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St Louis Lambert Field Airport Passenger Reviews and Traveller Reports
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ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT customer review : 11 May 2013 by P Jenkins (Australia) |
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Rating : 8/10 |  |
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Recommended |  |
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When held in its proper context of a medium-sized Midwestern city airport, Lambert meets or exceeds expectations.
An F4 tornado struck the main terminal (now known as Terminal 1) two years ago, and it has taken a while for the
terminal to get back on its feet. The proof of the rebuilding and improvement efforts can be seen in Concourses A
and C, with sleek, modern facilities. The TSA line moved quickly and was managed professionally. The public
transportation system known as Metrolink is clean and inexpensive to use. On the whole, I used St. Louis Lambert
Field three times last month and have nothing bad to say at all. I highly recommend using it.
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ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT customer review : 28 June 2011 by David Manifold (USA)
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Customer Rating : 1/5 |
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Lambert has seen better days. Since the "tornado" Concourse C is closed, D is practically deserted with American
flights. The airport is way out of date, tired, dirty, crowded, TSA is surly and "full of themselves" you can't imagine
the arrogance. Prices are as high as LA but the restaurant service is a joke. I wish I could have seen Lambert back
in the day, now it is just dusty dirty and broken down. Very sad and frustrating place to visit.
ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT customer review : 28 April 2011 by M McManus (UK)
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Customer Rating : 4/5 |
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Used this airport during a day trip to St louis from Chicago. Flew in from O'Hare. Extremely
good, cheap and quick public transport to St Louis downtown via the Metrolink, which has
stations in both terminal 1 and 2. The airport has wi-fi, but no computer stations, so if you
don't have a laptop, you can't get on the internet. The telephones also seemed rather confusing
for making international calls. The airport was undergoing considerable refurbishment and
building work when I was there (March 2011), so there was lots of dust and scaffolding in the
terminal. The terminal maps were slightly wrong, which I assume was due to building work being
in the middle of relocating the facilities they pointed to. Good bars and shops, selling
everything from coffee to TSA approved locks and hand baggage sized shampoos. Friendly staff.
St Louis Lambert Field Airport customer review : 3 June 2010 by A Boyd
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Customer Rating : 4/5 | |
The Saint Louis airport is in the process of being updated with a modern and attractive look.
Terminal 1 is an architectually significant structure, and it is already looking amazing now
that the ceilings are cleaned up, and the colorful LED lighting in the skylights adds a
beautiful and energizing light show from both inside and outside the terminal. And with new
flooring, ticket counters, new open views to outside, and a new atrium opening up to the lower
level, the terminal will truly be a beautiful building. Add to this a raised, brightened
ceiling in the lower level, new wall coverings, colorful LED lighting on the structural
columns, along with new contemporary signs and a relocated security checkpoint, it will be
both efficient and appealing.
St Louis Lambert Field Airport customer review : 9 August 2009 by James Burke
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Customer Rating : 4/5 | |
Flew on Southwest, so I was in the East terminal. The light rail system is convenient and
inexpensive, and right outside the terminal (there are 2 airport stops, one for the East
terminal and one for the main terminal). You do need cash for the train ticket, and paying
your fare with a $20 bill nets you a lot of $1 coins as change... Security is not bad, but
when flying WN one realizes that your fellow passengers are not the most experienced
travellers and can make security a rather frustrating experience. The Chili's restaurant
inside is not very good, and line-ups are long at the fast food joints, so I recommend
arriving having eaten!
ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT review : 13 July 2009 by T Kaminski
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Customer Rating : 4/5 | |
Small, compact and user friendly. Flew from and back to Philly - terminal had flow and the
staff was really nice.
ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT review : 25 January 2009 by Matthew Ides
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Customer Rating : 3/5 |  |
As both a St. Louis resident and a former flight attendant, I have a unique view of our aging
airport. I've walked the entire length of the terminal to pass time on airport reserve. I've
been on planes when I had to inform passengers, "sorry the jetbridge is broken today." And
I've also been a passenger myself, standing in those long security lines. What St. Louis
needs is a new series of gates - designed for the future - with an outlook of hope. St. Louis
is not the worn out city depicted by our airport. We have one of the best environments to
raise a family with inexpensive housing, thriving second-city-suburbs, and a revitalized
downtown. Crime rates are falling, and St. Louis is attracting high-tech business focused in
the healthcare industry. No, St. Louis doesn't need to be weighed down with an outdated
airport. We need to move forward with new concourses built off the existing (and historical)
domed entrance. The flaws in St. Louis' airport may appear daunting to passengers, but I have
seen airports around the world. St. Louis' general scheme is not poor - just the final
execution. It's going to take a lot of work, but with the right ideas - looking to build anew
rather than simply modify - St. Louis can attract passenger and cargo carriers that other
cities our size only dream about. Of course my interest in St. Louis is largely personal, but
I believe there is an opportunity to be made. The new terminal proposal would eliminate the
one-side loading capability of the existing structure. In its place would stand three
buildings stretched out in front of the ticketing hall. The center concourse will be
connected to the ticketing hall by a gradual ramp that eases passengers through security and
into the grand entrance to the new terminals - an open space that matches the size of other
grand airports such as DTW. The other concourses will be connected by underground hallways
and trams to the main concourse. One will serve primarily international flights. The other
will allow Southwest to move into a new home. This leaves St. Louis with a separate East
Terminal - room for those charter and private flights that are best kept separate from the
rest of the traveling public. These improvements sound extreme, but for a city that made an
Arch, for a city that still offers more free activities than anywhere but DC, for a city that
is our home - nothing is really impossible.
ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT review :
5 September 2008 : by M Nixon
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
Flew into East Terminal (Southwest Airlines). Baggage arrived with in 20 minutes of landing. Took
train to downtown St. Louis. Had to walk outside to get train, which would have been a problem
during the Winter. Train station will not let you purchase 1-way fare; must purchase 2-hour fare
for $3.50. Beats paying 40.00 for taxi. No agents at airport train station, and could not use
credit card to pay for train. Return, purchased 1-way fare for 2.00 to airport. Check-in very
quick and efficient, probably more to terminal being used completely for Southwest Airlines.
ST LOUIS LAMBERT FIELD AIRPORT review : 30 June 2008 : by S Srinivasan
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Customer Rating : 3/5 | |
Not a bad airport, though not great, either. Security can be unpredictable; it only took about 2
minutes on my trip Wednesday, but it took nearly 30 minutes on a previous visit - probably because
they only have one checkpoint for each set of gates (A, B, C, etc.). There's also a noticeable lack
of food choices in the terminals, and the terminals have a rather old, depressing look to them. On
the plus side, taxi times to/from the runway and gates are short since the airport is relatively
compact, and the light rail (MetroLink) station next door to both the main and east terminals is nice.
St Louis Airport by R Pohle
20 June 2007 Customer Rating : 
Lambert International Airport compares favorably with many airports. The
main building and concourses are pleasant and not as congested and
hectic as many other airports. Public transportation excellent. There is
a need for late night information and food services.
St Louis Airport by Rolf Heelas
19 January 2007 Customer Rating : n/a
Flew in to St Louis for a few days on business, not the best airport in
the world, had the feel like others had mentioned of being stuck in a
bit of a time warp, but had no problems. What is great is the metro
station which is attached, about 4 services an hour and dirt cheap at
$4.50 a day travel. Plenty of airport hotels which are good value and
very close to the airport. From US outsider point of view found it
very strange to see a medium sized airport with what seems only small
regional jets using it
St Louis Airport by M Philipak
28 October 2005
I grew up transiting Lambert from the mid -70's to this day. Back in
1976, Lambert was a jewel and a great place to be moving through.
American Airlines did not take advantage of an airport hub and
facilities that could be improved greatly at bargain prices, but
dismantled the whole thing, obviously thinking that DFW and ORD didn't
have enough traffic and weren't quite crowded enough. C concourse is not
user-friendly, has an odor problem, and could sure use a decent sit-down
restaurant. The good news is that C concourse is now pretty much empty,
leaving the post-deregulation zoo-like atmosphere behind. A concourse is
busier, as all the "other" airlines gate there. Although they have good
service, it is crowded at peak times and still has the same odor problem
as C concourse. D concourse, well, what can you say? I long for the
days of Ozark's green tails and civil service to their customers. Now D
is a ghost town. E councourse is one of the nicest I have ever seen.
Southwest hit a home-run here. convenient, good parking, short walk to
the gate, short walk to the baggage claim. The only thing missing here
is a decent place to eat. The security staff is a joke and an insult to
customers. So, with Lambert's expansion closing in on tangible results,
and Southwest's new terminal (which is VERY nice), the airport should be
attracting some new business by lowering gate and landing fees.
Hopefully, this way, they can begin to put some money into renovations
of those terminals and possibly return to the glory days prior to
deregulation.
St Louis Airport by Craig Pirner
10 July 2005
Many of the complaints about Lambert airport (run down facilities, dark baggage claim
area, falling apart parking garage, etc.) are true. In terms of facilities, it is
probably not among the nicest airports in the United States. There have been some
recent improvements, however. The American terminals have new carpet, there's a few
new dining options (Chili's, Wolfgang Puck, etc.), and even some stores (like a
Brooks Brothers) that are opening soon. All of this should help! American's service
reductions have reduced their gate presence to only the C concourse, so making a
connection in St. Louis is relatively easy; you typically don't have to deal with the
constant gate changes that plague other hubs. The service reductions do mean that
more service to St. Louis is done on regional jets. The D concourse is now pretty
much empty, so if you remember St. Louis' "glory days" as a bustling TWA hub, you
will likely find that depressing. A suggestion: if you are an originating passenger
in St. Louis and you see a big security line at the C concourse entrance, try going
over to the B concourse. There's rarely a line at B. The B gates serve the prop
planes, but as soon as you enter the B gates you can take a short walkway to the C
gates and avoid the security mess.
