• GREATER DALLAS METRO AREA AIRPORTS

While Dallas Fort Worth International Airport DFW is the third-busiest airport in the world and thereby the most dominant one in the area, Dallas Love Airport occasionally serves as a reliever airport to DFW and is restricted to shorter-distance flights. Austin Bergstrom Airport, not within this defined area, could serve as another option. Smaller area airports shown by mileage distance to Dallas are: Waco Municipal (84.6) Tyler Pounds Field (87); Gregg County Kilgor - (124.5)

1. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport DFW is located 16.3 miles from Dallas. Texas-sized (even bigger than Houston Bush), it presents a challenge from the minute you leave home until you are boarding the plane. On a good day it's a half-hour drive from city center; on a bad day it can turn into hours. The airport has a clever overall design, great for expansion, not so great for the passengers for whom it can be confusing. While the garage is close by, it has no elevator, but narrow stairs only, making transfer of passenger and luggage to the terminal a real chore. American Airlines occupies four of the five passenger terminals; getting to connecting flights on time presents a real problem. Exiting the Airport by car is also confusing for lack of proper signs (or signs too close to road changes), causing many to get lost--therefore, get a detailed map for your exit ahead of time. However, Airline and destination choices are abundant, so are the shopping and eating choices. As to the luggage claim, the airline attendant will, prior to landing, announce its location - pay attention, because unlike most airports, DFW has several, but separated, luggage claims within the same terminal.

2. Dallas Love Field Airport DAL, located just 5.6 miles from City Center, is a so-called reliever airport for Dallas-Fort Worth International, and is presently only able to host ExpressJet (Continental), Pinnacle (now Delta) and Southwest. It is anticipated that the terms of the Wright Amendment will expire in 2014, giving the airport more choices for airlines, and residents a closer proximity for their air travel needs.

3. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, 186 miles West of Dallas, ranks high in passenger satisfaction, but is neither close to, nor has the airline and destination choices of the Dallas-Forth Worth Airport.

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