Busy Holiday Travel At PDX Airport
Portland, Ore. – Today is one of the busiest days of the holiday season at PDX Airport. More than 56,000 people are expected to fly through Portland. You’ll need to prepare for long lines, so it’s best to get there early. If you’re parking your car at the airport, we can tell you the economy lot is at least about 80-percent full.
Must be the holidays! pic.twitter.com/ppIdc4CdEx
— Rosemary Reynolds (@RosemaryKXL) December 23, 2019
Click here to see if your flight is running on time.
Amtrak service is still disrupted after Friday’s landslide that covered tracks near Tacoma. Amtrak has suspended multiple trains between Seattle and Portland. The slide was cleared off the tracks Sunday afternoon…so now it’s up to Amtrak to resume service. The Seattle Times is reporting that will happen today. They’ve been running charter buses in place of the trains over the weekend.
Read more from the Port of Portland:
Holiday Travel Takes Off at Portland International Airport
While the Twelve Days of Christmas technically begin on Christmas Day and run for the 12 days following, at the Portland International Airport, 12 busy days of holiday travel begins today!
Celebrate the season at PDX by planning next year’s vacation and tapping into the technological enhancements aimed at making travel easier.
Facts & Stats
For 12 days of December holiday travel, spanning from Thurs., Dec. 19 through Mon., Dec. 30, Portland International Airport expects to welcome nearly 650,000 travelers. The airport again expects to end the calendar year welcoming 19.8 million travelers.
On each of the 12 days, PDX expects to see more than 50,000 travelers daily, with peak travel days forecast for the Monday before Christmas (Dec. 23 with 56,300 travelers) and the Monday before New Year’s Eve (Dec. 30 with 55,962 travelers).
New Year, Next Vacation
The PDX family continues to grow with British Airways’ recent announcement of new nonstop service to London’s Heathrow Airport beginning June 1, 2020.
The airline will serve PDX year-round with the airport’s first scheduled service aboard a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a quieter, more fuel-efficient aircraft that offers passengers an elevated cabin experience including vaulted ceilings, adjustable LED lighting, larger windows, an air purification system designed to reduce jet lag and fatigue, and large enough overhead bins to accommodate four full-sized wheeled cabin suitcases.
As well, the airlines already serving PDX continue to add flights to new destinations. If holiday plans have kept you grounded, start the new year right by exploring these domestic or international destinations:
- Sun Country Airlines added a seasonal nonstop flight to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on Dec. 18 to bring the airline’s total nonstop offerings from PDX to nine destinations.
- Delta Air Lines’ nonstop service from PDX to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport begins March 28. As part of the airport’s winter promotion, travelers can enter to win a pair of round-trip tickets on the new flight (no purchase necessary).
- On June 3, Sun Country will launch twice weekly nonstop service from PDX to Madison, Wis. (Come 2020, let’s make that 10 nonstop offerings from this rapidly growing airline!)
- Y’all take note: Southwest plans to begin flying seasonal nonstop service from PDX to Nashville, Tenn. starting June 6. Grand Ole Opry anyone?
- Alaska Airlines plans to fly nonstop to San Luis Obispo, Calif. starting June 18. With the airline’s Wine Flies Free program, travelers can check a case of wine with no baggage fee, after visiting 31 West Coast cities, including San Luis Obispo.
For international travelers, remember that PDX accepts Mobile Passport, which simplifies some of the paperwork when you return to PDX from an international trip. While the app doesn’t replace your passport, it saves you time in line and eliminates paper forms.
More Technology, Enhancing Travel
Better, Faster Wi-Fi. While there was (and remains) no charge to access the airport-wide public Wi-Fi, the Port recognized there was room for service improvement. As such, PDX recently upgraded the airport-wide public Wi-Fi. Travelers should see better Wi-Fi connectivity now and faster internet speeds throughout the airport terminal, including in the pedestrian tunnels between baggage claim and the rental car facility.
Fewer Dropped Calls: Throughout the past few years, travelers have reported cell phone calls disconnecting more than they would expect when they are at PDX. Enter Boingo, the company that has installed a neutral host distributed antenna system (DAS) in the airport, designed to boost cellular coverage on smartphones. When using cellular data to stream, browse or make a phone call, the DAS network works behind the scenes to eliminate “dead zones” for improved connectivity across voice and data applications as travelers meander through the airport.
Parking made easier. An enhanced parking guidance system being installed in the Short-Term Garage uses red and green lights to guide drivers to available spots and tells drivers how many parking spots are available on each level, and in each row. Further, can’t remember where you parked? Download the Park Assist app for your smartphone, search for or scroll to the Portland Airport, and then enter your license plate number and you’ll receive a map pinpointing the location of your vehicle in the garage!
Need more T.P? The airport’s restrooms now have signage that directs customers to send a text message, scan a QR code, visit a website, or call and leave a message to share feedback about restroom conditions. The feedback is routed directly to the airport’s janitorial supervisors for action, which allows PDX to continually improve the passenger experience.
Help is a text message away. If you need assistance during your passage through PDX between the hours of 6 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. (7 days/week), text us! Customers can send questions via text message to the customer service team at 503-460-4324. We’re here to help!
Food for the flight. Since app-based delivery service AtYourGate launched at PDX in March, they have delivered more than 6,000 orders to PDX travelers. Travelers can select products from more than 15 different shops and restaurants, pay through the app and have items delivered to their airport location. Download the app for your smartphone and check the airport’s website for a full list of participating establishments.
Rideshare ready. During peak times, PDX can see more than 500 rideshare pickups per hour. In May, PDX designated specific areas for each rideshare brand. At the same time, Lyft and Uber implemented programs where customers use their apps to request a ride and are given a code. The traveler takes the code to the designated Uber or Lyft area and is matched with the next available car, making it faster to catch rideshares from the airport.
For the latest airport news and information, visit www.flypdx.com, or @flyPDX on Twitter, or the airport’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/flypdx. You can also follow the airport on Instagram: @pdxairport