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

[Dmmetler]

2 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

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.

Check what gates the airline uses. The reason I said to avoid delta in Atlanta is that sine it is their hub, they have a full terminal plus, and changing terminals is common.  I believe DFW is similar for American. I think United might be O'hare. 

 

When L used to fly and have a layover, we found that Southwest usually only had a couple of gates (except at Dallas Love Field or Houston Hobby, but those are smaller airports to start) so usually your second flight was right by the first one. United is that at most of the airports in the SE. 

 

[Starr]

I would leave as early as possible and have a two hour plus layover. 

[Kuovonne]

37 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

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.

That’s why I said to have a tiny carry-on. There are ways to have both a carry-on and a personal item and very low risk of being forced to gate check a bag. Smaller bags, especially backpacks without wheels, are less likely to be force gate-checked. In my recent flights, I have recently watched flight attendants let tiny carry-ons through even when rolling carry-on after rolling carry-on were being forced gate-checked.

Getting in line to board as early a possible also helps. If you fly United, get a window seat near the back to increase the chances of being in a group that boards earlier.

Flights with tiny airplanes are more likely to force gate-check bags because their overhead compartments are tiny. 

[Starr]

Feel free to pm me if she’s coming through Dallas. 

[Kuovonne]

For what it’s worth, my 17 year old flew through DFW by herself this past summer. She had done a few non-stop flights by herself, but this was her first layover. She was a little nervous about the layover, but she did fine with the sky train by herself. I might have found a video online that showed how to get to the sky train, but DD said she basically just followed everyone else. She was a little concerned about which direction to take on the sky train, but if you have a long enough layover, the direction doesn't matter.

If you use the app, don’t trust any gate info you might see the day before. Gate changes happen all the time, even after boarding passes are printed. Always check the airline app for the most up to date gate assignments.

[mum]

I've flown through Charlotte a lot and though it is large, the people are friendly. There is a very nice area to sit and wait just outside the USO lounge. It's up some stairs so it's out of the way, and there are rocking chairs. 

My kids have all flown by themselves internationally at age 17. They need to know how to ask for directions, they need to know to look confident, they need to who  to approach if they need help. The less luggage the better. Walk them through what happens at security, what they need to know about what they can take through security( for example, no water bottle with water in it). They should have cash on their person for whatever eventuality.

[Grace Hopper]

Agreeing with @elegantlion that Atlanta and O’Hare would definitely get crossed off my list. I’ve never flown through Charlotte so I can’t weigh in on that. 
 

DFW is big but I haven’t flown through there in a while. If that’s the choice I’d just leave as much time as is reasonable between connecting flights. 

[Kuovonne]

1 minute ago, mum said:

They should have cash on their person for whatever eventuality.

Cash is good. But I think a credit card is better nowadays. A 17 year old cannot get a credit card in her own name, but she can get a card with her name on it by becoming an authorized user on a parent’s credit card.

I think that everyone flying alone should have a credit card. Airport food is expensive, and if you have a long layover, you are probably going to want to buy airport food. 

[cjzimmer1]

1 minute ago, Kuovonne said:

Cash is good. But I think a credit card is better nowadays. A 17 year old cannot get a credit card in her own name, but she can get a card with her name on it by becoming an authorized user on a parent’s credit card.

I think that everyone flying alone should have a credit card. Airport food is expensive, and if you have a long layover, you are probably going to want to buy airport food. 

I hadn't really thought about that.  I'm not willing to put her on my credit card but I can definitely look into getting her a prepaid card.

[Kuovonne]

8 minutes ago, mum said:

There is a very nice area to sit and wait just outside the USO lounge. It's up some stairs so it's out of the way, and there are rocking chairs. 

When I first started flying without an adult (decades ago) I did not want to explore the airport. I wanted to go straight from gate to gate, and then sit and wait at the second gate. I expect than an anxious first-time traveler might feel the same.

[Miss Tick]

24 minutes ago, Kuovonne said:

When I first started flying without an adult (decades ago) I did not want to explore the airport. I wanted to go straight from gate to gate, and then sit and wait at the second gate. I expect than an anxious first-time traveler might feel the same.

