LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 23 November 2009 : by John Kotsopoulos
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
Terminal 2 (international flights, not including Canada) is a totally different experience to
the main terminal. While check-in and the security check were easy, once gate-side there is
virtually nothing to do. There are a few tiny shops, the usual fast food chains and a small
bar. What a contrast to the razzle dazzle of the city itself! I suggest that if you check in
with plenty of time to spare, take the 5 minute walk over to Terminal 1 for any last minute
shopping, food or drink.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 9 September 2009 : by S Perry
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |  |
Arrived and departed from Terminal D. It was pleasant to walk through and had plenty of
services and restaurants. The slot machines are great, but they need the payment machines
like every other casino in town. The connecting train was pleasant and efficient as well. No
issues with luggage. On departure, the TSA screener seemed to be obsessed with my Canadian
Passport.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 3 July 2009 : by Andrew Turek
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Customer Rating : 4/5 | |
True enough about the long run from the car-rental garage, but the airport itself ran smoothly
on a departure to Vancouver. Can't do kerbside check in to Canada but I guess that's Homeland
Protection or TSA or somebody. No money exchange until 8.00 which caused a rush. Lounge should
be after security.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 13 January 2009 : by Steve Koenig
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
I have transited this airport and departed once. One thing for visitors to consider is that
the consolidated rental car facility is very far from the airport terminals. While it is
convenient in that you go to just one place regardless of which company you use, and there
are then just two busses to choose from (depending on which terminal you are departing from),
you have a long trip on the bus and need to allow for the extra time (and getting to the
rental car facility by vehicle can be confusing, since you do not take the same main road as
to get to the airport terminal). Once in the airport, processing was relatively fast; about
par for most airport these days. Nothing to rave about, but also no big complaints. You do
have a chance for some last-minute gambling before you get on your plane.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 28 October 2008 : by John Oram
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
We arrived with Delta from JFK. Baggage handling was excruciatingly slow and the claim are crowded.
It would be less crowded if it not double as a casino.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 3 October 2008 : by Cheryl Collins
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Customer Rating : 5/5 |  |
I found the airport to be busy but efficient We flew Southwest and by the time we walked to the
baggage claim our luggage was already there, so no waiting. There were plenty of limousines and
shuttles outside, so it was not difficult to get a ride to the hotel. The airport seemed very clean
and had a sufficient amount of stores and restaurants. Coming back the check in line was long but
went very quickly. No problems at all with this airport.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 1 October 2008 : by M Keenan
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
An insanely busy airport (at least it was when I went through it), but I found that it mostly
functioned reasonably well. I arrived at Terminal 1 on US Airways, and had no issues with signage,
although it was a long walk from the gate to baggage claim. My only issue was the delay in
recovering my baggage due to confusion about which carousel it was on, and even this was cleared up
after a few minutes. The ground transportation area was very busy but problem-free. For the flight
back, the biggest obstacle was getting to the terminal through the extremely crowded lane for
shuttle buses, taxis, etc on the Terminal 1 departures area. The driver eventually had to let us
off some distance from where we needed to be, but everything went okay. The lineups for check-in
looked extremely long, but there were lots of terminals for electronic check-in which kept things
moving, and after this the wait to check baggage was pretty short. The TSA security lineups were
also pretty fast. There were lots of shopping opportunities before going through security, and
still some decent shopping and eating after going through security. The waiting areas were quite
pleasant, and offered a good view of the airport ramps for an airplane nut. Overall, Vegas loses
marks for the baggage handling hiccup and the congested taxi lanes at departures, but otherwise it
functions pretty well at moving a lot of people through with minimal hassle.
LAS VEGAS AIRPORT review : 16 September 2008 : by Tamara Guzelj
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |  |
I have had the misfortune to travel to LAS. I arrived on a domestic flight and have waited for my
luggage for over an hour. Then, when I finally exited to airport, I waited for the car rental
facility bus for over half an hour, and it was midnight. After finally getting to car rental agency,
getting the car and getting to MGM Grand (which is about 10 minutes from the airport), I was in my
room at 2.00 am. From landing to the hotel it took me 4.5 hours (the drive to the hotel was 10
minutes) in the middle of the night! This is the worst airport I have ever been to. OK, Paris
Charles de Gaulle/Roissy is just as bad, but that's it. LAS is a disaster of an airport! If you can,
avoid it!
