Charlotte Douglas International Airport - CLT - Complete Airport Tour

[@Deadkandy]

Gonna be my first time going through Charlotte. I feel like I know the airport before I get there now thank you. Great guide!

[@MilesByFoot]

I'm so glad! Thanks for watching :)

[@bobkellan9396]

This video was very helpful. I will be flying to charlotte in April and I have 58 minutes to change planes. Hoping for no delays so I don’t miss my flight. Seems like charlotte will be easy to find my next gate. Thanks again.

[@MilesByFoot]

Glad I could help! 58 minutes is slim, but it's doable!

[@riaaapeaaa]

I’ll be flying too at the end of the month for a cruise. I have a 50 minute connection time so I’m kinda stressed 😅

[@masond7573]

One of the better airports, never mind getting a layover here

[@yesorlando05]

Charlotte's airport is gorgeous. Given how large it is, it's very efficient and easy to get around.

[@floridadreams263]

I'm flying here this week and this is exactly the video I needed. Thank you!

[@MilesByFoot]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alixelle1057]

if ur in first class u should go to thee lounge!

[@whodatpat504]

I like the info. Never been to Charlotte on a flight. I have always gotten Atlanta and a few other places.

[@seauxlanna]

I had layovers there to and from Barbados 🇧🇧love it

[@sunnyscott4876]

CLT is a lovely airport.

[@Jolly_Green23]

This is my home airport. A lot of people complain about it, but I love it! I'm excited to see it once all the renovations are complete. My most frequent flights are from terminal A, being with Delta to JFK. I had flights booked to Chicago and Oklahoma City with United, and Washington DC (Reagan) with American..all of which have been canceled due to the state of the world at the moment. I hope to some day take that Lufthansa flight to Munich.

[@jackgoodman6976]

This is also my home airport. I normally track LH428 every day! It found right over my house. I was once plane spotting and I was luck enough to see that bird land. It was an a340 that day which is quite rare now since it’s mostly operated with an a350 now

[@MilesByFoot]

I went to CLT with an open mind and ended up liking it for what it is. Especially for a frequent flyer, CLT is accommodating. It might not have the razzle-dazzle of some hubs, but it's efficient and well-designed for its primary task: helping travelers connect to another flight.

[@russelladams7134]

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a lovely airport. I live in Atlanta but I have driven to Charlotte and I have been to the Charlotte Airport Overlook park in which a person can watch the departures and arrivals of different airplanes. I see mostly American Airlines planes. In 2019 I flew from Las Vegas back to Atlanta and had a brief layover in Charlotte. The flight from Charlotte to Atlanta was like 45 minutes. Charlotte is a beautiful city. I hope to relocate there soon.

[@rhodium785]

