Flying Into PBI for Thanksgiving: Planning Your Ride Before You Land

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26 this year. If you're flying into Palm Beach to spend it with family, your arrival will probably land in one of the busiest stretches of the airline calendar, and your trip home will likely fall on the Sunday after, when a great many other people are heading home too.

You can't make the week quieter. You can make the ride from the airport the part of the trip that's already settled before you leave home.

Why the holiday week feels different at the airport

The Transportation Security Administration publishes the number of people it screens at its checkpoints every day on its passenger volumes page. The days around Thanksgiving regularly sit among the busiest of the year. More people in the terminal means longer waits at the carousel, busier curbs and more cars looking for somewhere to stop.

That isn't special to Palm Beach. It matters here because late November is also when many visitors arrive for longer stays or to open a seasonal home, which usually means more luggage than a normal weekend trip.

Reserve the car when you book the flight

The most useful step is also the simplest: arrange the airport pickup at the same time you book your flights, rather than in the last few days before you travel. Holiday weeks are busy for every kind of transportation, and an early reservation removes one decision from an already full week.

Send the details that save time on a busy day

On a quiet weekday, a small gap in a booking is easy to sort out. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving it costs time. When you reserve, include:

• the airline and flight number, so the pickup follows the flight's actual arrival
• each passenger's name and a mobile number for someone who will be on the flight
• an honest luggage count, including car seats, golf bags or boxes of gifts
• the full destination address, with any gate, building or community details

If relatives are arriving on separate flights, the guide to group airport pickups when everyone lands on different flights explains how to plan around that.

Choose the vehicle for the luggage, not just the headcount

Holiday travelers carry more than usual. Four adults with checked bags, a stroller and a box of presents can outgrow a sedan quickly. The fleet page sets out each vehicle class. If you're not sure which fits, describe the bags when you book and ask for a recommendation.

Meeting your chauffeur

PBI Limos offers an optional inside meet-and-greet or a curbside pickup. For curbside pickups, the chauffeur usually texts once you're ready so you can agree the meeting spot directly. On a crowded holiday curb, that message is worth waiting for before you walk out looking for a car. The guide to where your chauffeur meets you at PBI goes through both options.

If your flight runs late

Weather elsewhere in the country can ripple into Palm Beach arrivals during a holiday week. Because the pickup is tied to your flight number, a delay doesn't mean rebooking from scratch. The guide to planning around a delayed flight explains what to expect and what to send if your plans change.

Book the trip home at the same time

The return to the airport is the reservation people tend to forget until the night before. Arrange the departure pickup when you book the arrival, and leave yourself extra time on what is usually one of the heaviest flying days of the year. For the airport service itself, see the PBI airport car service page.