Palm Beach International Airport (KPBI/PBI)
West Palm Beach, United States
West Palm Beach Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The DJT crew card
| Fastest into town | Palm Tran Route 2 from the bus stop on the outer curb of Level 1: about 10 to 12 minutes to the Intermodal Transit Center in downtown West Palm Beach, about every 30 minutes for most of the weekday, USD 2.00 a single trip |
|---|---|
| First and last | Route 2 leaves the airport for downtown from about 6:15 a.m. to about 10:20 p.m. on weekdays, about 7:50 a.m. to about 9:59 p.m. on Saturdays and about 8:22 a.m. to about 7:56 p.m. on Sundays. Plan around the building itself as well: the airport states it is closed from 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. |
| Payments | Pay on board: USD 2.00 a single trip by Paradise Pass card or app, phone wallet, or a contactless debit or credit card. Cash needs exact change because the farebox gives none and American Express is not accepted |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 911 (West Palm Beach city numbers) · non-emergency 561-822-1900 |
| Solo and at night | Walk-up taxis are at the Ground Transportation desk outside the west end of Level 1 and need no reservation; rideshare pickups are on the outer curb of Level 3. The airport states that legitimate operators will not approach you in the terminal or at the curbs asking if you need a ride |
| Crew knows | The second bus is not a late fallback. Route 44 leaves from the same curb for the same fare, but it stops earlier every day of the week. On a Sunday its last run from the airport goes at 5:41 p.m. and Route 2 keeps going until about 7:56 p.m. On a weekday the two are 7:12 p.m. and about 10:20 p.m. Once the last Route 2 has gone, it is a taxi or a rideshare. |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · DJT crew card · Checked Sep 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
Getting from DJT Airport into downtown West Palm Beach: the Palm Tran bus, a taxi, or a rideshare?
There is no rail station at the airport. One city bus does the work: Palm Tran Route 2 runs from the terminal curb to the Intermodal Transit Center in downtown West Palm Beach, which is where the trains, the long distance coaches and eight other bus routes meet. Route 44 covers the same trip more slowly, and taxis and rideshare fill the hours the buses do not.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus (Palm Tran Route 2, Congress Ave) | about 10 to 12 minutes from the airport to the Intermodal Transit Center in downtown West Palm Beach about every 30 minutes for most of the weekday, about every 45 minutes on Saturdays and about hourly on Sundays |
USD 2.00 a single trip, or USD 5.00 for an unlimited one-day pass | Board at the bus stop on the outer curb of Level 1. Route 2 was extended to serve the airport on May 17, 2026, so older route maps do not show it. Northbound departures from the airport run from about 6:15 a.m. to about 10:20 p.m. on weekdays, about 7:50 a.m. to about 9:59 p.m. on Saturdays and about 8:22 a.m. to about 7:56 p.m. on Sundays. Southbound the first bus reaches the airport from downtown at about 5:28 a.m. and the last at about 9:48 p.m. on weekdays. The Intermodal Transit Center is at 150 Clearwater Drive and has restrooms, water fountains, covered shelters and a ticket window. The rail operator publishes this ride as free for Tri-Rail passengers and splits the two directions: from the airport to the Intermodal Transit Center it states that no purchased fare is required, and from the Intermodal Transit Center back to the airport it states you must show a valid Tri-Rail fare. Palm Tran itself publishes a flat USD 2.00 with no airport exception, so have USD 2.00 ready and treat a free ride as a bonus rather than a plan. |
| Bus (Palm Tran Route 44, Belvedere Rd) | about 17 to 20 minutes from the airport to the Intermodal Transit Center about hourly, seven days a week |
USD 2.00 a single trip | The slower crosstown alternative on the same curb and the same fare, useful when you have just missed a Route 2. Eastbound departures from the airport run from 6:12 a.m. to 7:12 p.m. on weekdays, 7:11 a.m. to 6:11 p.m. on Saturdays and 9:41 a.m. to 5:41 p.m. on Sundays. Westbound from the Intermodal Transit Center the bus reaches the airport from about 5:58 a.m. to about 7:58 p.m. on weekdays. The operator times the weekday runs at 18 to 20 minutes and both weekend runs at 17 minutes. |
