OAK Prepares for Christmas and New Year Holiday Travelers
-- Guaranteed On-Airport Parking --
Oakland International Airport (OAK) is preparing for the busy Christmas and New Year travel period. Travelers are encouraged to review valuable travel tips provided by OAK and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) before they arrive at the airport. Plenty of extended-stay on-airport parking is expected to be available throughout the holiday travel period.
An estimated 550,000 passengers will travel through OAK over the 15-day travel period that begins Wednesday, December 20, representing an anticipated increase of 3 percent over the same holiday period in 2005. About 48,000 daily passengers are expected on the peak travel days of December 20-23 and January 2-3. Based upon November 2006 statistics, OAK normally serves approximately 40,000 travelers per day.
GUARANTEED ON-AIRPORT PARKING
Parking is expected to be available throughout the holiday period. With OAK's Parking Upgrade Program, if the Economy parking lot fills any time between Wednesday, December 20, 2006 and Tuesday, January 2, 2007, travelers will be directed to the Daily B lot where the lower Economy rate will be honored. Travelers should look for roadway signs or tune to 1700AM to learn whether lots are full and for information on parking in the appropriate lot. Upon entering the Daily B lot, the dispensed ticket will be at the lower parking rate.
OAK offers over 6,200 parking spaces in its three extended-stay lots. An additional 825 spaces are available in the close-in Hourly lot. OAK's parking lots are open 24 hours a day. Frequent, free shuttles link the lots and the terminals. For parking availability and road conditions, travelers can call TravInfo's 511-information line, the airport's parking assistance line at 510-633-2571, or visit oaklandairport.com. On-airport parking rates per 24 hours are: $19 in the Economy lot and $22 in the Daily lots.
OAK's Park & Call Zone allows meeters and greeters who can connect to their passenger by cell phone to wait for FREE up to 30 minutes. Drivers must remain with their vehicles at all times. The 25-space Park & Call Zone is now located at the Oakland Maintenance Center which is the large hangar with billboard advertisements clearly visible to motorists as they enter the airport terminal area.
GETTING TO THE AIRPORT
Holiday travelers have many ground transportation choices at OAK. The airport and the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) jointly operate a dedicated shuttle bus that serves BART's Coliseum station and OAK every 10-15 minutes. The $2.00 adult fare or $.50, for children 11 and under or senior or disabled with I.D., can be paid on-board the bus with exact change only. For BART/AirBART information, call 510-569-8310. Other ground transportation alternatives include AC Transit, regional shuttles, taxis and limousines. Call 1-888-IFLYOAK (435-9625) for personalized travel planning services.
HOLIDAY TRAVEL TIPS
This year, with changes in air travel security procedures, it's more important than ever to plan ahead. Before packing, visit the TSA website, tsa.gov, to get the 3-1-1 on air travel: liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers and placed in a one-quart, clear, plastic zip-top bag; TSA allows one bag per passenger. FREE Hefty® OneZip® one-quart slider bags will be distributed over the holiday travel period while supplies last, courtesy of Pactiv Corporation. Other travel tips include:
- Leave holiday gifts unwrapped, both in carry-on and checked baggage, as they may need to be inspected.
- Plan to arrive at OAK at least 90 minutes prior for domestic departures and three hours prior for international departures to allow for increased passenger volume at airline check-in and security screening.
- All passengers must have a boarding pass and show identification prior to going through the passenger security checkpoint.
Southwest Airlines passengers will enjoy an enhanced experience as they travel through OAK's brand-new 54,000-square-foot departures-and-arrivals building in Terminal 2. The new concourse is part of OAK's $300 million Terminal Improvement Program which also includes a recently opened baggage claim building in Terminal 2 and expanded ticketing and security facilities. Other improvements to the terminal roadway and curbsides will enhance access and ease traffic congestion in front of both terminals. Program completion is expected in 2008.
OAK has over 200 flights a day on 12 domestic and international carriers to 40 nonstop destinations, such as Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, the Hawaiian Islands including Hilo, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Mexico and seasonal service to the Azores (Portugal), Sun Valley, Idaho and Vancouver, British Columbia. The airport is a revenue division of the Port of Oakland, an independent department of the city of Oakland. Visit oaklandairport.com for more information.
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