hey everyone so im just chilling here after landing at clt and honestly its not too bad but like any big airport it can be a bit confusing especially if youve never been here before and youre rushing for a connection so i figured id just dump some thoughts and advice here for anyone else cause literally i wish someone had told me some of this stuff before i got here and started wandering around like a lost puppy looking for my gate or a decent cup of coffee its kinda exhausting after a long flight you know.
so basically charlotte douglas is an american airlines hub and its got this pretty distinct layout which once you get it its not too bad but figuring it out the first time can feel like a puzzle and you just wanna get to your destination or at least find a place to sit for a minute without feeling like you need a compass and a map like youre on some kind of scavenger hunt just to find the restroom and its honestly not that complicated once you get the hang of it.
Navigating the maze
alright so picture this when you get off your plane and youre in the terminal you basically get dumped into a main central atrium area and this is where most of the food and shops are and its also where you do security checks if youre just arriving and heading out or making a connection from a non-secure area and its pretty straightforward from there all the concourses kinda radiate out like spokes on a wheel from this central hub and honestly its a good design because it makes it hard to get completely lost you just gotta remember which concourse youre headed to and follow the signs but sometimes the signs arent super clear about how far away something is which is kinda annoying and you end up walking way more than you thought you would for like a sandwich.
security usually has a few lines and sometimes its super quick and other times youre standing there forever and you just wanna scream but thats every airport right and once youre through security youre in the main secure area with all the concourses and theres plenty of places to grab a bite or a drink and some shops if you wanna waste time or money while waiting for your next flight and its pretty clean for an airport but its always busy and loud which is just how airports are i guess so you just gotta deal with it and try to find a quiet corner if you can find one.
The long trek between gates
now this is where it gets interesting cause some of these walks between gates are no joke and you really gotta plan your time especially if you have a tight connection and sometimes you can just walk it and other times youre literally stuck waiting for a shuttle which can be a real pain if you ask me so here is basically how it breaks down for getting around:
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concourse A: this one is pretty new and nice and its usually a pretty easy walk from the main atrium area so you can definitely walk it no problem and its got some good food options too.
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concourse B: this concourse is also a pretty straightforward walk from the central area not too far at all and its got its own vibe but its totally walkable and you probably wont break a sweat unless youre really rushing.
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concourse C: okay so concourse C starts to get a bit longer but its still very much walkable and they have moving walkways which are a lifesaver especially if youre like me and carrying a heavy bag and just dont wanna walk anymore but you dont need a shuttle its just a longer walk.
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concourse D: this one is a serious trek and you absolutely wanna use the moving walkways they have because its a good distance from the main atrium and if you dont use them you will feel it in your feet so yes you can walk it but its a long walk and you might be breathing hard when you get to your gate.
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concourse E: now this is the beast this concourse is basically for all the smaller regional jets and its way out there like literally a marathon and if you have a gate here prepare yourself because it feels like its in another zip code and they do have shuttles but sometimes youre stuck waiting forever and its just annoying and time consuming.
- you can walk to concourse E but honestly its a ridiculously long walk and i would strongly recomend against it unless you have like three hours to kill and want some serious exercise.
- you are basically stuck waiting for the shuttle bus to get to and from concourse E and sometimes it takes ages to show up so plan accordingly.
so yeah thats my two cents on clt its not the worst airport but its definitely one where you need to know the layout and how far things are if you dont wanna miss your flight or just be completely exhausted trying to get from a to e and back again good luck everyone!