Sacramento airport enchancment initiatives have an effect on vacation journey

The Abridged model:

• Sacramento International is rated among the finest midsize airports within the nation, however present building initiatives disrupt some vacationers.
• Parking, car entry and meals choices, particularly, have confirmed difficult. As the busy vacation season looms, vacationers could also be higher off in search of a experience to and from SMF.
• More initiatives are on the horizon because the airport continues to develop.

If you’re planning to fly out and in of Sacramento International Airport this vacation season, assume one of the best parking spots are taken and convey your personal snacks.

Between an ever-increasing variety of vacationers and ongoing building initiatives limiting parking, the storage and each day lot closest to the airport’s two terminals are already reaching capability on most days, spokesperson Lindsay Myers stated. During the vacations, it’s much more possible the one accessible parking will probably be within the extra distant economic system tons the place vacationers might have an extended look ahead to shuttle buses to the terminals.

Meanwhile, most of the eating choices in Terminals A and B have closed whereas they’re being up to date with new selections that may open over the following few months, however usually not in time for the vacation rush.

Despite these limitations, navigating the airport ought to be clean so long as vacationers construct in additional time for parking, Myers stated throughout a current tour of the airport with Abridged. Although visitors has been hampered often in current months — typically late at evening — by altering visitors patterns or street closures to accommodate building, airport managers plan no comparable adjustments that would trigger snags throughout the vacation season, she stated. 

And now that the federal authorities shutdown is over, getting by safety ought to be extra predictable.

“As we approach a busy holiday weekend, TSA is prepared to handle the increase in passengers at Sacramento International Airport,” Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Jessica Mayle stated.

Also, some vacationers could also be heading to the airport for the primary time since new REAL ID necessities kicked in. Those with out the required identification will spend additional time in safety screening.

Parking has been tighter since October 2024, when building started on a 5,500-space parking storage subsequent to Terminal B. Loss of floor parking in an hourly lot the place the storage is being constructed put extra stress on different tons and the prevailing storage between terminals A and B. The new storage is scheduled to open by the tip of 2026.

‘The timing is not ideal’

Making parking even trickier is a lighting and signal replace within the current storage that started in July with one flooring closing at a time for 45 days. That replace won’t finish till May.

Add in building of a pedestrian walkway that may complement, and ultimately substitute, the tram between Terminal B and the gates, set up of safety bollards in entrance of Terminal A that’s limiting entry to the curbfront for drop-offs and pickups, and the restaurant closures, and it might appear a bit chaotic on the airport. 

“The timing is not ideal,” stated Claudia Bow, a self-proclaimed “aviation nerd” who’s on the airport practically day-after-day choosing up or dropping off shoppers for her concierge automobile service.

Airport development driving initiatives

Why are so many initiatives taking place without delay? It has all the things to do with development. Sacramento recovered from the pandemic journey stoop quicker than many different airports and continues to interrupt journey data month-to-month. July 2025 was the busiest month ever, with 1.3 million passengers. SMF additionally presents extra nonstop flights than ever.

“This airport is seeing record-breaking travel numbers every month, no matter what time of year it is,” spokesperson Scott Johnston stated. “There isn’t any good time to do it. We just have to wear it and get it done.”

The present inconveniences are a part of a grasp plan for the airport to develop with demand, Myers stated. The plan triggers particular initiatives when service ranges will fall under acceptable ranges.

For instance, with out the brand new storage, demand for parking would exceed acceptable provide by 2027–2028, Myers stated. The Terminal B tram is reaching the tip of its helpful life, and even when it stayed in operation, breakdowns would have a rising affect on heavier volumes of vacationers. The pedestrian walkway will probably be extra dependable in getting folks to their gates.

More important airport work on the agenda

More initiatives are coming earlier than the present ones end. The exit street for Terminal A is about to get reconfigured for higher visitors move. Construction is beginning quickly on six extra gates to be added to the Terminal B concourse past the present Southwest Airlines gates. 

Southwest, with its passenger arrival and departure areas immediately throughout from the storage building and its gates subsequent to the upcoming growth, isn’t anticipating the initiatives to affect its operations, spokesperson Chris Perry stated.

In 2027, the airport could have one floor transportation heart between the 2 terminals for taxi, rideshare and shuttle service, and even farther into the longer term could have a consolidated rental automobile heart by the terminals. More gates at Terminal A and a brand new Terminal C are additionally future potentialities.

The present initiatives are a part of a four-year, $1.4 billion plan referred to as SMForward, which is utilizing a mixture of airport income, grants, loans and bonds. It doesn’t use native taxpayer funds, Johnston stated. 

Economy lot complaints embrace rare, full buses

For now, frustrations with parking and consuming on the airport will proceed to be the 2 most typical complaints about an airport that in any other case will get excessive marks from vacationers. 

Bow stated she sees folks strolling with their baggage from the economic system tons typically and questioned why shuttles aren’t extra frequent now that parking is tight.

Several buses have been added and drivers are totally staffed, making typical wait instances beneath 10 minutes since August, Myers stated. That’s 50% higher than wait instances a yr in the past. But the look ahead to shuttles may be so long as half-hour, particularly throughout early morning peak hours. Travelers ought to plan for longer waits and assume it would take one hour from the time they park to the time they attain their gates. 

Dining is one other challenge.

“How could they close down all of the food?” requested Katrin Kuhlmann, a Davis resident who commutes weekly throughout the educational yr by Terminal A to her job as a professor at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C. She misplaced her favourite wholesome choice, Freshii, and now makes certain she brings her personal meals for her weekly flights.

When the brand new eating places open, many will open earlier and keep open later, Myers stated. New choices will embrace native favorites Magpie, Cafe Bernardo, One Speed Pizza and Nixtaco. Sidewalk Juice and West Coast Sourdough have already opened in Terminal B.

Airport usually wins excessive reward

Even with the present inconveniences, Kuhlmann stated as a home and worldwide frequent flyer, Sacramento airport is one among her favorites — not too large and never too small.

“I find the Sacramento airport to be a traveler’s dream,” she stated.

“It’s a gem,” Bow agreed. “It will be lovely when it’s done.”

Tips to navigate Sacramento airport throughout the holidays

• If you’re planning to park on the airport, assume it is going to be in a distant lot and consider one hour for parking. Johnston suggests arriving 2.5 hours early for home flights and three.5 hours early for worldwide flights in case you’re parking.
• Check the overhead signal on the airport entrance with real-time details about parking availability. If the signal says the each day lot and storage are full, they’re actually full. Follow indicators to economic system tons relatively than considering you’ll take an opportunity within the each day lot or storage.
• Monitor airport web sites with real-time parking availability and shuttle bus tracking so you understand what to anticipate.
• Consider asking household or pals for a experience, or use Uber, Lyft, automobile providers or taxis to get to and from the airport. Although no trains go to the airport, SacRT route 142 and Yolobus Route 42 are public transit choices.
• If you need espresso and the traces at Starbucks and different retailers are lengthy, Myers vouches for the Illy espresso machines within the airport concourses. “People are like ‘I’m not going to get coffee from a vending machine,’ which is a mistake,” she stated.

Laura Mahoney is a daily contributor, writing Dollars and Sense for Abridged.