How early should I get to DJT?

President Donald J. Trump International Airport, formerly Palm Beach International, West Palm Beach, FL · Checked Oct 26, 2026

The short answer

The airport's website gives no set arrival time. Delta recommends arriving at least 2 hours before a domestic flight at U.S. airports, and this airport is not on its list of exceptions. JetBlue's page for this airport suggests about 90 minutes, and Southwest's suggests 60 minutes.

Southwest's page for this airport suggests 90 minutes before an international flight. The airport itself gives no set time.

Those are blanket rules. Your real number depends on your terminal, the time of day, traffic from your door, and whether you have PreCheck or a bag. Leave By works out your exact leave time.

Source: delta.com

Security lines at DJT

This research found no typical peak times published by the airport. In TSA's hourly screening counts for Sep 13-19, 2026 (mid-September, the airport's quiet season), the airport was busiest from 9am to noon, peaking 10-11am. There was a second early peak from 5am to 7am, peaking 6-7am. Traffic eased after noon, held fairly steady until about 7pm and was very light after that. The Concourse C checkpoint had a late-afternoon rise from 5pm to 7pm. Friday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday were the busiest days that week; Tuesday and Saturday were the quietest. Winter is much busier. The airport's traffic reports show 992,435 passengers in March 2026, about twice the 498,729 of September 2025. January and February 2026 each had more than 800,000.

Busiest times: 9:00am-noon (peak 10:00-11:00am), 5:00-7:00am (peak 6:00-7:00am), Fridays, Thursdays, Sundays and Mondays (TSA counts, week of Sep 13, 2026), January to March, with March the busiest month in the airport's 2026 reports.

Nationally, TSA checkpoints are busiest from 5 to 7 AM local time. See TSA's hourly numbers and the busiest days to fly.

TSA PreCheck: TSA PreCheck lanes are at both checkpoints. CLEAR lists combined CLEAR+ and TSA PreCheck lanes at the A/B checkpoint (4:30am-6:30pm) and the C checkpoint (4:30am-8pm Sunday to Tuesday, 4:30am-7:30pm Wednesday to Saturday). The airport says PreCheck enrollment is available through CLEAR at every checkpoint with no appointment.

CLEAR: Available at this airport (see terminals below for which checkpoints).

Touchless ID: A March 2026 list of TSA PreCheck Touchless ID airports shows this airport (as PBI) for American, Delta and Southwest. Southwest's airport page also lists a Touchless ID checkpoint here. You opt in through your airline profile and need a valid passport.

Terminals and checkpoints

Concourses A and B

American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Allegiant Air, Bahamasair

Concourse A/B checkpointPreCheckCLEAROne of two checkpoints on Level 2, at opposite ends of the terminal. Hours are not published by the airport. CLEAR lists CLEAR+ and TSA PreCheck lanes here from 4:30am to 6:30pm. TSA's screening counts call it DJT A/B. In mid-September 2026 it was in use from about 4am, was busiest 5-7am and 10am-noon, and was very light after 7pm.

Concourse A is the ground-level concourse (gates A1-A4) used for smaller aircraft. Allegiant, Avelo and Bahamasair are listed there.
Concourse B has gates B1-B12 and B14. American, Southwest, United, Sun Country and Avelo are listed there.
Southwest lists its gates as B3 and B5. Its ticket counter opens 90 minutes before the first departing flight.
Customs and immigration are on the lower level, west side, reached from Concourses A and B.

Concourse C

Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Frontier Airlines, Breeze Airways, Air Canada, Porter Airlines

Concourse C checkpointPreCheckCLEARThe other Level 2 checkpoint. JetBlue's page lists the checkpoint as open 4:00am to 10:30pm. CLEAR lists CLEAR+ and TSA PreCheck lanes here from 4:30am to 8pm Sunday to Tuesday and 4:30am to 7:30pm Wednesday to Saturday. TSA's screening counts call it DJT C. In mid-September 2026 it was busiest 9-11am and had a second rise from 5pm to 7pm.

