March Madness at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

March is the busiest month of the year at Sky Harbor thanks to Spring Training Baseball, a big NASCAR race, Spring Break, 2017 NCAA Final Four and the beautiful weather! Events and weather combined make March the peak month for tourism in the Phoenix area.

March is the only month when Sky Harbor passenger counts top 4 million, a feat that has occurred annually since 2014. Last year, nearly 4.3 million passengers, a record, traveled through Sky Harbor in March. That compares with 3.7 million in April, May and June. It all adds up to long check-in and security lines, longer-than-normal waits in baggage claim, clogged roadways and a run on rental cars.

Airport officials expect the busiest weekend to be March 17-19, when the NASCAR race and spring training are in full swing.

8 tips for using Sky Harbor Airport in March

1. Check out TSA wait times online so there are no surprises. The airport started posting times at skyharbor.com and on airport monitors late last year.

2. Don't cut it close. The airport and TSA recommend arriving two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.

3. UberX and Lyft can now pick up passengers at the airport.

4. Put souvenir baseball bats in your checked bags. No bats, even the miniature ones popular in Cactus League souvenir shops, are allowed through security checkpoints.

5. Reserve rental cars in advance.

6. Be aware of road restrictions at Terminal 3, which is undergoing a major makeover. The westbound inner lanes are closed. Passengers must be picked up and dropped off at the north inner curb. Buses, shuttles, taxis and ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft are still in their normal locations on both north and south outer curbs. The first part of the makeover, a new check-in area and security checkpoint, debuted in December.

7. Picking up or dropping off passengers? Avoid the airport traffic by using the PHX Sky Train station just south of 44th and Washington streets. The automated train is free.

8. Traveling on American, Southwest or United? Take advantage of early bag check. The service is offered at the rental-car center, 44th Street Sky Train Station and East Economy parking lot. You can check your bags here instead of taking them to the terminal. Regular baggage fees apply.

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