Holiday travel tips

This week marks the beginning of a busy holiday travel season at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. We are excited to once again connect you to the people and places that matter most this season. With new service to Nashville, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville, nonstop destinations to perennial favorites, and convenient connections, holiday travel is easy with GSP. To get you started, we have compiled our top tips for holiday travel. 

Getting to the Airport 

Arrive early! Passengers are encouraged to leave plenty of time to get to the airport, check-in for their flight, and clear security. Plan to arrive two hours prior to departure time. To save time at the ticket counter, use your airline’s website or mobile app to check-in for your flight. Keep in mind that some ticket counters close 45 minutes before departure.

Plan to park. For Thanksgiving holiday travel, Parking Garage A and B and Economy Lot P2 will be open at the posted daily rates. The garages are equipped with Park Assist technology to help you quickly find open spaces. Just look for a green light overhead to find an open space.

Save time and pre-book parking to guarantee a space in your preferred garage or parking lot. Book online at gspairport.com/parking. When you arrive at the airport, you can easily enter and exit your lot with touchless license plate recognition. You may also enter or exit the lot by showing a code on your mobile device or printed parking reservation receipt. 

Take the shuttle to and from Economy Lot P2. Just in time for the holidays, GSP’s free shuttle service to and from the economy parking lot is back. The shuttle continuously picks up passengers at designated shelters in the lot. Travelers can catch the shuttle back to their vehicles from the middle curb outside of baggage claim. 

Use the Live Shuttle Tracker to locate the shuttle bus for a quick, convenient trip to economy parking. 

Picking up passengers at GSP?  If you have family or friends arriving for the holidays, check the flight status at gspairport.com. The flight may be on-time, delayed, or scheduled for an early arrival. While you wait for your loved one to arrive, take advantage of GSP’s Cell Phone Lot. The lot is free, easily accessible, and less than a one-minute drive to the terminal. If you plan to greet your loved ones inside the terminal, parking is available in Garage A or B at hourly rates. Click here for a map of our parking lots. 

Prepare for TSA Security Checkpoint 

The busy travel season may mean longer lines at the security checkpoint. Be sure to become familiar with the TSA screening process prior to your flight and follow these tips to help make the security screening more efficient.

GSP’s homepage provides current TSA security wait times or you can search for average wait times by day and hour on the MyTSA app. 

Have your documents ready. The security checkpoint is equipped with credential authentication technology (CAT). With this touchless technology, travelers insert their ID into the CAT unit. The unit scans the ID and informs the TSA officer whether it is a valid ID and confirms that the passenger is confirmed on a flight that day. In most cases, passengers will not be required to present a boarding pass at the checkpoint. 

Follow the 3-1-1 rule. Liquids, gels, aerosols, creams, and pastes in carry-on luggage must be 3.4 ounces or less and all containers must fit in a single quart-size plastic bag. Due to COVID-19, TSA is allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags. Passengers will be required to remove the larger container from their carry-on bag and place it in a bin for additional screening. 

Be prepared to remove personal items and electronics. Remove coats or jackets, belts, jewelry, and shoes, and ensure your pockets are empty before screening. TSA requires all electronics larger than a cell phone to be removed from carry-on bags and placed in a bin. TSA PreCheck members are not required to remove coats, shoes, and belts.

Don’t leave anything behind! Check the bins and collect your personal items before leaving the screening area. Often, travelers leave behind laptops, wallets, IDs, phones, and loose change. Be sure to collect all of your personal items. 

In the terminal

Grab a bite before the flight. If you have time before your flight, try The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck for a welcoming, relaxed dining experience. Be sure to also try Flight Line GSP by RJ Rockers, GSP’s own craft beer available exclusively at the airport. For a quick bite, grab something at Chick-Fil-A, Flatwood Grill, Dunkin Donuts, Baskin Robbins, or our newest restaurant, QDOBA Mexican Eats. Click here for a list of all open restaurants and their hours and locations. 

Unwind. Traveling during the holidays can be stressful. Take a moment to unwind by visiting the MAG Escape Lounge, taking a stroll in the garden, or learning more about South Carolina’s first legal moonshine at the Palmetto Distillery retail store. 

Keep kids entertained. GSP is making traveling with kids a little easier. Stop by the Information Center, located adjacent to baggage claim, to pick up a free First Time Flyer kit. The kit includes airport and aviation-themed toys and activities to provide entertainment before, during, and after the flight. Fun for kids, essential for parents.

Forget something? No problem. Preparing for travel can be hectic and inevitably you may forget essentials. Hudson News has four locations in the terminal with everything you need from personal protective equipment (PPE) and personal hygiene items to electronics and snacks. Also, vending kiosks are conveniently located on Concourses A and B. The kiosks offer electronics, cosmetics, PPE, and pharmacy products, including popular brands like Beats, SAMSUNG, JBL, and Kylie Cosmetics.

Stay charged! Keep your mobile devices charged by using charging stations located in the gate area. If you need a little extra, stop by one of the FuelRod kiosks to purchase a reusable, portable charging unit that comes fully charged. FuelRods can deliver up to 8 hours of talk time on a smartphone and 4 hours of internet browsing on a tablet on a single charge.

Prepare for Takeoff

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires wearing a mask at all times while at the airport and on the aircraft. Courtesy masks are available through your airline or the GSP Information Center located near baggage claim. 

Visit our COVID-19 Updates page to review current requirements of your airline and TSA before heading to the airport. 

Shop GSP

Looking for a unique gift for your aviation enthusiast? We suggest you visit GSP’s online store for airport branded items and memorabilia. Purchases can be conveniently picked up at our Information Center or shipped anywhere in the United States.