parking spot as soon as you confirm your travel plans.
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RenĂ©e Martin is a travel and car expert who focuses on smart car ownership and road travel in the U.S. For the past 6 years, she’s been helping make car ownership, driving, and trip planning easier for everyday travelers.
