Whats with the hate for DFW airport? I feel its great by all metrics.
Posted by Dry-Road2580@reddit | Dallas | View on Reddit | 179 comments
Metroplex resident for 10 year now. When I'm in other cities and mention I'm from here, people tell me a lot about how much they hate DFW Airport. Only airport I heard more complaints about was LAX and Paris CDG.
I fly domestically and internationally about 5 - 6 times a year on average, and I think the airport is one of the huge plusses of the metro area.
- Great connectivity domestic and international. 10+ flights a day to most major cities.
- Flights are usually cheap
- Drop off areas not too crowded
- Airport is not located in an unsafe area
- 121 takes you directly to a lot of the suburbs, and theres a DART link too.
- TSA lines fairly short
- Easy to get around with skylink
- Geographically centrally located
- Food also not terrible, for US airport standards
LargeBlackberries@reddit
I don’t mind it. TSA staff isn’t the best, but that seems to be the standard across board. Except SFO, they were friendly
captain_uranus@reddit
Do you know why they’re better at SFO?
LargeBlackberries@reddit
No idea. The TSA staff was nicer there but maybe it was just my luck. Normally the TSA staff at DFW are a bit grouchy, but I can’t say I blame them
captain_uranus@reddit
So the agents working there are actually contractors, they work for a private security company and DHS/TSA certifies them. I only fly out of SFO like once a year but I do find them noticeably nicer and more efficient than actual government TSA elsewhere, but that’s my anecdote.
LargeBlackberries@reddit
I actually didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing
saxmanB737@reddit
If you read the AA subreddit most people hate connecting in Charlotte and generally like DFW. It’s nice to get dropped off at your gate. But it’s bad when you arrive at a different terminal from where you park and have to claim checked bags. The other unique aspect is you have to pay $2 to pick up and drop off someone.
DonkeeJote@reddit
If they could ever do a skylink outside of security to replace the terminal shuttles....
saxmanB737@reddit
I would love that too. Plus a branch that goes to the rental car center and parking like the old AirTrans system did.
Liberteabelle1@reddit
I have 20+ years of weekly traveling for a living, and think DFW is the best home airport. It’s really optimized for the locals.
A key reason: Most airports have their terminal placement perpendicular to the street for drop offs and pick ups. That generally means a very narrow place for traffic, and once the traveler is inside, a ton of walking. But DFW is designed for the terminals are parallel to the road. That makes it super easy for passengers to enter the airport very close to the gate, with minimal walking. And makes parking MUCH more accessible.
Also, for those using rideshare apps, DFW doesn’t make them all aggregate in one location far far away from the terminals. Each terminal has reasonable access to Uber etc.
Xvash2@reddit
DFW pre-9/11 was maybe one of the best airports in the world for this reason. You could go from car to gate in as little as a couple hundred steps in some cases.
Unfortunately security is more involved now, and planes are bigger. DFW terminals lack proper seating capacity at many gates, and they feel cramped with all the extra shit jammed in there now.
Liberteabelle1@reddit
Yes. But post-911 reality has affected all airports and DFW is still relatively easy to get through to your gate.
Now if we’re going comment on AA aircraft, yeah they’ve crammed in all the power supplies under seats - and while that is convenient for all our devices, they also take up valuable under seat space, and my briefcase doesn’t fit underneath easily at all… not to mention reduced foot space grrr. But that’s beyond the airport topic 😉
Alt-account9876543@reddit
laughing in IAH
random_ta_account@reddit
Local works great. Connecting through DFW is where people have a bad experience. Especially changing terminals, although Sky Train make is much better.
adjust_your_set@reddit
Connecting is even great if there’s not IRROPS happening. You can get gate to gate pretty much everywhere in less than 20 minutes.
Liberteabelle1@reddit
Some of the other airports, like ORD (O’Hare) are in a hub and spoke design, like a daisy. If you have the misfortune to be at the end of the spoke (always me, grrr), you have to walk all the way to the hub to get to a different terminal and hopefully don’t have to walk to the end of that.
At DFW, you just get to the tram, and because our terminals run parallel, you can get off reasonably close to your gate. I’ve never waited more than 3 minutes for a tram.
