Which of these airports is least challenging to navigate for someone who has never flown?

[cjzimmer1]

DD wants to take a trip to visit a friend.  She will be 17 but has never flown and does tend to get anxious about things.  There are no direct flights and all the connecting flights go through what I'm assuming are huge airports.

Are any of these less intimidating than the others?

Atlanta 

Dallas/Fort Worth

Charlotte Douglas

Ohare (not sure about this one as she would have to fly into an airport further from her friend)

 

I haven't flown in 25 years and never to these locations so I'll take any input I can get.  We know there is the option of purchasing the unaccompanied minor assistance and are still considering that option as well.

Edited October 30, 2023 by cjzimmer1

[mommyoffive]

I could ask my dh.  Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, so I would think that one might be really intimidating for someone that hasn't flown.   I haven't flown there recently but dh has as well as one kid.  But they are all seasoned air travelers.  

[YaelAldrich]

They are all pretty not first time friendly. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Sorry!

[YaelAldrich]

If she isn't scared to ask for help, I would say DFW or CLT. 

[SKL]

O’hare was awful earlier this year.  Almost my worst experience ever, and I have traveled a lot.  I don’t have any particular memories of the others.

[cjzimmer1]

1 minute ago, mommyoffive said:

I could ask my dh.  Atlanta is the busiest airport in the world, so I would think that one might be really intimidating for someone that hasn't flown.   I haven't flown there recently but dh has as well as one kid.  But they are all seasoned air travelers.  

Didn't realize it was the busiest but knew it wasn't great.  Delta was our first choice for airlines and unfortunately all of their flights were sending her through there.  But yes, I'd love feedback if he thinks one is easier to navigate than others.

[LuvToRead]

Dallas is set up in a way that makes sense to me.  But that is just me!  The rest seems sprawling.

 

[Dmmetler]

Does she have to change terminals? If you are coming in on Delta and leaving on Delta (for example) you probably won't have to at any of those but Atlanta unless it's an international flight. 

 

I find Charlotte the easiest of those given. 

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Didn't realize it was the busiest but knew it wasn't great.  Delta was our first choice for airlines and unfortunately all of their flights were sending her through there.  But yes, I'd love feedback if he thinks one is easier to navigate than others.

Is she going to be flying to the friend on a direct flight?

[cjzimmer1]

3 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

They are all pretty not first time friendly. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Sorry!

That's what I was afraid of.  We thinking we might pay the extra fee for the unaccompanied minor for the trip there just so she has someone to show her the way and then see if she can handle the trip home by herself.

2 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

If she isn't scared to ask for help, I would say DFW or CLT. 

I think she can handle approaching staff for directions.  Glad to hear CLT is "slightly" better as there were a lot of choices going through there and to be honest I had never even heard of that airport so didn't have any sense of it.

[73349]

I would not pick Atlanta.

It's possible to look at maps online ahead of time. For example, here's Charlotte's: https://www.cltairport.com/airport-info/website-maps/

[YaelAldrich]

6 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

That's what I was afraid of.  We thinking we might pay the extra fee for the unaccompanied minor for the trip there just so she has someone to show her the way and then see if she can handle the trip home by herself.

I think she can handle approaching staff for directions.  Glad to hear CLT is "slightly" better as there were a lot of choices going through there and to be honest I had never even heard of that airport so didn't have any sense of it.

To tell you the truth unaccompanied minor status is a real pain in the tush. You will have to go with her through security and wait until the plane is off the ground before they allow you to leave. And the person picking her up will have to get to the airport early enough to go through security and wait until everyone else in the plane is off before they take her off.  And on the layover she will be placed on a room with other unaccompanied minors and not be allowed to get food etc.

Edited October 30, 2023 by YaelAldrich

[cjzimmer1]

7 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

Does she have to change terminals? If you are coming in on Delta and leaving on Delta (for example) you probably won't have to at any of those but Atlanta unless it's an international flight. 

 

I find Charlotte the easiest of those given. 

No it's a domestic flight and she can go through on the same carrier but does have a layover no matter what airline she uses.

[Katy]

Everyone I ever encountered in Charlotte was super kind. Make sure no matter where she goes that she knows to check the gates after landing and before getting off the first plane because gates change frequently. 

[cjzimmer1]

7 minutes ago, mommyoffive said:

Is she going to be flying to the friend on a direct flight?

No direct options from either of the two closest airports to me to the two closest airports to friend. I think it's because friend is more rural than us so there isn't a lot of options.

