Oct 10, 2013, 10:57 am
Last edit by: KenTarmac
Please edit or add information to this wiki as necessary.
This is a quick and updated (periodically, by members) summary of post 1 that will be visible at the top of all pages of this thread.
CLT airport website: https://www.cltairport.com/
Link to older archived posts.
American operates flights out of concourses (sometimes) A and (always) B, C, D and E.
Ticket counters
Main Terminal - Daily: 3:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Concourses:
From Airport Website
CLT / Charlotte Douglas International Airport map
CLT / Charlotte Douglas International Airport map
Getting from Concourse to Concourse
There is no need to leave the secure area to move from one concourse to another. *Exceptions are arriving international flights. In such case one has to clear immigration and customs, reclaim bags and proceed through security. [Obviously not applicable for those pre-cleared at selected overseas locations such as DUB] Keep in mind that if you purchased any liquids on the plane (duty free) you will have to follow the 3-1-1 rule and even check the bottles!
There are several moving walkways at the airport. At the least, there is a moving walkway at the beginning of each concourse, sometimes there are several (concourses A and E).
Other moving walkways include:
Security at CLT
Security wait times can vary widely both by time/day. Monday mornings can have long lines. Checkpoints A and B are often the most crowded. When this is the case it's worth the walk to checkpoints C through E to avoid the long lines.
Since all the checkpoints share access to the secure area it really doesn't matter which one you use, they will all get you access to all gates.
Below is a break down of where the TSA precheck lanes are and where the checkpoints drop you off within the airport.
Most of the time CLT is really good in terms of on-time performance. However summer thunderstorms can drastically affect your travel experience.
AA-AA ID .50 BDA - ALL
AA-AA ID .50 COUNTRY BS - ALL
AA-AA ID 1.00 COUNTRY CA - ALL
AA-AA ID .50 COUNTRY IE - ALL
AA-AA ID 1.15 REGION EUR - ALL
AA-AA ID 1.00
--Parking info can be found at this link.
*Security Note: If you park using curbside valet your car will be searched.
Cell Phone Lot: Park for free while waiting for arriving flights at CLT’s Cell Phone Lot. All drivers are required to remain with their vehicles. Parking is provided on a first come, first served basis as space is available.
Rental Cars
Rental cars are in the parking deck directly across from the terminal. Follow the signs to the deck and take the escalator or elevator to the second level where you'll find the rental car counters. You no longer have to take a shuttle to the rental cars.
--More info on Rental Cars
Public Transportation
CATS offers service from CLT:
Visit the CATS Website for more details and schedules.
Where to eat in the airport
--Good map of CLT Dining
CLT Lounges
There are two Currency Exchange locations in CLT, both operated by Travelex:
How quick is baggage claim in CLT?
CLT offers free Wi-Fi around the airport. The Admirals Club provides free access for club members through AT&T.
Do I have time to go into Charlotte?
You could take a cab or the city bus (see post Public Transportation above for info). I would venture to town only if there is more than 3 hours to kill and there is nothing you can do at the airport.
Lyft and Uber can both pick up at the airport.
Where can I smoke at the airport?
There are three:
This is a quick and updated (periodically, by members) summary of post 1 that will be visible at the top of all pages of this thread.
Check-in times Link
In most locations, you must be checked in:
At least 45 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights within the United States
At least 60 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights to or from airports outside of the United States
In most locations, you must be checked in:
At least 45 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights within the United States
At least 60 minutes before scheduled departure, for flights to or from airports outside of the United States
Link to older archived posts.
American operates flights out of concourses (sometimes) A and (always) B, C, D and E.
Ticket counters
Main Terminal - Daily: 3:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Concourses:
- Concourse A is used by mostly other airlines (Air Canada, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, United, Via) but American uses Concourse A for some flights
- Concourse B is usually used for flights to the West
- Concourse C is usually used for East coast flights. Republic operated flights fly out of C as well.
- Concourse D (The International Concourse) Most transatlantic flights out of CLT are at the far end of concourse D (Lufthansa and Volaris included)
- D4 (A and B) are also express gates (Piedmont operated flights.)
- Concourse E is the American Eagle concourse (Regional flights – RJs)
From Airport Website
CLT / Charlotte Douglas International Airport map
CLT / Charlotte Douglas International Airport map
Getting from Concourse to Concourse
There is no need to leave the secure area to move from one concourse to another. *Exceptions are arriving international flights. In such case one has to clear immigration and customs, reclaim bags and proceed through security. [Obviously not applicable for those pre-cleared at selected overseas locations such as DUB] Keep in mind that if you purchased any liquids on the plane (duty free) you will have to follow the 3-1-1 rule and even check the bottles!
There are several moving walkways at the airport. At the least, there is a moving walkway at the beginning of each concourse, sometimes there are several (concourses A and E).
