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6 tips for a smooth spring break trip from MSP

With record numbers of travelers expected this March, it's best to go in prepared.

MINNEAPOLIS — Traveling over spring break this year?

Sure, your trip will be nice and relaxing. But the airport part can be stressful, especially at one of the busiest times of the year.

Last year, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport saw record numbers of travelers over spring break in March, and they're expecting another record this year.

MSP says it will have extra workers directing travelers and helping at security checkpoints, allowing TSA staff to focus on screening travelers more efficiently.

The airport offers these tips for shortening your time with them, so you can get to the beach:

  1. Book your parking ahead of time. With record numbers of people parking, ramps could reach capacity. You can save your spot by pre-booking parking.
  2. Know which terminal your airline uses before you head to the airport. Condor, Icelandair, jetBlue, Southwest and Sun Country are at Terminal 2. All others use Terminal 1.
  3. Arrive at the airport at least two hours ahead of domestic departures, three hours ahead for international destinations. We know, you've heard it before. But it's true.
  4. Consider all your security checkpoint options. In addition to Terminal 1’s two largest checkpoints in the ticketing lobby, people with only carry-on items can also use two others: Checkpoint 10 (which recently expanded to two security lanes) is located between the Red and Blue parking ramps and open Monday through Friday 5:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.; and the checkpoint at the InterContinental Hotel MSP Airport is open to all travelers with only carry-on items, whether or not they are hotel guests, from 4:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. daily.
  5. Dropping off or picking up a friend? Consider using the east upper level roadway at Terminal 1, which is often less busy than the roadway directly in front of the terminal. Get there by driving up the ramp to Terminal 1’s departures level and staying left. Your traveler is then just a short skyway walk from the terminal entrance.
  6. Flying Delta? There are multiple sites to check bags. In addition to the Terminal 1 ticket lobby location, Delta offers bag check services on Level T (two levels below ticketing) as well as both skycap and traditional bag check services on the east upper level roadway. Delta’s east-side traditional bag-check desk is right inside doors six and seven, and its skycap service is near door eight.

Terminal 2

At Terminal 2, TSA sometimes opens Checkpoint 2 in addition to Checkpoint 1 during peak demand, MSP says. The number of security lanes at Checkpoint 2 is doubling from two to four, ahead of the busy March travel period.

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