From navigating RDU and everything it’s got coming down the pipeline to being prepped before taking off, here’s your ultimate travel guide.
RDU is reaching new heights. Giving your future travel days a glow-up, the airport is investing $2.5 billion over the next 10 years to add new nonstop flights, fresh dining ops, smoother roadways and other upgrades—all resulting in a new and improved destination for local and visiting jetsetters.
“With the busy summer season just around the corner, it’s clear that many Triangle-area travelers are ready to embrace their next adventure—especially beyond our borders,” said Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board Chair Tammie Hall-Roberts. “RDU continues to rise to the moment.” Here’s what’s taking off.
Scan. Pay. Go.
No app download, no deck meltdown. RDU has rolled out Parking Mobile Pay for a smoother exit strategy from both lots and garages. Rather than risking a gate malfunction or missing ticket, simply scan the QR code on the ticket and use your credit card or Apple/Google Pay to make a digital getaway. Once paid, travelers have a 30-minute window to exit, with gates automatically recognizing payment. Of course, exit lanes and pay kiosks remain available. Consider your classic RDU parking headache sorted.
Low Spirits
Spirit has split—is Frontier next? Following months of turbulence, Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations at RDU in early May, canceling flights and leaving travelers scrambling for alternatives. The system-wide grounding came after seven years of service connecting budget-conscious travelers across the globe.
The shake-up also raises a bigger question: Are budget airlines on the way out? Travelers are keeping their eyes on Frontier—many noting a scaling back in local routes and paused bookings earlier this spring. That said, Frontier was quick to shut down the rumors, with CEO James Dempsey going so far as to say the airline can “fill the massive gap left behind by Spirit’s collapse.”
Still, whether or not Frontier can prove how sustainable the ultra-low-cost model actually is remains up in the air.
Sky’s the Limit
To keep up with RDU’s 15.5 million passengers per year—and counting—major enhancements are in store. Dubbed Transform RDU, the project includes runway replacement, additional eco-friendly parking, a John Brantley Boulevard extension, and a Terminal 2 expansion—all set for phased completion by 2032.
For its part, the Terminal 2 expansion—which broke ground in January and is taking place behind a barrier stretching through the north end of the ticketing hall—involves additional ticketing counters, a roomier international arrival area and new baggage carousels.
Catering to future parking demand, the Park Economy 3 Expansion project has already begun adding 7,000 new spots to the public surface lot near the intersection of Aviation Parkway and National Guard Drive—complete with some of the airport’s lowest daily parking rates and shuttle service to both terminals.
The parking expansion project also includes a new solar-powered amenities building—set to debut late summer—offering restrooms, vending machines, a lounge with monitors displaying flight info, and office space for staff/law enforcement.
Speedier customs reentry into the U.S. plus TSA PreCheck perks
$120/5 years
TSA PreCheck automatically included with membership
Approval can take months—and interviews are req’d.
REAL Talk
Still don’t have REAL ID? TSA’s ConfirmID program can help keep your trip from getting grounded. Travelers without a compliant ID may pay a $45 fee for temporary identity verification valid for a 10-day travel period to fly domestically—unless you have an acceptable alternative like a passport or Global Entry card. Pro tip: Complete the process online before you get to the airport to avoid the extra security-line chaos.
Travel Hacks
If you must check a bag, do it online or in the app before you get to the airport—kiosk fees can be higher.
Skip baggage and ship your luggage ahead of time via Stowic’s door-to-door service—the $40 flat-rate alone may be worth not lugging your bag.
Print your boarding pass—don’t leave all hope in your Apple Wallet (spotty Wi-Fi, dead batteries… sometimes the odds *aren’t* in your favor).
To fight off fraud, some airlines—especially international ones—require the physical credit card you booked with.
Double-check monitors before wandering too far. Your assigned gate at check-in can change on the fly—sometimes to the opposite end of the terminal.
Make summer travels through RDU a breeze with these tips and tricks.
’Tis the season for summer travel! Whether you’re flocking to a family vacay or escaping to a sunny retreat, you’re gonna wanna make sure you’re equipped with the most up-to-date stress-reducing hacks for traveling through RDU Airport. Here’s to safe—and happy—travels!
Park It Perhaps the most stressful part of flying through RDU takes place before you even get into the airport. Yep, we’re talking parking. Though RDU is small compared to other airports, there never seems to be enough parking for travelers. To head off some of the stress that comes with pulling up on a full RDU Central deck, you can reserve your spot online before you get to the airport via ParkRDU’s online pre-booking option. Choose your date, time and location—only caveat is you have to book at least 24 hours in advance. And don’t sleep on the ParkRDU Express lot, which added nearly 1,000 parking spaces for travelers—not to mention it offers luggage assistance at your car and shuttles to the terminals running at all hours of the day (!). If you can, bypass parking stress entirely by opting for a rideshare service or taxi.
