DENVER — Travelers flying out of town for Memorial Day weekend can expect it to be busy at Denver International Airport.
Nearly 1.2 million passengers are expected to travel through DIA from May 26 to May 31, according to the airport — meeting or exceeding the number of travelers over the comparable period in 2019.
The busiest days are expected to be Friday, May 27 and Monday, May 30, with approximately 210,000 passengers estimated to travel through the airport on both days, DIA said.
The airport recommends all travelers arrive at least two hours before their scheduled boarding time to ensure there’s enough time to make it through security and arrive on time to board.
It comes at a time when Denver7 has received numerous tips from passengers reporting lines snaking into baggage claim in the last few weeks. However, many of the passengers later reported back to say it took less than 30 minutes to make it through the long lines.
The security line inside DIA is again back to the baggage claim area. The airport is reporting 20 - 30 minute wait times. pic.twitter.com/vJDate0UWG
— Jayson Luber (@Denver7Traffic) May 20, 2022
On May 12, Lorie Dankers, a public information officer for TSA, confirmed 71% of travelers from the seven days prior waited 15 minutes or less in the security line.
The peak times at the security checkpoint have been from 5-11 a.m. and 3-6 p.m. — particularly on Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays.
TSA has started to bring in additional staffing resources as peak, sustained summer travel volumes begin, Dankers said at the time.
Both TSA and DIA are also reminding travelers to ensure they’re going through the correct security checkpoints after making changes in November 2021.
North Security Checkpoint:
- Multiple dedicated TSA PreCheck (only) lanes
- CLEAR lanes for TSA PreCheck-eligible travelers
- Airline premium access lanes
- Very limited number of general screening lanes
South Security Checkpoint – general screening only:
- All lanes will provide general screening only
- CLEAR lanes for general screening travelers
A Bridge Security Checkpoint (open limited hours – generally in the morning through early afternoon):
- All lanes will provide general screening only
Passengers with questions about traveling at the airport can reach DIA’s customer service team by calling 303-342-2000 or 800-247-2336, texting 720-370-9002 or clicking the chat button on FlyDenver.com to connect with live agent from 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. daily.