Las Vegas Airport by Alan Wan
19 November 2007 Customer Rating : 
I go to Las Vegas airport about 3 times a year and have experienced using both the domestic and
international terminals both have good and bad points. The international terminal is much quicker
to use on arrival even if you have to go through immigration the domestic terminals baggage reclaim
is one of the worst in the world I've spent many times waiting over an hour for my luggage. The
international terminal however has very limited facilities with nothing worth eating unless you like
BK. The domestic terminal D gates are by far the best although limited eating facilities at least
its clean and spacious.
Las Vegas Airport by Donald Schoengold
26 October 2007 Customer Rating : 
The positives - close to the strip and easy to get to, and free WIFI (the only thing that you will get
for free in Vegas). Negatives are many - passenger dropoff area has ony 2 lanes for cars and is
extremely crowded; only 1 dropoff area for every airline; limited and bad food. No real restaurants.
Very crowded baggage pickup, security lines can be very long, limited covered parking. Need to park
in the outside overflow lot and walk to/from airline gates can be long. Besides the many casino based
shops, there is limited interesting shopping
Las Vegas Airport by Adrian Watts
9 October 2007 Customer Rating : 
Terminal 1 is extremely busy with the volume of domestic flights but plenty of outlets and places to
sit. Terminal 2 - of all the US airports Vegas was the friendliest in terms of staff and immigration
was pretty quick too. It made a pleasant change to be greeted with a smile and for the immigration
process to be completed quickly. Departing from Terminal 2, however is a totally different story. The
terminal is to put it frankly more like a bus terminal waiting room. There is just one duty free shop
- this must be the smallest in the world! and 3 eating options, we had a connecting domestic flight
before our international flight back home and therefore had a wait of around 4 hours - it felt more
like 40 hours. Worst airport terminal I have ever had the privilege of waiting in!
Las Vegas Airport by Steve Hughes
27 September 2007 Customer Rating : 
As a frequent visitor to the States, I have found Vegas airport to be the most pleasant to pass
through. I generally arrive and depart through the D gates, and this terminal is one of the cleanest I
have been in. The choice of food outlets and shopping is plentiful, and many of the gates have views
of the strip! The only drawback seems to be baggage reclaim, which is painfully slow, especially when
you just want to get to the casino!
Las Vegas Airport by Leslie Knowles
22 June 2007 Customer Rating :
We flew into Las Vegas for a 4 day trip from Toronto and where our
arrival went smoothly, our departure was a different story.
Our check in at Westjet was fine but there were serious problems with
airport security. Out of at least a half dozen stations , they only had
one station open although there were at least 4 different flights
leaving at the time so there was a very long lineup. There were
numerous security personnel standing around doing nothing at all so the
problem wasn't staffing. They were without exception extremely rude to
everyone coming through they seemed to be working deliberately slowly -
perhaps a work to rule situation? There was a a large group of Japanese
travelers with many seniors and they were treated terribly. Despite the
fact that they all seemed to have their things in order, the personnel
were extremely rude to them, barking out orders and behaving in a very
boorish manner. When it got to be our turn, we were treated in a similar
manner. I have no problem accepting that there is a need for good
airport security and am happy to cooperate. Rudeness is bad enough but
the incompetence displayed made me realize that passengers are not being
protected properly. This whole ordeal certainly left a bad taste in our
mouths and undoubtedly did the same for the others who were unfortunate
enough to be there that evening. We pay money in airport taxes to at
least in part be protected from whatever threats may be there and
certainly deserve much better than this.
