Holiday travel tips

DFW Airport gears up for busiest holiday travel season on record

DFW Airport

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is preparing to welcome a record 4.7 million travelers during the 2024 winter holiday season, December 20 to January 7.

That's a 2.4 percent increase from last year’s holiday period, they say.

According to a release, the busiest travel days will be the weekends before and after Christmas Day. Friday, December 20, is expected to be the busiest of all, with an estimated 265,000 passengers. Peak travel times will be evenings and weekends from 5-9 pm, typically around Terminal C, they say.

With more travelers comes more traffic. Traffic congestion around peak travel times could be exacerbated by construction zones related to the building of the airport's sixth terminal, Terminal F. One of the parking garages at Terminal C is also closed.

To help alleviate traffic woes, DFW Airport will have additional officers patrolling terminal roadways, curbs, and garages, enforcing curbside rules along the more than 4.6 miles of terminal curbs. Crosswalks at all terminals will be staffed during high-volume hours to maintain efficient traffic movement, and new overflow parking options and rideshare traffic plans will be introduced.

Temporary barriers and signage will redirect traffic in congested areas, such as Terminals B and C, to ease bottlenecks. Officers will be placed at key intersections to move traffic more quickly.

DFW Airport also recommends these travel tips for passengers:

Arrive early: Plan to arrive at least two hours before flights and three hours before international flights to allow time for parking, check-in, and security screening.
Use public transit: DART’s Orange Line provides direct access to Terminal A. TEXRail connects riders to Terminal B. Trinity Railway Express offers service from Dallas and Fort Worth to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station, with terminal access via the TRE Link shuttle.
Use Express and Remote lots: Shuttle service from the airport’s Express and Remote parking lots provide quick access to the terminals. Shuttles to the terminals reduce vehicle traffic by as many as eight vehicles per trip.
Follow curbside rules: Curbside areas are designated for active loading and unloading only. Stopping is limited to the time needed to load or unload passengers at the curb. Stopping in any other lanes is not allowed, is unsafe, and causes delays.
Pick-up in the garages: Offering convenience for longer pick-ups or drop-offs, including one-hour parking options, allowing stops for longer times outside of traffic.

They also encourage visitors to use the DFW mobile app to make the planning and travel process smoother.

“By planning ahead, arriving early, and downloading the DFW app, travelers can make the most of their airport experience," says Ken Buchanan, DFW executive vice president of customer experience and revenue management, in a statement. "The app offers everything you need – parking updates, real-time wait times, and more – to help you navigate the airport effortlessly.”

For the latest updates on traffic, parking, and construction, visit the DFW website here.

holidays airport

Where to eat in Texas

Bon Appetit names 2 Texas spots among best new restaurants of 2026

Photo by Jenn Duncan

Agnes and Sherman is one of Bon Appetit's best new restaurants.

Bon Appetit magazine has published its coveted list of the best new restaurants of 2026, and two Texas eateries have made the cut. Unfortunately, neither is in North Texas; one's in Houston, and the other's in Austin.

Published Monday, August 24, the list includes 19 restaurants in 12 states and Washington, D.C. that opened between March 2025 and March 2026.

While Bon Appetit recognizes restaurants are facing challenges ranging from rising costs to AI disruption, the magazine takes an optimistic tone in the article’s introduction.

“The restaurants we found the most exciting are, of course, delicious, but they were also fearless about challenging the playbooks by betting on community and creativity. These are the traits that help evolve modern American cuisine,” it writes.

The two Texas honorees are Agnes and Sherman in Houston and Le Calamar in Austin. Consider adding these destination-worthy hot spots to the itinerary the next time you visit. Here's more about each one:

Agnes and Sherman, Houston
Opened in April 2025, Agnes and Sherman puts an Asian spin on the classic American diner. It's received significant regional and national praise, including being named Texas Monthly’s best new restaurant of 2026, as well as earning a James Beard Award finalist nomination for Best New Restaurant and a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide.

Good Morning America recently featured the restaurant during a weeklong series on diners. During the segment, Wong and Lee announced they'd recently become engaged.

Bon Appetit editorial operations manager Kate Kassin hails Agnes and Sherman for signature dishes such as a wedge salad that’s topped with youtiao croutons, lap cheong, and ginger-scallion ranch and the signature cheeseburger fried rice that’s made with shredded iceberg lettuce, two slices of American cheese, sauce, and sesame seeds.

“It’s a mishmash of two iconic dishes in their own genres but, together, something wholly emblematic of the food that owners Nick Wong and Lisa Lee are putting forth,” Kassin writes. 250 W. 19th St Suite A, Houston.

Le Calamar dishes Le Calamar updates tradition for an interesting meal that lives up to both France and Texas' culinary legacies. Le Calamar/Instagrm

Le Calamar, Austin
Le Calamar, a French-Texas bistro, opened in May 2025 in the former space of buzzy restaurant Underdog.

A nominee for best new restaurant in the 2026 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards, the restaurant is known for its chic interior, warm service, and dishes such as gnocchi and and raw oysters with fennel mignonette.

The stylish restaurant earned a "recommended" designation from the Michelin Guide in 2025.

At Le Calamar, Kassin finds first-rate stuffed chicken wings that are cooked on a Japanese binchotan grill.

“Likewise, Wagyu hanger steak au poivre boasts a floral sauce that blends black, white, and Tellicherry peppercorns with garlic, brandy, cream, and ginger; it is a dynamic update on the classic,” she writes. 1600 S 1st Street Suite 100, Austin.

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