PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT review : 10 June 2008 : by Chu Yeow

Customer Rating : 4/5

Love the free wifi and the Tri Met connecting the airport to downtown Portland (only for $2.05 too), but a pretty plain airport otherwise. The TSA staff were sometimes rude which isn't much to say since they are generally all work and low on courtesy everywhere in the US anyway.

Portland Int'l Airport review by V Ayala

28 May 2008   Customer Rating :

I live in Portland, and I find the airport nice, with many restaurants and shops. However, I find the TSA to consistently be rude. On my last flight from Portland, I had a broken knee and was unable to walk. I was stopped at security because my metal leg brace set off the metal detector, and I was searched for 40 minutes. I was only able to catch my plane as I continued to plead with them that I was about to miss my plane and I was in no condition to run to the gate. I was the last person onboard, and I lost my seat, so I had to hold my broken knee in the middle seat for 5.5 hours. The Portland TSA simply chose to harrass me. I have had many experiences in this airport that have been fine, but based on this experience when I was disabled, I would only give this airport a one star rating.

Portland Int'l Airport review by J Butler

21 May 2008   Customer Rating :

I would give PDX a five star rating if there weren't so many problems with the TSA staff here. I've flown in and out of PDX about a dozen times, and PDX is easy to get in and out of, easy to meet up with pre-arranged car service and the retail and restaurants are surprisingly diverse for an airport of its size. I travel a lot, through many airports, including all three NY airports, and the PDX TSA staff is out of character for Oregon - aggressive, poorly managed and obnoxious. My checked bag is opened by TSA virtually every time I've left from there, my ID is scrutinized with loupes (it once took ten minutes for two TSA agents to find whatever they were looking for on my driver's license), and they are generally slow and procedure laden. I recently saw a TSA agent grab the lapel of a jacket worn by a Mexican woman who did not speak English and yell at her to take it off. I saw another TSA agent insist on taking away a walker from an elderly woman who obviously needed it to pass it through the X-ray machine. One TSA agent grabbed the laptop in my hands as I was putting it into a plastic bin for screening. I held onto it, and he was incensed. He then had his friend at the X-ray machine single me out for a hand check of my bag. The original "grabber" then played out the hand check for a half hour, in an attempt to make me miss my flight.

Portland Int'l Airport review by D Brock

14 March 2008   Customer Rating :

PDX is my home airport. As with others, excellent points are: manageable size and layout, shopping (interesting shops and food, no state sales tax, and airport does a good job at enforcing "same prices as in town" policy), connection to MAX light-rail right at the terminal. In addition, I'll add that they do lots of nice musical promotions throughout the year: live music at various places, both inside and outside of security. International connections are growing: NW to NRT and soon to AMS, LH to FRA; transcon flights increasing as well. Often-slow baggage delivery is my only complaint, and yes, having to take checked bags from check-in counter to CTX machine is minor irritant as well. Still, small price to pay for an otherwise great operation!

Portland Int'l Airport review by T Porter

19 November 2007   Customer Rating :

As a Southern Californian, I consider PDX to be the Anti-LAX. Unlike LAX - PDX is clean, bright, modern, efficient, spacious and pleasant. The shopping and dining options in the mall connecting all concourses are among the most unique of US airports with lots of regional offerings instead of national chains. It's not a huge airport, but rather a mid-sized airport for a mid-sized city. But just like Portland itself, the airport is a gem. Did I mention how clean and sparkling PDX is? The modern MAX light rail line from the terminal into downtown and suburbs is a bonus, and such a rarity in America. The only downside is that PDX is not the mega-hub that Seattle or San Fran is, and so you sometimes have a hard time finding non-stop flights for transcon or overseas destinations. But overall, PDX is one of America's most pleasant and manageable airports to spend time in.

Portland Int'l Airport review by J Locicero

20 June 2007   Customer Rating :

De-boarding was quick and efficient. The terminal was airy and almost eerily empty - just one sleepy guard near the exit! On the way home Sun evening, I took the light-rail MAX train to the airport from downtown Portland. It's about a half hour and goes through some interesting neighborhoods. This is a rarity for American airports and especially one as small as this, but it very easy and only costs $1.50. Again, the terminal was quiet and security was brisk. The selection of shops & restaurants was a bit underwhelming, but I found everything I needed (magazine, gourmet pizza, oregon wine). I think calling this airport an "architectural masterpiece" is a bit of a stretch, but all-in-all, a well-designed and hassle-free airport. Can't wait to do it again!

Portland Int'l Airport review by Gregg Hillier

14 June 2007   Customer Rating :

PDX is a great airport in most respects: the lines move quickly, there are separate security lines for Seattle-shuttle and Elite Frequent Fliers, there is a good choice of food, and the vast expanse of glass and skylights are great. Considering that Delta abandoned their hub here in 2001 the Airport did'nt fall apart but instead recruited Lufthansa, an NWA nonstop to Tokyo, and Alaska Airlines continues to grow PDX into a small hub. Now the negatives: when checking bags you must get them tagged at the ticket counter and then lug them to a TSA checkpoint, which is sometimes far away. Worse is the baggage claim - it takes an eternity for your bags to appear on the belt - no matter which airline your are flying.