Las Vegas Airport by John Oram
14 June 2007 Customer Rating :
We are becoming frequent visitors to Las Vegas and, in many respects, I
see it as a hassle free alternative to LAX and a a cheap alternative to
PSP depending, of course, on your overall itinerary. The new combined
Car Rental Centre is absolutely excellent and the associated shuttle
service far more cohesive. This was, of course, one of the proposals for
LAX voted down by mean minded politicians and NIMBY residents. T2
however, is a different story. It is still a dump as reported below. It
should be ashamed of its entirely inadequate eating facilities. All
services from T2 are obviously regarded as entirely secondary to those
from T1.
Las Vegas Airport by Ian Smiley
22 January 2007 Customer Rating : n/a
Flew into LAS international terminal. Flights from Gatwick use Virgin
747-400. Sit as near the front as possible, so as to disembark as soon
as possible. I was seated in row 35, but still had long wait to clear
passport control. The luggage carousel was very long providing plenty
of space to access the bags. Mine must have been one of the first as the
staff took it off the carousel before I arrived and it was put against
the far wall with several others. I only found it when I complained it
had not arrived and started to use words like 'lost' to the staff.
Short walk to the main domestic terminal where it is possible to check
in for many of the hotels. At the time of my visit, there were no self
service terminals in the check in area and the keen Virgin staff made
sure all bags were not overweight - 23kg in economy, although it was
possible to travel with two items of checked luggage. I understand the
staff in the domestic terminal are also strict about a 50lbs weight
limit too.
Las Vegas Airport by John Oram
21 January 2007
LAS is a popular international destination and has some catching up to
do. International arrivals is not designed to cope with multiple
arrivals and indeed these are scheduled separately. When we arrived on
Maxjet we were on time and Virgin were late so their passengers were
just ahead of us. Having said that, every possible line was open and
they were working pretty fast. The immigration official was even quite
charming in a curmudgeonly sort of way. The Alamo shuttle was tardy. For
departure T2 is not the place to be. Check-in was fine. Bad design means
that the security line which was not actualy that long, easily backs up
on to the escalator which is potentially dangerous. TSA procedures
border on the bizarre overkill but at least they are beginning to admit
that. Through security facilities are absolutely minimal and as Maxjet
don't yet have a lounge, quite inadequate.
Las Vegas Airport by D Jobson
19 January 2007
I break the long journey from Sydney to London in Las Vegas. Its a great
place to stop for the night, the only concern is if you are to arrive
into Terminal D (United Airlines/Delta/American etc) you always expect
about 30-45 minute wait for your luggage to arrive at the baggage claim.
You would be advised not to bother rushing off the plane and down to the
tram which takes you to the main terminal as you will only end up
waiting for ages for your luggage to arrive. Take your time.. Vegas is
also notorious for losing bags. The free wireless internet is a bonus
though, just need to enter your email adress (very safe). You SHOULD
take the freeway if you're going downtown; and maybe the extreme north
strip (Stratosphere area.) The freeway may also be the best route to
off-strip properties such as Rio, Gold Coast, and the Palms. But if
you're staying in the popular mid to south strip area (between Mandalay
Bay on the south and Wynn, Venetian or Treasure Island on the north) the
freeway just adds unnecessary mileage and about $5 extra to the fare.
The honest cabbie will take Swenson to Tropicana and then either Koval
Lane or Paradise to an east strip property (Paris & Ballys area) or Las
Vegas Blvd. or Industrial Ave. for west strip properties (Caesars, Monte
Carlo, Mirage, etc.) Taking the freeway loops you around the south side
of the airport and then takes you about a half mile west of the strip so
you have to double back to the strip"
Las Vegas Airport by David Guenthner
16 September 2006
I was just back through there last week. Most of my comments from three
years ago still apply, with the following caveats: (1) There are self-
service check-in machines throughout the lobby, and most airlines are
part of that system. That has really helped with the lines around the
ticket counters. Southwest's, in particular, was quick to navigate.
(2) The security checkpoints are remarkably efficient for the volume of
passengers that go through them. This is even more important now that
the "secret" checkpoint in the middle of concourse C is no longer there.
They have video clips featuring Vegas entertainers to provide passenger
instructions before they reach the checkpoints, but the volume needs to
be louder. (3) Checked baggage service remains horribly slow.
