business|Airlines

By Jordan Parker

Aviation writer

Aviation writer
If you haven’t gotten the memo, airline travel through North Texas during the holidays is always hectic, and this year won’t be any different.
The region’s two biggest airports, DFW International and Dallas Love Field, will see millions of passengers both during the Christmas/New Year’s travel window. American Airlines operates its central hub at DFW Airport and Love Field is the headquarters of Southwest Airlines.
DFW Airport told The News last week that it expects nearly 5 million passengers are expected to pass through between Dec. 18 and Jan. 6, officials said. That’s a roughly 3.2% increase in traffic compared to last year, the airport said. Love Field expects more than 500,000 travelers between Dec. 18 and New Year’s Eve, a slight decrease from last year when the airport saw more than 560,000 travelers.
Travel should ramp up across the country as well. The Transportation Security Administration said it expects to screen more than 44 million passengers between Dec. 19 and Jan. 4. The agency said it expects the heaviest travel volume to be Dec. 28, when it projects 2.86 million passengers.
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“Customers departing or arriving on any day of the holiday season should prepare for heavier-than-usual traffic across the airport’s roadways – especially when approaching terminals from the north – and along all terminal curbs,” DFW Airport said in a statement.
The Dallas Morning News compiled the following information about operations at both airports that could make your life easier when flying this holiday season.
DFW Airport has parking garages near Terminals A, B, C, D and E, making it convenient to find a space closest to departure gates. The airport also has two express parking garages North and South of the Airport, but the South garage is currently closed for construction. Cheaper parking options can be found at the airport’s remote lots, but those are farthest from the terminals.
Travelers can prebook parking on the DFW website.
Love Field has three main parking garages: Garage A, Garage B and Garage C. Parking options at those garages range from $5 to $30 per hour, depending on the parking level and how long motorists are parked. The airport also offers contactless valet for $35 per day.
Want to skip the parking chaos altogether? Dallas Area Rapid Transit offers direct access to DFW on the orange line and on the newly-launched silver line. Love Field can be accessed on the orange line and green line (a DART bus connects the airport to Inwood/Love Field station). You can also access DFW by riding the Trinity Railway Express or TEXRail.
Historically, during busy holiday travel periods, both DFW and Love Field have encouraged travelers to arrive earlier than usual. For example, this Christmas, DFW is recommending flyers arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
“The extra time will provide flexibility for customers navigating potential traffic, construction areas and parking availability, as well as check-in and security screening during peak times,” Greiner said in a statement.
Love Field always suggests travelers arrive 90 minutes before their flight’s scheduled departure time.
Arriving early will be especially key this holiday season since both airports are undergoing major construction on access roadways, leading to longer traffic times.
“We are advising travelers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, follow us on social media for updates, arrive early — especially because of a road construction project on Mockingbird Lane in the vicinity of the airport, and I have to add my favorite tip – pack some patience too as you pack your bags,” Patrick Clarke, a Love Field spokesperson, told The Dallas Morning News in a statement.
There are a few resources that might be your best friend when preparing for security wait times at both DFW Airport and Love Field.
You can download the MyTSA app on both major app stores, add both airports to your favorite tabs and you will be shown the average checkpoint wait times. The News recently published an explainer on how to navigate the app.
For DFW Airport specifically, you can also check TSA wait times on the airport’s app or website.
Note: Security checkpoints at Love Field operate from 4 a.m. until the day’s last flight departure.
Trick: Travelers can go through security at any terminal and then connect to their assigned departure terminal post-security using the airport’s 24-hour Skylink train. That way, you can guarantee the shortest TSA wait time.
For questions or concerns, travelers can contact DFW’s American with Disabilities Act office.
Katy Nastro, an expert at travel site Going.com, recently shared several tips for DFW Airport and Love Field travelers this holiday season with The News. The following tips are direct quotes:
Jordan Parker is the aviation beat reporter for The Dallas Morning News. Prior to joining the newsroom in August 2025, he spent three years at the San Francisco Chronicle as a breaking news reporter covering everything from crime to protests to natural disasters. He graduated from Sacramento State University, where he studied journalism, in 2022.
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