Q. How can I buy an airline ticket?
There are a many ways to reserve a seat with an airline. The airlines make reservations at the ticket counter, online, through travel agents or by their toll free phone reservations number listed below.
Q. Where do I pick up arriving passengers in the airport?
You can meet your arriving passenger in the baggage claim area. If you come inside to meet your passenger there is a 30 minute grace period in the Short Term Parking lot.
Only ticketed passengers are permitted through the security checkpoints. Meeters/greeters can meet arriving passengers in the baggage claim area.
The new Cell Phone Lot offers free parking while waiting outside for your passenger to disembark the aircraft, claim their luggage and are ready to be picked up.
Q. Where can I find something to eat?
The airport offers a variety of food and beverage establishments.
Q. Can I pick up someone at curbside?
Yes. The passenger must be waiting curbside with all their luggage waiting to load into a vehicle. It takes approximately 15 minutes to deplane and pick-up luggage, so plan on picking up your party 15 minutes after the flight arrives. Otherwise the first 30 minutes in short term parking is free. There is no waiting or no parking at the curb for arriving passengers. If a vehicle is left unattended for any reason, the vehicle will be ticketed and towed at the owners’ expense.
Q. Can luggage be checked in at the curb?
Curbside check-in at the Greater Rochester International Airport varies by airline. Currently, US Airways, JetBlue Airways and Northwest provide curbside check-in. Single occupant vehicles cannot use curbside check-in, since this leaves the vehicle unattended.
Q. What time should I arrive at the airport before my scheduled departure?
Airport and airline officials encourage travelers to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes before domestic, and two hours before international scheduled departures. This time will allow the traveler to find parking, catch the shuttle bus from the lot, check-in at the ticket counter or curbside, and clear through the security check point. Officials also encourage travelers to call their airlines 1-800 number regarding any questions you may have on the status of your flight.
Q. My son/daughter will be flying alone. What are the procedures?
Children flying alone are permitted to be escorted by one parent through the security checkpoints to the gated area. At the ticket counter, the ticket agent will issue the parent a “concourse pass” with all the flight information on it. This is also the same for a parent picking up a child flying alone.
Q. How many carry-ons can I bring on board the plane?
Passengers are permitted to bring one carry-on and one personal item, such as a briefcase, lap top or purse.
Q. Will I have to put my laptop, pager or cell phone through the x-ray machine?
Yes. Security screeners will (may) ask travelers to turn on all electronic devices to show they are operational.
Q. Do I still check in at the ticket counter if I have an e-ticket?
All passengers must attain a boarding pass before they are permitted past the security checkpoint. Boarding passes are no longer issued at the gate.
E-ticketed passengers also must have a boarding pass before they can pass through security. Passengers can attain boarding passes at the ticket counter, at a self-serve kiosk or online. For more information please contact your individual airline.
Q. What type of identification do I bring to the airport?
Passengers need to bring a government-issued photo ID to the airport and be prepared to show at any time.
Q. I am a diabetic and carry syringes. Will I be able to carry this on board a plane?
Yes. Persons carrying special medications that require needles or syringes need to make sure the medication is clearly marked with the pharmaceutical label.
Q. Which airlines service the Greater Rochester International Airport?
GRIA is currently served by eight major domestic air carriers, including American, AirTran, Continental, Delta, jetBlue, Northwest, United, and US Airways, and approximately 12 regional partners and smaller airlines. Although airline service is dynamic and flight schedules change seasonally, the airport has typically provided about 150 flights per day to 19 cities (22 airports), serves more than 2.5 million passengers annually. With connections to large hub airports, service is provided to any airport worldwide. At this level of activity, the FAA classifies the airport as a “Medium Hub.”
Q. What are the most popular destinations from Rochester?
The number of final destinations of passengers is in the hundreds; however, the top ten destinations from Rochester are listed below in descending order:
- New York City Area
- Chicago, IL
- Boston, MA
- Orlando, FL
- Washington, DC
- Atlanta, GA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Tampa, FL
- Los Angeles, CA
- San Francisco, CA
Approximately 50% of all passengers departing from Rochester are traveling to one of the above locations. NYC is by far the most common destination, accounting for about 15% of all passengers.
Q. What is the largest airline at the airport?
For many years, US Airways and US Airways Express (composed of several regional partners) has been the largest airline at GRIA in terms of passenger activity providing 24% of the non-stop service to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Boston and other locations. Other carriers with significant activity at GRIA (over 5% of the local market) include JetBlue Airways, United Airlines and AirTran Airways.
Q. What non-stop destinations does the airport offer?
Q. How does an airport operate?
To see how it all works, the Greater Rochester International Airport offers an Airport Tour Program.
Tours are available, and are offered without charge to groups such as schools, scouting organizations, senior centers, church clubs, professional societies, etc.
Q. Which Rental Car companies serve the Greater Rochester International Airport?
Q. What are the names of some hotels in the Rochester surrounding area?
Q. What items can I no longer carry on the plane?
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a list of items banned from all carry-on bags.
The following items will not be allowed through the security checkpoint. Please note that this list is not all-inclusive. In addition to items specifically listed here, other items that may be deemed to present a potential threat may also be prohibited.
- Ammunition
- Automatic weapons
- Axes
- Baseball bats
- BB guns
- Billy clubs
- Blackjacks
- Blasting caps
- Bows and arrows
- Box cutters
- Brass knuckles
- Bull whips
- Cattle prods
- Compressed air guns
- Corkscrews
- Cricket bats
- Crow bars
- Disabling chemicals or gases
- Dog repellent spray
- Dynamite
- Fire extinguishers
- Flare pistols
- Golf clubs
- Gun lighters
- Gunpowder
- Hammers
- Hand grenades
- Hatchets
- Hockey sticks
- Hunting knives
- Ice axe/Ice pick
- Knives (any length)
- Kubatons
- Large, heavy tools (such as wrenches, pliers, etc.
- Mace
- Martial arts devices
- Meat cleavers
- Metal scissors with pointed tips
- Numchucks
- Pellet guns
- Pen knives
- Pepper spray
- Pistols
- Plastic explosives
- Pool cues
- Portable power drills
- Portable power saws
- Razor blades (not in a cartridge)
- Religious knives
- Replica weapons
- Revolvers
- Rifles
- Road flares
- SCUBA knives
- Sabers
- Screwdrivers
- Shot guns
- Ski poles
- Spear guns
- Starter pistols
- Straight razors
- Stun guns/shocking devices
- Swords
- Tear gas
- Throwing stars
- Toy transformer robots (this toy forms a toy gun)
- Toy weapons
If you have any doubt in your mind about an item, please visit the TSA website.
