DFW Airport expecting 4.7 million spring break travelers
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Hit the road or the air, Jack. Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Spring break travel may come with some hiccups this year, depending on where travelers are heading.
The big picture: DFW Airport and Dallas Love Field have so far avoided long security lines amid the partial government shutdown, which has led to Transportation Security Administration staffing shortages at some airports.
- Travelers in New Orleans and Houston faced hours-long TSA wait times at the start of the week. Atlanta and Charlotte airports also saw significant checkpoint delays.
Driving the news: Spring break begins Monday for many North Texas school districts, including Dallas, Fort Worth and Plano.
- Some districts are also using either Friday or March 23 as a staff development day, giving students an extra day off to extend their break.
State of travel: DFW Airport is expecting about 4.7 million travelers from March 5-24 — down slightly from last year — with March 13-16 and March 20-23 as the busiest days.
- Love Field expects about 530,000 Southwest travelers from March 9-23, down from around 580,000 travelers during the same period last year.
- This year's numbers may change as travelers book last-minute flights, a Love Field spokesperson tells Axios.
DFW travel: Construction at DFW Airport may make it harder to get to the terminals, especially Terminal C.
- Airport officials suggest arriving at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours prior to international flights. Check wait times, parking availability and shuttle timings beforehand.
Love travel: Road construction along Mockingbird Lane may cause delays heading to the airport.
- Airport officials recommend arriving two hours before your flight and checking flight times with your airline before heading over.
- The airport posts updates on X and Facebook.
Zoom out: Texas is among the states with the most rental car bookings on Hertz, per AAA, though gas prices may make road trips pricey this year.
- If you're still trying to make plans, Southern Living has these recommendations for getaways in Texas.