REGINA – Christmas and the New Year are rapidly approaching and those will be busy times of the year for the Regina International Airport.
James Bogusz, CEO of Regina Airport Authority, said they expect a very busy winter season, one that got rolling from the moment the kids were let out of school on Dec. 19.
He says the days leading up to Christmas are those during which they expect the busiest loads.
“This is both inbound and outbound travel."
With the airport being busier than usual, Bogusz reminds people to always arrive at the airport a minimum of two hours before their scheduled flight.
"It's one of the best pieces of advice I can give because it's going to give a much more stress-free experience. Gives you time to find parking, check in for your flight, and deal with longer than usual security lines.”
As for how to get to the airport, many people use the cab or Uber options, but Bogusz prefers people opt to use the airport parking.
“It's one of our number one sources of revenue that helps support the airport directly. We're talking about when you invest in parking at the airport, we can convert that into projects, capital improvements, things that customers can really enjoy.”
Their long-term parking rates remain unchanged, he said, with the first five days set at $15 a day. After that the parking rate drops to $7.
For those worried about the impact of cold weather on their car, Bogusz notes that the airport has free block heater plugs and can even “help you jumpstart your car with a battery unit in the unlikely event that it's really cold and your car can't start. We've got you covered.”
The airport also have an overflow parking lot in case their long term lot fills up completely, with free transportation to and from the terminal building.
Once people get through security, travellers then have access to amenities in the departure area including their 306 Bistro and Bar, Tim Hortons, the Skyway Grill.
“Skyway is known for their hamburgers, fish and chips, whereas the 306 Bistro and Bar has a completely different menu, including things like even halal chicken wings, along with a number of other items that you can purchase.”
For people coming to the airport to meet arriving passengers, there are options including the 306 Express in the arrivals area, and there is vending service throughout the terminal as well.
Weather can cause havoc
One big issue that impacts airports throughout Canada during the holiday season is winter weather. That can cause delays or cancellations of flights, including connecting ones involving other airports that might be more directly affected by poor conditions.
“Well, it's certainly that time of year,” Bogusz said.
Locally, he said they have “one of the best winter crews that know how to move snow and ice” off the runways. Their staff use a plow sleeper truck along with a de-icing vehicle.
“We have actually a number of members up on the line, we call it, or basically working at the same time in tandem to keep that runway safe for landing,” said Bogusz.
“However, we can't control the weather across Canada, and we certainly can't control what we call visibility. So, when it's heavily snowing here in Regina or in other cities, and the visibility is not good enough for a pilot, unfortunately, that's when you start seeing planes delay and cancel.”
He says that as a passenger, what you want to do is make sure with the airline you're flying with out of Regina— whether it be United Airlines or WestJet or Air Canada — that “you've given them your email address and your phone number, ideally your mobile phone number, so when you are potentially having a delay or a cancellation, they'll notify you immediately.”
“And if you do receive a notice about a delay, we've got great amenities in the hold area, even including a nice child's play area for your kids if you're waiting there.
But if your plane is actually cancelled, generally speaking, the airline will communicate with you directly to let you know when you're going to be re-accommodated.”
If all else fails, there are people in the terminal building who can help. “All you would do is literally go up to your agent — there will often be lines, of course, if others have been delayed or cancelled — and just ask them about re-accommodation. But in my experience, most of this is now automated. The airline is always looking to re – accommodate passengers to get you where you want to go, and that's why it's so crucial to give them a way to contact you directly so they can keep you posted on the latest flight status.”
Bogusz adds that either YQR.ca or the airline's website will be posting up-to-date flight times. He also has one more piece of advice regarding connections:
“Sometimes your first flight might be on time, you get into your first city, but there may be a delay with a connecting flight. If that's the case, just make sure you keep an eye on your phone or visit an airline counter in the terminal building and ask about your connection time. I find in most cases the airlines are very good about ensuring that folks can get to where they need to go as soon as they can get you there.”
Packing tips
Bogusz provides some advice for people packing their bags to go through security.
For those wondering about Christmas gifts, Bogusz said “yes, you can travel with wrapped gifts if you choose to.” But if you travel with wrapped gifts, especially in your carry-on bag, “it's possible the screening agent might need to unwrap it to inspect what it is.”
“It can be very disappointing, so just be prepared for that. If you are going to travel with wrapped gifts, I strongly encourage folks, if they're taking a checked bag, to please put it in their checked bag. It does not make it immune to being open, it just reduces the likelihood of this occurring.”
As well, when something is wrapped, it doesn’t not except those from security requirements such as 100 milliliter limits on liquids and gels going through a carry-on bag, or 350 mils of powders.
“This is the time of year for things like baked goods. So you cannot bring grandma's cookie recipe that's ready to be baked in a powder form above 350 mils if you're doing something like a carry-on bag, whereas in a checked bag, those limits would not apply.”
Bogusz urges people to consider going to YQR.ca or CATSA's website and type in some of the things you are planning bring that you might be curious about, and know what the limits are and what is the recommended bag to put it in.
“That's a really important tip to reduce the chances that you're going to hold up the security line or unnecessarily have something thrown in the garbage that you cannot travel with because you are unaware.”
