Travelling through a small regional airport like Trenton-Mercer (TTN) has its own specifics. To ensure your flight goes as smoothly as possible, we have prepared a number of practical tips that will help avoid surprises and save your nerves.
Recommendations on Arrival Time
Despite the fact that Trenton-Mercer is much smaller than the neighbouring giants in Philadelphia or Newark, you should not arrive at the last minute. The airport serves large aircraft (180+ seats), and when check-in for a full flight begins, the small hall can be overcrowded.
- Optimal Time: Arrive 1.5 – 2 hours before departure. This is sufficient to calmly check in luggage and pass security.
- Peak Hour: If your departure falls in the early morning or on holidays, add another 30 minutes to this time. The security checkpoint (TSA) has limited throughput, and the queue may move slower than usual.
Check-in and Security Features
Procedures here are standard for the USA, but there are nuances related to the terminal size:
- Online Check-in: We strongly recommend checking in online and downloading the boarding pass to your phone. There are few self-service kiosks in the terminal, and queues often form at them.
- Security (TSA): There is only one security line (sometimes two). Be prepared for the fact that there is very little space for repacking items after the scanner. Be organised: take out electronics and liquids in advance so as not to delay others.
- Documents: Keep your ID or passport handy not only at the entrance to the screening zone but also when going to the boarding gate, as airline staff check them again before exiting to the apron.
Seat Selection and Boarding the Aircraft
Trenton-Mercer is unique for its lack of jet bridges. This directly influences the strategy for seat selection and clothing.
- Weather Matters: You will walk to the plane on foot outside. If it is raining, snowing, or very windy, be prepared to walk about 50–100 metres in the open air. Dress according to the weather, even if you are flying to warm destinations.
- Seats in the Cabin: Boarding is often carried out through both doors (front and rear), using stairs. If you want to board or disembark faster, choose seats in the first 5 or last 5 rows.
- Mobility: Remember that you will have to climb stairs to board. If it is difficult for you to carry hand luggage up the steps, it is better to check it in as luggage.
Hand Luggage: What is Allowed and Not Allowed
Since the main carrier at TTN is the low-cost airline Frontier Airlines, baggage issues are critical here.
- Dimensions ("Sizers"): At the gate, staff strictly monitor the size of hand luggage. Your suitcase must fit freely into the measuring frame. If wheels or a handle stick out, you will be forced to pay a significant amount (often up to $100 right at the gate).
- Personal Items: A backpack or bag that counts as a "personal item" (free) must fit under the seat. Overhead bins are intended only for paid carry-on luggage.
- Prohibited Items: TSA rules are standard — liquids in containers larger than 100 ml are prohibited. Exceptions are baby food and medicines.
For Passengers with Connections
Trenton-Mercer is a "Point-to-Point" airport. It is not designed for complex connections.
- No Transit Zone: There is no possibility to transfer from flight to flight without leaving the "sterile" zone, unless it is the same aircraft.
- Risks of Self-Transfer: If you bought two separate tickets with a transfer at TTN, allow at least 3–4 hours between flights. You will have to collect luggage, leave the arrival zone, and go through check-in and security again. Given the small number of flights, a delay of the first plane may mean losing the second ticket with no alternative departure on the same day.
Customs Control
An important clarification for international tourists: despite having international status, for commercial passenger flights (Frontier), Trenton-Mercer operates as a domestic airport.
- International flights are serviced here only for private aviation (General Aviation) in a separate terminal.
- If you are flying on a commercial flight, there will be no customs control upon arrival, as all flights arrive from US cities.
How to Save Time and Money
- Pay for Luggage Online: Do this when buying the ticket. Paying for luggage at the airport at the counter or at the gate will cost 2–3 times more.
- Water: Do not buy water before security control. Bring an empty bottle with you — after passing TSA, you can fill it at drinking fountains near the restrooms for free.
- Parking: Parking at TTN is cheaper than a taxi from central Philadelphia round trip. If you are going for a couple of days, it is more profitable to leave the car here than to order an Uber.
What to Do in Case of Flight Delay
Delays happen, and in a small terminal, they are felt more acutely due to a lack of entertainment.
- Do Not Rush to the "Sterile" Zone: If you learned about the delay before passing control, stay in the Sky Lounge restaurant on the second floor of the public zone. It is more comfortable to sit there, there is proper food and a view from the window.
- Content with You: There is Wi-Fi at the airport, but with a large crowd of people, the speed may drop. Download films, books, or music to your devices in advance. There are few charging outlets, so a fully charged power bank is mandatory.
- Watch the Board: In the small hall, announcements over the loudspeaker can sometimes be hard to hear due to crowd noise. Periodically glance at the monitors near the exits.