I still haven't moved out of that phase and I've been flying on my own for 30 years 😄

[Dmmetler]

23 minutes ago, Kuovonne said:

For what it’s worth, my 17 year old flew through DFW by herself this past summer. She had done a few non-stop flights by herself, but this was her first layover. She was a little nervous about the layover, but she did fine with the sky train by herself. I might have found a video online that showed how to get to the sky train, but DD said she basically just followed everyone else. She was a little concerned about which direction to take on the sky train, but if you have a long enough layover, the direction doesn't matter.

If you use the app, don’t trust any gate info you might see the day before. Gate changes happen all the time, even after boarding passes are printed. Always check the airline app for the most up to date gate assignments.

My suggestion is to download the app and use it for boarding passes, and for parent at home and the one who is meeting teen at the other end to have the confirmation number because you'll be able to see any flight delays, plane changes, gate changes, etc. I fall on the "I don't track my teen" side for most things, but when a family member is flying, I definitely want the most up to date information. FlightAware is good, too-I've had delays shown on flight aware BEFORE they made it to the airline's app. 

 

On a credit card, when L was flying as a younger teen, we got a prepaid credit card as well as having a debit card. Between the two, one or the other worked. You can't use cash on a plane. For a nervous kid, if the flight doesn't have the ability to use messaging apps already, I recommend buying wifi. You can do fuel rod swaps in most airports with a credit card and get a fully charged power bank. You can often pre-buy wifi and food via the airline's app, and for a nervous first time flyer, you may want to prebuy a snack because she may not feel comfortable leaving the gate long enough to find one in the airport, and some terminals don't have much. 

 

Try to get flights early in the day so that IF something goes wrong there's time to get a later one. And I suggest having an Hhonors account logged in on your teen's phone. Embassy suites and the full Hilton hotels both do digital keys, so you can buy a hotel room in a parent's name and add the teen as a person allowed to be in said room, and they can do digital check in, get a key, and go to the room for the night without dealing with the front desk.  I've never had to use this, but I've known others who have (particularly on my early college board). Uber allows teens to be added to your account, and you'll automatically trace the ride and get updates. Just in case. 

 

 

[Lucy the Valiant]

Some airlines do not extend the unaccompanied minor service to anyone over a certain age (editing to add - I think Southwest's upper limit was 11? could be wrong, and this was a few years ago). Just FYI - that was a surprise to me; might be worth confirming if you do decide to go that route. 

What helped one of our 1st-time fliers was to make a plan for every possibility we could think of: stranded in a foreign city, obnoxious fellow passenger, etc. None of those things DID happen, but rookie flier felt better being prepared with an action plan.

Edited October 30, 2023 by Lucy the Valiant

[Lucy the Valiant]

46 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I hadn't really thought about that.  I'm not willing to put her on my credit card but I can definitely look into getting her a prepaid card.

We also did this, for a large enough sum of money that rookie flier could get a hotel room if necessary / somehow stranded. Card was NOT needed for any emergencies, and we just used it to pay bills when flier returned home. 

[Kuovonne]

30 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I'm not willing to put her on my credit card but I can definitely look into getting her a prepaid card.

When my kids were younger, I opened up a second credit card in my name with a really low credit limit and added my kids as authorized users. It helped develop their financial literacy and build the habit of paying off the credit card right away. It also made it easier for me to ask them to run errands for me!

 

5 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

Try to get flights early in the day so that IF something goes wrong there's time to get a later one.

I second this. My family has experienced plenty of flight delays. Another reason to have a long layover. Just not too early. My daughter too this precaution a little too far and started booking 6am flights for herself, which kinda sucks when you have to get up in the wee hours of the night to get to the airport. 

 

9 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

You can often pre-buy wifi and food via the airline's app, and for a nervous first time flyer, you may want to prebuy a snack because she may not feel comfortable leaving the gate long enough to find one in the airport, and some terminals don't have much. 

 

I wouldn't bother buying in-flight Wi-Fi. You are stuck in your seat, and can’t do much anyway. If there are any of the normal issues in flight, family can tell by looking up the flight number in the app. On the other hand I believe that Southwest includes in-flight Wi-Fi for all passengers. 

I also would rather pack snacks in my personal item versus pre-buy in-flight snacks. Airplane food is tiny portions and not very good. Airport food is expensive but more filling and warm. Plus, getting food during the layover helps pass the time.  At DFW, it was super easy to find an array of restaurants opposite the gates. When I flew through Charlotte, there were some gates that did not have hot food available without turning a corner. 