[Corraleno]

Of those 4, I'd choose Charlotte, with Dallas as the second choice. I'd avoid Atlanta and O'Hare. Have you checked Southwest as an option? Their connections often go through smaller airports, and they use Midway instead of O'Hare for Chicago; Midway is smaller, less busy, and much easier to navigate.

[Kassia]

14 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

If she isn't scared to ask for help, I would say DFW or CLT. 

I agree.

[SKL]

Maybe obvious, but plan for long layovers … like really long.  Air travel is so unpredictable these days.

[Kassia]

Just now, Corraleno said:

Of those 4, I'd choose Charlotte, with Dallas as the second choice. I'd avoid Atlanta and O'Hare. Have you checked Southwest as an option? Their connections often go through smaller airports, and they use Midway instead of O'Hare for Chicago; Midway is smaller, less busy, and much easier to navigate.

I agree with this too (should have multiquoted).  The SW airports we have used are much smaller and less busy.  

[Toocrazy!!]

Someone can correct me, but I think Charlotte is the only one without a tram/bus, just lots of walking depending on the gates. Those buses confuse me😀But it’s very friendly and I think easy to navigate. 

[strawberries]

Not Atlanta.  I would pick Charlotte from your other options.

[Hyacinth]

I think it depends on how much time she has in the airport. As a first-timer, I’d rather have 90 minutes in Atlanta (even though it’s crazy busy) than 45 minutes in Charlotte. This way she can take her time to read the signs, get to the tram/bus/terminal, find someone to ask for help if needed, hit the restroom, etc. 

 

ETA: Flying is a big pain in so many ways, but all the flight attendants I’ve encountered are super helpful. She can ask the flight attendant before the plane lands which way she needs to go, how far is the terminal for her connecting flight, can she walk or do they recommend the bus/tram, etc. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Hyacinth

[cjzimmer1]

10 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

To tell you the truth unaccompanied minor status is a real pain in the tush. You will have to go with her through security and wait until the plane is off the getting before they allow you to leave. And the person picking her up will have to get to the airport early enough to go through security and wait until everyone else in the plane is off before they take her off.  And on the layover she will be placed on a room with other unaccompanied minors and not be allowed to get food etc.

This is all good to know.  She didn't mind being stuck in the room as she didn't have to worry about who else is around and she could keep herself occupied.  One of the airlines said they would accompany you out of the room to purchase food so I assumed they all did it that way. but I guess not.  My home airport is small so going in and waiting is not a big deal but will have to check about that on friend's side of things. I thought they would bring you to the exterior door and didn't realize the pickup person needed to come inside. 

[Faith-manor]

Charlotte has a very friendly staff. So if she has to change planes, she can actually as the flight attendant as she disembark where to find her connecting gate. It is entirely possible the flight attendant will even have that info ready. Then there will digital boards, maps, and other staff to ask after she gets off the plane so she can find out which way to go. At 17, I would not pay the flying minor thing. She is one year away from being an adult. It will be a good experience. Just have her be willing to say to flight staff, "This is my first time flying. Where do I go to find my connecting flight?" I have never known flight attendants who did not know the arrival airport well enough to help. Other passengers are often very helpful as well especially if one is honest and just indicates they are a newbie.

[Hyacinth]

2 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Charlotte has a very friendly staff. So if she has to change planes, she can actually as the flight attendant as she disembark where to find her connecting gate. It is entirely possible the flight attendant will even have that info ready. Then there will digital boards, maps, and other staff to ask after she gets off the plane so she can find out which way to go. At 17, I would not pay the flying minor thing. She is one year away from being an adult. It will be a good experience. Just have her be willing to say to flight staff, "This is my first time flying. Where do I go to find my connecting flight?" I have never known flight attendants who did not know the arrival airport well enough to help. Other passengers are often very helpful as well especially if one is honest and just indicates they are a newbie.

This. Paid staff and fellow passengers will help. 

[cjzimmer1]

16 minutes ago, Corraleno said:

Of those 4, I'd choose Charlotte, with Dallas as the second choice. I'd avoid Atlanta and O'Hare. Have you checked Southwest as an option? Their connections often go through smaller airports, and they use Midway instead of O'Hare for Chicago; Midway is smaller, less busy, and much easier to navigate.

No Southwest, closest location is 3 hours away from friend. But it's starting to sound like Charlotte might be the better choice of the group.

