PHOENIX — Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the nation's 13th busiest airport. It handles about 44 million passengers a year. And the folks there generally do a good job. But there are times it turns into a disastrous quagmire.
Here are our tips after flying in and out of Sky Harbor all the time:
Be prepared to wait for your luggage
It has always taken forever for baggage to make it down to the carousel. It doesn't seem to matter which airline, either. Be prepared to wait.
Renting a car? There are no shuttle buses, anymore
You'll have to take the SkyTrain from your terminal to the new rental car center. The rail cars have been crowded lately, so be prepared to stand – and to stand close to your bags to make room for the people squeezing in. Be thoughtful. Take your backpack off and rest it at your feet so more people can get on.
Travelers can use the Phoenix Sky Harbor skytrain to get to the airport. You're going to have to walk back up to it.
Your plane will let you out on Level 4 of the airport. Baggage claim is on Level 1. You'll have to go back to Level 4 to get on the SkyTrain. Once you get back to the 4th floor in Terminal 4, you'll have a couple-minute walk to get to the escalator that takes you to the SkyTrain platform. The baggage carousels in Terminal 3 are a three-minute walk from the platform escalators. This feels like a short walk until your golf clubs hit you six times as you're doing it.
The TSA lines get long on Sunday mornings and afternoons and Monday mornings
No, we can't quantify this. Just know that we've missed a flight because of it. Big crowds make it worse, especially after big drinking events. It's the same scene every year: Panicky, cranky, often hungover people waiting in line for 40 minutes or more. You can see wait times and book a place in line here. One other thing: All gates in Terminal 4 can be accessed from any of the security checkpoints. But only in Terminal 4.
The food is better behind security, but much more crowded
There are some pretty good sit-down places in the concourses -- but there aren't many of them. As a result, they get crowded quickly. There aren't as many food places in front of the secure zone as there used to be, but the seating is more spread out and the people are less concentrated.
Flying in at sunset? Get a window seat on the right side of the plane.
Planes at Sky Harbor generally take off and land to the west in the afternoon and evening. Sitting on the right side of the plane will you get golden-hour views of the Superstition and Mazatzal mountain ranges and Camelback Mountain. If you're on the left side of the plane, you'll get a view of the sprawl of the East Valley and Tempe Town Lake.
Early morning flight out after the game? Choose a right-side seat and you'll get a great dawn light view of the south range of the Phoenix Mountains and the sprawling Gila River Indian Reservation beyond it.
Picking someone up? Pay the $4 and use short-term parking
Curbside pick up during busy periods is an exercise in frustration, not the least of which is because each terminal has exits on both the north and south sides (note: make sure you know which side the person you're picking up is on). You can use the cell phone lot and then try your luck. Or you can just cough up the $4 and pay for an hour in the short-term garage. Or ... have them go to the departure level and pick them up there.
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