You can see the layout of the different airports in the airline apps, including the exact restaurants and where they are compared to gates. The American app has maps of both the DFW and Charlotte airports. 

[Kuovonne]

28 minutes ago, Dmmetler said:

Embassy suites and the full Hilton hotels both do digital keys, so you can buy a hotel room in a parent's name and add the teen as a person allowed to be in said room, and they can do digital check in, get a key, and go to the room for the night without dealing with the front desk.  I've never had to use this, but I've known others who have (particularly on my early college board).

Sounds intriguing. I’ve had three trips with my daughter where the primary reason I went was because she isn’t old enough to check into a hotel by herself. 

[mum]

1 hour ago, Dmmetler said:

 

 

Try to get flights early in the day so that IF something goes wrong there's time to get a later one. And I suggest having an Hhonors account logged in on your teen's phone. Embassy suites and the full Hilton hotels both do digital keys, so you can buy a hotel room in a parent's name and add the teen as a person allowed to be in said room, and they can do digital check in, get a key, and go to the room for the night without dealing with the front desk.  I've never had to use this, but I've known others who have (particularly on my early college board). Uber allows teens to be added to your account, and you'll automatically trace the ride and get updates. Just in case. 

 

 

This is intriguing! I wonder if hotels in Europe do the digital key as well. I put my minor on an overnight train in Europe because they were not old enough to check into a hotel. But I will remember your tip for another time!

 

[mum]

1 hour ago, Kuovonne said:

Cash is good. But I think a credit card is better nowadays. A 17 year old cannot get a credit card in her own name, but she can get a card with her name on it by becoming an authorized user on a parent’s credit card.

I think that everyone flying alone should have a credit card. Airport food is expensive, and if you have a long layover, you are probably going to want to buy airport food. 

I assumed they'd have a credit card. My daughter travelled a ton professionally and co-worker advised her to keep cash on her person while travelling. It was very needed a few times. Not really what a mom wants to hear, but I'm so thankful for that co-worker's advice.

[Bootsie]

Since she is just connecting through one of these airports, she may not have to experience too much of the airport.  You may be able to find some information on what gate the flights she will be on usually arrive and usually depart so you could tell if it is usually in the same terminal; while there is no guarantee that the gates will be the same on the day she flies, you would at least be tipping the odds of her having close connecting gates.  

The other thing I would consider is how frequent the flights are from the airport to her final destination.  For example, if her final destination is San Antonio, and she flies to DFW, there may be a flight every hour from DFW to San Antonio.  But, if she is flying through Atlanta to DFW, there may be only three flights per day.  The more frequent the flights, the greater the chance she can get on a later connecting flight if there is a delay for some reason.  

[katilac]

52 minutes ago, Kuovonne said:

When my kids were younger, I opened up a second credit card in my name with a really low credit limit and added my kids as authorized users. It helped develop their financial literacy and build the habit of paying off the credit card right away. It also made it easier for me to ask them to run errands for me! <snip>

 

I wouldn't bother buying in-flight Wi-Fi. You are stuck in your seat, and can’t do much anyway. If there are any of the normal issues in flight, family can tell by looking up the flight number in the app. On the other hand I believe that Southwest includes in-flight Wi-Fi for all passengers. 

I also would rather pack snacks in my personal item versus pre-buy in-flight snacks. Airplane food is tiny portions and not very good. Airport food is expensive but more filling and warm. <snip>

Regarding authorized user: it can also help their credit score if you use a card that reports authorized users to the credit bureaus. My kids both had great credit scores well before they paid any bills on the regular. 

In-flight snacks: yeah, the prices are crazy whether you pre-buy or not. Just get a variety at the grocery store. You can get all of the expensive things, and more of them, for what you'd pay for airplane snacks! 

[katilac]

9 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

The other thing I would consider is how frequent the flights are from the airport to her final destination.  For example, if her final destination is San Antonio, and she flies to DFW, there may be a flight every hour from DFW to San Antonio.  But, if she is flying through Atlanta to DFW, there may be only three flights per day.  The more frequent the flights, the greater the chance she can get on a later connecting flight if there is a delay for some reason.  

Yes, frequent flights would be a huge advantage. 