[Faith-manor]

For what it is worth, I do understand the anxiety. Our youngest has never had the opportunity to fly, and his job is sending him to Paris next year. So his first flight will be international. They are booking him from Chicago to Atlanta to Paris so he has to do three mega airports on his first go. We just told him to ask for directions, and to turn his phone on the minute he gets off the plane because both of us know Chicago well, and I know Atlanta and Paris. Thankfully, everyone working Charles De Gaulle speaks English, and Ds speaks some conversational French so we have high hopes he will be able to find the company driver once he exits the airport.

[cjzimmer1]

19 minutes ago, SKL said:

Maybe obvious, but plan for long layovers … like really long.  Air travel is so unpredictable these days.

Leaning towards Charlotte based on comments here, and looking at a 2.5 hour layover.  Seem reasonably long enough?  

[cjzimmer1]

11 minutes ago, Hyacinth said:

I think it depends on how much time she has in the airport. As a first-timer, I’d rather have 90 minutes in Atlanta than 45 minutes in Charlotte. 

Charlotte is either 30 minutes or 2.5 hours.  We would go with 2.5 hours.

Atlanta is 2 hours.

[Clarita]

13 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

To tell you the truth unaccompanied minor status is a real pain in the tush. You will have to go with her through security and wait until the plane is off the ground before they allow you to leave. And the person picking her up will have to get to the airport early enough to go through security and wait until everyone else in the plane is off before they take her off.  And on the layover she will be placed on a room with other unaccompanied minors and not be allowed to get food etc.

All the details @YaelAldrich has said about unaccompanied minor status are accurate, but I had a great experience flying as an unaccompanied minor. The airline basically insures smooth passage for the unaccompanied minors, which really helped on my first unaccompanied flight. From my flight it was international and suppose to be a 2hour layover in Korea, but the flight to Korea didn't arrive when it should so I ended up with 30min from plane reaching Seoul airport to get to my flight. They ran me through flight attendant passageways/lines to get to where I needed to go. If it's a short layover unaccompanied minor can be fantastic. Also they marked my checked luggage so it was among the first to show up on the carousel.

My pick up person just had to wait at the gate like anyone else who got out of their car to pick up someone would. They did have to bring ID. So, yea next time I flew I flew by myself so no one has to physically go into the airport to pick me up. 

 

[Kassia]

Just now, cjzimmer1 said:

Charlotte is either 30 minutes or 2.5 hours.  We would go with 2.5 hours.

 

I would definitely go with the 2.5 hours.  30 minutes is too tight and could be a disaster if there is a delay.  2.5 hours is long if the first flight is on time, but better to have that wiggle room just in case.  

[Clarita]

5 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

They are booking him from Chicago to Atlanta to Paris so he has to do three mega airports on his first go. We just told him to ask for directions, and to turn his phone on the minute he gets off the plane because both of us know Chicago well, and I know Atlanta and Paris. Thankfully, everyone working Charles De Gaulle speaks English, and Ds speaks some conversational French so we have high hopes he will be able to find the company driver once he exits the airport.

I think usually at international airports someone speaks your language and especially so if it's english. It's super easy to find the company driver they show up with giant signs with your name on it, no talking necessary. 

[cjzimmer1]

9 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Charlotte has a very friendly staff. So if she has to change planes, she can actually as the flight attendant as she disembark where to find her connecting gate. It is entirely possible the flight attendant will even have that info ready. Then there will digital boards, maps, and other staff to ask after she gets off the plane so she can find out which way to go. At 17, I would not pay the flying minor thing. She is one year away from being an adult. It will be a good experience. Just have her be willing to say to flight staff, "This is my first time flying. Where do I go to find my connecting flight?" I have never known flight attendants who did not know the arrival airport well enough to help. Other passengers are often very helpful as well especially if one is honest and just indicates they are a newbie.

The reason for the possible minor thing is because of the anxiety.  I "think" she can handle it on her own but if the anxiety kicks up too high she might not and I want to give her options to make choices that she can handle. 

[Hyacinth]

26 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

Charlotte is either 30 minutes or 2.5 hours.  We would go with 2.5 hours.

Atlanta is 2 hours.

The airline may not even book a ticket for a 30-minute layover. They start boarding 30 minutes before takeoff. 
 

2.5 hours is perfect for a first-timer. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Hyacinth

[cjzimmer1]

1 minute ago, Hyacinth said:

The airline may not even book a ticket for a 30-minute layover. They start boarding 30 minutes before takeoff. 
 

