Memorial Day will bring a high volume of local passengers to Charlotte Douglas International Airport as the busy summer travel season begins this weekend.
Passengers are strongly advised to book parking online and be inside the terminal at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. Security wait times are expected to reach up to 45 minutes during busy times. Fliers are also recommended to sign up for TSA PreCheck®,which helps expedite the screening process.
CLT is expecting approximately 142,000 passengers to begin their trip Thursday through Tuesday in addition to the approximately 295,000 connecting passengers. The Airport will have additional staff in the lobby to guide and assist passengers. By comparison, during Memorial Day weekend 2022 the Airport welcomed 124,000 local passengers and 277,000 connecting passengers.
Checkpoint B closed March 17 for expansion to include six Automated Screening Lanes and two standard lanes. It is scheduled to reopen by the end of the year. Standard lanes are located at Checkpoints A, D and E. TSA PreCheck® is located at Checkpoint C. Any checkpoint can get you to any gate.
For a smooth traveling experience, Don’t Fly by the Seat of Your Pants:
Book your parking when you book your flight.
- Visit parkCLT.com or the CLT Airport app for the best available rates.
- The Daily Decks and Express Deck Self Park are reservation only. All other parking facilities include spaces for drive-up customers (first come, first served, if available).
- CLT provides more than 21,000 public parking spaces.
Are You Here Yet?
- The Airport will be busy. Expect crowds and long lines at security checkpoints.
- Visit tsa.gov to learn what’s allowed through security checkpoints. Check with your airline for any additional restrictions for what is allowed on your aircraft.
- Monitor estimated security wait times on CLT’s website or app and remember any checkpoint can get you to any gate. Wait times can change frequently, therefore, check often. TSA strives to keep security wait times to 30 minutes or less for standard screening and under 15 minutes for TSA PreCheck®.
Construction Impacts
- The Terminal Lobby Expansion is nearly halfway complete and remains on target for a summer 2025 finish.
- In March, CLT opened new ticket counters on the TLE’s west side for Delta, Air Canada, JetBlue, Contour, Frontier, Southwest and United airlines.
New Concessions/Amenities
- CLT has more than 60 restaurant locations and more are on the way. SAMBAZON offers ready-to-eat acai bowls, energy drinks, frozen desserts, frozen sorbet and fruit juices. It is located on Concourse D. Wow Bao on Concourse C debuted in April with pan-seared potstickers, steamed dumplings, rice and noodle bowls, soups, salads, specialty drinks and bao, a Chinese steamed bread roll filled with meat or vegetables.
- PDQ will open on Concourse E later this summer. Midwood Smokehouse will debut in the fall on Concourse B and a second Panera Bread will open on Concourse E by the end of the year.