[Clarita]

It sounds like she is flying domestic. I second getting her a credit card that is connected to your credit card and some cash (since it's domestic she doesn't need a ton but enough if she needed to eat or pay a tip or something). You don't have to give her the credit card for life but more like a safety blanket during a trip she is anxious about. If she has to stay the night there's definitely enough money for food, hotel, and transportation.

My reasons for a credit card is 1) if the emergency or need never arises then you don't have money tied up in a pre-paid card, and 2) if she looses it (as long as under normal circumstances she doesn't need money) it's also no big deal. With the minor credit card you can set pretty strict limits and see what they spent money on. Based on what I saw of my friends that's better than when they can get their own credit card on their own and no one to look over their shoulder their first time.

[Kuovonne]

2 hours ago, mum said:

I assumed they'd have a credit card. My daughter travelled a ton professionally and co-worker advised her to keep cash on her person while travelling. It was very needed a few times. Not really what a mom wants to hear, but I'm so thankful for that co-worker's advice.

Ah that makes sense. Yes, I agree that having both a credit card and cash would be best.

[SKL]

I agree that a minimum 2 hour layover is preferred ... in fact, I'd really prefer more than 2.5 hours in this case, because she is a new traveler.  In our recent travels, nearly every flight has been delayed significantly.  We have missed connections because a flight delay means a much shorter layover.  Recently we were even delayed in disembarking after landing, because there wasn't a gate available for the delayed arrival.  We ended up spending hours negotiating new flights, and then sleeping in the airport on hard benches, which didn't feel very safe even with 5 of us.  You don't want all that mess for your 17yo girl traveling alone, especially if the whole experience is new to her.

As far as payment methods, for my comfort as the mom of teen girls, I prefer multiple options.  My girls have debit cards linked to my bank account, which I can monitor and control.  I would also let them borrow one of my credit cards for airport food etc.  (I have a card I normally only use for their miscellaneous stuff.)  And I'd send them with cash also.  And snacks!  If they needed emergency lodging, I'd probably get involved in helping to arrange that.  I would hope the airline would offer some workable solution if they caused the problem, but I'm not sure exactly how that works with minor travelers.  If they needed emergency transportation beyond a hotel shuttle, I could help them arrange an uber.  (Actually they might know more about ubers than I do, but I might need to be the person paying.)

Most likely, with enough of a layover, it will go smoothly and your daughter will have a blast.  But it's best to prepare plans B, C, D ... just in case.

[cjzimmer1]

51 minutes ago, Clarita said:

It sounds like she is flying domestic. I second getting her a credit card that is connected to your credit card and some cash (since it's domestic she doesn't need a ton but enough if she needed to eat or pay a tip or something). You don't have to give her the credit card for life but more like a safety blanket during a trip she is anxious about. If she has to stay the night there's definitely enough money for food, hotel, and transportation.

My reasons for a credit card is 1) if the emergency or need never arises then you don't have money tied up in a pre-paid card, and 2) if she looses it (as long as under normal circumstances she doesn't need money) it's also no big deal. With the minor credit card you can set pretty strict limits and see what they spent money on. Based on what I saw of my friends that's better than when they can get their own credit card on their own and no one to look over their shoulder their first time.

I'm sure this varies greatly with kids personalities and family habits but with my oldest three there was zero issues with them getting their own card and handling it responsibly without prior experience.  But then again, I already have the login information for all their accounts so they know I can see everything and they pay it off twice a month (just so they are in the habit of closely monitoring their spending versus their available money to pay off credit card).  So far in 8 years of kids having their own credit card, there has been zero missed payments, zero overdrafts, zero "mom I'm short of money", zero interest paid and honestly zero reminders from me to pay their card. All three of them already have excellent credit scores.   So for our family culture I'm not worried about that.  But I can see where for some families that would be a useful strategy.

[Pam in CT]

I'd join the Charlotte chorus as first choice, and O'Hare as last choice.  I don't know Dallas.

[Karen A]

Do you know anybody in any of the layover cities to rescue her, should she get stuck there?

Otherwise consider the whole "how to get a minor a hotel room" scenario--good advice from Dmmetler.  Is winter weather part of the equation anywhere?