All the walking is a problem for me, because I have a shattered ankle that is painful. And DFW has carts for people who need them, and a surprising number of major airports do not.
dallassoxfan@reddit
Agree, with one nitpick. Uber zones should have been numbered by gate number, just like bag claims, entries, etc.
Liberteabelle1@reddit
Great idea!
AeroWrench@reddit
I love DFW. Had a quick trip to Chicago this week. I park at The Parking Spot because I get a corporate discount. Shuttle picked me up at my car at 1pm. Dropped me off at the entrance closest to my gate at 1:15. Was at my gate at 1:25. It's never taken me more than 15 minutes from door to my gate.
If there's a line at TSA, walk a few gates down and the next one is probably empty.
thehakujin82@reddit
I love DFW and think it’s a terrific airport. Especially for getting to your flight if your original departure is from here. There are numerous spots to go through security, unlike some of the one-security-line-for-all-50,000-passengers airports.
I can’t think of two reasons people might not like it. (1) they are dumb people or (2) they only ever experience it for connecting flights
I could see someone unfamiliar with DFW MAYBE finding some challenge in getting from, say, terminal A to terminal C. But even then, signage seems adequate, and Skylink is very efficient.
captain_uranus@reddit
I agree with your comment.
Actual legitimate complaints are the taxi times can be long especially if you land at one of the outer lying runways. Bags do take a minute to come out if you check luggage. The airport does struggle when thunderstorms come by, but that’s not immune to just DFW.
I also think a lot of the complains are from transplants that moved here from way smaller locales and airports where it’s just one security checkpoint and one concourse for all of the gates, DFW is a larger, scaled up version of it and they haven’t adapted or adjusted to it.
DonkeeJote@reddit
Hard to blame the airport itself for the weather. Not like they can design around that.
captain_uranus@reddit
It’s more of the operations that just take a huge shit recovering once the storm clear. I think the airport does have some fault in there with staffing to get planes moved out so incoming delayed planes can come in and exchange passengers and get back out. And staffing as well to help people get people rebooked within the terminal.
DonkeeJote@reddit
I just connected through Heath Row last week and had to take one train from the end of Terminal 5 to the other end of the same terminal, THEN a bus to Terminal 3, where we had to re-do security.
It's remarkably inefficient, especially for such a big airport. I was wishing I could do a skylink there.
RockChalk00@reddit
I already made my comments about DFW airport on another thread.
I'll just leave this nugget https://www.reddit.com/r/Dallas/s/jWAcYlYsrU
Do you want to take a guess how long this elevator in terminal A had no symbols on which direction the buttons went?
If your guess is less than 6 months, you're wrong.
I know this because I know who drew the arrows signifying which direction the elevator went. DFW management didn't want to fix the issue so someone fixed the issue for them.
Next guess how long have those arrows been there and not replaced by actual symbols designed for designating which direction and elevator button goes???
To me someone saying that DFW is a good airport is the equivalent to someone saying Olive Garden has great Italian food but they've never been to Italy.
I cannot comprehend how someone who has traveled extensively can look at DFW and say yep they've got their shit together.
DFW has one shining spot and that is terminal D and it is first class. I mean as long as you're not arriving or departing from gate 2. What complete asshat designed that extension. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you have not truly experienced DFW and all of its riches.
Ateam043@reddit
The fact that I have to pay to simply drop off my family when they fly out is stupid. That alone knocks it down a few spots in my personal ranking.
DonkeeJote@reddit
It's actually crucial to minimizing traffic. Since it has two entrances and goes through, commuters would abuse the fuck out of cutting though.
El_Senate@reddit
Best big airport, not even close.
KillerOkie@reddit
hum, no Incheon.
RexManning1@reddit
Not even close. Hamad and Changi are way better.
Egkrateia@reddit
Changi spoiled me.
RexManning1@reddit
Changi is great, but Hamad is exponentially better.
Egkrateia@reddit
How do you feel DFW compares to Changi and Hamad? 😜
RexManning1@reddit
Hamad A+, Changi A, DFW C+.
Egkrateia@reddit
I recently arrived from Dubai and I’d put the DFW experience at a D+. Baggage carousel got clogged full of bags, and eventually broke down. No staff to fix it for 20 minutes and 200+ Emirate passengers looking around, scratching their heads.