Las Vegas Airport by Jack Luoma
30 July 2006
My wife and I had to transfer flights in LV on our way to San Jose from
Montgomery. We were on a Continental flight and there was no
information on the Departure screens about our connecting flight. We
asked a Continental agent and were told there was no information
available because the flight was departing from another terminal. She
told us to go to the AB terminal to get the information. We took the
tram to the AB terminal but the signage was so confusing we ended up
exiting the terminal and entering a large area full of slots. Couldn't
find our way to the AB terminal and had to ask another airline's agent
for assistance. If it wasn't for her specific directions, the way to
the terminal was not obvious at all. After having to go through
security again, we finally found the correct terminal. I travel a lot
and have been through many airports (most of the majors), and have to
say that McCarran was the most confusing I have ever experienced. It is
ridiculous that information on all flights at the airport is not
available from any terminal.
Las Vegas Airport by Neil Ramsay
30 July 2006
Arrival: can be a long walk from gate to baggage claim. Baggage area
very crowded and chaotic but that's the way Vegas works and is a good
introduction. Hotel check in and shuttle booking near belt one saves a
lot of time. Departure: airport is a quick $15 taxi ride from the strip.
Drop off zone appears quite chaotic but everyone seems to cope without
fender benders. Check in and security were extremely busy but delay was
minimal. Not too many food concessions available airside. Departure
information can be flaky. Some monitors showed my flight, some didn't.
Just head for the assigned gate to make sure there have been no changes.
Las Vegas Airport by Robert Clark
13 May 2006
Not a bad airport to depart from. Smoking laws are very lax and available in many places unlike the
rest of the US, so those who have gone through security will be happy to know they will still be
good once they have gone through security. Slot machines give a different way to be able to spend
your time and money before a flight, even that chance to win. I was suprised that I was able to win
80 extra dollars before my Ted Flight to SFO.
Las Vegas Airport by Ian Manton
13 March 2006
Flew in and out of Las Vegas International w/c 5th March. Arrivals hall
quick and efficient and baggage reclaim was very smooth. However for
International departures the Lounge is limited with few places to eat
(two fast food establishments) one newsagent and one duty free shop
(quite small). Although clean for an International Lounge it is not a
patch on any of the London Airports nor Orlando or other US Airports I
have visited. It is not the sort of place you want to wait for three
hours for your flight. If possible leave your Hotel as late as possible
as the airport is only 15/20 minutes from the middle of the strip.
Las Vegas Airport by Alan Wan
13 February 2006
I have used LAS extensively over the past 2 years, I must say the
domestic terminal especially the baggage reclaim is terrible I arrived
there twice in July 05 and spent well over an hour waiting for my
baggage. The international terminal is much better in many respects,
although the eating and drinking facilities are limited it has a modern
and cleaner feel. Also I have arrived there twice and have never had
the problem with baggage reclaim.
Las Vegas Airport by Tony Edwards
13 January 2006
Very smart modern airport with the only hassle been all the gaming
machines in the way everywhere. I saw one of the gaming attendants have
a go at a parent for letting his daughter "loiter" near the machines
which was "against Nevada law". She was only sitting on a case not even
noticing the machines. This airport needs to remember it's an airport
not a casino. If they want machines zone them off with entry control
and put some seating where the bandits were.
Las Vegas Airport by V Shelton
2 January 2006
Flew into LAS over Christmas 2005. I was still able to get through all
the craziness of the place on Dec 23 without much hassle. Flew in on
Southwest into terminal 1 at the C-gates. As soon as you get out the
jetway there are slot machines in the waiting area. I found this to be
somewhat of a hassle to walk around all the folks gambling when I wanted
to get out the airport. Smoking lounges were fairly spaced out
throughout the concourse, and they were filled with thick smoke all in
the rooms. Finding the train to the main terminal was a little hard fo
find over those darn slot machines. Have to pay attention to the signs
very carefully, or you can miss the trains. The baggage claim was
overly congested but remember this was Dec 23. Getting to the rental
cars was a short ride to the section of the airport behind the terminals
and parking garage. At least they are not off site like so many other
airports. Overall the airport is a nice size, with a decent amount of
places to eat and shop. Ample amount of security gates for all the
gates. Just make sure you plan enough time to get though ticketing if
you not flying with an e-ticket. Another good thing is that the airport
is at the south end of the strip.
