PHL is doubling economy parking ahead of busy summer travel season. Here’s what else you need to know if you’re flying out of Philly soon.

Philadelphia International Airport is nearly doubling its economy parking capacity as it prepares for what is expected to be the busiest summer travel season since before the pandemic.

Airport officials estimate that 4,049,765 people will board flights at the Philly airport this summer, spokesperson Heather Redfern said. The number would represent a 12% increase over last summer, though still lower than 2019, a record year in which 34 million passengers traveled through the airport.

Memorial Day weekend, informally the kickoff of the summer travel season, is expected to see a similar increase. Officials estimate that about 263,000 people will depart from PHL between Wednesday, May 24, and Tuesday, May 30.

If you will be among the passengers flying out of Philly this summer, be prepared and pack your patience, airport officials said Thursday at a news conference.

Here are a few other things they said you should know before you go.

Some good news: The number of parking spaces will increase over the next several weeks.

The economy lot will soon grow from 1,840 to 3,600 spots. These parking spaces are in addition to the 11,133 in airport garages and the 793 in the short-term lots.

The economy lot is the best value at $15 a day for travelers who plan to leave their car at the airport, though there are far fewer spots in that lot than there used to be.

Before the pandemic, the airport had 7,100 parking spots in its 40-acre economy lot. The airport shuttered the lot entirely in March 2020, then partially reopened it in April 2022, making 1,480 spots available. The unused portion of the lot, which touches the runways, needs to be used by PHL cargo partners, Redfern said, as part of the airport’s strategic plan to expand its cargo services.

If you’re picking someone up, you can use short-term parking, where you’ll pay as little as $5 for half an hour. You can also wait for departing passengers in the cell phone lot until you hear that the plane has landed, recommended Megan O’Connell, the airport’s director of marketing and branding.

Below is the nitty-gritty of each parking option:

Economy parking

Short-term and garage parking

Cell phone waiting lot

Private off-site lots

For the most part, it should be business as usual at TSA checkpoints despite the increased volume of passengers, said Christine Assili, TSA deputy federal security director for the airport.

“We have a plan in place, so expect wait times to be within normal ranges of 10 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on whether you’re pre-check or not,” said Assili.

A possible exception, she said, are peak times, which in Philly are early in the morning and around midday.

She suggested reviewing which items you are and are not allowed to bring on a plane before you head to the airport. She reminded travelers that any liquids, gels, and aerosols in a carry-on must be in 3.4-ounce bottles that all would fit in a one-quart-size bag.

Arrive at the airport at least two hours early for domestic flights and at least three hours for international flights. Get out your ID and boarding pass while you wait in the security line.

“Be courteous of your travelers behind you,” she said. “They will appreciate you trying to expedite the screening process.”

Passengers with specific questions can get live answers from TSA officials from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. 365 days a year by tweeting at @AskTSA, messaging them on Facebook, or texting Travel to 275-872.

Philadelphia Airport has 170 food and shopping locations across all terminals and available to any traveler who has cleared a security checkpoint. (Anyone waiting for a friend coming off a delayed plane will have to settle for vending machines).

Inside the airport, some new options include Good Luck Pizza, which has pizza, small plates, and cocktails in Terminal E, and Everything Travel, which is run by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, said Dana Pyle, the marketing and guest experience manager for MarketPlace PHL.

At Everything Travel in Terminal D, customers scan a credit card (or the digital equivalent on their phone) upon entrance and artificial intelligence uses cameras and sensors to track what items they walk out with, sending an itemized receipt to their phone.

Hungry passengers who are in a rush can also order food ahead of time at several airport eateries, skipping any potential lines. That service is available at orderatphl.com.

Gym buffs will soon be able to fit a workout in during a layover or flight delay. For $25 a day (or a $35 a month membership for frequent fliers), ROAM Fitness will offer a full-service gym, complimentary rental workout gear, training sessions, private showers, and an infrared sauna for passengers and employees. ROAM, which already has a location at the BWI Airport, is set to open its Philly location in Terminal F in the next few weeks.