Other moving walkways include:
- Across the atrium between concourses A, B and C.
- Between the security checkpoint C exit and concourses D and E.
Security at CLT
Security wait times can vary widely both by time/day. Monday mornings can have long lines. Checkpoints A and B are often the most crowded. When this is the case it's worth the walk to checkpoints C through E to avoid the long lines.
Since all the checkpoints share access to the secure area it really doesn't matter which one you use, they will all get you access to all gates.
Below is a break down of where the TSA precheck lanes are and where the checkpoints drop you off within the airport.
- A Checkpoint: Standard 4 a.m. – 8:15 p.m.
- B Checkpoint: Standard, Main Pre✓ ® 4 a.m. – 8:15 p.m.
- C Checkpoint: Standard, Flex Lanes 5 a.m. – 9:15 p.m.
- C Checkpoint: Employee 4 a.m. - 10:15 p.m.
- D Checkpoint: Main Pre✓ ®, Preferred 6 a.m. – 10:15 p.m.
- E Checkpoint: Standard 4:30 a.m. – 10:45 p.m.
Most of the time CLT is really good in terms of on-time performance. However summer thunderstorms can drastically affect your travel experience.
- Domestic Connections: MCT is 40 minutes. A minimum 1 hour scheduled connection time should be sufficient for domestic connections.
- According to ExpertFlyer, the current MCT for American Airlines International-Domestic are:
AA-AA ID .50 BDA - ALL
AA-AA ID .50 COUNTRY BS - ALL
AA-AA ID 1.00 COUNTRY CA - ALL
AA-AA ID .50 COUNTRY IE - ALL
AA-AA ID 1.15 REGION EUR - ALL
AA-AA ID 1.00
- MCT for anything involving international flights is 90 minutes; that will work for domestic to international, but:
- I'm a non-US passport holder connecting in CLT from an international to a domestic flight. How long of a layover should I schedule?
A: MCT is 90 minutes, but you should schedule a minimum of 2 hours to be safe to accommodate CBP, claiming your bags and then rechecking. (ie: LHR-CLT-PHX)
--Parking info can be found at this link.
*Security Note: If you park using curbside valet your car will be searched.
Cell Phone Lot: Park for free while waiting for arriving flights at CLT’s Cell Phone Lot. All drivers are required to remain with their vehicles. Parking is provided on a first come, first served basis as space is available.
Rental Cars
Rental cars are in the parking deck directly across from the terminal. Follow the signs to the deck and take the escalator or elevator to the second level where you'll find the rental car counters. You no longer have to take a shuttle to the rental cars.
--More info on Rental Cars
Public Transportation
CATS offers service from CLT:
- Route 5 Sprinter Airport Express - To Center City (Uptown)
Visit the CATS Website for more details and schedules.
Where to eat in the airport
--Good map of CLT Dining
CLT Lounges
- American Airlines has two Admirals Clubs in CLT: A larger one between concourses C and D and smaller newly renovated one in concourse B.
- AMEX is adding a new Centurion lounge, at CLT. It will be located after security at the intersection of Concourses D and E, on the top floor of a new airport expansion. Opening Monday, February 24, 2020
- The Club CLT. Priority Pass lounge located in the A gate connector.
There are two Currency Exchange locations in CLT, both operated by Travelex:
- One location in the center court atrium inside the secured area (airside). This location is open from 7 AM to 10 PM seven days a week.
- A second currency exchange location has been added at the entrance to the D concourse in front of gates D1 and D2. This location is open from 6:30 AM to 10 PM seven days a week.
How quick is baggage claim in CLT?
- Baggage claim returns in CLT tend to run a little longer than most airports. Expect a wait time of 20 to 25 minutes on average after deplaning. Depending on workload baggage returns can run upwards of 30 to 45 minutes.
- Baggage returns for flights arriving on the E concourse and the A Concourse extension can take up to 45 minutes.
- There is one the 2nd floor of the Atrium. More info available here: www.cltairportchapel.org
CLT offers free Wi-Fi around the airport. The Admirals Club provides free access for club members through AT&T.
Do I have time to go into Charlotte?
You could take a cab or the city bus (see post Public Transportation above for info). I would venture to town only if there is more than 3 hours to kill and there is nothing you can do at the airport.
Lyft and Uber can both pick up at the airport.
Where can I smoke at the airport?
- Charlotte Douglas International is a smoke free facility. Smoking is prohibited in all public areas, which includes all restaurants and bars.
- Smokers on the front curb of the terminal are encouraged to use courtesy areas on each end of Baggage Claim and Ticketing levels.
There are three:
- Concourse A Connector
- Concourse A/B Connector
- Concourse D
GUIDE: CLT / Charlotte Douglas Airport - MCT, Connection, etc.