I live in Charlotte and use this airport so I think I know the pros and cons of this airport. Pros: - So many good food options. I feel like foodies would fly here on purpose just to get food here (especially to get bojangles). - There is only one terminal which makes things a little less confusing. - Lots and lots of artwork. - Great amount of destinations all around the world. - Most places are usually open around the clock, never a dull moment. - The retail is great, so many stores. - The rocking chairs and plants are amazing. - The digital artwork in Concourse A is very cool and there are windows in that section that I think are able to be controlled to displays images (usually just says “CLT”) which shows the airport’s intent to modernize. Cons: - It does get quite crowded. The airport, while being massive, isn’t built in a way to handle its passenger throughput. There were over 50 million passengers at CLT in 2023 with close to 60 million expected in 2024, and it will likely grow even more as the years go by. The terminal is quite crowded almost every day no matter what time. - Connections can and will be a challenge. Lots of people miss their connecting flights because there are a lot of planes that fly in and out of CLT which causes backups on the runways. You can be stuck for up to 30 minutes after landing before reaching your gate. And sometimes they will place your connecting flight on a gate at the opposite side of the airport which means you have to RUN. The terminal is like a mile long and there is no automated people mover or sky train and it can take 30 minutes to walk from one side of the airport to the other. - American Airlines basically runs almost a monopoly at CLT. Over 90% of all flights in and out of CLT are from American Airlines. I think AA kind of takes advantage of this by making things more expensive, and CLT is one of the most expensive airports to fly out of in the country. - This airport has been chronically under construction for years. There is always a renovation or expansion going on. So there is construction EVERYWHERE. It can cause delays and confusion as the signage can be misleading. - There are long wait times. TSA can have lines of over an hour or even over 2 hours on busy days and often it can take over an hour to drive from the main road (Wilkinson Blvd) to the airport terminal using the airport access road due to the congestion caused by a confusing road system and points where 4 lanes merge into a single lane at one time. It may also take a while for you to take off because there is usually a long line on the runway of planes due to the amount of traffic CLT gets. - You have to reserve parking in advance in the daily deck. I’m not sure if it’s like this at other airports but this is a common complaint I’ve heard. - Baggage claim can be a nightmare. Some carousels hold up to 6-10 flights at one time and I’ve heard of stories where it took people an hour or more to get their baggage. The signage is kind of misleading because they will tell you to go to baggage carousels that don’t exist. They will sometimes change it on you at the last second. They will also sometimes change the gate your flight goes out of not long before your flight and it is sometimes at the other end of the airport. - A bad storm that interrupts airport operations can have effects across the country. Since AA has a large hub here, if something happens that affects the airline or operations, some people will be delayed all across America for hours. And since it’s in the south we get bad storms a LOT. So not the worst airport by any means, but there are many issues but I hope that the airport is working on fixing them as soon as possible.

[@MilesByFoot]

This is very thorough; thanks for sharing!

[@deerslay3r306]

I fly from South Carolina to St. Louis in October I had a connection here with a 53 minute layover I thought it would be enough time so I changed flights for a longer layover. I wish I saw this earlier lol. Great video

[@MilesByFoot]

Oh no! Well, you'll have stuff to do while you're here. Especially now, during the pandemic, a longer layover isn't a bad thing, as flights are subject to cancellation, and this gives you more flexibility to catch a different flight!

[@Ncarolina1974]

Thank you. Flying out to my home state this summer. I can’t wait.

[@MilesByFoot]

Wonderful!

[@flexx7543]

Once I was sitting in one of those rocking chairs waiting for a flight during a busy afternoon...and a tiny mouse popped from under a grille where you see those decorative trees, scurrying along just like that.

[@MilesByFoot]

He was catching a flight to Cheesetown, for sure; got a video on that one coming soon.

[@denniscumiskey5179]

Short and sweet, great video!

[@MilesByFoot]

Glad you liked it!

[@whitelion1111]

Nice airport, been there once in 2020 will be passing through there tomorrow

[@sciencewho5775]

Excellent video. Very informative and concise.

[@MilesByFoot]

Thanks a lot! I try not to make em too long!

[@sciencewho5775]

@@MilesByFoot I'm looking forward to more videos in the future.

[@alixelle1057]

I love the lounge there!

[@jackgoodman6976]

The big admirals club wedged between C and D?

[@alixelle1057]

@@jackgoodman6976 I think

[@akams3]

Good job, guy... Thank u for this video.

[@MilesByFoot]

I'm glad you liked it!

[@RyanKrul44]

Flew in here a couple weeks ago, and my connection flight got cancelled so I had to stay in the airport for 16 hours. Impressive airport but I dont miss it at all lol

[@MilesByFoot]

lol I wouldn't either!

[@3dkidsartfairs]

I'll be flying through here next month - MCO->CLT->BWI.

[@MilesByFoot]

Nice! I have a video for the MCO - CLT leg if youd like a preview, and a tour on BWI in about 3 weeks!

[@CJWJR]

2:30 I miss this area so much! It was just a simple, quiet, open area in the new corridor of Terminal A with several rocking chairs where anyone could sit and relax in between flights yet away from all of the hustle and bustle of the airport. There were several windows there overlooking the area between the old and new sections of Terminal A, and also overlooking runway 36C/18C. It was there in 2019, but by 2022 it was converted into some sort of special premium restaurant/club.

