This may be an obvious question, but when flying CO, is DAL significantly easier to navigate than DFW? I mean picking up/dropping off a rental car, checking-in, security lines etc.

Thanks.

DAL is easier for car rental. CO gates are easy to locate. But it has been my experience that TSA is more picky there than at DFW.

hahaha.

DFW is the size of Manhattan.
DAL would be like Mabary.

DAL is small though often crowded on the WN side. You can exit your RJ & be to the car rentals or taxis very quickly. Personally, I prefer it.

DAL is most definitely easier to deal with. The car rental lots are not adjacent to the terminal at either airport, but at DAL most of them are much closer to the terminal than the DFW consolidated rental car facility is to the terminals there. It's frequently no more than 10 minutes from the time I drop my car until I'm in the door checking in at DAL. For DFW, depending on the terminal you are going to, I'd allow at least 30 minutes from the time you drop the car until you are in line to check in at the terminal. Security also seems to move faster at DAL most of the time (although it has its slow times). DAL is also much more convenient to many locations in Dallas than DFW is.

Right now I'm up in the Dallas area for work about once a month and always fly into DAL. It does mean only flying ERJs, but the flight from IAH is nice and short, and non-Y elite upgrades are darn near impossible to get on the IAH-DFW 737s anyway. DAL is also much easier and faster to get to from my client in Plano. It's old and worn out and doesn't have nearly as many amenities as DFW, but for ease of use and convenience to central Dallas, it can't be beat.

You probably should pick between the two based upon your ultimate destination, not perceptions about security and the like. If you are headed for downtown Dallas, then definitely chose DAL.

One thing to keep in mind regarding rental car at DAL:

Rental car office around DAL is not open for 24hrs.

Although they assure they will not close until after last scheduled flight(with reserved customer on it) arrival, you may want to call them ahead in case you are flying in at night and the flight delay.

My ultimate destination is Farmers Branch, just north of the intersection of LBJ and Stemmons Freeways. I've found the rental car experience aggravating at DFW in terms of the time needed and how crowded the shuttles are, so I was hoping DAL would be a better alternative. I will be renting from Hertz.

It also depends on where you're coming in from. If you're force to connect via IAH anyways it may not matter, but flying down from EWR you can fly non-stop to DFW instead of having to connect.

Flying from SFO, so I will have to connect in IAH.

I personally prefer DAL. Smaller, much easier to get in and out of, and there's even the "Continental Bar" - a dedicated snack bar (that serves beer!!!! ^ ) with tables and chairs right at the CO gates. Call it the DAL PC club - no membership required.

I know that bar well...

DAL is also kind of fun just because of the nostalgia of the place. However, it's not quite the same as it was 10 years ago when they first reopened the concourse CO is on for the then new ERJ flights to IAH and you had to walk past the old dust covered moving sidewalks and other relics of the days when DAL was the primary airport in the region.

And their hot dog is made-to-order.

I'll take DAL over DFW any day of the week unless I have to travel to Ft. Worth or other points west.
In almost any case I prefer small airports to big ones available. Its ths same situation going to the west coast... if my destination and schedule allow for it I'd much rather fly into Burbank or Orange County than deal with the hell of LAX.

I fly to DFW a few times a month and I cannot think of an easier airport. I usually fly down on Sunday and come back on a Friday. The Continental gates you arrive at are right next to the baggage claim. Usually within 10 minutes I have walked to the BC and picked up my luggage. You then go downstairs and the rental car pick up is a few yards in front of you. The rental car is offsite but the bus ride is only 7 minutes. Since DFW is so huge the rental car selection is great. When you come back to DFW you drop the car off and a bus is always waiting to take you to terminal E where Continental is. Once you check in the terminal is so small the security line is never crowded and when it is they open another one. Once you are through security you can proceed to the PC and wait for your flight. The PC staff at DFW are some of the nicest at any PC.

I cannot imagine why anyone from the EWR area would go through IAH to get to DAL when you can go direct to DFW. If you are not in the EWR area and are meeting in downtown Dallas, Love might be a better option. I just wanted to point out that DFW is an easy airport.