May 25, 2021 - CLT’s busy summer travel season has returned. Charlotte Douglas will welcome large crowds who are ready to return to the skies over the next four months.
Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer travel season at CLT. According to AAA, this holiday nearly 2.5 million Americans will fly, nearly six times more than last year, but 750,000 or 23 percent fewer passengers than in 2019.
Compared to the same five-day time period (Thursday, May 27 – Monday, May 31) surrounding Memorial Day 2020, American Airlines’ schedule this weekend has increased 134 percent and customer traffic is expected to nearly triple.
CLT will have its largest crowds on Thursday, May 27, Friday, May 28 and Monday, May 31 with approximately 24,000 – 26,000 daily local passengers (travelers who begin their trip at Charlotte Douglas). Keep in mind the Airport also will serve 100,000 daily connecting passengers.
Parking will be in high demand. Local passengers are encouraged to book their parking online. Visit cltairport.com and select the “Book Parking” icon in the middle of the homepage to complete the quick process that provides a contactless parking experience. Book online early for the best rates. Same-day booking is limited for all products, with a minimum of six hours in advance.
For drive-up parking, visit CLT’s real-time parking map or call 704.359.5555 to hear the latest parking conditions. All lots except for the Express Deck (formerly Business Valet) will be open.
Safety measures remain in place. All passengers are required to wear a face mask while on Airport property, which includes inside and outside the terminal.
Before Reaching the Terminal
Arrive Early
TSA and airlines recommend arriving to the Airport at least two hours before domestic travel and three hours before international flights.
Inside the Terminal
Wear a Face Covering
Keep your face covering easily accessible. The Transportation Security Administration mandate requires wearing face coverings while at the Airport. This includes all passengers, employees and CLT visitors.
Charlotte Douglas has face masks available for passengers upon request at the Airport Visitor Info Center on the Baggage Claim level and at all TSA checkpoint podiums. All airlines serving CLT require passengers to wear a face mask to board a flight as well.
CLT Safety Measures
Housekeeping and Airport staff diligently continue to clean daily and conduct nightly deep cleanings at the terminal and on buses.
Bipolar ionization, MERV-13 filters and UV-C lights have been installed inside the terminal to improve sanitation and eliminate viruses.
Sixty hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the terminal when soap and water are not easily accessible.
Visit the Airport’s COVID-19 Travel Update webpage for additional information regarding CLT’s safety measures.
Check Security Wait Times
Be sure to visit CLT’s website (cltairport.com) or app (download at the App Store or on Google Play) to see estimated security wait times at each checkpoint, including Standard and TSA PreCheck® lines. You can use any security checkpoint of your choosing. For current CLT Airport app users, dependent upon device settings, if the app does not automatically update, please update manually via the App Store or Google Play to enjoy this feature.
Concessions
For added protection, some restaurants have reorganized their ordering lines. Other concessions have adopted touchless technology for ordering and paying online. Menus are a QR code away, allowing passengers to order and pay online.
Be Patient
As a reminder, please be patient and courteous to Airport employees who are working hard to make sure the travel experience is easy, enjoyable and safe.