[@MilesByFoot]

That's a bummer that it's not there anymore. Those kinds of "free" spaces are important for airports.

[@CJWJR]

@@MilesByFoot While looking at a photosphere shot on Google Maps, I noticed that there are a couple of rocking chairs up on the balcony of the new part of Terminal A. So, I guess they're sort of still there...in a way.

[@michellecunningham5392]

The first time I went to Charlotte Douglas was when me and my family went to the Bahamas when I was 8. While we were waiting, there was some spinny thing and I decided to play on that. This was in 2013 or 2014 so they might have gotten rid of it.

[@MilesByFoot]

That's a good memory!

[@noahdesmangles4503]

I love this video!!! Charlotte is one of my favorite airports. I was wondering do you have a video on Dulles (IAD)? I will be flying into Dulles next month, and I've never been there!

[@MilesByFoot]

I'm afraid I don't, but Dulles is a pretty straightforward airport. There's two parallel concourses aligned east to west, connected by a north-south underground walkway in the center, like Denver's or Detroit's airport, if you've been there. The southernmost concourse, C & D, is all-United all the time. A & B, the northern concourse, is closer to the landside terminal, and every other airline lands and departs there. Have a safe, healthy trip!

[@noahdesmangles4503]

Thank you!! Stay safe and healthy 😁

[@22vx]

Nice job. Subbed! Btw at 2:55 is a 7-foot tall woman lol. Anyhoo thanks for sharing 👍

[@MilesByFoot]

Woah, she is tall! Very slender, too, and the fisheye exaggerates her dimensions.

[@GenkisTravels]

Nice video. I like CLT, but always feel like planes sit in the taxiway for too long (before getting to the gate), similar for 0:27

[@MilesByFoot]

Congestion on the airfield is a major complaint I've heard from folks visiting Charlotte, and I experienced it myself when I arrived!

[@thefitnesslife4988]

Lol I've experienced Charlotte's sit time. If you think that is bad then go to Laguardia 😂

[@seatripreports]

@@thefitnesslife4988 LGA is nothing compared to CLT, I've been to both, and I've spent way more time waiting to leave CLT.

[@briancollins4569]

The main cause is due to the E concourse being the main concourse for the regional flights, which is a major part of the flow. There is really only one way in and out for planes to taxi into there. It causes a bit of a jam especially when the airport is landing south. Another issue of sitting comes due to the fact most flights come from the west so they land on the far runway 36L/18R. That means a decent length taxi as well as having to cross the center runway to get into the gates. It all just depends if you arrive or depart in the middle of the major push… trust me the pilots get annoyed often with the congestion too!

[@jsprague2453]

Carolina BBQ is reason enough to fly through CLT.

[@brendab3613]

I have a 40 minute layover here coming from Augusta GA and going to Tampa. Do you think that will be enough time to get to my plane? That's assuming my plane is on time😄

[@MilesByFoot]

The "assuming your plane is on time" is the biggest factor. A smaller airport like Augusta will likely land in E, while the flight to Tampa will probably be in another terminal. That being said, it will be pretty tight, but very possible. If the flight is delayed and you miss Tampa, American will rebook you on the next flight to TPA, as long as the flights you purchased are part of the same itinerary.

[@dmann5938]

You should do more of these. Like Toronto or Newark

[@MilesByFoot]

Never been to YYZ, and it's been 15 years since I've been to EWR. Still, I'd love to visit both!

[@ElGuapo61947]

Wow last time i checked this airport didn’t have flight ✈️ to Guadalajara

[@MilesByFoot]

They sure do! American and Volaris each fly two weekly flights as of this month.

[@hannahmarie6195]

So if you have a connection flight at CLT, you dont have to go through security? You just have to go to ur next gate ?

[@MilesByFoot]

That's right! No matter which airline you use at CLT, departing or arriving, you won't have to reclear security. It's a huge stress-saver!