Portland Int'l Airport review by Sean Gavineau

24 March 2007   Customer Rating : n/a

PDX, Portland International Airort, is a stress free airport through which to transit. The lines are relatively short, and fast moving. Staff and the public at large, are all very pleasant, indeed. The terminal is straight forward, with a one trip through security screening, that allows you complete freedom to stoll around the terminal concourses. This feature is especially appreciated when changing concourses to catch connecting flights. There is a wide selection of food choices. Inside the terminal is the Oregon Marketplace, a veritable mini mall, offering a wide array of quality shops and travel services. And, believe it or not, the shops are governed by the airport management, so that they are not allowed to charge higher prices than their retail counterparts outside the airport. And, to put a little icing on the cake, Oregon does NOT have a sales tax, so the price you see marked on the merchandise is the actual price you pay! Try PDX; I think you'll like it.

Portland Int'l Airport review by Lisa Young
7 April 2006

Prior to flying through Portland a month ago I had heard how "strict" the security was in that airport. Yes, security was stricter. Various stages of check-in did show to have a tighter security, more than other airports. They were also extremely courteous, professional, and very efficient. Exactly how it should be! Portland Airport was much larger than I had expected however, the ease of movement in the terminals made it easy to navigate around. All in all, it was one of the best run airports I have travelled in!

Portland Int'l Airport review by Brian McLaughlin
16 October 2005

Finally glad they finished construction at PDX long enough for me to enjoy using it. Currently based out of CVG, I am kind of picky about airports, but as an ex PDX resident I am proud of what they've done. The fern-overgrown carpark is derivative (did they steal the idea from MCO?) but the large protective canopy over the arrival/departure zone is the most practical architectural gem among US airports. PDX originated reasonable shopping at airports in the early 1980s and their collection has only gotten more eclectic since then. While the Terminal D-E departure hall -- meant to be a grand space -- is now podged with security equipment, it's hardly packed out: traffic moves quickly for almost all flights. Unlike other airports, Skyteam (and most other) silver elites get the priority queue at security regardless of fare -- a real plus in my book. Airside, the best choices are Coffee People, Widmer's Brewery and Northwest Travel Mart.

Portland Int'l Airport review by Stefan Paetow
12 July 2005

Easy to get into, easy to get out of, well-organised, friendly, straight-forward, just the way I like my airports! Staff are courteous throughout, gate-side security control was very apologetic about the inconvenience. Will definitely fly into this airport again if I can.

Portland Int'l Airport review by Bob Barker
5 July 2005

PDX is a most efficent, pleasant and user friendly airport. The terminal is an architectual masterpiece. More international and tran continential flights would be nice though. Alaska, Portlands primary airline (PDX it one of it's hubs) has practically dumped PDX and has not added any trans continential flights that have been added to SEA.

Portland Int'l Airport review by Mark Price

8 January 2005

What a beautiful airport!! Well designed, pleasant to move around, generally helpful staff, good food outlets, excellent parking close by, nothing but praise for the management of this facility. Absolutely superb!

Portland Int'l Airport review by M Devor

26 August 2003

Just flew into PDX. It is a great airport. Spacious, comfortable, outstanding shopping, but more so the staff are friendly. It is a user friendly airport and a joy to use. I love the shopping mall between the concourses. No sales taxes in Oregon makes everything more attractive. The one improvement: they need an airside connection between the concourses so that we don't have to undergo the hell of security if changing planes. I am ok to strip down and endure it once on a trip, but now I desire to avoid having to undergo the TSA's rigamore any more than I have to. Other than that, fantastic airport. Nice Sheraton on site and good light rail service to Portland.

Portland Int'l Airport review by Kevin Chan

28 June 2003

Portland International is a great airport for its size. The terminal is well lit & airy while there is a decent selection of shops & restaurants, both national & local retailers. The only complaint I have about PDX is the lack of clocks in the airport. You'd figure an airport would have loads of time telling devices.

Portland Int'l Airport review by C Rust

27 April 2003

Portland International Airport, also known as PDX, is a wonderful airport. The City of Portland is beautiful in the summer and still beautiful in the winter when it rains. There are a lot of misconceptions about Portland. It rains more in Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, and Baltimore so Portland is not the wettest city in the US. Portland has a great variety of aircraft and airlines that fly into Portland. We get every type of Boeing except for the 777 and 717. 747's fly in everyday, and so does the A-340 on Lufthansa. PDX has 3 International Airlines and 4 Airlines that fly passengers internationally. They include Lufhtansa, Mexicana, Air Canada Jazz, and Horizon. 

Portland Int'l Airport review by P Cox

09 August 2002

Portland International Airport (PDX) is an efficient, medium sized facility with lots of light for dreary Pacific Northwest winters. Nice business class lounges, particularly the Delta, United lounges. A relatively new light rail run to downtown, which takes less than 40 minutes, is a great alternative to taxis and limousines. Great shopping along all of the 4 primary concourses, with a city ordinance that prohibits shops from charging more than main street prices. The best thing is that Oregon has no VAT or sales taxes - great for out of town businessmen and guests.