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CHICAGO’S AIRPORTS
WELCOME TRAVELERS FOR BUSY LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Summer travel season concludes at O’Hare and
Midway International Airports
CHICAGO – Nearly 1.6 million passengers are expected to travel through the
Chicago Airport System as the summer vacation season culminates this Labor
Day Weekend beginning Thursday, August 31 and continuing through Tuesday,
September 5. Friday, September 1 is projected to be the busiest day at both
airports with nearly 237,000 passengers expected at O’Hare and more than
75,000 passengers expected at Midway.
"While Chicago’s airports continue to operate under heightened security
alert protocols, the Department of Aviation and our partners have worked
hard to ensure that the travel experience is as safe and pleasant as it can
be," said Aviation Commissioner Nuria I. Fernandez. “Travelers passing
through our airports this weekend will be treated to live entertainment and
a full complement of airport ambassadors to anticipate and respond to our
travelers’ needs.” said Fernandez.
In conjunction with the City of Chicago’s Annual Jazz Fest, local jazz
quartets will perform on Thursday, August 31, from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. to
accommodate connecting passengers who are unable to attend the larger Jazz
Fest taking place in downtown Chicago. As part of the launch of Mayor
Richard M. Daley’s Unity Month, the Department of Aviation has planned a
Children’s Multicultural Dance Festival featuring performing arts groups
showcasing the talent, neighborhoods and cultural diversity of the City.
This exciting event will take place past the security checkpoints in all
O’Hare and Midway terminals on Friday, September 1 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Labor Day Travel Tips
Travelers should allow ample time for traveling to the airports, ticketing
and checking baggage. It is suggested that all domestic and international
departing passengers arrive at least two hours prior to their scheduled
flight departure.
Every passenger can assist in ensuring that flights are safe and hassles
minimized:
• Pack lightly, without clutter, to facilitate easy screening
• Ensure that all liquids are packed in your checked baggage
• Do not bring liquids or lighters to the security checkpoint
• Review the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) permitted and
prohibited items list at www.tsa.gov prior to traveling to expedite passing
through the screening checkpoint
• Cooperate with TSA personnel at checkpoints and with airline personnel at
gates
• Be attentive and vigilant to any suspicious activity and report it to
authorities
Getting to the Airport
• Take public transportation. The Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) Blue
Line to O’Hare and the Orange Line to Midway are convenient ways to get to
and from the airports while avoiding roadway congestion. The Metra North
Central Service also has five weekday inbound and outbound trains between
O’Hare and Chicago’s Union Station.
• Learn where to park. Real-time parking information for both O’Hare and
Midway airports is available on our Web site, www.flychicago.com. You can
also register to receive parking information e-mail alerts on the days you
plan to travel. Once en route, motorists within a 1-mile radius of both
airports can tune their radios to 800 AM for the latest parking information.
• Don’t idle at the curbfront. Unattended vehicles parked in front of
terminal curb fronts will be ticketed and towed. Both O’Hare and Midway
airports offer short-term parking rates for those picking up travelers.
Motorists will be able to park for $2.00 for the first hour at O’Hare and
$4.00 for the second and third hours. From Thursday, August 31 through
Tuesday, September 5, Midway will offer a special holiday rate of two hours
for $2.00 in the terminal garage. In addition, Midway’s new economy parking
garage is open. Ample parking is available for travelers in our economy
parking garage for the reasonable rate of $12 per day.
• Try our new cell phone lots. These lots enable motorists to temporarily
park free of charge until friends, family members or business associates
have deplaned, collected baggage and called to be picked up curbside. At
O’Hare Airport, the 150-space lot is conveniently located at Economy Parking
Lot F. Exit I-190 at North Mannheim Road and follow the signs to Economy
Parking F/Cell Phone Lot. The 90-space lot at Midway Airport is conveniently
located at 61st and Cicero Avenue just south of the main airport entrance.
• Use O’Hare’s free and easy Kiss n’ Fly parking to avoid roadway
congestion. The drop-off point at which family members and friends can wait
for and greet travelers is located directly off Bessie Coleman Drive. From
this location, passengers are transported to the Airport Transit System (ATS),
which quickly shuttles them to any of the airport's four terminals.
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The Chicago Airport System is self-supporting, using no local or state tax
dollars for operations or capital improvements at O’Hare and Midway
International airports. Together, Chicago’s airports generate more than $45
billion in annual economic activity and 540,000 jobs for the region. Please
visit www.flychicago.com to learn more about the Chicago Airport System.
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