Southwest Florida travelers urged to plan ahead for holiday flights

The Lee County Port Authority is advising travelers to prepare for a busy holiday season at Southwest Florida International Airport.

Travelers should arrive at security checkpoints at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international departures.

Deborah Faria was at RSW Tuesday morning and on her way to Michigan to visit her son and grandchildren.

"We just came back from another long holiday, and we lost our baggage, so this time, it's perfect," said Faria. "It's a direct flight. We've taken the early morning flight, so hopefully there's no delays."

Parking lots at RSW may fill quickly from Dec. 20, 2025, to Jan. 3, 2026. Travelers should plan extra time for parking and consider alternatives like being dropped off or using commercial transportation.

Betty Wright was also at RSW on Tuesday, preparing to fly to Minneapolis for the holidays. Despite the crowd of travelers, she found parking to be surprisingly easy.

"We parked in short term and got a spot right next to the door," said Wright. "It looked like the long term might have been overflowing a little bit, so we kind of took a chance and came here, and no issues at all."

For convenience, RSWRemote offers a reserved parking option at 11861 Regional Lane, Fort Myers. It opens Dec. 21 and closes Dec. 28 for a flat fee of $60. Travelers should add 30 minutes to their travel time if using this option.

Local roads will be busy, so use the I-75 Direct Connect to avoid congestion.

For weather-related flight changes, check with your airline. For security tips, visit the TSA website at tsa.gov.