RexManning1@reddit
People who frequently fly on airlines like Emirates, Qatar, and Etihad have completely different flying experiences than Americans who fly mostly domestic or international on US carriers. I almost exclusively fly Qatar and I’m in the CGG often. I also have another residence abroad and spend little time in the US these days. Completely different worlds in and out of the US.
Egkrateia@reddit
I agree completely. Why isn’t the standard increased here? We have the means to do so
RexManning1@reddit
Everything in the US is privatized where maximized profits over quality and experience is the goal. The 3 airlines I mentioned are all state owned and the governments don’t care about maximizing profits per pax, because they are bringing in more pax and they are spending more money in those countries. The US model sucks for everything except business owners making money.
Egkrateia@reddit
I haven’t been yet. What do you think of Dubai’s?
RexManning1@reddit
DBX was the world’s busiest airport last year and the Emiratis are still building a new airport that is 5x the size. It’s ok, but Hamad is better. Hamad is the only airport in the world where you can go for a swim, gym, buy a McLaren, and have your MacBook serviced all from the terminal. It also has a top quality luxury shopping mall. Two actually. And, the new Al Morjan - The Garden business class lounge is the best in the world.
Egkrateia@reddit
Thanks for the write up. Will check it out
karma_time_machine@reddit
Moved here from DC and both Dulles and DCA are miles better. The DFW shuttle bus is the slowest airport transport I've experienced at any airport.
Human_Emotion_654@reddit
Shuttle bus? You’re doing it wrong. SkyLink is goated.
karma_time_machine@reddit
I feel like I took Skylink between terminals, but does it take you to the car rental hub? Most of my issues relate to when I flew here to houseshop last year. It was the worst flying experience I've had at any airport period so maybe I need to keep an open mind and maybe that was just a one time disaster.
corscor@reddit
Skylink is behind security- only goes between terminals
Lung_doc@reddit
Never, ever, ever take the shuttle. One of the main reasons to avoid checking a bag.
karma_time_machine@reddit
Thank you for the tips!
wepa_reddit@reddit
Oh hell no! DFW is miles better than both of those! DCA is a pain to drive to/from and crowded as fuck. IAD is okish, but it feels like a huge empty space.
karma_time_machine@reddit
Idk I lived in Alexandria and flew out dozens and dozens of times from both. DCA was always very easy to access, but I never had to park there. (it's always extremely easy to access from the train).
Here I've had more issues on that damn shuttle, changing terminals, and staff not being as helpful in one year than I did in DC over a decade.
El_Senate@reddit
Could not disagree more.
IAD--mile-long concourses that only have transit access at either end. The United concourses (C/D) also look like they crawled out of 1980. Terminal C at DFW is rough but it has NOTHING on that mess. IAD is great if you like walking very long distances in a straight line, dodging carts and crowds of people.
DCA--incredibly overrated airport. Terminal 1 is straight out of the Soviet Union. The road network to get in is comparable in awfulness to the 35E/30 interchange on the Trinity in downtown Dallas. Explaining where pickups are to someone who has never driven there before is an exercise in futility.
Never flew out of BWI so no comment there. I always have trouble believing the stats that BWI is busier than DCA and IAD.
corscor@reddit
Better than many smaller ones too. DAL has one entrance and it's a 10 mile walk to the nearest gate
RexManning1@reddit
Maybe in the US, but not globally.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit
ATL is a finely tuned machine.
WaterIsNotWet19@reddit
Hartsfield Jackson would like a word
extraordinaryevents@reddit
I’ve lived in both Dallas and Atlanta and have used both airports extensively, dfw is hands down the better and easier airport
Dear-Salt6103@reddit
LaGuardia is pretty good after renovations
doodoo_gumdrop@reddit
One aspect I absolutely love is how quick you can exit the jet bridge to breathing fresh air. Under a minute. No more than three.
JDworld214@reddit
Best huge airport IN america for sure, but lots of superior airports out there lol
Lobito6@reddit
DFW is known as a guaranteed delay in the American Airlines Subreddit. This is in part by the various weather situations we get such as Storms, Winds, Freezes. It's a huge hub for layovers so anytime we get any inclement weather, expect that subreddit to explode with hate for the airport.
DonkeeJote@reddit
That's just misguided anger.