Don’t Delay Flight cancellations and delays are surging this summer. While some instances are inevitable, ward off the worry by booking the earliest flight of the day to help avoid delays, as many are caused by aircrafts arriving late from their previous destination. So, maybe that 4am flight is worth it.
Direct Is Best If you have the option to fly direct—do it. Layovers have the potential to result in a The Terminal situation if your second flight is delayed or if your first flight arrives after the second plane has already taken off. And no one wants to be stuck sleeping in an airport. Another pro tip: Choose an airline that offers multiple flights a day so that if you do need to rebook you have more (timely!) options.
Don’t just wing it as you travel this summer. From prepaid RDU parking to the best flight-booking days, we’ll have you soaring—and saving—as you fly the friendly skies.
Travel confidence is soaring; mask mandates have been lifted and the U.S. no longer requires people traveling back into the country to get a COVID test… and like birds of a feather, we’re ready to spread our wings and, well, flock together. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows during peak travel season (especially during busy summer holidays like the Fourth of July)—so before you flip out, allow us to highlight some stress-reducing, money-saving summer travel hacks.
Put It in Park
Gone are the days of pulling up preflight in full-on anxiety mode to find all parking lots full. Enter the super-huge revelation that is ParkRDU’s online pre-booking option (tell your friends about it—or don’t and save all the good spots for yourself…). Choose your date, time and location—only caveat is you have to book at least 24 hours in advance. Bonus: You can also see the capacity of each parking lot in real-time via RDU Airport’s website… so you can swap #stressmode for #airplanemode and have one less hiccup between home and sipping that cocktail at 40,000 feet. rdu.com
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Sure no one wants to wake up at 4am to catch a flight, but it’s worth it—trust us… just don’t oversleep and get left behind like Kevin McCallister. Pros’ll tell you that taking the earliest flight available is an easy hack (think more follow-up options, more flexibility, fewer frantic bodies). You’ll thank us when that seemingly more convenient afternoon flight you were eyeing gets canceled and you’re not having to spend the night in an airport lobby (hey, Tom Hanks in The Terminal!).
Direct Is Best
Like dawn flights, direct flights are your new best friend for steering clear of potential travel headaches. Where possible, choose the option with the most direct flights available to avoid unexpected cancellations and delays. Plus, the more stops involved, the higher the risk (*mind wanders to your last Olympic sprint through some rando terminal*). And, c’mon, who likes layovers anyway?
Peak Flights
While most people will tend to jump on that Sunday afternoon flight in order to get back for work Monday, beat the Sunday scaries (and high prices!) by opting for flights on off-peak days and times—like Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. And if that just isn’t possible for you, early morning (ahem, smarter and cheaper!) and red-eye flights will also help save you money and stress.
Don’t just wing it as you travel this holiday season. From prepaid RDU parking to the best flight-booking days, we’ll have you soaring—and saving—as you fly the friendly skies.
TRAVEL CONFIDENCE IS SOARING; the border ban has been lifted for vaccinated travelers from 30+ countries… and like birds of a feather, we’re ready to spread our wings and, well, flock together. But ain’t nothing fuzzy and festive about flying for the holidays—so before you go all Four Christmases and flip out, allow us to highlight some stress-reducing, money-saving holiday travel hacks.
Put It in Park
Gone are the days of pulling up preflight in full-on anxiety mode to find all parking lots full. Enter the super-huge revelation that is ParkRDU’s online pre-booking option (tell your friends about it—or don’t and save all the good spots for yourself…). Choose your date, time and location—only caveat is you have to book at least 24 hours in advance. Bonus: You can also see the capacity of each parking lot in real-time via RDU Airport’s website… so you can swap #stressmode for #airplanemode and have one less hiccup between home and sipping that cocktail at 40,000 feet. rdu.com
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Sure no one wants to wake up at 4am to catch a flight, but it’s worth it—trust us… just don’t oversleep and get left behind like Kevin McCallister. Pros’ll tell you that taking the earliest flight available is an easy hack (think more follow-up options, more flexibility, fewer frantic bodies). You’ll thank us when that seemingly more convenient afternoon flight you were eyeing gets canceled and you’re not having to spend the night in an airport lobby (hey, Tom Hanks in The Terminal!).
Direct Is Best
Like dawn flights, direct flights are your new best friend for steering clear of potential travel headaches. Where possible, choose the option with the most direct flights available to avoid unexpected cancellations and delays. Plus, the more stops involved, the higher the risk (*mind wanders to your last Olympic sprint through some rando terminal*). And, c’mon, who likes layovers anyway?
Peak Flights
While most people will tend to jump on that Sunday afternoon flight in order to get back for work Monday, beat the Sunday scaries (and high prices!) by opting for flights on off-peak days and times—like Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. And if that just isn’t possible for you, early morning (ahem, smarter and cheaper!) and red-eye flights will also help save you money and stress.
