The holidays will soon be upon us and that means a lot of people will be heading out of town. If you’re flying out of Westchester County Airport for this holiday season, get a ride. Don’t drive. With more flights to popular destinations than ever before and with thousands of people traveling in these next few weeks, there are simply not enough parking spaces for everyone.

County Executive Andy Spano said, “Flying out of the county airport is such a breeze for both vacationers and business travelers. But because the holidays are traditionally the busiest time of year for air travel, there’s just not enough parking at the county airport to accommodate our passengers. Even under the best of circumstances, parking there is limited.  If you want the best traveling experience and want to be assured you won’t miss your flight, I strongly suggest you get a ride to the airport. Don’t drive.”

Last year, a cell phone waiting area was added to accommodate those passengers who get a ride to and from the airport. Now, motorists meeting arriving passengers can wait there until passengers call to say they are ready to be picked up at terminal curbside. The area has an electronic sign giving airline arrival times.

Spano said the cell phone lot not only gives motorists a convenient place to wait for passengers, it will also stop motorists from having to circle around the airport waiting for their passengers to arrive.

“The cell phone waiting area has been a big help, but it’s still not enough,” Spano said. “The best advice is to plan ahead how you will get to the airport, get there early and expect longer than usual lines at security.”

Spano urged travelers to try AirLink, the bus service that was introduced about 18 months ago. The route runs runs between downtown White Plains and the airport. AirLink service departs from the White Plains Metro-North Railroad Station and the White Plains Bus Terminal for the airport approximately every 30 minutes, weekdays between 6:37 a.m. and 9:04 p.m.   Buses from the airport depart on a similar schedule between 7:11 a.m. and 9:36 p.m.  On Saturdays, Sundays and most holidays, AirLink service begins and ends at approximately the same times. More than 40,000 passengers  have used AirLink since the service began.

For information on parking alternatives, travelers can visit www.westchestergov.com/airport or call 914-995-RIDE.