[@thevideogamehunger0134]

@@MilesByFoot I'm heading to Cincinnati I have to stop at this airport before getting to Cincinnati. I usually just get direct flights from Orlando to Cincinnati. This is the first time I'm going to be on my own and having to get on two planes to get to where I'm going. I was a bit worried about the luggage part. But I assume they just switch the luggage to the other plane I get on to fly to Cincinnati.

[@MilesByFoot]

Sorry for not seeing this sooner, but yes, they'll transfer your bags for you if you're on the same airline.

[@richmartin1427]

One exception to this. If your flight into CLT was from an international station that doesn’t preclear, you will have to clear TSA after you clear customs.

[@NeelHippalgaonkar]

Yup!

[@shirley4868]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@MilesByFoot]

❤️❤️❤️

[@sunsetvixen2]

I’m flying here next week and I have been so nervous about making my connecting flight. I am going to be using American Eagle and my time to get to my next flight is 46 minutes. Is this too slim of a time? It’s my first solo flight with a connection 😭

[@sewlok3492]

My 1st solo in August w/layover in CLT. Hate crowds & not knowing we're I'm going. 🤯

[@MilesByFoot]

That IS slim, but if they're booked as the same ticket, which they usually are, then American is betting on you making it. If your inbound flight is delayed to the point where it's impossible to catch your connection (that is, it takes off before you land), American is required to rebook you on the next available flight and/or make accommodations for you to get you where you're going!

[@sunsetvixen2]

@@MilesByFoot That makes me feel so much better! I have been very anxious about this flight for months. Thank you!

[@tonyo7324]

Thanks for the nice video. Is 2 hours enough to transfer from American Airlines domestic flight to American Airlines international flight? We were there before but we only have a domestic flight. It was crowded but easy to navigate.

[@MilesByFoot]

That is more than enough time; even at a leisurely pace, you can cross the entire airside in twenty minutes. As long as you're booked on the same ticket, the connection is designed to be easy!

[@SoKeefeForever]

When i was in Boston Logan there was 5 flights to Charlotte in terminal b

[@MilesByFoot]

CLT is a huge destination for airports on the East Coast, large or small. The biggest fly several flights every day!

[@Doodledoo92]

As a Brit who flying into this airport for a layover, this is helping me so much. Is there any charging points for devices around.

[@MilesByFoot]

Many airports have rentable power banks that you can pick up from kiosks, charge your device, and then return it there, or even at another airport after you land. There will be power outlets throughout the airport, but as you might imagine, they can have limited availability during peak travel times. If you plan to charge via an outlet, make sure you bring an adapter, too; we use 110V, not 220/240V like in the UK, and depending on what you're charging, you may need a transformer, too. Some adapters have them built in!

[@Doodledoo92]

@@MilesByFootI have my plugs from my last trip. Thank you for the reply

[@dj_cmc2274]

I want to know how early should I be here for a flight from charlotte to denver n I will be departing from 11:15 and I'm just worried how long the TSA line will be n be able to know which concourse I have to go to. But great video I have never flown out of Charlotte but have landed here twice n it was a breeze to get through but dont know bout the other way. I have flown here from dallas n chicago. Dallas was super easy for me bur man Chicago really killed me n i had to layover overnight n there was just so many delays n it made me so worried😰

[@MilesByFoot]

For domestic flights in most large airports, I always recommend being in the terminal no later than 2 hours before your flight, so in your case, I'd aim to be walking in the airport about 9:00 AM. If you're checking a bag, it's likely others on your flight will be arriving around that time and doing the same. CLT has four security checkpoints, and processing times at each float around 10-20 minutes throughout the day, but a morning departure like yours means security will be busier. I'd budget for 30 minutes for security, if you can. Assuming you take 15 minutes to check in, this will have you through security about 9:45, leaving you about an hour before your flight starts boarding around 10:45. Grab some breakfast, relax in the main departure hall, pick up some headphones. Assuming you're flying to Denver on American, your flight could be about anywhere in the airport, and will depend on what kind of aircraft the route's using that day. If you're flying Frontier, Southwest, or United, you're in luck; all of these airlines currently depart from Terminal A, to the right after you clear security. Hope this helps!

