PIE Holiday Travel Tips

Nov 13, 2024

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) Holiday Travel Tips

Happy Holidays to all!  Please plan ahead to help make your travel easy as PIE!  Holidays are a very busy time at the airport, so please be patient and follow these travel tips.

 Airport Travel Tips

Go Easy! Visit the airport website fly2pie.com and become familiar with our parking, terminal map, airlines, and TSA tips!

  • Parking options are limited at the airport.  Watch our parking video for tips. There is no reservations system for parking. Once Long-term Parking is full, you will be directed to one of our Economy Lots. They cost less and have complimentary shuttle service between the economy lots and the terminal.  The Key Lime Economy Lot is the primary Economy Lot and is located across Roosevelt Blvd (Airport entrance).  Traffic can impact shuttle service.  The Strawberry PIE Lot (on same side as terminal) opens after the Key Lime Economy is full and accepts only credit and debit cards when exiting.   No overnight parking is allowed in Short-term parking.  No unattended parking in the Cell Phone lot – vehicles left unattended may be towed. For parking details, rates and maps, check fly2pie.com/parking-and-transportation/parking For information on Disabled Parking, check fly2pie.com/parking-and-transportation/parking/disabled-parking-info
  • Please allow ample travel time to the airport.  
  • Picking up passengers?  Use our free cell phone lot to await your party until they are curbside with their luggage. Only active loading and unloading is allowed curbside. Drivers must remain with vehicle at all times. No curbside waiting allowed.

Airline Travel Tips

  • Plan to arrive 2 hours before your scheduled flight departure time and check departure gate.  PIE has two separate gate areas 2-6 and 7-11 that are not connected, so make sure you are at your correct gate 60 minutes before departure ready to board.  Please check with airline for carry-on luggage requirements and sizes.
  • Monitor/Check with your airline for updated flight information.
  • For wheelchair assistance, request directly from your airline. Wheelchair assistance is provided from check-in to boarding aircraft and from aircraft to baggage claim.tsa.gov/travel -

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Travel Tips

  • Don’t wrap holiday gifts (they may be unwrapped for inspection).
  • TSA PreCheck members: Make sure the TSA PreCheck mark is on your boarding pass. Passengers must ensure that their Known Traveler Number (KTN) along with correct date of birth is in their airline reservation.
  • Firearms and ammunition are not permitted in carry–on bags.  They are permitted in checked bags when properly packed and declared.
  • Pack an empty bag and know before you go. When airline passengers begin packing for travel with an empty bag, they are less likely to be stopped at the security checkpoint for having prohibited items. Prior to packing that empty bag, check TSA’s “What Can I Bring?” tool. The most common prohibited items at the TSA checkpoint are pocketknives,  drinks and foods that are prohibited according to the liquids, gels and aerosols rule.
  • Give yourself plenty of time. Passengers should give themselves plenty of time to return a rental car, check-in with the airline, check bags with the airline and prepare for the security checkpoint. Passengers may save time by removing items from pockets and placing them in their carry-on bag, instead of putting items directly into bins at the conveyor belt.
  • Be aware of new checkpoint screening technology. TSA uses a variety of security methods and technologies to secure our transportation systems. Screening protocols can be unpredictable and may vary from airport to airport depending on available technology and the current threat environment.
  • Make sure you have an acceptable ID. Adult passengers 18 years and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel.
  • Follow Transportation Security Officer (TSO) guidance. It is important to listen to the direction provided by our TSOs at the security checkpoint. There may be information on new technologies that helps reduce touchpoints or a TSO may redirect passengers to ensure we keep people moving through the screening process.
  • Respect TSA and other frontline airport and airline employees. Violence and unruly behavior in the nation’s transportation systems are not acceptable and cause delays at traveler checkpoints. TSOs, along with all frontline airport and airline employees and local law enforcement are all working together to ensure safe and secure travel.
  • Contact TSA with questions, compliments, complaints, or assistance. Travelers with questions have many options for contacting TSA. AskTSA is available for live assistance from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. ET via Twitter or Facebook by messaging @AskTSA or by sending a text to “272872” (“AskTSA”). For customer service issues, travelers may reach the TSA Contact Center (TCC) at (866) 289-9673. Individuals with disabilities, medical needs or other special circumstances may request passenger assistance at least 72 hours in advance by contacting our TSA Cares passenger support line at (855) 787-2227. Live assistance for both the TCC and TSA Cares is available weekdays, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET, or weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET.
  • Traveling with Kids? We know traveling can be stressful. TSA offers a series of videos made specifically for kids to help them understand what they can and cannot bring through the checkpoint.

 Checkpoint-ready passengers are instrumental in helping with efficiency at the checkpoint. When passengers arrive with their identification credentials in hand and avoid the delays associated with bringing firearms, oversized liquids, and other prohibited items into the checkpoint, it facilitates faster screening for everyone.

 TSA encourages all passengers to remain vigilant. If You See Something. Say Something®. Those traveling abroad should check the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Know Before You Go page to learn about required documentation for your destination.

 Thank you!

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE)

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