Maker_Of_Tar@reddit
I shouldn’t have to pay $2 each way to pick up and drop off my family.
DonkeeJote@reddit
It's necessary to keep commuters from clogging that stretch of road.
ihasanemail@reddit
People connecting through DFW hate it because of the semicircle design, meaning any gate change or connecting flights in a different terminal feels like an eternity to walk or Skylink to. Locals love it because you can park as close as 20 yards for your gate and just walk in and out. Two completely different experiences depending on if you live here or not.
Matchboxx@reddit
It’s a hub for American, and American is trash. People probably just associate DFW as bad because they had an inevitably poor experience on our biggest tenant.
DonkeeJote@reddit
What do you think sets AA apart?
Dallas2houston120@reddit
Once i started traveling domestically and international more often I realized how great we have it here with DFW. LAX and JFK are hands down my two least favorite airports ever followed by ATL, DEN, PIT
haveheart__@reddit
One of the best in the world. People complaining may not fly very often.
Vonauda@reddit
Southwest doesn’t fly out of it.
DonkeeJote@reddit
That's a feature, not a bug.
DonkeyHair@reddit
Airport rookies complain. DFW is great.
rickyroca73@reddit
People like to shit American Airlines and DFW is their hub so it gets lumped in as one and the same. DFW is much more than AA and ps all the airlines can be shit at times and if you fly out of DFW then that’s the most likely shit you’ll be dealing with.
DonkeeJote@reddit
DFW is objectively amazing for its size and importance.
strangecargo@reddit
r/Dallas LOVES to hate everything Dallas
Randusnuder@reddit
More than star wars fans hate star wars.
Isgrimnur@reddit
Damned Dallasites! They ruined Dallas!
antarcticgecko@reddit
We Dallasites sure are a contentious people.
YaGetSkeeted0n@reddit
"I like your Dallas. I do not like your Dallasites. They are so unlike your Dallas." - Mahatma Gandhi
Little_Baby_6450@reddit
It’s the Reddit user base in general. I actually think the people in here aren’t as bad.
Zealousideal-Lie7255@reddit
Why because they’re no right wing Trumpets.
Xyllus@reddit
they love to hate any non-public transportation in general. flying? EVERYTHING SUCKS. driving? EVERYTHING SUCKS? boating? EVER-well idk havent read to many hate posts about that yet
RexManning1@reddit
It’s the same on every city, state, or country subreddit.
blacknoir23@reddit
I love the airport. Very nice and easy to navigate and get going.
StevieKicks@reddit
I was stuck there for 14 hours last week so ya I hate it.
OrneryError1@reddit
Last time I picked someone up there it took 40 minutes to get from the cell phone lot to the terminal pickup area and still cost me money in tolls. I've never experienced that level of buffoonery at any other airport. It has it's positives but when it's bad it's terrible.
captain_uranus@reddit
Was this around Thanksgiving/holidays? Or just a normal, ordinary day,
kelseyhart24@reddit
DFW is larger than Manhattan, NY by .23 miles.
cp3spieth@reddit
I love DFW. My only complaint is waiting for the damn bus if checked a bag and my car is parked in a different terminal than where I arrived. I wish there was a skylink outside the security perimeter
captain_uranus@reddit
Once you walk off the plane, take the Skylink to your car’s terminal parking garage. Drive your car to the closest one hour parking to your bag’s terminal, which will be the front of the garage.
Half the time I bet you’ll probably beat your bag out of the carousel.
that_chimps_alright@reddit
I'm with you. but the most common complaint I hear from others re: DFW is frequent gate changes & cancellations or delays due to thunder storms and other inclement weather
Razor1834@reddit
The best part of the thunder storms combined with gate changes is they shut down the sky train so you get to walk around the giant circle to get to your new gate (which may change again of course).
lizzzardcat@reddit
I still can’t figure out how to walk from one terminal to another. Only Skylink. Been flying through DFW for 12 years. It is still my favorite airport though.
Liberteabelle1@reddit
Each terminal is a separate building. And ABCD are arranged so that they are arranged with two terminals on each side of the airport highway running between them. You CAN’T walk across the highway.
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
Yes you can
Liberteabelle1@reddit
Oh really? News to me 🤪
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
You never seen the pedestrian bridges? There's two of them.
