AUS buckles seatbelt for a bumpy ride

Visitors are flooding into Austin to attend ACL Fest and the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix race later this month. What this means, among other things, is that the airport is very, very busy right now. AUS is expecting a lot of what officials call “high passenger days,” which are days with more than 30,000 departing passengers, and fully anticipating a “new record number of single-day departing travelers for both ACL and the Formula 1 race.” Remember, all those people who fly into Austin also have to fly out of Austin, and all that coming and going adds up to a whole lot of, um, potential for aggravation. Airport officials are pleading with travelers to plan ahead, check in online, get to the airport early – 2.5 hours for domestic flights – and pack correctly. That last one is a sore subject: According to TSA, “AUS passengers continue to bring a record number of guns to security checkpoints this year.” What?! Use your noggin, people, and leave your firearms at home. And while you’re at it, check out the airport map so you know where you’re going before you get there.