DFW Airport Kicks Off Big Summer Anticipating 17 Million Customers, Adds More Parking

New international flights, new amenities, record passengers and DART light rail highlight a hot DFW summer forecast

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May 23, 2014, 11:00 ET

DFW AIRPORT, Texas, May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport dedicated the second phase of its Terminal A Parking facility today with a traditional Chinese Lion dance for good luck and recognition that this summer begins DFW's first flights to China. Today is the unofficial start to an anticipated big summer of achievement for the world's third busiest airport. For the summer season running from June 1 through August 31, DFW expects to host 17 million customers, which would make the summer of 2014 the busiest summer ever at DFW and 2.4% above the same period last year.

"We are making great progress in improving the customer experience at DFW and the opening of phase two of our Terminal A Parking facility is another step in that process," said Ken Buchanan, Executive Vice President, DFW Airport. "This summer, we are eager to show our customers even more new advances at DFW Airport, as we continue to build our global hub and provide our customers with outstanding service and experiences."

The summer of 2014 also shapes up to be one of DFW's busiest summers ever for major milestones, highlighted by the arrival of new flights to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Doha as well as the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) light rail system.

Here are the recent and upcoming major milestones at DFW Airport:

May 7: DFW opens a new ten-gate concourse in Terminal B
May 17: DFW opens the second phase of Terminal A Parking structure, providing more convenient and easy-to-find parking spaces for customers
June 11: American Airlines to launch new flights to Hong Kong and Shanghai, China, marking DFW's first nonstop connections to those cities
July 1: Qatar Airways to launch new daily service to Doha, Qatar
July: DFW to formally open the second phase of its Automated Passport Control system, adding 24 more kiosks (for a total of 54) and the ability to electronically process customers from 38 visa waiver countries and customers who are Legal Permanent Residents
August 1: DFW to release second version of its popular Official DFW Airport Mobile App, featuring voice command capability, a new look and more customer-focused information
August 18: Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) to begin the first commuter rail service directly to DFW, with the DART Orange Line from Terminal A to downtown Dallas
Late August: DFW to open second phase of Terminal A ticketing and baggage claim area renovations completed under TRIP

The summer travel months bring many leisure travelers to DFW Airport, so for those infrequent travelers, the best word of advice is to arrive at the Airport with plenty of time to spare. DFW recommends arriving two hours early for international flights and 90 minutes early for domestic flights. This will allow time for maneuvering through new roadways, construction zones and unfamiliar parking venues.

For Memorial Day weekend, DFW Airport will be deploying porters and parking assistants to help travelers in the Terminal Parking areas of Terminals A, C and E, starting Wednesday May 21 and going through Tuesday, May 27. The porters will provide luggage assistance and the parking attendants will help with directions and information inside the new parking structure.

The Terminal A Parking facility can direct drivers to available parking spaces by a new and intuitive parking guidance system, consisting of easily visible overhead lights informing them which spaces are open. Green lights highlight unoccupied spaces, blue lights mark spaces available for handicapped drivers, white for 1-hour parking and red lights indicate spaces that are filled.

Another recent addition to DFW Airport is making international arrivals much easier and more efficient for customers. The Automated Passport Control system in Terminal D has virtually eliminated lines for U.S. and Canadian passport holders to re-enter the country from international flights. DFW Airport will be installing 24 more kiosks later this summer to augment the 30 kiosks that went into service last fall.

In addition, the International Arrivals Hall now has "Carry E-Z" lanes which allow customers traveling only with carry-on bags to clear the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol arrival area in one step at a kiosk, rather than having to wait in another line for luggage checks. The "Carry E-Z" kiosk lanes are located next to the Automated Passport Control area.

Finally, DFW Airport encourages its customers to participate in the Thanks Again customer rewards program, which allows most purchases at DFW Airport and airports nationwide to earn airline rewards with many major air carriers. Customers can sign up for the Thanks Again rewards program at www.thanksagain.com/dfw.

About DFW International Airport
Celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2014, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is the world's third busiest, hosting 1,850 flights a day and serving 60 million customers a year. Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW Airport provides nonstop service to 147 domestic and 56 international destinations. For seven consecutive years, DFW has ranked among the top ten large airports worldwide for customer service in surveys conducted by Airports Council International. For the latest news, real-time flight information, parking availability or further details regarding the many services provided at DFW International Airport, visit www.dfwairport.com or download the Official DFW Airport Mobile App for Apple iOS, Android or Blackberry devices.

(re)defining DFW International Airport
DFW International Airport's $2.3 billion Terminal Renewal and Improvement Program (TRIP) is (re)defining first class for this global gateway. For the latest details regarding TRIP, log on to www.dfwairport.com/redefine.

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SOURCE DFW International Airport