Gates C1-C12, C14 and C16
JetBlue lists Level 3, Concourse C. Its ticket counter is open 4:10am to 7:30pm and its lobby is cashless.
Delta, JetBlue and American carried the most passengers in September 2025 (airport traffic report)

Between terminals: One terminal with three concourses and two checkpoints. One checkpoint serves Concourses A and B; the other serves Concourse C. Concourses A and B are connected after security, but A/B and C are not. The airport is only in early design for a post-security connector, so use the checkpoint for your airline's concourse.

Terminals are not connected after security. Go to the right terminal the first time.

Getting to DJT

Rideshare and taxi: Uber drops off curbside at the terminal; Departures is Level 3. Rideshare pickup is on the outer curb of Level 3, across the street from the terminal exit. Taxis use the Ground Transportation desk on the west end of Level 1.

Transit: Palm Tran routes 2 and 44 serve the airport; the bus stop is on the outer curb of Level 1. From Tri-Rail's West Palm Beach station (203 South Tamarind Avenue), Palm Tran Route 2 to the airport is free if you show a valid Tri-Rail fare. Rides from the airport to the station need no fare.

Driving and parking: The airport has direct access from I-95, Southern Boulevard and Congress Avenue. Parking daily maximums: Premium $34 (outside Baggage Claim, card or SunPass only), Short-Term $21, Long-Term $14 (direct access to the terminal on Level 2), Economy $8 (free shuttle). The Economy shuttle runs 24 hours Sunday to Thursday, but not 1-3am Friday or 1-4am Saturday. The free cell phone waiting lot is at the Travel Plaza, 2050 Belvedere Road. The airport says lots closest to the terminal often fill around the holidays.

Construction and changes in 2026

Concourse B is being remodeled and expanded. Phases 1 and 2 are done. Phase 3 is underway with temporary walls in place, and completion is targeted for summer 2028.
The IATA code changed from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026, and the airport was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026. The airport says flights and services are unaffected; search and check bags using DJT.

Checking a bag

Delta: check bags at least 45 minutes before a domestic departure, check in at least 30 minutes ahead without bags, and bags are not accepted more than 6 hours ahead. JetBlue: bags 45 minutes before departure; check-in 30 minutes ahead without bags. Southwest: bags 45 minutes before a domestic flight (60 minutes international); check-in closes 30 minutes before a domestic flight. American and United: check in and check bags 45 minutes before domestic departure (AP, May 2025).

DJT tips first-timers miss

Know your concourse. Delta, JetBlue, Frontier, Breeze, Air Canada and Porter use Concourse C. American, Southwest, United and Sun Country use Concourse B. Allegiant, Avelo and Bahamasair are listed at Concourse A.
Concourse C is not connected to A and B after security, so use the checkpoint for your airline's concourse
Plan more time from January to March. In 2026 the airport handled about twice as many passengers in March as in September.
The airport code is now DJT, not PBI. Use DJT when searching for flights; airline reservations and bag tags now show DJT.
Early flight? The checkpoints were in use from about 4am in mid-September 2026, and the 6-7am hour was one of the busiest.
Parking in Economy for a very early flight? The shuttle does not run 1-3am Friday or 1-4am Saturday. The lot is about a 5-minute walk from the terminal.

Leaving for DJT?

Pick your flight and where you're starting. Leave By checks live traffic, security lines and your terminal, and tells you the minute to walk out the door.

Free. No account.

Questions travelers ask

How early should I get to Palm Beach airport (DJT, formerly PBI)?

The airport does not publish a set time. Delta recommends at least 2 hours before a domestic flight; JetBlue suggests about 90 minutes and Southwest 60 minutes at this airport. Allow more time from January to March, when the airport is busiest.

Is PBI the same airport as DJT?

Yes. Palm Beach International was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026, and its code changed from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026. Flights and services did not change.

Are the concourses connected after security?

Concourses A and B are. Concourse C is not; it has its own checkpoint. Go through the checkpoint for your airline's concourse.

Does the airport have CLEAR?

Yes. CLEAR has lanes at both the A/B and C checkpoints. TSA PreCheck lanes are also at both.

When is the airport busiest?

Winter. March 2026 had 992,435 passengers, about twice September 2025. In mid-September 2026 TSA counts, the busiest hours were 9am-noon, peaking 10-11am, with a second peak at 6-7am.

Sources

Airport conditions change. Always follow your airline's check-in and bag-drop deadlines.

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