Liberteabelle1@reddit
I guess I’m not the know-it-all I’d hoped I was hahahaha! Thx
Agile_Definition_415@reddit
I mean it's not about being a know it all you can literally see them going across the highway
Razor1834@reddit
It’s so simple! Just remember ABCD, except that B is not connected to C of course, although A is. And B is connected to D instead I guess.
New-Honey-4544@reddit
Some of that is weather for sure, but i wonder how much is AA to blame for all that mess
nomadschomad@reddit
As someone who did 100+ flights per year for a decade, based out of ORDNDFW, DFW is pretty solid.
My biggest complaint is that it is far from Dallas proper and many other major neighborhoods.
Also… Terminal C. Absolute dog shit and should be amputated.
captain_uranus@reddit
This is a terrible take, ORD has an objectively worse location, but you’re knocking DFW for it? ORD to the loop or anywhere north right now is minimum an hour and only slightly better on a weekend; DFW to uptown is 40 minutes and not to mention from Dallas you can access the north entry via 635/114 if the south route via 183 gets clogged up like it usually does. Otherwise to DFW from most parts of Dallas proper should be no more than 30 minutes.
nomadschomad@reddit
ORD location also terrible. Never said otherwise.
But also… Chicago has transit to the airport. That’s actually another huge knock on DFW. There isn’t a train to the airport like every other civilized city.
captain_uranus@reddit
Appreciate you not contesting my points on DFW’s distance to Dallas proper, I’ll take the W.
My oh my you have a lot to learn.
What if told you DFW has 2 trains serving it?
Actually make that 3 if you count the TRE which requires a transfer…
What if told you there’s even another line to the airport that’s soon to be finished in a years time?! So make that 4 trains that will DFW come 2026.
DavidTheBlue@reddit
Could not agree more. When you look at the designs of other airports in the USA, DFW is unique, and great. I think it stands up well internationally, too, but I'd have to give Singapore's airport the nod for being even better, albeit for different reasons. I think the design, because it's unique, is a bit confusing for some. But if you just FOLLOW THE SIGNS it's easy to navigate.
la-fours@reddit
People love to complain. DFW is pretty efficient for an airport its size.
excaliber110@reddit
Dfw is great flying in and out
Driving in and out not so much
Organic-Astronaut559@reddit
Extra points for DFW having a train that goes straight to the terminal. I moved out of state and the biggest thing I miss is the DART going straight to terminal A. $6 uber from my apartment to the victory park station, and then the cost of a DART ticket.
Schrodinger81@reddit
People complaining don’t travel much. It’s great for a major international airport.
JimmyReagan@reddit
This. Once you "figure out" the airport, it's amazing. I used to travel for work and all id need to do is park in a terminal with Pre check and the parking lot numbers. Then take the sky train to wherever my flight was leaving from. I would check the security lines but since there's separate lines for every terminal even the longest lines were less than 5 minutes wait.
The spaghetti roads and ramps are a bit of a longer learning curve but not a big deal after a while. All my friends and relatives seem to fixate on that...but I still give my uncle shit for making us arrive at the airport for an international flight like 4 hours early because he was petrified we'd be in security forever. I told him over and over...we got through in less than 5 minutes. And the flight was delayed anyways
Schrodinger81@reddit
I totally agree. I used to live in San Francisco and had to fly out of SFO a lot. It might have some prettier areas, but by comparison a total nightmare. DFW is super quick to be in and out. You don't even really need TSA precheck.
BlazinAzn38@reddit
DFW is pretty ugly but it’s utilitarian. It does the one thing it’s supposed to do pretty darn well, tons of entrances, tons of security checkpoints, tons of ticketing desks, decent inter-terminal transport, walking lengths can be pretty minimal, etc. tons of airports just have one primary entrance and then you walk a mile and half to get to your gate(looking at you DIA).
PainSimple4500@reddit
Agree. DFW is a great airport.
Fly through Atlanta if you want to walk 6 miles to your next date and probs get lost.
Frosty-Peace-8464@reddit
I have no complaints. I do think getting in and out is frustrating compared to other major airports. My favorite design has to be SFO. Once I get to the airport, it never takes me more than 25 mins to get to my gate.
captain_uranus@reddit
Uh you’re not doing DFW right then? If you’re local, when you pull up to the terminal, there’s usually 2-3 TSA checkpoints per terminal, most people would choose the one closest to their gate. Once you’re through, your gate shouldn’t be more than a 5 minute walk away. Maybe 8-10 minutes if you’re walking from the E checkpoints to the satellite terminal.
