SLC Closes Pedestrian Walkway from Economy Lot

Salt Lake City’s Terminal Redevelopment Program is now in full swing. Utility work continues in the economy parking area and large, blue cranes to the north now mark the site of what will be the rental car service facilities. These changes are exciting and certainly challenging, yet nothing is more important to us than the safety of our passengers during this project.

That is why as of December 2, 2014, Salt Lake City Department of Airports is permanently closing its pedestrian walkway from the Economy Lot. The walking path will cross an active construction zone and will not provide safe ingress and egress to and from the terminals. All passengers must now utilize the Economy Lot shuttle buses, which will provide safe and reliable transportation to the terminals and back to your vehicles upon your return.

Several of you have asked us if the walkway will reopen after construction is completed in 2019. Final designs are not complete but initial plans call for a pedestrian access lot closer to the new terminal.

Your safety is of the utmost importance to us. To those who prefer to walk, we’re sorry we can no longer provide you with this experience before your flight and appreciate your patience. We can, however, provide you a safe and relaxing experience with our shuttle buses and friendly parking staff.

If you’re interested in receiving e-mail updates about the Terminal Redevelopment Program, e-mail us at airportupdate@slcgov.com and we will add you to the list.

Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks at SLC

The holidays have officially arrived this week as passengers make their way across the country for Thanksgiving weekend. While Thanksgiving is a busy time for many U.S. airports, it is not the busiest weekend for us at Salt Lake City International. Nevertheless, this holiday gives us the chance to cover smart travel tips and the opportunity to give thanks to our passengers and community.

We have covered travel tips on this blog before, but here’s a refresher:

• The best trips begin before you’ve left your home. Pack as light as possible, place identification on your bags, limit liquids to 3.4 ounces on carry-ons, and leave any gifts unwrapped. Print your boarding pass or save it on your phone. Check the status of your airplane on your airline’s website or smartphone app so you can adjust your schedule accordingly.

• Give yourself plenty of time. Guidelines recommend arriving to the airport at least 90 minutes before your departure time for a domestic and two hours before an international flight. If you’re parking here, tack on a few extra minutes. Our new south economy parking area is now open but you’ll want time to familiarize yourself. We’ll have extra staff and shuttle buses throughout the busy weekend to help you get to the terminals and to your gates.

• Other resources: Have you considered TSA’s Pre-Check program for future travel? Pre-Check expedited screening is a great amenity for SLC passengers looking for a quicker, easier security experience. More great travel tips and information can be found on the TSA website www.tsa.gov and their handy (and free) smartphone app My TSA.

Since you’re a savvy traveler who plans ahead, you may find yourself with a little extra time once you’re here. And that’s okay! Relax, have a drink or snack at one of over 30 restaurants, and enjoy the festive environment and live music throughout the terminals on Wednesday. You may even see our therapy dogs roaming the terminals.

Lastly, we are proud to announce that SLC Airport employees donated over 500 pounds of food for its holiday food drive, benefiting the Utah Food Bank. We love the community we serve and are proud to give so that all families can have a great Thanksgiving.

For those who call SLC International Airport “home” and for those who are simply passing through, we wish you safe travels and a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Salt Lake City International Remains the Nation’s Most On-Time Airport

Once again, Salt Lake City International has been named the #1 airport in the country for on-time departures! This according to a yearly analysis conducted by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and reported by Travel and Leisure Magazine this month. SLC is no stranger to this title and has consistently received top marks for on-time departures (and arrivals) throughout the years.

Many people ask us how SLC maintains its punctual record. A lot of credit is due to our world-class Operations staff that maintains the airfield, plows runways, de-ices airplanes, and keeps the airport functioning every single day. Our dedicated team of FAA employees works to safely and efficiently clear landings and takeoffs and keeps navigation aids working properly.

Additionally, we are fortunate to be served by eight airlines that provide reliable service to our passengers and our community. Delta Air Lines, our major air carrier, typically ranks among the top of the list for on-time performance. Salt Lake City’s convenient inter-mountain location, orientation, and geography also contribute to our impressive on-time history.

For all these reasons, SLC is glad to own the bragging rights to “most on-time airport” for another year!

SLC International Celebrates First Redevelopment Milestone

This morning, Salt Lake City International opened its new south parking area to the public, adding 2,900 spaces to the existing Economy Lot. The opening of the south parking lot marks the first construction milestone for SLC’s Terminal Redevelopment Program that began in July of this year.

To commemorate the “soft” opening, we did some reverse trick-or-treating, and gave the first ten customers to park in the lot gift bags, including three days of free parking. We appreciate our passengers and enjoyed the opportunity to give back to a few of those who park and travel through SLC!

The new “Red Section” offers state-of-the-art LED lighting, convenient access to the terminals and, as with all our economy parking, includes heated shelters and service with CNG buses. Friendly Central Parking staff members (801-575-2887) are always available to assist you.

What is next for Salt Lake City’s Terminal Redevelopment Program? Construction of the new rental car facilities on the north side of the Economy Lot has already begun. Stay tuned for more updates on “The New SLC” right here on our blog.  Safe travels and happy flying!

Welcome and tips for holiday travel

Welcome to the blog for Salt Lake City International Airport! We are excited about using this tool to communicate to our passengers and the community about the things going on at our airport. We look forward to sharing stories about how we operate on a day-to-day basis as well as the exciting changes underway as SLC undergoes a complete redevelopment. We hope you’ll come back to our blog regularly!

We thought we would use our first post to focus on a few important travel tips as we go into Utah Education Association (UEA) weekend, October 16-19. However, this information applies throughout the busy holiday travel season as well.

Be smart about luggage. Pack as light as possible, keep gifts unwrapped and put identification on your bags. Bags with more than 3.4 ounces of liquid must be checked. Make sure your carry-on items meet airline size standards and keep your medicines with you. More great tips can be found on the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) page at http://www.tsa.gov.

Plan ahead. Check your flight status on your airline’s website or mobile app. Call Central Parking (801-575-2887) to check rates and availability in our economy lot or our parking garage. You can also call our local TSA representative (801-660-6022) or download the free TSA app to check security line wait times.

Get here early. Save yourself the stress and arrive at the airport with enough time to park, catch a shuttle bus, check luggage (if necessary) and get through security. Airlines recommend passengers arrive 90 minutes before a domestic flight, however utility work in the economy lot related to the redevelopment and additional holiday traffic may require a little extra time. If you need extra assistance, our friendly staff is available to help you as well as additional shuttle buses to get you to the terminals.

In other good news, the parking construction is scheduled for completion by early November, 2014. This will create a new south economy lot with 2,900 additional parking spaces and will be available in time for holiday travel.

Take a photo of your row and shuttle stop. Back in the old days, we used to write notes to remind ourselves where we parked. Now we can quickly snap a photo with our smart phone to help guide us back to our vehicles in our post-vacation haze.

Wherever your travels take you, we hope you have a fantastic and stress-free flight. Thank you for flying through Salt Lake City!