atl runner

I'll be flying in and out of FNT on DAL next month. Picking up a rental car with National. Any tips or suggestions? From the TSA website, it looks like they don't have Pre-Check. Do they at least do Pre-Check light? I guess I shouldn't care too much as I'll be clearing security for an 06:00 flight on a Saturday.

FlytheTail

FNT is a small and easy to navigate airport that has Pre-Check most, if not all of the time. Free wifi and ample seating make it a good airport. You can usually arrive 10-15 minutes before boarding begins, especially if you check in online and have Pre-Check.

BobH

Rental cars are to the right as you come down the only escalator --

Plan on walking less than a block to your car

FNT is so small you can park at their remote lot and be on the xway 15 minutes after the plane gets to the gate and that's *if* you checked your luggage.

WN does come in there so security can get busy at times

Bob H

Beckles

When you return your rental car, if you approach the airport from the east ignore the large overhead signs that tells you to go straight for the terminal and rental car return and turn left at the first light into the airport. Even if approaching from the west I would probably ignore the sign telling you to turn into the airport for rental car return and go to the next light and turn right there. Rental car return is then the first left, no need to go through the terminal first as the overhead signs direct you to do.
They definitely have Pre-Check, they did an expansion of their security check area a few years ago and put it in.

Small? It's huge compared to MQT, PLN, or TVC, other Michigan airports I've been to ... it's even big compared to MBS's new terminal (which itself is huge relative to MQT, PLN, or TVC).

It is easy to navigate though, despite the silly rental car return directions they give I mentioned above.

They are very fast in getting bags from the plane usually and even have a dedicated SkyPriority carousel, so this is one airport I will often go ahead and check my bags to.

atl runner

Hi All--thanks for this great info. I'll be staying at the Residence Inn by Marriott--just about three miles, of what looks like, south of the airport. I can type into Google Maps the rental car return address on West Bishop Rd, which should help me avoid the wasted terminal loop. Thanks for the heads up on that.

Glad to hear they have Pre-Check, if it's open as early as i'll be using it on a Saturday.

james318

Don't drink the water?

kss5555

The don't drink the water is not funny. The airport is not on city water anyways.

As to the OP's questions. The 6am bank on Saturdays has a AA and UA flight to ORD and a WN flight to MDW along with DL to ATL it is the only time even on Saturdays the TSA line can be a bit backed up (have seen 20 to 30 min lines and 5, it all varies). As for TSA light. All you are allowed to do is keep shoes on, everything else goes through the scanner.

atl runner

Great, thanks for this. I'll get there early.

aww3583

You're staying in a perfectly safe part of Flint. You'll have no issues with the water at the airport or the hotel.

Downtown Flint has had a bit of a renaissance with a farmers market and a few restaurants. But, if you don't know what you're doing or where you're going, avoid it. Grand Blanc is perfectly safe and a great little suburb.

Pesto's on Miller Road just west of the airport is a quirky little restaurant with some of the best food in Flint. That's relatively speaking, but it's one of my favorites.

There is definitely PreCheck. I went through it 10 days ago.

atl runner

Thanks. I'll be there for only 36 hours. I'm running in the USATF Masters Mile in Flint on a Friday evening at 18:30. There will be lots of people, monitors and cops around. Other than that I'll be hanging at the Residence Inn. Thanks for the restaurant tip.

Regarding the Pre-Check there, it sounds like it is Pre-Check Light. At other Pre-Check Light locations, it typically means you go through a metal detector rather than the scanner. What about at FNT? I usually opt for a pat down rather than a scanner, as I'm not convinced of their safety to one's health.

Beckles

No, it is full PreCheck every time I've been there in the past year.

atl runner

Okay. Excellent. I like it!^

mudpuppy

This isn't correct. FNT has had full precheck for nearly two years.

OP, FNT is pretty much my favorite airport for O/D. It's small enough you don't have to deal with the big airport parking/shuttle/security headaches, but big enough it has hot food airside (granted, not a 5 star restaurant by any means, but better than nothing).

HDQDD

I was leaving FNT a few months ago and DMB's "Don't drink the water" was playing on the airport Musak. smh