Nearly a million travelers are expected to traverse the concourses at Portland International Airport during the next two weeks as spring break hits Oregon and Washington schools.

The Port of Portland, which owns and operates PDX, said it expects an 8 percent increase in travelers Friday and on other peak travel days like March 28 to 30, as families try to reach their destinations.

With 55,000 travelers milling around the Stumptown, Pok Pok and Laurelwood Brewing airport outposts on these busy days, it'll be a bit tight. Total spring break travelers are expected to top 960,000 during the next two weeks.

Here are some tips from Port officials to streamline the busy travel days:

- Plan your parking: If you're not being dropped off at the airport, taking the MAX or using a taxi, shuttle or ride-hailing service like Uber or Lyft, check parking availability online at pdx.com. The airport also uses digital signs on the approach to the terminal to indicate parking availability.

- Pack wisely: Don't bring items banned by the Transportation Safety Administration. You can check out a full list at tsa.gov.

- Get there early: Airport officials suggest getting to the airport at least two hours early for flights before 8 a.m. or between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Otherwise, travelers should allow for about 90 minutes to get through security and to their gates.

- Keep pets in carriers: If you are bringing a pet, keep the animal in their carrier. There is a designated "pet relief area" on the other side of security in the Concourse Connector. Follow the signs.



-- Andrew Theen

atheen@oregonian.com

503-294-4026

@andrewtheen