St Louis Airport by Chad Koehnk
3 February 2004
I have been living in St. Louis for 4 years now and frequenting it often. The airport is probably
one of the worst in the country, however it has its positive notes. 1) There is a metro (light
rail) train which pulls up directly to the airport and can take you to anywhere around 20 locations
around St. Louis. In a matter of 30 minutes (about the same as driving) you can be in the shadow of
the arch. It makes it nice for layovers. 2) The food is interesting. The Burger King both inside
and outside security are not too overpriced, and the California Pizza Kitchen is fantastic (although
expensive)
St Louis Airport by Scott Robert
26 August 2003
Lambert always seemed run downed and depressing to me. I used it a few times with TWA, but won't
fly on anything that has to bother with stopping in St Louis.
St Louis Airport by M Devor
31 July 2003
I found the previous comments about St. Louis Airport amusing. They are true and it is an old
airport. I used to transit St. Louis many years ago when we flew TWA.
It was nice back then. What happened? It is old, run down, and not comfortable at all. The walks out
to the gates take forever and the eating places are terrible, unhealthy. They need to re-do the
entire airport. It probably doesn't matter. American took over TWA, who had bought out Ozark. AA is planning on
scaling down its new St. Louis hub (having O'Hare and DFW, so excessive) so there won't be much
there before long, save Southwest. St. Louis is actually a good location
for a hub. One positive, they actually do have a fair amount of airport hotels in the area.
St Louis Airport by Jeffrey D Sarver
3 November 2002
I have practically grown-up transiting St Louis' Lambert Field.
Like all other airports it was once a pleasant experience, before the hub and spoke system destroyed
all civility in the flying experience, especially in the larger airports.
As airlines disappeared after deregulation of the industry in 1978 and huge, omnipresent carriers,
like TWA which used reign at STL, took over the show, STL became a nightmare and remains one to this
day.
STL is one of those horribly designed octopus-airports. You have a choice of walking down one of
the two endlessly long gate corridors (running is usually the mode of transport unless you are lucky
enough to snag a golf cart or wheelchair which isn't easy given the hoardes of the elderly
travelling cheaply on Southwest airlines which hubs there) and when you finally have arrived at your
gate of departure there is rarely anyplace to sit, but that usually doesn't matter because boarding
has already begun and one is lucky to have made it in time from the connection gate 1/2 mile away in
the dusty old bus-terminal-like annex used for the commuter planes that buzz like flies in from all
over the midwest! Not a pleasant experience.
If you are travelling point to point on any other carrier besides American or Southwest you will not
have to wear your running togs because all the other airlines are stuck in the little old terminal
off to one side. The only advantage to that quaint old building is that it is next door to the
restaurant, which has since become an enormous McDonalds. I may be wrong but I don't think there is
a proper dining facility at STL any longer. Anyway the other advantage to arriving at the old
terminal on the other carriers is that you can get out of the airport very quickly, which is a good
thing. My point being, don't join American's frequent flyer program just because you do business in
St Louis alot, stick to your hometown carrier.
If you are strictly into "cheap" then STL is the place for you.
Southwest is rapidly gaining strength in that market. That's good because the money you save on
flying like a heifer to market is that you can then afford a hot-dog and beer at one of the grossly
expensive junk food emporiums that abound there.
The hot-dog stands (ubiquitous in St Louis Airport) and dirty bars are grossly over-priced unless
you want a half-gallon-sized plastic beaker of Budweiser which is the most cost-effective purchase
in the gate areas, not to mention the fastest way to numb yourself to the chaos around you, that is
if you've managed to miss your flight or arrive in time to sit down and dry off for a few moments
before running to your connection.
I no longer transit STL when visiting "home". It's too degrading. Every time I have found myself in the vortex of that maelstrom in one of those endless arms to
infinity I find myself meditating on Dante's Inferno and wondering which circle of hell I have
landed myself in this time.
I doubt very much if American Airlines can improve a bad situation that TWA didn't seem to notice.
The airport staff, once past the check-in counters, are nasty and unhelpful and slightly threatening
more often than not and clearly hate their jobs.
So, if you are going to the Midwest, which is a nice place to go, skip STL and use Chicago O'Hare.
At least at ORD you will have a choice of airlines to fly, meaning lower airfares if
transiting on
to the west coast or the southwestern US.
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