Frosty-Peace-8464@reddit
25 mins is with TSA checkpoint and checking luggage. I usually always fly United so Terminal E is my go to. So from the time I exit my uber to arriving at my gate after grabbing a coffee is 25 mins.
captain_uranus@reddit
That does surprise me, I would’ve guess that’s a 15 minute charade from walking out of the Uber to dropping your bag to pulling up to the gate.
That checkpoint can get busy from what I’ve seen and to get to the other E checkpoints you have to walk outside (thankfully it has PreCheck), but once you finish your screening your spit out by by the United gates and the Club.
redditisahive2023@reddit
It’s pretty good. I traveled 150-160 flights a year for a bit. There are way worse airports (clt…..)
bonanza8@reddit
I live in Houston and dfw shits all over iah and then waffle stomps it by a mile. Dfw is awesome, can't believe people hate it
Fiss@reddit
I’ve been to dozens of airports and I think DFW is great. It could use a few implements to help traffic but in general it’s easy to get in and out of
dr_hankjr@reddit
It's efficient but unpleasant. The inside is dated and feels so stark- tons of concrete, drop ceilings, ugly tiles. It's like being inside a warehouse. No art or decorations. The boarding lines almost always back up into the walkway in certain sections so it just feels packed with people. Food and shopping choices are fine, but nothing exciting or unique.
At the risk of getting torn apart on here, it actually feels a lot like Dallas itself. Dallas has so much concrete- parking lots, highways, strip malls- and the design of many areas of the city feel like the airport. Utilitarian, commercial, emphasis on function over form, but it gets the job done.
It's a functional airport but it's just so ugly and dated. Other airports have bright, clean terminals that feel airy and modern. It's super convenient for parking, TSA, amount of flights, etc, and I wouldn't ever avoid it just for vibe and aesthetics, but it's unpleasant to spend time in.
traguy23@reddit
One thing that shocked me as I traveled more and more is that DFW airport pickup and drop off areas run so much more smoothly and quickly than ANY other airport I’ve been too. There so many terminals that it’s never congested
JuanPassiveMenis@reddit
Have you actually used DART to and from the airport?
ExitTheHandbasket@reddit
Folks who hate DFW Airport are usually those who are connecting through it, not arriving/departing it. Since AA has gates in 3 different terminals, you can find yourself sprinting to catch a connection, or having to catch a bus/peoplemover/TrAAin which can be confusing. And the semicircular nature of the terminals is great for airplanes but can be dizzying when driving in.
cantstandthemlms@reddit
I think it is amazing!!! So much better than my home city airport!
The only thing that isn’t great is if you park at your terminal and fly American you may not come back to the same terminal and then the terminal link takes forever. I wish they had a skyline on the outside too. After I pick up my checked luggage bc I check luggage then I can’t get to my car easily. But then I just park in remote express and it isn’t so bad.
SameSadMan@reddit
My only complaints are: 1) Parking is more expensive than it should be, based on rates at other big airports, considering how much land they have 2) Time from runway to gate, or vice versa, can be insane...20 minutes easily 3) Time for bags to start appearing at the carousel can also push 30 minutes. This is Americans fault for not staffing properly, moreso than DFW
EightEnder1@reddit
Although, if you are just picking someone up you can park very close to baggage, get out of your car and go inside. That's near impossible and many other large airports.
thebrownsquare@reddit
Too many people just got hung up on some bad flight here and have trauma (me thinks)
CmanHerrintan@reddit
Every time I have been through it, I have had something stolen.
yusuksong@reddit
I like the airport once I’m there but getting there is the worst. No effective public transit to get there (takes way too long), driving in requires tolls, and navigating around the terminals is so damn confusing.
Mammoth-Patience-484@reddit
As a flight attendant, I concur. It’s an amazing airport.
Arrgh98@reddit
Not during Thanksgiving weekend apparently but mostly yeah it’s good aside it’s sprawl.
Dear-Salt6103@reddit
Most airports are bad. DFW is not perfect but not too bad either. I travel every week for work through there.
