As Spring Break Begins, Passengers Expected To Pack FL Airports

TAMPA BAY, FL — With coronavirus pandemic protocols eased by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the first time in two years, officials at Tampa International Airport and St. Pete-Clearwater Airport are expecting heavy crowds with the official start of spring break this weekend.

Officials at both airports say, if the number of travelers who came through the airports, located just 11 miles from one another, in January and February are any indication, this could be the busiest spring break on record.

Over the past several days, Tampa International has seen passenger counts that exceed the 2019 totals, before the pandemic, halted international flights, by 29 percent, said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano.

He said the 2022 spring break period, which runs through April 26, will see peak days that could reach nearly 88,000 passengers and many that will exceed 80,000 — also topping 2019's spring break, which was a record-breaking year.

In comparison, in March 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic was declared, Lopano said the numbers were "dismally low" in March and April and, in 2021, as the world continued to struggle with the impact of the virus, Tampa International saw about 65,000 passengers per day during peak times.

Lopano said the marked rise in passengers over the past few weeks reflects the rapidly returning demand for travel combined with less fear as COVID-19 cases drop sharply around the globe.

Like the U.S., many countries have loosened restrictions and testing protocols, particularly for vaccinated travelers, and more tourist attractions and destinations have reopened with safety measures in place.

Lopano said Tampa is also seeing some of its international traffic return after British Airways resumed nonstop flights to London in November, Eurowings Discover launched flights to Frankfurt in December and, this week, Edelweiss Air resumed its twice-weekly service between Tampa and Zurich.

See related story: Edelweiss Air Returns To TPA With Nonstop Service From Zurich

Tampa International also has nonstop service to Panama, Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Grand Cayman and the Bahamas.

A Piece Of The Pie

With the addition of new airlines and new nonstop flights at St. Pete-Clearwater International in the past year, PIE Airport Director Tom Jewsbury is equally optimistic.

Allegiant began a new nonstop route to St. Petersburg-Clearwater International from Akron, Ohio, on Friday.

The new nonstop route from Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) to St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport will operate twice a week, opening up an opportunity for landlocked Northeast Ohio residents to easily travel to Florida to enjoy Tampa Bay's beaches. Allegiant also added a nonstop connection from Wichita, Kansas, in November.

"St. Pete-Clearwater is one of the most popular destinations in Allegiant's network," said Drew Wells, Allegiant's senior vice president of revenue and network planning. "This new route will give our customers in Northeast Ohio an affordable, convenient travel option for their vacations to one of the hottest markets in Florida."

Additionally, in November, PIE welcomed Swoop Airlines, offering nonstop flights from Toronto and Hamilton, Canada, the first international flights at the St. Pete-Clearwater airport since the pandemic began.

Also in November, Sun Country Airlines launched a new route from St. Pete-Clearwater to Minneapolis-St. Paul and Allegiant added a new nonstop connection from Wichita, Kansas.

The airport now serves more than 60 nonstop destinations, the most in its history. Before the pandemic, PIE had roughly 55 nonstop flights.

In January, passenger traffic at PIE increased 48 percent from January 2021, with 143,414 people flying out or into the airport.

If you plan to be among those traveling by plane this spring break, here are some tips that could make your visit to the airport less stressful.

• Parking: You can book your parking in advance at Tampa International with the easy-to-use online booking system that not only guarantees you a spot when you arrive at your garage of choice, but it saves you money, too. It also helps the airport anticipate parking needs during peak times, making it easier to direct vehicles where they need to go and reduce spot-hunting time for drivers.

With the additional traffic coming into St. Pete-Clearwater airport, expect all the airports parking lots, including economy parking, to reach capacity quality. So, consider arranging transportation to the airport.

PIE parking lots are open two hours before the first departure of the day and one hour after the last flight arrives. Cash, credit cards and debit cards are accepted. The long-term parking lots are adjacent to the terminal within walking distance. The economy parking lot offers a complimentary shuttle service to and from the terminal.

• Mask up: For now, the Transportation Security Administration requires face covering inside airports and on commercial flights, at least until March 18 when the mask requirement expires and the TSA decides whether to suspend or extend the requirement.

• In the bag: At Tampa International, choose Express if you're not checking luggage. TPA’s Blue Express Curbsides have been open since November, offering a streamlined route for both arriving and departing passengers who don’t need to check bags or stop at Baggage Claim.

• Better early: During busy travel periods such as holidays and spring break, it’s always a good idea to give yourself extra time to avoid rushing or stressing. Both TPA and PIE recommend arriving at the airport at least two hours before your departure time. This is especially important if you're departing from PIE. There are ongoing road and parking construction projects around the airport that may cause additional delays.

If you're flying internationally, both airports advise giving yourself an additional hour.

• Take a tour: If you arrive early and find yourself with time on your hands, explore the public artworks and shops at both airports.

TIA's public arts collection includes 22 wool tapestries. The tapestries were woven by hand by 20 women from Phumlalanga, Swaziland in Africa, under the direction of artists Ron Renmark and Michael Reck.

The Main Terminal Ticketing Level features 28 Cirkut images depicting Tampa Bay's history by brothers Al and Jean Burgert, who opened a photography studio with their father in Ybor City in 1899.

There's also a tropical fish tile collage by artist E. Joseph McCarty; 171 Polaroid images and 123 typed stories by Tampa Bay residents printed on aluminum by artist Sheryl Oring; a collection of seabird sculptures made of copper, nickel, silver and bronze alloys by artist Roy Butler; and a huge floor medallion by artists Kristen Jones and Andrew Ginze made of 22 glass and stone mosaic pieces, to name just a few of the artworks on exhibit.

PIE also highlights the area's history with a replica of the aircraft flown by Tony Jannus in 1914 when he made the first commercial flight in Tampa Bay.

The airport also features a 45-foot blown and painted glass piece at the main entrance along with glass, wood, metal, ceramic, mixed media and paintings by renowned Florida artists throughout the terminal.

PIE also offers a Bark Park for family pets on the go and a kids zone featuring a replica air traffic control tower where kids can practice taking off and landing planes.

Shops at TIA include Mindworks featuring children's toys and games; Tampa Bay Sports with authentic professional and college sports merchandise; and Tampa Life, featuring gifts from the Dali Museum and Tampa Bay History Center; Spanx, founded by Tampa Bay woman entrepreneur Sara Blakely; plus a version of Tampa's famous Ron John Surf Shop.

At PIE, passengers can shop for souvenirs, books and magazines at the Sand & Skye Shoppe and Market 361.

Both airports feature downsized versions of Tampa Bay's most popular eateries including Mazzaro Italian Market, District Pub and 3 Daughters Brewing at PIE and P.F. Chang's, Hard Rock Cafe, Cigar City Brewing Ulele and Rumfish Grill at TPA.

This article originally appeared on the Tampa Patch