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Phoenix: Arrive Early

posted on February 11, 2007 by michael.wiley

Earlier today, I was heading back to Chicago after a wonderful weekend in Scottsdale. I had an 8:55am flight. I was up early and left Scottsdale at about 6:35am. The drive to Sky Harbor International Airport only took about 25 minutes but once I arrived at the complex it took nearly 40 minutes to drop my car off, catch a shuttle, and arrive at the terminal. You see, Phoenix has consolidated all rental car companies into a single location (this is good) but when you enter the airport from Highway 202 you have to navigate an unbelievable maze to get there (this is bad).

After arriving at Terminal 3, I soon realized that nearly every flight departing the airport, including one to Honolulu, was originating from my wing (Gates 1-14). Here lies the rub: Each set of gates has its own security with only two scanners. While gates 15-25 had absolutely no line, our line snaked around the terminal. Needless to say, there were many panicked people there. It took a good 35 minutes to get through security. By the time I made it to the gate, it was 8:25 and my plane was already boarding! Thank goodness I left so early. Moral to the story: If you are traveling from Phoenix, and do not have gold status on the airline you are traveling with, leave early.

Filed in: Airports, Security