Terminal D has the best layout, food and cleanliness. Other terminals have bad food (except for qdoba), terrible layout and dirty seating areas and restrooms. It is almost like they never clean restrooms. Restrooms are out of order frequently and in that case, you have to walk over about 15 gates to the next restroom.
AggravatingEchidna83@reddit
Terminal C completely sucks right now, but in a year or two ... They'll tear up another terminal, and....
rgg40@reddit
It’s great if you’re leaving or arriving from there. I’m not so sure it’s great if you have to make a connection, but what airport is?
KaleidoscopeLow7301@reddit
They change gates every 5 minutes, and especially within 10 minutes of boarding time. Other than that it’s fine.
jcmach1@reddit
Flown out of DFW dozens and dozens of times and never had a single gate change.
mystateofconfusion@reddit
How? I usually have multiple gate changes.
jcmach1@reddit
Not 1. When do you check? I usually check Google when I leave for the airport and also sign up for the SMS updates with my airline.
mystateofconfusion@reddit
I check on the way and arrive 2 hours early. A little more than half the time I have a gate change. If I do have a change it is usually 1 or 2 gate changes once I'm at the airport, my record is 9. This has to be destination specific somehow.
jcmach1@reddit
That's crazy....is it one specific city? One specific airline?
I usually fly AA,.or international. Only rarely.hit the budget airlines.
mystateofconfusion@reddit
AA, with destinations of LAX, SEA, CMH, FWA, and VPS. The 9 gate changes was going to CMH. My last terminal change was going to SEA. When I flew Delta I never had problems but they only have like 6 gates in E. I'm also flying less now but based on what I've read in r/americanairlines this is still a thing.
Skunk_Gunk@reddit
Sounds more like an airline issue
KaleidoscopeLow7301@reddit
Could be. I don’t know how anyone could even begin to organize that many flights
juanfcortes@reddit
I agree
anonMuscleKitten@reddit
I think DFW was the one thing I actually liked about Dallas 🤣.
TheRealSnick@reddit
People have no idea how to enjoy life if it's not showing up on the algorithms to show them. lol
Dallas is great. People who hate on it so much are most likely never really happy anywhere.
truthfulrealist123@reddit
Think it’s a great airport. The problem is American Airlines and the weather in DFW. Flights are always cancelled and postponed with DFW and AA.
Sowf_Paw@reddit
Traffic getting there is a bitch. That alone makes it a dogshit airport.
Pabi_tx@reddit
You’re flying at the wrong times of day. Whereas, if you lived in Chicago, it wouldn’t matter what time of day or day of the week, traffic to and from O’Hare is always bad. Always.
jcmach1@reddit
Name a MAJOR hub airport that doesnt have traffic.I'll wait
Human_Emotion_654@reddit
Huh? From where? Also at what time? Also has nothing to do with the airport itself
Semibluewater@reddit
My only complaints:
1) you have to pay to leave; never experienced this at other airports
2) leaving the airport can be confusing, google maps stops working
A214Guy@reddit
I think there a 2 main reasons it gets hate - People that don’t use the airport often just think it is too big and complicated when it is really simple but all the terminals freak people out. The 2nd reason is it’s a hub that suffers from major bottlenecks once any kind of storm happens so then you get stuck here and it pisses a lot of people off.
However I’m like you - having been here since it opened and having traveled all over the world there are very few airports that are as easy to use, have the flight availabilities that we do and all the other things you mentioned in your post
ROTORTheLibrarianToo@reddit
As long as it’s not Terminal E, yes it’s great.
Mnudge@reddit
I fly a lot. Love DFW for a big airport
whatisgoingontsh@reddit
I love the DFW airport itself AND that we have great direct flight options that are not outrageously expensive. I don’t remember the last time I flew domestically with a connection, if ever.
Eliza08@reddit
I love DFW. One nonstop flight from just about anywhere in the world.
DangItB0bbi@reddit
Proffesionally they destroyed my career.
Personally they sent me into a deep depression by destroying my career. Also I have been to many airports due to my old progression, and DFW sucks with maintenance.
Wife also got first degree burns washing her hands at terminal D once.
toooldforthisshittt@reddit
DFW vs Atlanta airport is a good comparison. Atlanta seems like it is more efficient for employees, but DFW is more efficient for flyers.