Las Vegas Airport by Wendy Cummings
7 November 2005
We flew into Vegas from San Francisco with United Airlines. After a 3
night stay, we were then due to fly onto LA. What a fiasco at LAS
airport! We arrived 2.5 hours before we were due to take off. We
queued for 40 mins, only to be told when we got to the desk that we had
to check in at another desk as we had '4 S's' on our check-in card. We
then queued for another 1.5 and endeavoured to get help from a staff
member (who were extremely rude and uncaring). Basically, we had half
an hour to get through a vigorous security check (due to having 4S's on
our boarding cards). No matter how many times we told them at our
flight was due, they just made us hang around. We had to run to the
departure gate after hearing our names being called numerous times.
Not one apology was received and the staff just seemed intent on making
life difficult. Believe me, we're in no hurry to return to the States!
Las Vegas Airport by Jo Avery
2
September 2005
My first visit to Las Vegas was to London Gatwick departing from the international
departures lounge which was very basic. A few seats, some small shops and that was
all. The second visit was from LAX so I arrived into the domestic lounge which I can
only say is 100% better than the international lounge. There was lots of places to
eat and sit. However the third time I visited LAS I got to depart from the domestic
lounge and found it hard to find decent food. The only place that looked decent had a
massive long queue, with staff that didn't seem to realise that people are on a time
constraint to catch flights. Overall though one of the best airports I've been to for
cleanliness and space.
Las Vegas Airport by Charles Clemens
21
April 2005
Restaurants are the Worst! In the past year I had the misfortune of using the terminal which houses
Southwest. The variety of
restaurants, their layout, lack of seating as compared to many other U.S. and foreign airports leave
much to be desired. There's little variety; no top notch dinner restaurant. And the prices leave
much to be desired. Why shouldn't the public have access to a great variety of
restaurant's where you
may want to come back? Why do we have to pay 30 to 40% more for the privilege of dining there?
Las Vegas Airport by Noel O'Brien
11
April 2005
My wife and I just flew home yesterday from Las Vegas. The McCarran airport is currently the 5th
busiest airport in the USA and it shows. The worst days of the week to fly out are Sunday and
Thursday according to an airport official that I spoke to. It stands to reason since a lot of the
holiday packages are based on those days. Make sure, especially if your travelling on those days,
that you get to the airport early.
Las Vegas Airport by Stuart Feigin
23 October 2004
I'd just like to correct the complaint about the baggage claim remodel being done before fixing the
security checkpoints. The problem is that the new security checkpoints are being built above
baggage claim. They are currently expanding the second level to extend over baggage claim. That
will become the new security checkpoint.
Las Vegas Airport by Johnathan Quint
26 July 2004
Returning to McCarran Airport after a year, I was pleased to see they've completed some of the
upgrades to some airport facilities. However, they still have a long way to go. Instead of wasting
time renovating baggage claim areas (which mind you do need expansion), it would be far better to
have spent the money first on getting the security checkpoints expanded. The work at the terminals
is amazing though and the airport (non baggage claim areas) looks great. Just need to get the
security checkpoint areas cleaned up. If your flying out of here, be sure to be there no later than
two hours before.
Las Vegas Airport by N Sweeney
30 June 2004
Las Vegas is another US airport with architecture that seems unable to
adapt to the post-9/11 security requirements. The morass of people in
the pre-screening area on the second floor is surely a security risk, as
well as being distressing for many travellers (I've seen people break
down because of the crush of people). I fear that the pre-screening
lines in Las Vegas and other airports will become a prime target.
Elsewhere in the world, airports have been designed from the ground up
to eliminate such crowds of people. The current improvised situation
creates as many risks as it solves.
Las Vegas Airport by Neil Ramsay
9 March 2004
Arrived and Departed through D gates. Connecting tram was fast and comfortable.
Walk to baggage claim was a little long after a long flight but baggage was on the belt by the time
we got there. Ground transport was well signed and easily accessible.
