hey everyone, so i just landed at salt lake city international airport, or slc as everyone calls it, and honestly, its a completely different animal than it used to be and i wanted to share some thoughts for anyone flying in or out soon especially if its your first time here because its kinda overwhelming at first but also pretty cool once you get the hang of it and i figured some honest, no-fluff advice would be super helpful.
Getting your bearings
ok so first things first, its a brand new airport, literally just opened, so everything is super modern and shiny and clean and honestly it feels really spacious, which is great but it also means things are spread out and you will be walking, like seriously walking, so ditch the idea of a tiny regional airport its more like a mini denver or lax in terms of how much ground you cover.
basically, you land, and youre in concourse A or B, but they both connect to the main terminal where baggage claim and ground transportation are and its all pretty intuitive in a straight line kinda way, but the distances are the kicker and sometimes its just a bit much, especially if you have a tight connection or decided to wear cute but not practical shoes.
- literally be prepared for long walks, especially if your gate is at the far end of concourse B, connected by a long tunnel or a skybridge and sometimes it feels like a whole other airport wing.
- the skybridge to concourse B is your friend, its basically an elevated walkway that gets you over to concourse B without having to go down into the tunnel and then back up, so if you see signs for it, take it, it saves you a little time and energy, but its still a walk.
- there isnt really a hidden “shortcut” in terms of avoiding the walking between concourses, but knowing if your connection is in the same concourse or which end helps because you can mentally prepare for the trek or ask about your gate as soon as you can so you know what youre up against.
- if youre connecting from A to B or vice versa, always confirm if you need to re-clear security, usually not if its a direct connection but always double check if you step out of the secure area, its a headache you dont need.
The peak hour survival guide
now lets talk about the times when things get a little chaotic, because even with a brand new airport, peak travel times are still peak travel times and slc is no exception, so you want to be prepared especially if you have an early morning flight or youre flying out on a sunday evening because everyone else is too.
security lines can get really long, really fast, like honestly ive seen them snake around multiple times so if you have a flight before 8 am or after 4 pm, give yourself an extra 30-45 minutes just for security, especially if you dont have tsa precheck and its definitly recomended here if you fly often and want to avoid the stress and the wait.
food options are pretty good in the main terminal area before security but once you get past security and especially if youre deep in concourse B, your options become a bit more limited and sometimes the lines for coffee or a quick bite are insane so if youre particular about your food or need something specific, try to grab it before you head through security or at least closer to the main hub area.
getting to and from the airport is pretty straightforward, the trax light rail is super convenient and cheap, it takes you right downtown and its easy to navigate, but if youre doing uber or lyft, the pickup area is on the ground level and its well-marked but during peak times it can be a bit of a wait for your driver to navigate the pickup lanes and the parking structure can feel a little confusing at first so follow the signs carefully.
rental cars are in a separate building but there are shuttles that run constantly and its pretty efficient, just make sure you know where to catch your specific shuttle because there are different companies but its all pretty clearly signed once you get to the ground transportation area.
overall, its a nice airport, very modern and airy, but its big and requires a bit of planning and honestly a good pair of walking shoes, but if you go in knowing what to expect, especially with those walks and peak hour security, youll have a much smoother experience and youll be able to actually appreciate how nice it is instead of just feeling stressed out and lost.