Several years ago I had an 17 yo unaccompanied minor's flight home get delayed/delayed and then canceled, and it was stressful. She was an fairly experienced traveler, though this was her first time alone. I was on the phone with United AND on the United website seeing all these horrible connecting options getting her home 18 hours late, with an overnight layover in Miami. She is friendly and made friends with a woman from the same canceled flight (on vacation with her family) in the customer service line ahead of her, and whose kids, as it turns out, go to the school I work at, though I didn't know them. It turns out this family "adopted" her--she joined them in their rented minivan to travel to another airport a couple hours away, spent a very short night in a king sized bed with two of their daughters before they caught a 6am flight. (Actually my dd was standby on that flight, but there were several other flights later that day, so I decided to be okay with it.) She was back to our home airport by 7am the next morning. It was really quite remarkable...one of those "substitute mom to the rescue" things, and quite possible orchestrated by God.  

[Frances]

8 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

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!

Everyone is so different. I always hope they are going to ask for volunteers for gate checking my carry on and am always the first to volunteer. I would much rather have it checked for free than worry about finding room in the overhead bins and lifting it up and down. No way my small roller suitcase is going to fit under any seat.

Besides encouraging her to ask for help, I would reassure her they you are only a phone call away. With all of the info available on the internet, worse case scenario that you could walk her through any issues over the phone. Personally, I wouldn’t consider the unaccompanied minor program for a 17 year old. She would likely be by far the oldest person in the special waiting room. We stopped using it for my son when he became a teenager.

I would fly early in the day to decrease the chance of being stuck overnight in an airport.

Edited October 31, 2023 by Frances

[cjzimmer1]

15 minutes ago, Karen A said:

Do you know anybody in any of the layover cities to rescue her, should she get stuck there?

Otherwise consider the whole "how to get a minor a hotel room" scenario--good advice from Dmmetler.  Is winter weather part of the equation anywhere?

Several years ago I had an 17 yo unaccompanied minor's flight home get delayed/delayed and then canceled, and it was stressful. She was an fairly experienced traveler, though this was her first time alone. I was on the phone with United AND on the United website seeing all these horrible connecting options getting her home 18 hours late, with an overnight layover in Miami. She is friendly and made friends with a woman from the same canceled flight (on vacation with her family) in the customer service line ahead of her, and whose kids, as it turns out, go to the school I work at, though I didn't know them. It turns out this family "adopted" her--she joined them in their rented minivan to travel to another airport a couple hours away, spent a very short night in a king sized bed with two of their daughters before they caught a 6am flight. (Actually my dd was standby on that flight, but there were several other flights later that day, so I decided to be okay with it.) She was back to our home airport by 7am the next morning. It was really quite remarkable...one of those "substitute mom to the rescue" things, and quite possible orchestrated by God.  

Charlotte is "close enough" to friend that if DD was faced with being stranded there, I think friend's mom would drive to get her but too far that I don't want to ask her just so DD doesn't have to have a layover.  Winter weather is a possibility on our end but I'm thinking the risk is much lower at the time of the trip there.  It's not deep winter time period for sure.  

I admire your DD and your trust in that situation.  My DD would have been spending the night in the airport.  I'm not that trusting.

[Frances]

2 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I'm sure this varies greatly with kids personalities and family habits but with my oldest three there was zero issues with them getting their own card and handling it responsibly without prior experience.  But then again, I already have the login information for all their accounts so they know I can see everything and they pay it off twice a month (just so they are in the habit of closely monitoring their spending versus their available money to pay off credit card).  So far in 8 years of kids having their own credit card, there has been zero missed payments, zero overdrafts, zero "mom I'm short of money", zero interest paid and honestly zero reminders from me to pay their card. All three of them already have excellent credit scores.   So for our family culture I'm not worried about that.  But I can see where for some families that would be a useful strategy.

But getting a card for her on your account would likely result in even higher credit scores because your credit history and ratio of available credit to use is likely lower. Getting both would likely be even better for credit scores.

[cjzimmer1]

16 minutes ago, Frances said:

But getting a card for her on your account would likely result in even higher credit scores because your credit history and ratio of available credit to use is likely lower. Getting both would likely be even better for credit scores.

Honestly, my kids are very high already, the boost they would get from mine is very minimal.  Their scores are already high enough to qualify for the best mortgage or auto loan rates.  

[Kuovonne]

35 minutes ago, cjzimmer1 said:

My DD would have been spending the night in the airport.

Spending the night in the airport sucks, but is a realistic alternative if you don’t want to deal with trying to get a last minute hotel. Make sure you stay inside security. I’ve done it in two different airports in the past three years due to weather cancelations. There is even a website for sleeping in airports, although some of the info is outdated. 

