Informational Guide to Charlotte Airport (CLT) - NON OFFICIAL

Our Review of Charlotte Airport

Our Review of Charlotte Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what users expect when visiting an airport. With this know-how, we have created this guide, placing passengers at the forefront of everything, aiming to simplify and enhance the airport experience.

In this guide, our goal is to present information in a manner that is both quick and reliable. Recognizing that passengers often have limited time and may be in a hurry, we strive to ensure that they do not waste time unnecessarily.

Another key focus of our guide is to highlight the strengths of the airport and also the weaknesses, and in some cases, offer recommendations to travelers. In alignment with this approach, we provide users with aggregated information on delays and on-time performance, analyzing both airlines and individual flights.

 

Pros and Cons of Charlotte Airport

PROS

Location: Charlotte International Airport is conveniently situated 10 km west of Charlotte’s city center. CLT offers quick access to both the city and its surrounding areas. Both public transit and major highways provide good connections to it.

American Airlines Hub: Charlotte Airport is the major hub for American Airlines, serving more than 161 non-stop destinations worldwide and more than 700 departures/landings daily.

Modern Facilities: The airport has a variety of services, including shops, restaurants, and lounges that serve both business and leisure passengers. CLT has modern and hygienic facilities.

Accessibility: Provides easy access from the city center by a range of transportation options, such as taxis, shuttles, ride-sharing services, CATS bus and public transit.

Business Services: CLT provides excellent services for business travelers, including conference rooms and VIP lounges, enhancing the travel experience for corporate passengers.

Lost and Found: CLT’s lost and found service can assist in locating misplaced or left behind items.

Walking Time: Due to the interconnectivity of Charlotte Airport’s infrastructure, you can move easily between any concourse.  It is 10 to 15 minutes’ walk between concourses.

 

CONS

Crowding at Peak Times: The airport may get busy during peak travel times, which can result in longer wait times and a more unpleasant experience, despite its efficient operations.

Terminal Layout: Make sure to verify the concourse for your trip in advance, since first-time travelers may find the layout of the airport confusing.

Parking: It might be difficult to find a place in the long-term lots at CLT at peak times. Be ready to spend additional time near parking, especially on days when travel is most crowded.

Weather-Related Delays: Flight schedules and passenger convenience may be impacted by weather-related delays at CLT, particularly during winter storms or other severe weather conditions.

Reduced bus operations: Every day from 12 AM to 4 AM, only a few buses will be operating, which might result in lengthier transit wait times.

 

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Terminal and Concourses: CLT has six concourses, A, A North, B, C, D, and E, within a single main terminal. Make sure to check your flight details to know which concourse your gate is in. Although there is connectivity between the concourses, it is advisable to have some additional time if you need to move between them, particularly during peak hours.

Transport to and from Charlotte: There are a number of ways to get from Charlotte Airport to the city, including shuttle buses, taxis, ride-sharing services, and public transit. The CATS Sprinter bus service offers an economical and easy way to go from the airport to Charlotte’s downtown.

Check-in Areas:  The check-in area at CLT is located on level 2 with departures and check-in level, followed by security checkpoints for each concourse.

Dining and shopping: The concourses provide a range of dining and shopping options once you’ve passed security checkpoints. Whether you’re searching for a last-minute shopping, a filling dinner, or a fast snack, you fill find everything here.

Family-Friendly Facilities: CLT is an airport that welcomes families with many play spaces for kids, nursing moms’ lactation rooms, and family bathrooms. For families taking trips with little children, these features guarantee a comfortable journey.

Lounges: CLT has a number of lounges for anyone looking for a calm and cozy spot to relax. The American Airlines Admirals Club is available in Concourse B and Concourse C, and The Club CLT in Concourse A provides food, refreshments, and comfortable seating and many more services. The lounges are located in Mezzanine Level.

Additional Services: CLT offers a number of additional amenities, like as charging stations, pet relief zones, free Wi-Fi access throughout the airport, and offers accessibility for disabled people.


How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

  • On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
  • Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
  • Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
  • Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
  • Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation

Some Stats

Annual Passengers Evolution

Airlines with more flight operations (last 3 months)

American Airlines

74% (Total flights analyzed: 32767)

Delta Air Lines

7% (Total flights analyzed: 3167)

United Airlines

3% (Total flights analyzed: 1502)

Contour Airlines

3% (Total flights analyzed: 1122)

Spirit

2% (Total flights analyzed: 1064)

Airlines with best on-time performance at Charlotte Airport (last 3 months)

Considering all airlines:

Volaris

97% (Total flights analyzed: 39)

Delta Air Lines

85% (Total flights analyzed: 3167)

United Airlines

84% (Total flights analyzed: 1502)

JetBlue

84% (Total flights analyzed: 81)

Spirit

83% (Total flights analyzed: 1064)

American Airlines

82% (Total flights analyzed: 32767)

Sun Country

82% (Total flights analyzed: 66)

Contour Airlines

78% (Total flights analyzed: 1122)

Considering only airlines with more than 10 flights/week:

Delta Air Lines

85% (Total flights analyzed: 3167)

United Airlines

84% (Total flights analyzed: 1502)

Spirit

83% (Total flights analyzed: 1064)

American Airlines

82% (Total flights analyzed: 32767)

Contour Airlines

78% (Total flights analyzed: 1122)

Air Canada

74% (Total flights analyzed: 172)

Southwest Airlines

72% (Total flights analyzed: 837)

Frontier Airlines

69% (Total flights analyzed: 1000)

Routes with more flights from Charlotte Airport (last month)

New York - LGA (United States of America): 533
Atlanta - ATL (United States of America): 464
Orlando - MCO (United States of America): 433
Boston - BOS (United States of America): 406
Chicago - ORD (United States of America): 373
Miami - MIA (United States of America): 369
Philadelphia - PHL (United States of America): 351
Dallas - DFW (United States of America): 349
Fort Lauderdale - FLL (United States of America): 328
Tampa - TPA (United States of America): 328