Expect parking challenges at Las Vegas airport during busiest travel week of year

As the busiest travel period of the year approaches, Harry Reid International Airport is forecasting airport parking garages to be at or near capacity starting Wednesday.

AAA projects 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period from Tuesday through Dec. 1. This year’s domestic travel forecast includes an additional 1.6 million travelers compared with last Thanksgiving, setting an overall record, AAA said.

What that means for travelers getting out of Las Vegas by air is that the parking garages at the airport will be at or near capacity from Wednesday through at least Saturday.

There is at least one promising glimmer of hope: The parking garages at Terminal 3 don’t fill up as quickly as those at Terminal 1, so it’s possible to find long-term parking at Terminal 3 throughout the entire week.

“Thanksgiving is the single busiest travel holiday of the year,” said John Treanor, a spokesperson for AAA Mountain West Group, which includes Nevada. “Whether it’s visiting extended family or meeting up with friends, people are willing to brave the crowds and make last-minute adjustments to their plans to make lifelong memories.”

AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel by car, nearly 90 percent of all Thanksgiving travelers. That figure could end up being higher if air travelers whose flights are canceled, or people who want to avoid airports, decide to drive. This year, AAA projects an additional 1.3 million travelers on the road compared with last Thanksgiving but given recent flight reductions that number could be higher.

Fair-weather delays

Airport officials also remind travelers that flight delays can occur even if the weather is at its best in Southern Nevada because stormy weather elsewhere can snarl airline networks and ruin schedules.

According to AAA, 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2 percent increase compared with 2024.

The number of Thanksgiving air travelers over the past several years — with the exception of 2020 — has been between 5 million and 6 million.

But that number is in flux after potential travelers weighed the options of flying or driving in light of the Federal Aviation Administration’s decision to require airlines to reduce their schedules by 6 percent during the last days of the 43-day federal government shutdown.

While Reid encountered no significant delays during the shutdown, it was affected by delays at other airports.

For those leaving Las Vegas during the holiday, Reid officials are recommending a healthy round of pre-planning.

For those parking their cars at Reid, airport officials are forecasting spaces available at the remote lot and the Terminal 1 overflow lot. They’re saying the Terminal 3 long-term lot will be near capacity. And, they say the Terminal 1 long-term and Terminal 1 economy lots are likely to be full.

Airport parking reservations

Reservations can be made for a parking space for $28 a day at Terminal 1 (parking garage Level 2M) or $21 a day at Terminal 3 (Level 1) by accessing harryreidairport.com/parking.

Officials reminded travelers that parking in the remote lot requires a shuttle ride to the terminal and to figure an additional 30 minutes into their timing.

While improvements are still years away, Reid officials are planning to add parking near the airport as part of a multibillion-dollar project announced earlier this year.

Reid representatives noted that even if a traveler’s airline leaves from Terminal 1 they can park at Terminal 3 and use the Transportation Security Administration security lines there, accessing their gates by using the in-airport tram systems.

For those traveling out of town, the simplest plan is get dropped off at the airport by a friend or through taxis and ride-hailing services. But Reid officials say travelers should use the 4-3-2-1 Plan: Arrange ground transportation or return a rental car four hours before flight time; check bags with your airline three hours before; enter the TSA checkpoint line two hours before; and be at your gate and ready to board your flight one hour before.

Reid recommends that infrequent fliers review what can and can’t be brought through TSA security lines and that all travelers keep up to date on potential flight delays from their respective airlines. They suggest travelers pack medications, chargers and other travel essentials in carry-on bags, not suitcases, in case of weather or traffic delays.

While Thanksgiving is not a particularly robust time for travel to Las Vegas, it’s the in-the-middle lull between two busy travel periods — the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix ending Saturday and the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which runs Dec. 4-13.

The establishment of the F1 race the week before Thanksgiving has been strategically planned by tourism leaders to build visitation during what traditionally had been one of the slowest weeks on the calendar. The market has reacted with unusually high hotel rates before and after Thanksgiving, but big-bargain low rates the week of the holiday.

Higher gas prices

For motorists, gassing up the day before travel is recommended by AAA, which says in Nevada, gasoline prices are up 14 cents since last year, to an average of $3.88 per gallon of regular gasoline.

AAA says motorists can find current gas and electric charging prices along their route using the AAA Mobile App, available on CarPlay.

Last Thanksgiving holiday period, nationally AAA responded to nearly 600,000 emergency roadside assistance calls to help stranded drivers with issues such as dead batteries, flat tires and empty fuel tanks.

AAA stresses having a plan in place before Thanksgiving, using ride-share services, designating a sober driver or taking public transit to ensure the safety of everyone on the roads.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, from 2019 to 2023, the death toll in drunken-driving crashes during Thanksgiving festivities was 868, more than one-third of all fatalities in traffic crashes during that holiday period.

Contact Richard N. Velotta at rvelotta@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3893. Follow @RickVelotta on X.