Erlanger – The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) is launching into the holiday travel season by offering passengers more flights and destinations. CVG expects more than 150,000 passengers during the Thanksgiving travel period (11/19-11/26).
“With increased flight options and more capacity, we expect passenger volumes to increase approximately 14 percent compared to 2016’s Thanksgiving travel period,” said Candace McGraw, chief executive officer, CVG. “Customer service is a top priority for CVG. We encourage passengers to arrive two hours before their flight to not be rushed. Some airlines require customers to be present at the gate 10-20 minutes prior to scheduled departure, and many begin boarding 30-45 minutes before departure. We want travelers to have an unforgettably positive travel experience the moment they arrive at the airport until they return home.”
With holiday travel right around the corner, now is the time to book, pack and prepare. CVG offers the following tips to walk passengers through their air travel experience.
Booking a flight:
Book your trip as early as possible for lower-priced airfares and holiday deals. You can look for fare deals at cvgairport.com/deals or nonstop cities served by which airline from CVG at http://cvgairport.com/flight/cities.
Parking:
CVG parking options include curbside valet service, pre-pay reserved premium parking, garage parking adjacent to the Terminal, and surface parking with shuttle service in CVG’s ValuPark lot. For details, visit: cvgairport.com/park/options. For more information on how you pre-pay and reserve a parking space in the garage, visit: cvgreservedparking.com. To check out the quickest parking options and available spaces when on your way to the airport, visit: cvgairport.com.
Packing luggage:
Familiarize yourself with TSA (Transportation Security Administration) procedures at www.tsa.gov to ensure what you pack in your carry-on is compliant with TSA standards. Weapons may not be carried aboard aircraft. This includes replicas, toy weapons and anything that can be mistaken for a weapon.
For protection against lost luggage, label your bags inside and out with your contact information. Be sure to include the address and phone number of your destination.
Do not wrap gifts that you plan to carry onboard. If a security officer needs to inspect a package they may have to unwrap your gift.
Before leaving home:
First-time guests can watch videos with closed captioning prior to arriving at CVG. The videos offer a visual tour of the facilities to help plan. Step-by-step navigation scripts are available on CVG’s website, suitable for smart phone text-to-voice accessibility function. cvgairport.com/terminal/videos.
New this season is a Google 360° Virtual Tour accessible from any PC, Mac or mobile smart device. cvgairport.com/terminal/360
CVG recommends passengers arrive to the airport two hours before your flight to ensure adequate time to park, check baggage, go through security and make it to your gate in time for boarding. To save time and avoid lines, select your seat, check your bag, and print or download your boarding pass prior to arriving at the airport. Real-time updates such as flight status, weather and security times for TSA Pre-Check and general screening are available at cvgairport.com.
Be sure to familiarize yourself with your specific airline’s time requirements. Passenger check-in, baggage tagging, and boarding times vary by airline. Generally, airlines will restrict checking baggage 30 to 45 minutes prior to scheduled departure to allow ample time to tag, screen, and load baggage on board your aircraft. Boarding times are often included on your boarding pass indicating the boarding time beginning 30 to 40 minutes prior to scheduled departure. Most airlines end the boarding process 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure to ensure an on-time departure from the gate.
Follow CVG on Twitter: @CVGairport, for travel tips, weather information and promotions for future trips.
Navigating the airport:
Look for public safety assistants wearing yellow jackets/vests located from the moment you arrive at curbside to security to help get you to your gate faster. Volunteer airport ambassadors are available throughout the Terminal and Concourses (everyday 8am-8pm) to also help answer questions. Information booth volunteers and public safety personnel have access to iPad language interpretation service including American Sign Language.
Passengers in a wheelchair, using a stroller or service animal can utilize a designated lane in security.
When using general screening, be prepared to remove blazers, coats and bulky sweaters and activate any electronic or battery-powered equipment as part of the security inspection. This includes laptops, music players, games and phones. 
PreCheck customers may leave jackets and shoes on and electronic devices may remain packed in carry-on luggage. You can find more information about Pre-Check online via tsa.gov/tsa-precheck. All airlines at CVG are now TSA Pre-Check compatible. If not already a PreCheck member, passengers can apply for future travel at CVG’s Pre-Check Enrollment Center located on the baggage claim level which is open from Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm – 5 pm.
CVG offers more than 20 unique and diverse food and service options. The Club at CVG, an all-inclusive departure lounge, does not require a membership, and is accessible no matter what class of airline ticket. Kids play areas are located at Concourses A and B. The Garra Fish Spa, Natalie’s Candy Jar and a second Vino Volo location opened in Concourse A earlier this year. Passengers can also check out artifacts on loan from the Cincinnati Museum Center throughout the terminal and concourses with some locations hosting activity tables by CMC staff and volunteers. Also, new this year is a CPR-training kiosk in Concourse A where you can learn this life-saving skill in five minutes.
CVG also supports service dogs, emotional support animals, and the family pet in a travel-safe carry-on bag. Animal Relief Areas are located near Gate A18 (interior) and Ground Transportation Center (exterior). Free Wi-Fi is available including plenty of outlets to recharge all your electronics before the flight.
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