2.5 hours is perfect for a first-timer. 

That was just the choices google flights gave me.  I wouldn't pick 30 minutes even if it let me. But glad to hear 2.5 hours sounds like a good choice.

[Toocrazy!!]

Charlotte is a nice airport for a layover too! They have skylights and rocking chairs in the center😀

[mmasc]

Of those, I’d go with Dallas. And I’d definitely not do Atlanta! When I was in my early 20s and had only flown once, I flew with a layover there by myself and had to ride a train thing through the airport. It was quite overwhelming at the time!

[prairiewindmomma]

Flying is a skill. For a first time flyer with a history of anxiety, I would take a trip to the local airport just so she can see and hear what it’s like. While she cant get behind the security gates, she can at least see and learn to read arrival and departure boards, learn about security, and learn how to navigate bathrooms and how to find baggage claim. If she’s not used to noise and bustle, an airport can be overwhelming the first time. I wouldnt want that experience laid over with the anxiety of flying for the first time and the excitement of seeing a friend again you havent seen in a while.

And yes, 2.5hr layover. Flying is way too chaotic these days to push closer and reliably make your next flight. Better to wait than do a cross terminal sprint while trying to navigate on the fly.

[YaelAldrich]

4 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Flying is a skill. For a first time flyer with a history of anxiety, I would take a trip to the local airport just so she can see and hear what it’s like. While she cant get behind the security gates, she can at least see and learn to read arrival and departure boards, learn about security, and learn how to navigate bathrooms and how to find baggage claim. If she’s not used to noise and bustle, an airport can be overwhelming the first time. I wouldnt want that experience laid over with the anxiety of flying for the first time and the excitement of seeing a friend again you havent seen in a while.

And yes, 2.5hr layover. Flying is way too chaotic these days to push closer and reliably make your next flight. Better to wait than do a cross terminal sprint while trying to navigate on the fly.

You could buy two refundable tickets and get a free tour of the airport that way. Go earlier enough you can cancel the tickets before the flight leaves so you aren't stuck. Then you can look around and get her acquainted with the originating airport. Just a suggestion!

[Starr]

Dallas has good signage and airport staff and people generally are very friendly compared to some cities. My concern would be a stop over anywhere. I would drive further or take a different airline. Planes just aren’t on time in any way you can count on. 
If a connection is missed or flight canceled and not booked until the next day she will need to advocate for herself and be able to manage a taxi or other transport to a hotel and back. 

Edited October 30, 2023 by Starr

[Faith-manor]

And for what it is worth Chicago would be my last choice for any airport for any reason other than JFK. I'm are is a pit of despair for navigation. JFK is just a cattle chute of humans shoulder to shoulder in a bizarrely small space for the number of humans herded through there, and frankly, everyone seems stressed. We have gone through and had to stand for 3 straight hours because there was nowhere to sit, and that wasn't even on their busiest days/holidays. Chicago is just, well, big and inefficient. Midway is okay though.

[prairiewindmomma]

Also—-given that you were considering a 30 minute layover. Most planes shut off boarding 15 minutes before departure. A 30 min layover means that she would have to deplane and find the new gate in 15 minutes. It usually takes 15 minutes to deboard.  The general rule is you want at least 90 minutes between domestic flights. 
 

On my last flight with a 90 min interval, we had been delayed 45 minutes and I had to sprint to make it to the gate in a different terminal and they closed the doors after me. I have started pushing to 2-3 hour layovers, even for domestic. I used to be a 45 minutes was ok gal.

[Paige]

I would do Charlotte out of those choices- 100%. 

 

[Kuovonne]

Of those airports, I’ve only flown through Dallas and Charlotte, and most recently it was Charlotte layover on my outbound trip and Dallas layover on my return trip. 

I found the layout of the DFW airport to be easier to navigate than the Charlotte airport. Dallas is just big rings. Charlotte has lots of concourses with different branches for different gates, so you have to be good at reading signage. It was also easy to find/get familiar fast food during my DFW layover. But DFW is huge, and if your gates are in different terminals, you will need to take the sky train, which can be a little intimidating for a first time flyer, even though you do not have to exit security. Signage for bathrooms was also good at DFW.

I would not get unaccompanied minor service for a 17 year old. You might not even be able to purchase it.

I would also make sure you have an extra generous layover with lots of time. 