[Starr]

Some airports do not let you stay overnight inside security. I’ve been on the phone finding the last hotel room in town for one of mine. 

[cjzimmer1]

7 hours ago, Starr said:

Some airports do not let you stay overnight inside security. I’ve been on the phone finding the last hotel room in town for one of mine. 

I know my local airport shuts down overnight but it's small and doesn't get flights all day/night.  The trips I'm looking at are all connecting through international airports (in the US) so I'm assuming they are big enough they are running on a 24 hour schedule and not booting people out so they can close at night. Does anyone know if that assumption is correct?  Just trying to make sure I'm thinking through all the possible pitfalls.

[elegantlion]

8 hours ago, Kuovonne said:

Spending the night in the airport sucks, but is a realistic alternative if you don’t want to deal with trying to get a last minute hotel. Make sure you stay inside security. I’ve done it in two different airports in the past three years due to weather cancelations. There is even a website for sleeping in airports, although some of the info is outdated. 

 

7 hours ago, Starr said:

Some airports do not let you stay overnight inside security. I’ve been on the phone finding the last hotel room in town for one of mine. 

Yeah, I got booted from the Kalamazoo airport a few years ago. Flights were delayed due to weather and it was the last flight out of the day. The whole airport closed. I ended up spending $100 on a hotel that was not reimbursed. 

Another consideration is that even if the airport is technically open, shops and restaurants may not be. I flew into KCI (Kansas City) a few weeks ago. Our flight landed about 10:30 p.m. and all the shops were shut up tightly although there was more than one flight incoming. In an emergency, however, there are vending machines available. 

[Faith-manor]

11 minutes ago, elegantlion said:

 

Yeah, I got booted from the Kalamazoo airport a few years ago. Flights were delayed due to weather and it was the last flight out of the day. The whole airport closed. I ended up spending $100 on a hotel that was not reimbursed. 

Another consideration is that even if the airport is technically open, shops and restaurants may not be. I flew into KCI (Kansas City) a few weeks ago. Our flight landed about 10:30 p.m. and all the shops were shut up tightly although there was more than one flight incoming. In an emergency, however, there are vending machines available. 

Kalamazoo airport is a bit of a pit. I am sorry on behalf of Michigan. You are lucky that your seat was not, "Here is a bungie cord, strap yourself to the wing!" Customer service is a laughable oxymoron at that airport.

[Starr]

I ve read that only one terminal may be open all night in a large airport. These rules change as needed. 

[SKL]

3 hours ago, elegantlion said:

Another consideration is that even if the airport is technically open, shops and restaurants may not be. I flew into KCI (Kansas City) a few weeks ago. Our flight landed about 10:30 p.m. and all the shops were shut up tightly although there was more than one flight incoming. In an emergency, however, there are vending machines available. 

I've been in a couple airports (not tiny ones) that didn't even have a single vending machine open overnight.  I was glad they at least had bathrooms open.

I also didn't feel like it was that safe with just few lone cleaning people walking through occasionally.  I agree with those who say start the trip early in the day in the hope of avoiding being stranded overnight.

[gardenmom5]

Never flown through Atlanta, but it is the busiest airport in the world.
I fly in and out of DFW multiple times a year.   It is fairly well marked.  There are five half-circle terminals that are connected via a skytrain (which runs roughly every two minutes.)   
My memories of O'Hare are rather blurry. . . My most memorable route through there was: It was late, it was cold, our plane was sitting on the ground at LAX due to fires .. . We moved gates/terminals several times waiting for a plane. (five hours) . . .Trying to figure out where we were, and where we were supposed to go was annyoing. . . . 

eta: one thing, I had dropped 1dd off at college in upstate NY two weeks before 9/11. . . . transfers were mandatory, there was no such thing as a direct flight. (she hated Newark, and would pay extra to avoid it).
She came home for thanksgiving, the piece of advice I gave her is: ask an airport employee for help, there are even more now than there were then.  (re: all the TSA agents).  Janitors, security (they're wandering around), airline staff . . etc.  Most, are happy to be helpful.   Many passengers, are happy to be helpful (especially if they are familiar with that airport).   Going to a gate (not in the  middle of boarding) and asking an agent - even if it's not her airline - they'll be happy to help.