ExpressAd2398@reddit
No idea, one of my favorite airports in the world. Thinking people that complain probably missed a connection. Only gripe is the toll to go in and out, only airport I've ever encountered that at.
AnastasiaNo70@reddit
I don’t get, it either. It’s a pretty damn good airport. All I can think is the people who say it isn’t haven’t been to many airports.
SpaceBoJangles@reddit
Anyone that says it takes too long to get to a gate must be high. The design is amazing enough that you can get into any terminal and within 20 minutes on the skyline be at any other terminal and gate while walking less than a mile. No other airport in the states has that.
DeusExHircus@reddit
I love and miss DFW airport. I used to live in ARL. I travel a lot, have seen many airports, and DFW is one of my favorites. It is so easy to get in and out of, especially with an NTTA toll-tag. Cheapest actual airport parking I've ever seen, and it is like a 200 ft walk to bag check/security. The airport I live near now has parking about 4x as expensive. I park at a 3rd party lot for half as much (still 2x more expensive than DFW parking) and need to take a 10-min shuttle to and from my car
SameSadMan@reddit
My anecdotal experience is that parking is more expensive at DFW. I swear it's more expensive than ATL and IAH. Maybe I need to check current prices and reevaluate my complaints.
DeusExHircus@reddit
Always pre-pay through NTTA, I think I pad like $7 a day for gate parking
packetm0nkey@reddit
Your numbers are way off, possibly old?
Gate parking is like $32/day and prepaying parking at terminal E or B is the cheapest at low teens.
DeusExHircus@reddit
Could be, it was 5+ years ago
keseymour@reddit
Hmmm I would tend to agree with OP. I moved to Dallas after traveling for six years. I think DFW is about the best airport in the country. When I return from international travel the longest thig about the return is walking. There aren't any delays. Plus from my comparison of prices, it's about the cheapest place to fly out from.
AnnoyingVoid@reddit
I took the Amtrak in temple to the Fort Worth Central station and used the TRE to the terminal B stop then took the skyline to terminal E for my flight. Total coast for the 150 mile trip? $14. Yeah can’t beat how convenient Dfw is
patriciodelosmuertos@reddit
My dad was a road dog for a lotta years, and he flew multiple times from every major airport in America, and he always maintained that DFW was easily the best.
LuigiDaBoss123@reddit
The only one that I think compares is SFO (and I think SFO is a lot nicer with regards to amenities). All of the exits are located in a circle so it’s very easy to transfer between terminals, go to parking structures, Uber pickup, etc.
Uberghost1@reddit
The airport is definitely aging, but it's still fine. The initial complaint is usually the distance it is from either Dallas or Fort Worth and the traffic that surrounds it. This leads to other complaints and so on and so forth.
For folks coming from dedicated mass transit and centralized urban areas, D/FW can be a culture shock.
ryanworldleader@reddit
On a dry day, its one of the best airports in the world, definitely top 3 in the united states. When weather comes in its a whole different ball game. But the runway and taxi layout are top notch and insanely efficient. The terminals dont have any alleyway bottlenecks and traffic goes in and out freely. Skytrain is great. They do desperately need to finish terminal F tho because we need more gates
letmepoopinthis03@reddit
After being to LAX, DFW feels like heaven. It’s managed very efficiently for it’s size
wepa_reddit@reddit
People who don’t travel much will bitch about every little inconvenience. I travel a lot for work domestically and internationally, and there are far worse airports out there. DFW is a great airport.
xfox5@reddit
DFW is pretty efficient. I can be at the gates right after security and parking in/ out is pretty easy. Now compare that for ex to Charlotte Airport which is a mess. Had to walk 25 minutes non stop after security.
Human_Emotion_654@reddit
I travel often. DFW is the best airport around.
Majsharan@reddit
DFW is my favorite huge airport in the United States. There are several mid size and small airports I like better but huge scale like dfw? No.
jawsulinee@reddit
DFW is hands down the best airport I've been to. HATE DAL, the drop off. Flown through other places but DFW to me is just well organized.
Street_Celery2745@reddit
Lol it’s an amazing airport for us here. Flights anywhere multiple times a day. We live in probably the most flight accessible city in the country if you add on love field and Addison.