Looking For Advice On LayOver Airports

[BWV Dreamin]

I need to book a return flight home to Baltimore from SNA (John Wayne Airport) in Aneheim, CA. My choices for layover airports are Dallas/Ft.Worth, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, UT, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. I am ruling the first two out as they are really big airports. We want to grab lunch in between flights. Looking at layovers around 2 hours. Would appreciate any opinions!!

 

[airplanegod]

I wouldn't book a long layover in SLC as there isn't much to do (Nice airport, but again, not much amenities). I would do either MSP or SFO depending on your pricing. Both are larger but offer a lot of stuff to do.

 

[bumbershoot]

You would also want to look at the websites for the airports in question, to see if they have anything you would like to eat while there. And to see if you would be able to get it. What I mean by that is that, for example, an airport like LAX doesn't have every place accessible from every terminal. But at Seatac you can access just about everything once you're through the secure area. At SEA I can go to terminal area 3 and have my nails done even if I'm leaving from Terminal area 1. At LAX I can't jump around like that.

So see if the airports you're thinking of have food that you would like AND can get to.

 

[LadyBeBop]

When is your flight? I'm assuming price or time is no object.

If before May, definately SFO. You dont want to risk a snowstorm at MSP or SLC. I'd actually take a second look at Atlanta.

If May or later, I'd probably go with MSP or SLC. Just to break up the trip.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

My trip is in May. I really appreciate all the feedback. I'm getting great pricing (189 one way) through United, Delta or AA. So no difference in fare. Just airlines and layover airports.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) MSP has absolutely the most to eat and most to do.
. . . bars everywhere
. . . quick-service and full-dining in all the terminals
. . . LOTS of shopping, and at reasonable "street" prices
2) With over 3-million air miles, MSP is my 2nd favorite USA airport.

 

[delilah]

We once had a trip from Indianapolis to SNA with a layover in DFW. I remember that on the trip there, when we scheduled the trip, there should have been plently of time to make the connection. But, in fact, our plane from IND was delayed due to storms in the midwest (our trip was the last week of March), and we just barely made the connection as they were closing the plane. DFW is a HUGE airport, and the gates for a particular airline aren't necessarily close to each other. Same thing is true of MSP and ATL. However, the last time we had a layover in ATL, our departure gate for our connecting flight was right next to the arrival gate for the first flight.

About 3 wks ago, I flew from Santa Barbara to Indianapolis via Denver. Many of the flights from SFO were delayed due to heavy fog, which caused delays in many other flights. I actually like Denver compared to the larger DFW, MSP, ORD, because really you can get from one end of the airport to the other in a matter of minutes, and, in general, they are pretty well organized in terms of gate assignment. There aren't alot of choices on food or other activities, though.

I really hated MSP, but, it may have been because we were routed there on a flight from IND to MCO. It irritated me, because my original flight was a nonstop, and because the flight was twice as long being routed through MSP, and the plane flies directly over IND to get to MSP. It was the last flight I ever scheduled on that particular airline (Delta, I think, but could have been NWA just before their merger).

 

[OKW Lover]

I need to book a return flight home to Baltimore from SNA (John Wayne Airport) in Aneheim, CA. My choices for layover airports are Dallas/Ft.Worth, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, UT, San Francisco, and Minneapolis. I am ruling the first two out as they are really big airports. We want to grab lunch in between flights. Looking at layovers around 2 hours. Would appreciate any opinions!!

Not sure when you are flying but if its in the winter, I'd pick an airport less likely to be affected by weather. In other words, not MSP and probably not SLC.

Why are you truing to avoid "really big airports"? They have more flights and connection choices if something does go wrong. They also have lots of places to grab lunch between flights. A two hour layover is more than enough time to do that at ATL (which I have a lot of experience with).

 

[maxiesmom]

I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Atlanta. There are tons of places to eat. Two hours would be just enough time to grab a meal before boarding your connecting flight.

 

[JEWLSVERN]

When we fly to SNA we love to lay over at DFW. It makes the flight seem quicker as you have 2 short ones instead of a really long flight. Plus there is a ton to do at DFW.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Atlanta has the busiest airport in the US. Avoid. There are pros and cons to the rest. It also depends on the time of year, due to weather concerns.

I would probably chose SFO. There can be fog delays there, but then you'd have a nice uninterrupted flight across the country after a short first hop.

 

[nighttowll]

Why are you truing to avoid "really big airports"? They have more flights and connection choices if something does go wrong.

This is the way I feel. When I look for an airport for a layover, I try to find something south to avoid weather issues and large enough that if I get stuck there I have a pretty good chance of finding something going out that I can get on. I actually like Atlanta for layovers, but it also happens to be close enough to where I live that if I got really stuck, I could just rent a car and drive the rest of the way back.