[@dj_cmc2274]

@@MilesByFoot This was very helpful and I'm so grateful for your tip! 😁

[@dj_cmc2274]

@@MilesByFoot I also have another question. What would be the best airline to fly with?

[@dj_cmc2274]

@@MilesByFoot I will actuallt go with frontier much cheaper and I feel it the earliest time for me to go so it departs at 813am so I should be there at around 5 to 6 right.

[@MilesByFoot]

@@dj_cmc2274 Yes, 6:00 should be fine!

[@leticiasampaio3551]

Hi :) do you know where i can buy a sim card in this airport? And do you know how much it costs? thanks

[@dylanchalmers3011]

@Miles By Foot how high is the atrium?

[@Xzile2k1]

Does anyone know if there are any bars/places you can drink before security? I'm not flying, just waiting on someone and need something to do until they arrive.

[@matthewjrw6218]

I've gone through this alot cuz I live there but I love the letter number layout and I've been to l.a.x. and the number letter is so bad

[@MilesByFoot]

CLT is an excellent airport for navigation connections, and that's how it was designed. Intention in action!

[@GSU_Panther_Nation]

Charlotte's airport design looks a bit like Beijing's Daxing Airport or more recently, the Qingdao Jiaodong Airport

[@MilesByFoot]

That's fascinating, considering their flight profiles are quite different. I'm anxious to visit China and see all of their hyper-modern airports!

[@airplanepilotryanthepilot]

I flew from clt to lga airport on july 9 early in the morning I rode an airbus 123 and I saw that's all

[@michaelwest7844]

Probably an airbus A321!

[@Daffyboop01]

Does anyone realize that he said that concourse A will have 2 more halls and in 2023 yet it still does not

[@MilesByFoot]

To be fair, we did have a fairly major event between 2019 and 2023 that disrupted the air travel industry, but CLT's most recent estimates put Concourse A opening in about a year's time, later in 2024!

[@Daffyboop01]

@@MilesByFoot true it's had quite a big renovation

[@margaretespinal8093]

I am going to Los Angeles and I have a stopover in Charlotte coming from the Dominican Republic, I know that I must go through immigration, but would my luggage be transferred to the other plane or should I check-in again?

[@MilesByFoot]

I've not flown internationally through Charlotte, but I imagine it's like other US airports. You will deplane, go through the passport checkpoint, then collect your bags. If you have nothing to declare and are not connecting, you can leave the airport. If you're connecting to a domestic flight, you'll recheck your bags, then go through security once again.

[@jaystackz3425]

Had to look it up i heard it i heard 2 people tell me this is the worst airport they've ever been and absolutely hate it so much so they'll pay an extra $100 to go non-stop and passed this airport lol

[@MilesByFoot]

Your mileage may vary, but Charlotte is a great airport for short to medium layovers, in my experience. :)

[@EthericBladeworks]

its even bigger now

[@MilesByFoot]

I've heard! Anxious to visit again :)

[@EthericBladeworks]

yeah its crazy to see they are building more runways so now they're going to have i think 6 runways! they moved the overlook! and I think some more room for the international big boys, I think..

[@rcs.tf89]

I’m doing an internal from Lexington to Charlotte and then. An international flight to london. Will I need to switch terminals or is it all one place?

[@MilesByFoot]

You will likely fly out of another terminal, but they are all connected airside, so you wont need to leave security!

[@dq247748]

You left out the E Concourse. American Eagle send out more flights then mainline.

[@maximtandon370]

About to do have a 20 min layover here 😈

[@MilesByFoot]

Whew, that's close! Good luck!

[@johnschirloff836]

Does Charlotte Airport have Non Stop Flights to Africa like South Africa or Dubai, Hong Kong???? Does Charlotte Airport have Non Stop Flights to Lisbon Portugal 🇵🇹??????