| Taxi | on-demand walk-up, no reservation required for arriving passengers | metered. Neither the airport nor Palm Beach County publishes a taxi fare table, a flat rate or an estimate to downtown, so settle the basis with the driver before you load the bags | Taxi, sedan, SUV and van services wait at the Ground Transportation desk outside on the west end of Level 1. Metro Taxi is on 561-444-9999 for questions or complaints and 561-777-7777 to reserve. Every taxi, limousine, shuttle and non-medical company working in Palm Beach County must be licensed by county Consumer Affairs and every driver must wear a Consumer Affairs ID badge, so look for the badge; complaints go to 561-712-6600. |
| Rideshare (Uber, Lyft) | app-priced; the airport publishes no fare | Pickups are on the outer curb of Level 3, the departures level, so you go up from baggage claim rather than out. Take only the ride you requested in the app, check the make, model and plate, and ask the driver who the ride is for rather than giving your name. Uber is on 1-833-873-8237 and Lyft on 1-844-313-3667 for problems with a ride. | |
| Train (Tri-Rail, from downtown, not from the airport) | zone based, from USD 2.50 one way and USD 5.00 round trip within one zone, up to USD 8.75 one way across all six zones; a flat USD 5.00 day pass covers weekends and holidays | There is no station at the airport. The West Palm Beach Tri-Rail station is at 203 South Tamarind Avenue, beside the Intermodal Transit Center, so this is the bus first and then a short walk. Buy before you board at a station machine or in the app, because nothing is sold on the train and travelling without valid fare is a criminal offence in Florida; the operator suggests arriving 20 minutes before departure. A reusable EASY Card costs USD 2.00 at a machine. The operator has published notice of a fare increase without naming a start date, so read the price on the machine before you pay. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in West Palm Beach, from downtown and the waterfront out to the airport hotel belt
Downtown and Clematis Street: The city’s main bar, restaurant and event street, a few blocks from the transit centre where the airport bus drops you.
The Flagler Drive waterfront: The Intracoastal promenade along the east edge of downtown, the obvious walk when you want air rather than a plan.
Northwood Village: A small design and gallery district north of downtown, quieter and more local than the waterfront blocks.
Palm Beach island and Worth Avenue: Across the Intracoastal bridges from downtown, the beach side with the expensive shopping street and the ocean behind it.
The Belvedere Road hotel belt: The ring of airport hotels within a few minutes of the terminal, built around early report times rather than sightseeing.
What to Do on a Layover in West Palm Beach, from a short sit airside to the island across the bridges
Under 5 hours: Stay airside. Wi-Fi is free throughout the terminal and concourses, there is no left luggage here, and a bus round trip plus screening on the way back does not sit comfortably in a short window.
5 to 9 hours: One clean move works: Route 2 from the Level 1 curb to the Intermodal Transit Center, Clematis Street and the waterfront on foot, and back on the same route. Fix the bus you intend to catch back before you leave the transit centre, because the service thins out in the evening.
9 hours plus: A full downtown run is realistic, and the island across the bridges is reachable if you have the hours for it. Check whether your window crosses the overnight period when the airport says it is closed, because that is a hotel decision rather than a terminal chair decision.
Crew Tips for West Palm Beach and DJT Airport: the fare, the weekend timetable, and the overnight closure
The airport changed its name and its code: This is the airport crew still call PBI. It was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026 as required by Chapter 2026-15, Laws of Florida. The FAA locational identifier became DJT and the ICAO identifier KDJT on the same date, and the IATA code changed from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026. The airport says passengers should now use DJT for flight searches, baggage and schedules, and that searching for West Palm Beach also works. The street address is unchanged at 1000 James L. Turnage Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33406.
Paying for the bus: A single trip is USD 2.00 and passes run USD 5.00 for one day, USD 12.00 for three days, USD 20.00 for seven days and USD 70.00 for 31 days. The lowest fare comes from the Paradise Pass card or app, which caps what you pay across the day. Phone wallets and contactless debit and credit cards work too, but not American Express, and card and wallet taps post to your account once they reach USD 10.00 or after three days, whichever comes first. If you pay cash, bring exact change: the farebox takes quarters, dollar coins, dimes, nickels and USD 1 and USD 2 bills, gives no change and issues no ticket. Half fare is USD 1.00 for eligible riders and children aged 8 and under travel free with a fare-paying passenger.
