 The holidays are almost here and travelers’ flying activity is expected to increase significantly in the days ahead.
Daily passenger numbers at MSP Airport are expected to rise in the days ahead of each of the three remaining weekends in December. Thursday the 22nd and Monday the 26th are expected to be among the busiest days at MSP.
MSP will have additional staff in the ticketing lobbies to direct passengers to appropriate lines and help with wayfinding and other questions. We still recommend that passengers arrive two hours ahead of domestic flights, three hours ahead of international flights, and suggest you stay in touch with your airline regarding your flight’s status.
MSP is offering discounts for Prebooked Parking during the holiday, which will allow you to save $7 a day on Daily parking at Terminal 1 ramps from Wed., Dec. 21 to Tuesday, Jan. 3. And Prebooked always guarantees a parking space for $2 less than daily drive-up rates.
If the inbound roadway at Terminal 1 gets crowded, remember that drivers can go up or down to the terminal’s departures or arrivals levels to pick up or drop off passengers. For pick-ups, also consider using the cell phone lot on Post Road, where you can stage yourself while you wait for a call from your passenger after they have their bags.
If you’re flying with children, please visit the TSA’s tips for traveling with children, and other travel tips including what you can and cannot bring through security. You can also discover additional MSP resources to help you travel with confidence.
Once inside, you’ll notice a variety of new dining options, especially if you haven’t been to MSP in a while. For pre-flight dining, you have options to make your airport experience time-efficient at both terminals. At Terminal 1, MSP ASAP offers options to order ahead and pick up your items. At Terminal 2, travelers can order ahead from several restaurants and skip the lines.
Plan ahead to make your seasonal travels a joy!
As you pass through MSP Airport this holiday season, there are opportunities to visit with Santa and take in the remaining schedule of Arts@MSP’s seasonal performances, which is already underway.
Santa will be at Terminal 1 from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. on both Friday, Dec. 16 and Tuesday, Dec. 20.
We will also have balloon artist elves making delightful shapes for travelers on Thursday, Dec. 22, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
You can also catch popular musicians in the days ahead, including José James on Dec. 16 at Terminal 2 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; and the The Twins of Franklin (pictured) on Dec. 22 on the Terminal 1 mall from 10 a.m. to noon, which is also the day David Gerald Sutton performs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the mall.
If you’re in Terminal 1 today, Dec. 15, look for Nur-D performing on the mall from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Visit this webpage to find the full list of remaining performances and enjoy the Sounds of the Season!
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 Even if your last visit to MSP Airport was only a month or two ago, you’ll find some brand new concessions when you pass through Terminal 1 during the December holidays.
On the baggage claim level, a Caribou Coffee shop recently opened near baggage carousel 6. As you’re waiting for your bags and then heading out, pick up your favorite brew or a delicious pastry.
On Concourse A in the food court, travelers will now find Greek Kitchen, which offers authentic Greek cuisine. Choose from gyro, falafel and rotisserie chicken served as a plate or in a pita wrap. Or enjoy Greek-seasoned fries with feta, oregano and lemon, among other options.
More MSP dining options are opening in coming weeks, continuing to broaden your selections!
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As part of MSP Airport’s continuing emphasis on accessibility for all passengers, the design of renovated space in Terminal 1 restrooms includes adult changing tables, which are now found in three locations.
The changing tables assist individuals and their caregivers. The tables serve a variety of purposes, including changing of clothes or incontinence aids, personal care, therapy and other health needs.
The three restrooms with adult changing tables at Terminal 1 are located:
- On Concourse D near the Traveler's Assistance main office
- On Concourse G near gate G17
- Pre-security on the arrivals level, near baggage carousel 6
Both the Concourse G and arrivals level restrooms are equipped with a hoist.
To learn more about the broad range of accessibility services offered at MSP, visit this webpage.
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MSP Airport is moving to cashless parking on Jan. 1, 2023, broadening the contact-free experience for customers and streamlining operations in all airport parking ramps. Parking customers paying with a credit card will use the same procedure as they do today. All major credit cards are accepted at drive-up pay stations.
Remember that you can make your contact-free parking experience even more seamless by using MSP’s Prebooked Parking system, where the lowest daily rates are always available. The confirmation email for your parking reservation includes a QR code that you can load into your phone’s wallet, further simplifying the process.
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The Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) would like to better understand its market position and identify opportunities to strengthen our brand and identity. We are assessing stakeholder and traveler perceptions about the MAC, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and reliever airports.
You are invited to complete this brief survey to tell us what you think.
Thank you in advance for your participation! We value your input.
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 Your winter getaway travel plans now include another option, as Frontier Airlines announced recently that it will start direct service to Phoenix from MSP starting on Friday, Jan. 6.
Phoenix is one of MSP’s most popular destinations, providing access to summer weather in the heart of our winter, and offering numerous attractions. Find more Phoenix tourism information here and here.
Frontier departs from Terminal 2 at MSP. Visit Frontier’s website to get more information about flights.
Also visit MSP’s direct route map to see all the nonstop destinations served out of MSP.
The full enforcement deadline for REAL ID has been extended to May 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced recently
The extension means that Minnesotans and all U.S. residents have extra time to get a REAL ID card, or acceptable alternative identification, which will be required to board domestic airline flights in 2025.
You can find a list of alternatives to a REAL ID card, and additional information, at the TSA’s REAL ID webpage. The requirement stems from a federal law passed in 2005 to battle terrorism and identity fraud. The deadline for compliance in Minnesota has been pushed back previously, however, the 2025 deadline should prompt flyers to use the extra time to get a compliant form of identification.
MSP Airport and the Metropolitan Airports Commission have been working with Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety to get out the word about REAL ID, and to provide opportunities for travelers to update their driver’s license. Find general information here, and details about the REAL ID licensing location at MSP Airport here.
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In more accolades for MSP Airport, the Wall Street Journal recently named MSP the third best airport among the 20 largest U.S. airports in its list of "The Best and Worst Airports of 2022."
MSP ranked just behind San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in the top spot and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta (ATL) at No. 2.
The Wall Street Journal scored the 20 largest airports on "19 factors from on-time performance and security waits to J.D. Power customer-satisfaction score and ticket prices."
The WSJ rankings put the most weight on “reliability,” and MSP’s score of 66 in that category was topped only by SFO at 72. MSP also scored well in the "convenience" category.
In September, MSP ranked No. 1 among "mega airports" in the 2022 J.D. Power North America Airport Satisfaction Study – just ahead of SFO at No. 2.
In March, MSP earned top honors as the best airport in North American in its size category, as measured by the Airports Council International Airport Service Quality program – the airport’s fifth top-spot performance in the last six years.
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The December holiday season is popular for air travel, and it's also the prime season for booking winter getaways. We have an ongoing survey that gauges attitudes about air travel, whatever the season, and your answers are helping shape the MSP experience.
One thing we already know: travel is back. Our surveys are now showing that 88 percent of respondents would be willing to get on a plane tomorrow, a figure that's almost triple what it was at the start of the pandemic.
Even if you’ve already taken the survey, please consider taking it again, as your thoughts and answers may have changed over time. We also add new questions each month. This month, we're asking "Do you know about REAL ID and are you prepared for the requirement to take effect in May, 2025?" Find more information here.
Among topics that survey takers have shown an interest in: MSP's safety initiatives related to the pandemic, which are a part of our Travel Confidently MSP program.
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