Edited October 31, 2023 by gardenmom5

[DawnM]

On 10/30/2023 at 12:26 PM, 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. 

Agreed, although there is so much construction going on that it can be frustrating as gates seem to change a lot, etc.....

But it is smaller than the rest of the airports.

They are all in the top 10.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/busiest-airports-in-the-us

[kbutton]

20 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I hadn't really thought about that.  I'm not willing to put her on my credit card but I can definitely look into getting her a prepaid card.

Prepaid cards are super hard to use! You sometimes have to know your exact balance to get them to work. I worked seasonal retail in the spring, and we all hated seeing prepaid cards come through. We’ve had the same issue spending them when they’ve come our way.

I would preload a debit card, use it locally to be sure it works, and I would also make sure she carries cash. Call the bank to tell them that she’ll be flying so that they don’t auto lockdown her card for trying to use it in a new place.

[gardenmom5]

Make sure she has enough money on a credit/debit card to buy another ticket if anything happens to her flight.  (refunds for cancelled flights are later.)

[gardenmom5]

13 minutes ago, kbutton said:

Prepaid cards are super hard to use! You sometimes have to know your exact balance to get them to work. I worked seasonal retail in the spring, and we all hated seeing prepaid cards come through. We’ve had the same issue spending them when they’ve come our way.

I would preload a debit card, use it locally to be sure it works, and I would also make sure she carries cash. Call the bank to tell them that she’ll be flying so that they don’t auto lockdown her card for trying to use it in a new place.

This.  1dd had her card frozen because the bank thought it was stolen (and that was in our home town!) .. . fortunately, she had another credit card on her.

Last night, I was listening to a Shaquille O'Neal story.  The bank was so pleased with saving him from credit card fraud at walmart . . . "that was me" . . . oops.
 

Edited October 31, 2023 by gardenmom5

[gardenmom5]

22 hours ago, Dmmetler said:

Check what gates the airline uses. The reason I said to avoid delta in Atlanta is that sine it is their hub, they have a full terminal plus, and changing terminals is common.  I believe DFW is similar for American. I think United might be O'hare. 

 

When L used to fly and have a layover, we found that Southwest usually only had a couple of gates (except at Dallas Love Field or Houston Hobby, but those are smaller airports to start) so usually your second flight was right by the first one. United is that at most of the airports in the SE. 

 

American uses at least four terminals at DFW - but it is easier to get around than some other similar size airports (incl Sea-Tac which is my home airport).  But even Alaska, which has a very small presence at DFW, will have flights in multiple terminals - depending upon where it is going.  (and they are doing more partnering wtih American for places/schedules they don't fly. - 2dd booked though Alaska, but it was an American flight)
Delta is Atlanta.

Southwest only uses Love Field (It is a small airport.  I enjoy flying in and out, but 2dd hates it because you have to drive on surface streets.  It's practically downtown Dallas.).   One of the concerns with SW is if you get bumped, they have zero partner airlines to be able to rebook you on another flight.  you are at their mercy.
The last time I flew united, I vowed never again.

[SKL]

Oh as for airlines - not Spirit.  Ever.  😛

[Clarita]

5 hours ago, elegantlion said:

Another consideration is that even if the airport is technically open, shops and restaurants may not be. I flew into KCI (Kansas City) a few weeks ago. Our flight landed about 10:30 p.m. and all the shops were shut up tightly although there was more than one flight incoming. In an emergency, however, there are vending machines available. 

I don't think any shops and restaurants stay open over night in any major international airports (the ones I definitely know Seoul, Hong Kong, San Francisco). Even if flights are still coming in and out of the airport. Also note depending on local ordinances not every (even major airports) actually run flights through the night. This has to do typically with how close they are to residential areas. 

Personally, I opt to stay at a nearby hotel (usually there are some to chose from super close to major airports), because unless an airport is way overcapacity it's actually kind of empty between plane arrivals/departure. In the middle of the night they aren't arrivals/departure planes as often as they are in the daytime. A lot of airports separate their international areas vs their domestic areas so even if international flights are arriving and departing it doesn't mean the domestic side is seeing activity. 

I guess maybe domestic flights are different when it comes to hotel reimbursement but every time I needed to stay overnight my hotel stay was compensated. Although I've only done that on international flights and once was completely the plane couldn't take off and the second it was a total compensation package for giving up my seat on an overbooked flight.