Apr 6, 2019, 12:12 pm
#751
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: US, HH
Posts: 895
Hi guys,
Tomorrow I'm arriving into CLT on the AA redeye from Seattle, and I have a 3.5 hour layover until my flight to SBY. I'll be in CLT from about 6:20 to 9:50 am. I know that CLT is a busy, crowded airport, but I was wondering if there's any semi-quiet place to be able to sit down ... snip
Tomorrow I'm arriving into CLT on the AA redeye from Seattle, and I have a 3.5 hour layover until my flight to SBY. I'll be in CLT from about 6:20 to 9:50 am. I know that CLT is a busy, crowded airport, but I was wondering if there's any semi-quiet place to be able to sit down ... snip
Apr 7, 2019, 11:42 am
#752
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
May 20, 2019, 2:39 pm
#753
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 3
Enough time?
Hello , we fly with Amerikan airlines ( international from Dublin). We have a transfer ( connection flight) of 55 minutes to an other Amerikan airlines to Cancun. Must we go through security checkpoint? And do we have enough time ? Thank you.
May 20, 2019, 3:52 pm
#754
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: MSN
Programs: AA, BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,926
Oops! Didn't notice which thread the OP was in.
Also, welcome to FT Ruud2007. I hope that you find it useful and a good way to learn more about air travel and other things.
Last edited by MADPhil; May 20, 2019 at 4:02 pm
May 20, 2019, 3:55 pm
#755
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: VPS
Programs: IHG Diamond, Delta PM, Hilton Gold, Accor Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 7,264
Dublin is a pre-clearance airport for US arrivals, so you go through immigration and customs formalities in Ireland and the flight is treated as a domestic arrival. So since there is a common airside area at Charlotte, you don't have to go through further security screening as part of your connection there, and 55 minutes is generally not ideal because some random event could always happen, but in most cases/normal circumstances is very doable and will give you enough time for a brief toilet and snack stop on the way to your next flight.
May 23, 2019, 3:07 pm
#758
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: PHL
Programs: US; AA; UA; Hilton Gold; Club Carlson Gold; IHG Platinum;
Posts: 388
Short D to I connection at CLT
Back in January I booked 3 business Saver awards to fly PHL-CLT-FCO in July. Due to recent schedule changes my relatively short connection in CLT became even shorter (56 min). It looks like it’s still valid and does not violate MCT.
We have to be in Rome on the scheduled arrival date, but I worry that we may miss the second flight even with slight delay on the first segment. Flightaware shows average delay 10-20 mins for PHL-CLT leg. When checking award space, there is no Saver availability on either earlier flights to CLT that day or on direct flight PHL-FCO.
I haven’t call AA yet but just wanted to ask experts here if there are any good options left for me at this point other than hope that my PHL-CLT flight will be on time. My main priority is to get to Rome on the scheduled date; the next priority would be to keep J seats.
We have to be in Rome on the scheduled arrival date, but I worry that we may miss the second flight even with slight delay on the first segment. Flightaware shows average delay 10-20 mins for PHL-CLT leg. When checking award space, there is no Saver availability on either earlier flights to CLT that day or on direct flight PHL-FCO.
I haven’t call AA yet but just wanted to ask experts here if there are any good options left for me at this point other than hope that my PHL-CLT flight will be on time. My main priority is to get to Rome on the scheduled date; the next priority would be to keep J seats.
May 23, 2019, 3:14 pm
#759
Suspended
Join Date: May 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: DL Diamond, AAdvantage EXP, Hyatt Explorist, HHonors Diamond, Avis First
Posts: 7,344
That sounds like a decent enough connection time for CLT. You'll basically just be going gate to gate (no time for lounges if you're applicable) if things are on time. The bigger issue is if your CLT-FCO flight will even depart on time. AA MTC issues are increasingly getting worse with many hour delays for flights or cancellations (I'd suggest you follow that thread and watch CLT-FCO like a hawk).
May 23, 2019, 3:21 pm
#760
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,374
You should be fine, here's my thoughts.
What time of day is your PHL-CLT? What time of departure is the direct PHL-FCO?
If your PHL departure is early morning then I'm more comfortable; later in the day your flight could succumb to a cascading delay.
If PHL-FCO departs after PHL-CLT, then if PHL-CLT is delayed while you're in the airport you can ask to be rebooked on PHL-FCO. You might have to tough it out in Main Cabin, however.
What time of day is your PHL-CLT? What time of departure is the direct PHL-FCO?
If your PHL departure is early morning then I'm more comfortable; later in the day your flight could succumb to a cascading delay.
If PHL-FCO departs after PHL-CLT, then if PHL-CLT is delayed while you're in the airport you can ask to be rebooked on PHL-FCO. You might have to tough it out in Main Cabin, however.