Check In (United) was quick and efficient. Security was quick and unobtrusive.
Gate lounges are comfortable and departure information readily available. Food and drink outlets
were basic but acceptable. Plenty of shopping concessions. only complaint was air conditioning level - too hot!
Las Vegas Airport by Yvette Gillespie
16 January 2004
Don't plan on spending more time here than you have to. Once through security for gates 1-4 (Term 2)
it is rubbish - with burger king, a news shop, small duty free shop and a few slots.
Las Vegas Airport by D Samonte
6 January 2004
Very Convenient and accessible airport, baggage claims are well organized, bathrooms are clean, lots
of restaurant and shopping stores. All in all I would say it's a hassle free airport.
Las Vegas Airport by Bill Bondar
31 October 2003
About as good as it
gets - who cares about long layovers when there are wonderful restaurants, good shopping, and most of all, slot
machines - is a good place to
spend your vacation!
Las Vegas Airport by Ann Oriolo
25 October 2003
On a recent trip we decided to grab a bite to eat due to the airlines no food policy and a four hour
flight. The airport is a fast-food haven, drab and dirty. Tables not cleaned. The only bright
lights are those on the slots. With all the travelers daily you would think they would have
improved it over the years. I guess they figure no one has any money left, it was left on the
Strip!! This was my fourth trip here and it is getting worse. The walk to luggage pick up is
forever!
Las Vegas Airport by M Devor
10 August 2003
Good airport that mixes the old with the new. In respect to the previous writer, the A and B
concourses are the same as they were years ago, but there is a sense of nostalgia to them as they
are seen in many movies, tv shows, etc. Hence, I hope that they keep them as they are. Int'l
terminal is very impressive, though they need a lounge for all the Bus/First fliers.
The newer C and more so the D concourses are great. America West has a lounge, small, but lot's of
food! and free drinks, located landside above the ticket counters (main terminal). National Airlines,
when it was in business, had one but could never find it. Oh well.
The airport is replete with good shops and eating places, though the noisy slot machines are
overkill. The main benefit is that it is close to the city/Strip, but don't be fooled as with intense traffic
the trip can actually take a bit. They created a most convenient extension to the freeway(I-15) that
takes you right to the Strip. We were so happy to find this. People in Vegas, hence the staff, are
quite friendly and warm and so it is a great place to visit. If you fly in at night, East to West
approach, sit on the right hand side, the view is just awesome.
Don't even think of coming to Vegas in the summer, it is miserable.
Las Vegas Airport by David Guenthner
1 August 2003
Main terminal ticket counter can be a bit of a zoo if you're flying Southwest or the America West
red-eyes. D concourse is the newest and nicest and connected to the terminal by a fast, clean tram.
C concourse (Southwest) has lousy concessions and desperately needs an update, but the shopping/food
court outside the security checkpoints is much better. Haven't been to A or B concourses (America
West) in several years. Baggage claim is fairly efficient, but very crowded, loud, and can be
difficult to navigate. Several casinos have offices there that can actually check you into your
hotel and transport your luggage for you. Slot machines are everywhere.
Las Vegas Airport by Kurt Mueller
16 June 2003
Despite what seems a very efficient lay-out, check-in and security took some 65 minutes to go
through (using UA's Premier check-in desk).
No airline lounges in this airport - apparently Clark County does not allow them, sending a clear
message that you're not welcome unless you gamble until you board your plane out.
My case was searched by TSA (Transportation Safety Authority) who - despite their daily professional
involvement with luggage - seem to employ people unfamiliar with packing a suitcase. At my
destination, my Samsonite arrived on the belt with some of my clothes hanging out.
Las Vegas Airport by George Mathew
6 December 2002
It's a very convenient airport sitting right next to 'The Strip'. I
strongly recommend a night landing for the views. The airport is clean
with the washrooms recently upgraded. Seating is almost impossible at
the gates - at least it was during the last five times I passed through
there. And yes, being true to Las Vegas form: there are slot machines
everywhere in the terminal building. Buses to 'The Strip' come often and
are cheap.
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