The terminal closes overnight: The airport states that it is closed from 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Treat a layover that crosses those hours as a night out of the building, not as a night in a departures chair, and note that the last city bus of the day leaves the airport before the closure starts.
Bags, lounges and Wi-Fi in the terminal: There is no left luggage at this airport: the operator states plainly that it does not offer luggage storage or lockers. Whatever you take into town comes with you, which is the single biggest constraint on a layover here. Complimentary Wi-Fi covers the terminal and the concourses. For a long wait airside the airport points to the Escape Lounge in Concourse B, open to all ticketed passengers through Checkpoint B, and to Drive Shack next to the airport, which it says offers complimentary bag check.
Taking a car safely from the terminal: Walk-up taxis, sedans, SUVs and vans are at the Ground Transportation desk outside the west end of Level 1, and arriving passengers need no reservation. Rideshare is a level up, on the outer curb of Level 3. The airport warns that it is unsafe to accept transportation offers from illegal operators and that legitimate companies will not approach you in the terminal or at the curbs asking if you need a ride, and it asks you to report anyone who does to the nearest law enforcement officer. County-licensed drivers wear a Consumer Affairs ID badge; the county complaints line is 561-712-6600.
Hotel courtesy shuttles: If your layover hotel is in the airport belt, it may run its own shuttle. Signs in Baggage Claim on Level 1 point to the outer curb area set aside for hotel courtesy shuttles, and the airport publishes the list of hotels that hold a shuttle permit from the Palm Beach County Department of Airports, including the Hilton Palm Beach Airport, Embassy Suites on Belvedere Road, the Holiday Inn Palm Beach Airport, the Doubletree West Palm Beach Airport, Home2 Suites on James L. Turnage Boulevard and the Marriott West Palm Beach. Arrangements are made with the hotel, not with the airport.
Emergency Numbers for West Palm Beach, Florida, and the United States
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| Emergency (police, fire, medical) | 911 |
| Text to 911 in Palm Beach County, when a voice call is not possible | 911 |
| West Palm Beach Police, non-emergency | 561-822-1900 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from West Palm Beach airport to downtown?
Take Palm Tran Route 2 from the bus stop on the outer curb of Level 1. It reaches the Intermodal Transit Center in downtown West Palm Beach in about 10 to 12 minutes, runs about every 30 minutes for most of the weekday, and costs USD 2.00 a single trip. Route 44 covers the same trip from the same curb for the same fare in about 17 to 20 minutes, about hourly, seven days a week.
How much is the bus from the airport into West Palm Beach?
USD 2.00 a single trip, flat. An unlimited one-day pass is USD 5.00, three days USD 12.00, seven days USD 20.00 and 31 days USD 70.00. Half fare is USD 1.00 for eligible riders and children aged 8 and under ride free with a fare-paying passenger. Pay by Paradise Pass card or app, phone wallet or contactless card, or with exact cash, because the farebox gives no change.
What is the airport code for West Palm Beach now?
DJT. The airport was renamed President Donald J. Trump International Airport on July 9, 2026, when its FAA identifier became DJT and its ICAO identifier KDJT, and its IATA code changed from PBI to DJT on August 18, 2026. The airport says passengers should use DJT for flight searches, baggage and schedules, and that searching for West Palm Beach also works.
Is tap water safe to drink in West Palm Beach?
Yes. The city’s live drinking water status page read Status: Safe to Drink when it was checked, and the 2025 annual water quality report states that the city’s Water Department met all federal and state requirements to protect drinking water from source to tap, with no violation recorded against any contaminant tested.
Can I store luggage at the airport during a layover?
No. The airport states that it does not offer luggage storage or lockers, so anything you take into town travels with you. For a long wait inside, Wi-Fi is free throughout the terminal and concourses, and the airport points ticketed passengers to the Escape Lounge in Concourse B through Checkpoint B. Note also that the airport states it is closed from 11 p.m. to 3:30 a.m.
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Crew Discounts in West Palm Beach: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you walk out to the bus stop. Next West Palm Beach rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