May 23, 2019, 3:34 pm
#761
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: AA Plat Pro
Posts: 105
I tend to prefer longer connection times when connecting to an international flight just because of potential delays so if I were you I would call AA just to see if they would be willing to move you. However, even though I'd be stressed with that 56 minute layover I would not really consider it tight at CLT and the phone agents probably will not think it is tight either. If you have just a 10-20 minute delay you would likely be fine but I can absolutely understand why you would want to give yourself a much larger cushion of time for possible delays. If you call AA and they will not move you to an earlier flight to CLT then I'd recommend signing up for a month of Expert Flyer (if you don't already have it) so that you can set alerts for both of the earlier PHL-CLT flights and the direct PHL-FCO flight. Have you already checked the economy saver space for the PHL-CLT flight? Economy saver award space on that route does not seem to be that hard to come by so I would not be surprised to see space open up if it isn't already available. For that shorter flight I would definitely be willing to give up business seats to get the longer layover.
May 23, 2019, 3:41 pm
#762
Join Date: May 2013
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Gold, AF apologist
Posts: 207
I tend to prefer longer connection times when connecting to an international flight just because of potential delays so if I were you I would call AA just to see if they would be willing to move you. However, even though I'd be stressed with that 56 minute layover I would not really consider it tight at CLT and the phone agents probably will not think it is tight either.
May 23, 2019, 3:53 pm
#764
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
56 minutes is fine for a CLT connection, so don't worry about that. The risk is if there is a delay of any kind on the inbound, you will likely misconnect and it's likely that any later flight you will be rebooked onto, e.g. the 19:05 via LHR or more likely 22:05 via LHR, means that you will arrive 4-5 hours late in FCO and that presumes space on those flights.
This is within MCT, but well below SCT (Sensible Connection Time) for a connection to a once-daily international flight where you must be there the next day.
I would call AA and ask to be moved to one of the earlier PHL-CLT flight. AA can be quite flexible, particularly if you are not in a position to run between gates. If you can't get the change, you just have to keep your fingers crossed, have the later LHR connections in mind for an agent and make sure you have the first 3-4 days of clothes in your carry-on although AA is very good about swapping checked luggage.
Remember that there are often last minute delays. If you arrive late at CLT, you should still go to the gate unless the flight has actually departed. If it has, find the LHR gate and head there.
Finally, all depending on what the commitment is in Rome the next day, there is absolutely no way I would arrive on the day of that commitment if it is important. Consider the day before, particularly if there is space.
This is within MCT, but well below SCT (Sensible Connection Time) for a connection to a once-daily international flight where you must be there the next day.
I would call AA and ask to be moved to one of the earlier PHL-CLT flight. AA can be quite flexible, particularly if you are not in a position to run between gates. If you can't get the change, you just have to keep your fingers crossed, have the later LHR connections in mind for an agent and make sure you have the first 3-4 days of clothes in your carry-on although AA is very good about swapping checked luggage.
Remember that there are often last minute delays. If you arrive late at CLT, you should still go to the gate unless the flight has actually departed. If it has, find the LHR gate and head there.
Finally, all depending on what the commitment is in Rome the next day, there is absolutely no way I would arrive on the day of that commitment if it is important. Consider the day before, particularly if there is space.
May 23, 2019, 6:32 pm
#765
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott Bonvoy titanium
Posts: 537
Back in January I booked 3 business Saver awards to fly PHL-CLT-FCO in July. Due to recent schedule changes my relatively short connection in CLT became even shorter (56 min). It looks like it’s still valid and does not violate MCT.
We have to be in Rome on the scheduled arrival date, but I worry that we may miss the second flight even with slight delay on the first segment. Flightaware shows average delay 10-20 mins for PHL-CLT leg. When checking award space, there is no Saver availability on either earlier flights to CLT that day or on direct flight PHL-FCO.
I haven’t call AA yet but just wanted to ask experts here if there are any good options left for me at this point other than hope that my PHL-CLT flight will be on time. My main priority is to get to Rome on the scheduled date; the next priority would be to keep J seats.
We have to be in Rome on the scheduled arrival date, but I worry that we may miss the second flight even with slight delay on the first segment. Flightaware shows average delay 10-20 mins for PHL-CLT leg. When checking award space, there is no Saver availability on either earlier flights to CLT that day or on direct flight PHL-FCO.
I haven’t call AA yet but just wanted to ask experts here if there are any good options left for me at this point other than hope that my PHL-CLT flight will be on time. My main priority is to get to Rome on the scheduled date; the next priority would be to keep J seats.
50 min in clt is doable, I’ve made a 15 min connect running but you miss your connection your spending the night in clt. Any way you can hop on the 1pm flight out of phl?