I'd never book anything with less than a 2 hr layover, you just never know what can happen. 2.5 to 3 hrs is what I prefer if I'm also having lunch during the break.

30 min for late plane / disembarking
15 to 45 min to find new gate (depending location and if you have to go back through security or not)
1 hr to 1.5 for nice lunch
30 min to board new plane

 

[ironz]

DFW is actually fairly easy to get around, so don't exclude it. There is a shuttle/tram thing that takes you from one terminal to the others without your having to reclear security.

I've been stuck/delayed/cancelled in SFO to ever enjoy connecting through there. If there is fog (or a plane crash--I flew the day after the Asiana crash), they space out the landings/takeoffs, and delays trickle through the system....and there is very often fog at SFO. Also, changing terminals is more of a hassle, if you have to do that.

SLC...not impressed with their airport, though I don't connect through there often.

MSP is nice with lots of food /shopping options.

I avoid Atlanta.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

This is the way I feel. When I look for an airport for a layover, I try to find something south to avoid weather issues and large enough that if I get stuck there I have a pretty good chance of finding something going out that I can get on. I actually like Atlanta for layovers, but it also happens to be close enough to where I live that if I got really stuck, I could just rent a car and drive the rest of the way back.

I'd never book anything with less than a 2 hr layover, you just never know what can happen. 2.5 to 3 hrs is what I prefer if I'm also having lunch during the break.

30 min for late plane / disembarking
15 to 45 min to find new gate (depending location and if you have to go back through security or not)
1 hr to 1.5 for nice lunch
30 min to board new plane

2-3 hours is far too long for me!

You shouldn't assume southern airports won't be affected by weather delays in other parts of the country. They often are; planes from airports in other parts of the country affected by weather can’t make it to your airport; crews time out waiting for planes and they have a delay trying to find a new crew, etc. It can be a big crapshoot.

 

[taitai]

I would pick MSP. As others have said, it has great and abundant food options and shopping. It is not hard to navigate either.

MSP has probably the best snow removal system of any airport in the country. It rarely, if ever, closes due to snow. If flights are cancelled or delayed out of MSP it is generally due to the fact that the originating or destination airport is experiencing delays.

Atlanta seems to always experience delays. I try avoid it when possible. I have been delayed more at DFW than any other airport in the country. Generally due to big thunderstorms that come across grounding all flights.

Good luck.

 

[nighttowll]

2-3 hours is far too long for me!

You shouldn't assume southern airports won't be affected by weather delays in other parts of the country.

I'm not assuming it won't be effected by other airports. I'm assuming it won't be covered in snow. There's a difference. I'm just looking at it as the more planes leaving from the airport I'm in, the more chances I have to get on something that will get where I want to go eventually. But, yes, you can have delays and issues at any airport.

I personally just prefer changing at larger airports, and I also prefer sitting waiting having too much time, than frantically running through an airport because the 1.5 hrs I thought would have been plenty wasn't. I've been there, done that, learned my lesson. Sitting is better than running in my book.

 

[Danibelle]

Atlanta has the busiest airport in the US. Avoid. There are pros and cons to the rest. It also depends on the time of year, due to weather concerns.

I would probably chose SFO. There can be fog delays there, but then you'd have a nice uninterrupted flight across the country after a short first hop.

I totally agree with above. My least favorite is DFW (really hard to get around) with Atlanta a close second. I don't remember SFO as being difficult but it has been a few years.

 

[maxiesmom]

I totally agree with above. My least favorite is DFW (really hard to get around) with Atlanta a close second. I don't remember SFO as being difficult but it has been a few years.

See I think Atlanta is super easy to navigate. It is large, but it is well marked, and having the internal subway system saves a lot of walking.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't remember SFO as being difficult but it has been a few years.

SFO can be a pain because of "weather". I've been stuck in Seattle on my way to San Diego for nearly 2 hours because we kept missing our "window" for the plane change at SFO. Part of that time was because of a security breach when we were halfway loaded onto the plane, and then another window was missed (to tell the full story as to why we didn't just load the plane and GO...they kept trying to do that!), etc.

I don't know if it's the fog or rain over the ocean or wind or what, but it seems to be a finicky place to land.

 

[SarahInMN]

Ditto to everyone else who has voted MSP!

We used to live there so it was our home airport. Lots of restaurants to pick from, 2 sky clubs, etc. Plus MSP is used to weather - snow storms that would shut down other airports may slow things down a bit but they do an awesome job with winter weather!