[@MikeJudith-g6n]

Streich View

[@googaagoogaa12345678]

Anyone have any ideas for a long layover here coming thru on the 25th and have 9hrs (just from the date you can probably guess where I'm going from here)

[@zacheryburchfield2821]

I have a 35 minute layover at CLT. (Land at 8:30am and the connecting flight leaves at 9:05am). Should that be enough time?

[@MilesByFoot]

Whew, that is tight! Regardless, you should make it, and as long as the two flights are booked on the same ticket, your airline thinks you can make it, too!

[@rainyb9156]

Is 45 minutes enough time to get from B9 to E11?

[@MilesByFoot]

Yes! I'd say even at a slow pace, no gate is more than 20 minutes from another. Those two gates are a ways from each other, but still no more than 10-12 min. Moving sidewalks are the best!

[@rainyb9156]

@@MilesByFoot thank you so much. If we miss this once a week flight, we have 9 hrs of flying instead of 2.5 ahead of us. You've alleviated a lot of panic. Thank you so much. Fly safe.

[@peterwhalen9069]

Can You do Pittsburgh airport tour

[@MilesByFoot]

That is, in fact, one of my next tours! Look for it in late June!

[@TaylorCarbon-r8z]

Marcus Shores

[@22vx]

😎👍

[@mieeuhh]

would you say an hour is enough time to catch a connecting flight at this airport? i’m flying for the first time and i’m also by myself so i’m afraid i’ll get lost and won’t make it lol

[@MilesByFoot]

An hour should be plenty, even if you have to cross the whole airport. As long as your arrival and departing flights are on the same airline, they MUST rebook you if you land too late to make your flight. Boarding won't even start until 30 minutes before departure for domestic flights, so you'll have a comfy 20-30 minutes if you land on time!

[@johnschirloff836]

What Airport is Bigger Charlotte Airport or NYC JFK AIRPORT?????

[@MilesByFoot]

Depends on what you mean by bigger, I guess! JFK has fewer passengers, but they're much busier for international travel than CLT is. Charlotte also has more aircraft movements (more landings and take-offs), but the flights that leave JFK are much more varied, and on larger aircraft. Lots of ways to count!

[@ClementAbel-k8x]

Marvin Rue

[@neryivonne3547]

Hi buy a ticket arriving in CHARLOTTE at 1:45 pm. Then I connect to New York on a flight that leaves at 2:45 p.m.- Do you think that the time to find the boarding gate is enough.- Can you help me.- I bought the flight yesterday, I think I'm in time to change it if I'm going to miss the time.-

[@MilesByFoot]

That's more than enough if you land on time. As long as the flights were purchased using the same ticket, the airline must rebook you on the next flight at no charge to you if the inbound flight arrives late.

[@neryivonne3547]

@@MilesByFoot Thank you. Your information is valuable to me, you take away a great worry from me, if I buy it on the same airline. thanks thousands.-😄

[@MilesByFoot]

@@neryivonne3547 🛬👍🛫

[@ReedBenson-s4g]

2761 Kuhn Ramp

[@CecilMack-e3x]

Ward Ramp

[@SerajMia-d2h]

9195 Keira Orchard

[@isabelpeterson2721]

Jesus is our savior

[@johngerbeb]

His name is Miles, I think.

[@hoppercar]

That airport is to big....wont fly thru there anymore......need better walkways or trams taking you from one concourse to another....since I always seem to have to walk from e to a.......to damn many gate changes...went from a6 to a8 to b13 to c14 to c13.......can't they run an airline

[@MilesByFoot]

CLT's design doesn't lend itself very well to a people mover or trams, but it does keep walking distances short. Gate changes can be frustrating, but there are a lot of moving parts to air travel. It's hard to know what goes wrong, but there's a good chance something will. Being prepared is the best way to avoid frustration, even if it's outside your control :)

[@hoppercar]

​​@@MilesByFoot...short hell.....I always gotta walk from e to a.......a 30 minute walk.........besides, how to you PREPARE for multiple gate change

[@call_me_mrhate165]

You threw me the fuck off, TEN MINUTES to briskly walk omfg