CLE prepares travelers for ‘100 days of summer’

May 25, 2017

Press Releases

Cleveland, May 25th, 2017 – As Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) approaches one of the busiest seasons of the year, it seeks to guide passengers successfully through their travel experience during the ‘100 days of summer.’ 

Last summer the airport accommodated travelers through one of our top 5 O&D (origin and destination), those starting and ending in Cleveland, periods since 2000. This year, activity forecast predict an even busier summer travel season. The airport and its partners are well poised for the increased number of travelers and are offer the following tips for traveling through CLE with ease. 

To kick off the busy travel season, CLE anticipates nearly 80,000 passengers to pass through the facility this Memorial Day travel Weekend between Thursday May 25th and Tuesday May 30th. Compared to the same time last year, that’s an 8.4% increase! 

Nationally, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expected to screen more than 2.5 million passengers a day. Locally TSA will be opening checkpoints earlier to get ahead of the morning rush. 

Travel Tips 

Airport officials encourage travelers to arrive at least 2 hours before scheduled departures to allow time for inclement weather, traffic, parking, checking-in and going through the checkpoints. Please look for signs, our Gold Coat Ambassadors and our Landside Operations employees to help you find where you need to go. 

CLE’s web site is a one-stop shop for travelers looking for travel information. Visit the web site at www.clevelandairport.com to the following: 

Status of your flight 

Airline contact information 

Dining and retail options 

Art Exhibit Locations 

Current TSA Checkpoint wait times 

Follow CLE on Twitter at @GoingPlacesCLE and on Facebook at facebook.com/CLEairport for parking availability and other important announcements. 

Consider using your airline’s website to do advance check-in to print your boarding pass up to 24-hours before departure. 

Travelers have six separate on-site parking options, including: 

CLE Curbside Valet, $25 per day, located on the lower roadway in the far left lane. 

The Smart Parking Garage, $18 per day. 

The Red Lot, $16 per day. 

The Blue Lot, $14 per day 

The Orange Lot, $13 per day. 

The Brown Lot, $9 per day. 

Our new Ground Transportation Center located by the Smart Parking Garage has new enhancements including wheelchair service, free luggage carts and new arrival/departure notification technology to make travelling via shuttle a breeze. 

Picking up friends and family at the airport? Don’t circle the airport waiting for an arrival phone call. Park and wait in the CLE Cell Phone Lot located off State Road 237 South. Follow the blue directional signs for easy parking. 

RTA Red Line to the airport 

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) offers convenient service to and from CLE. RTA's Red Line provides regular service between CLE and downtown Cleveland via the Tower City Station. The trip takes less than 30 minutes and trains depart from CLE every 25 minutes for the majority of the day. 

For more information, visit the RTA web site at www.riderta.com or call The RTAnswerline at 216-621-9500. 

Relax and Reflect 

If you have extra time before your flight visit The Interfaith Center, located on the secure side of the airport next to the Concourse B Security Checkpoint. The Center is open Monday through Sunday; from 5AM to 11PM. Members of all faiths are encouraged to visit the Center for a few moments of quiet meditation or reflection. 

Enjoy 

There are multiple dining and retail options located at CLE and it continues to provide more options to enhance traveler experience. Additionally, through both temporary and permanent art exhibitions, CLE showcases its creative community by showing work from local creative professionals and art institutions. These are displayed on both secure and unsecure areas of the terminal. 

TSA travel tips 

Always have a government-issued ID ready to present at the airline ticket counter and security checkpoint. CLE’s new Checkpoint Wait Times feature allows you to select the shortest security line or let you know how long you can expect to wait at the closest checkpoint line. This amenity is also available on our website, www.clevelandairport.com so you can check the wait times before you head out the door! 

Be prepared for the screening process: 

Be sure to look through your luggage to ensure no prohibited items are in the bag prior to coming to the airport. 

All three CLE checkpoints now have Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines for passenger screening. Metal detectors and x-ray machines for carry-on items are also in place for passenger screening. 

Remember the TSA 3-1-1 rule for carry-on items – Three ounces (3 oz.) per container, in a clear one-quart bag, one per passenger.

Knives, scissors with pointed tips, pepper spray and other such items are prohibited as carry-on items. For a comprehensive list of banned and permitted items, visit the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Web site at www.tsa.gov. 

Carry-on luggage is restricted to one bag and one personal item per person. A personal item includes a purse, briefcase, or laptop bag. 

Outer coats, jackets and other such garments must be removed and put through x-ray screening. 

Children under the age of 12 years old will not have to remove their shoes before going through security. 

TSA Pre✓™ is available at CLE and allows select frequent flyers of participating airlines and members of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Trusted Traveler programs who are flying on participating airlines, to receive expedited screening benefits. Eligible participants use dedicated screening lanes for screening benefits which include leaving on shoes, light outerwear and belts, as well as leaving laptops and 3-1-1 compliant liquids in carry-on bags. TSA Pre✓™ has one available lane at Checkpoint C during peak hours and Checkpoint B is TSA Pre✓™ only. 

For more information on TSA Pre✓™ visit http://www.tsa.gov/tsa-precheck