If she can go carry-on-only, she will not have to worry about lost luggage, finding the right baggage carousel, etc. But make sure that everything will fit, and take a tiny carry-on so she doesn't run the risk of being forced to gate-check her bag.

Has she taken any form of public transit before? There are some transferable skills, such as getting used to sitting next to strangers, waiting, transfers, etc.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Kuovonne

[prairiewindmomma]

I would not assume carryon= not having to go to baggage claim. Personal item, sure, but lately a lot of carryons are getting booted because of full planes. Planes have been very full this year due to high demand, and they have been slow to add back flights to the schedule.

Gate checking sucks, which is why I have been flying personal item only this year. Make sure your bag can fit under the seat!

[elegantlion]

I would pick Charlotte. I just spent several hours there and it's not too confusing, huge food court area with rocking chairs spread throughout the airport. Atlanta and O'Hare would be a no-go for me. Dallas seemed sprawling last time I went through - but it was an international flight. 

I would also encourage her to download the airline app to her phone to check gates, checkin time, etc. I also look up current airline maps to help with layovers. You may not know what gate your landing at and need to know how to get to the next gate. I usually find the connecting gate asap and then relax. 

[cjzimmer1]

52 minutes ago, YaelAldrich said:

You could buy two refundable tickets and get a free tour of the airport that way. Go earlier enough you can cancel the tickets before the flight leaves so you aren't stuck. Then you can look around and get her acquainted with the originating airport. Just a suggestion!

I'm not worried about the originating airport.  We only have 16 gates and DS has gone through it enough times that he can give her every little detail she could possible want.  It's the BIG airports that we are concerned about. 

[cjzimmer1]

44 minutes ago, Starr said:

Dallas has good signage and airport staff and people generally are very friendly compared to some cities. My concern would be a stop over anywhere. I would drive further or take a different airline. Planes just aren’t on time in any way you can count on. 
If a connection is missed or flight canceled and not booked until the next day she will need to advocate for herself and be able to manage a taxi or other transport to a hotel and back. 

There are no direct flights anywhere near friend.  Even if I drive 3-4 hours to a bigger airport, she still needs a connecting flight if she wants to land anywhere near friend.  Friend is very rural.  I can't in good conscience ask friend's parents to drive 3-4 hours each way to the airport (twice) to avoid the connecting flight.  Especially since they are paying for a big chunk of the ticket as well as hosting her for the duration.  

[cjzimmer1]

42 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Also—-given that you were considering a 30 minute layover. Most planes shut off boarding 15 minutes before departure. A 30 min layover means that she would have to deplane and find the new gate in 15 minutes. It usually takes 15 minutes to deboard.  The general rule is you want at least 90 minutes between domestic flights. 
 

On my last flight with a 90 min interval, we had been delayed 45 minutes and I had to sprint to make it to the gate in a different terminal and they closed the doors after me. I have started pushing to 2-3 hour layovers, even for domestic. I used to be a 45 minutes was ok gal.

I wasn't actually considering the 30 minute flight just reporting what options it gave me.  I thought it was unreasonably short and was surprised it was even listed as an option.  

[cjzimmer1]

22 minutes ago, Kuovonne said:

Of those airports, I’ve only flown through Dallas and Charlotte, and most recently it was Charlotte layover on my outbound trip and Dallas layover on my return trip. 

I found the layout of the DFW airport to be easier to navigate than the Charlotte airport. Dallas is just big rings. Charlotte has lots of concourses with different branches for different gates, so you have to be good at reading signage. It was also easy to find/get familiar fast food during my DFW layover. But DFW is huge, and if your gates are in different terminals, you will need to take the sky train, which can be a little intimidating for a first time flyer, even though you do not have to exit security. Signage for bathrooms was also good at DFW.

I would not get unaccompanied minor service for a 17 year old. You might not even be able to purchase it.

I would also make sure you have an extra generous layover with lots of time. 

If she can go carry-on-only, she will not have to worry about lost luggage, finding the right baggage carousel, etc. But make sure that everything will fit, and take a tiny carry-on so she doesn't run the risk of being forced to gate-check her bag.

Has she taken any form of public transit before? There are some transferable skills, such as getting used to sitting next to strangers, waiting, transfers, etc.

Unaccompanied minor is an option for her age on all the carriers we looked at.  Once we determine which airport she is flying through, I will let her decided if she wants the service or not.  It's about what makes her most comfortable.

I'm definitely hoping she is going carry on only but we haven't addressed that hurtle yet.

No experience with public transportation of any kind.