Blumie

As a 20-year EXP, I fly through CLT a fair bit, usually D-D but today I-D (with checked luggage, which is unusual for me) for the first time. My complaints about CLT are somewhat insignificant: the lounges are crowded and people walk too slow. And obviously it sucked when the C Admirals Club was closed. But there’s nothing that strikes me as particularly worse than any other hub or that would make me want to avoid it. Yet I see many complaints on here, many suggesting it should be avoided. What am I missing?

Marysmith0901

Been flying through there for two decades now, mostly D-D like you, but I-D on occasion. Yeah, the lounges can get pretty packed, especially during peak hours, and slow walkers can be a nuisance, but hey, that's the airport life, right?

As for the Admirals Club closure, yeah, that was a bummer. But honestly, I haven't found CLT to be significantly worse than other hubs. Every airport has its quirks and inconveniences. Some folks might have had a rough experience due to flight delays or maybe just caught the airport on a bad day.

Personally, I'd say stick to your routine unless you start consistently running into major issues.

GNRMatt

I've had mostly good experiences connecting in CLT. Any issues I've had could have happened the same way at any airport. I've found my interactions with staff to be good/pleasant. The club has always suited my needs. I think it is easy to get around. I don't agree with most of the negativity expressed on here with CLT as a hub.

OrangeRange

Honestly, I'd take CLT over ORD any day. Then again, my layovers in ORD have all been on dreadful days after working 8 hours and running on 4-5 hours of sleep. So maybe it's not too bad for O&D passengers.

lrdpenn

There is no where to sit.
The walk between gates can be really far and you have to dodge human-sized snails in tight corridors. Time-wise it's not longer than DFW but DFW is just way more pleasant to get around.
The gate agents appear to be worse and surlier than average, and that's saying something.
The air circulation feels particularly poor.

I actually liked CLT, shortly after the merger, even preferred connecting there vs DFW due it is compact nature. Its been far overextended with no resolution in sight. Now I won't even consider a connection through there.

Blumie

I’m not thinking about a change, and also use DFW, ORD, DCA, PHL and JFK as needed (I don’t remember the last time I flew into or through PHX). I’m just curious about all the complaints, although my suspicion is that there’s nothing more to it than people on this board like to complain!

Flyer78

My I-D connection complaint was much to short of a planned connection time. It was a schedule change but I had to force a longer than 40 minutes connection.

GE didn't really help, as at that time the post-baggage exit queue didn't have separate exit. Baggage took a while also. This was Caribbean arrival bank, and things were busy. No idea if the newer GE biometric image only procedure would be any better.

Had I not forced a longer connection, we would have all mis-connected.

Otherwise it's "fine." I blame AA for timing absurdity, which helps stress everyone involved as far as ground staff is concerned.

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vasantn

It's the same with MIA, LHR, and CDG. There are some airports that are just natural targets for whining.

ysolde

I think it depends on number of factors, and, AFAICT, a lot of them are random. My personal least favorite airport is MIA. Too big, too difficult to navigate, too many delays. But that's just based on random personal experiences. That's all any of us have, in the end: random personal experiences.

Blumie

I think you and I agree that the airport we like to complain about is the new LGA. At the old LGA, you could get from a taxi to your gate in three minutes and all you had to do was dodge the unidentifiable sludge dripping from the ceiling. Now you have to ride up and down escalators and cut through a shopping mall reminiscent of the M&M store in Times Square.

thedeeg

My criticisms with CLT are chiefly around its capacity and it being a bit run down. It was never designed to handle the sheer volume of people that it does, and that takes its toll.

That said, the way people go on about it, you’d think it was the worst of the worst.

I’ll take Charlotte as a home airport over a huge chunk of other airports. Big enough that it has direct flights to almost everywhere domestically, and decent connectivity internationally. But, crucially without a lot of the issues of bigger airports. Hourly parking for $26 per day. TSA is usually easy. Easy to walk between everywhere in the terminal. Landing internationally with global entry means with hand luggage, I can be off the plane and in the car within 15 mins of the door opening.

DataPlumber

The folks waddling 3 abreast through the terminal, oblivious, and at a pace that makes an average toddler look like an Olympic sprinter are what does it for me. Plus it reminds me of US, which sucked. It's the same for DL at MSP.

stant

about my only complaint with CLT is there is no flagship first lounge, and one time in the AC someone pinned anote on me while I slept saying that I snored VERY LOUDLY.

HWGeeks

it's not CLT they hate, its the Panthers.

vasantn

Yep. I still hate the new LGA. But resistance is futile.