Dallas Fort-Worth Airport

The terminal design is such that you can pass from gate to kerb in under 5 minutes upon arrival and security queues tend to be short and manageable upon departure. American dominates the airport and takes up 4 terminals - if you're making a connection between A/C and B/D (on opposite sides of the central highway) it can take a while because the SkyTrain is slow and makes many stops. Terminal D was recently renovated and is quite smart but A B and C are older and could use a refurb. Dining options are outstanding in D but mediocre in A B and C. For whatever reason the airport operators crank up the aircon at all hours and the terminals feel unnecessarily cold. The rental car facility is about 2.5 miles off site but shuttles are frequent.

While it cannot compare to most foreign hubs DFW is a functional airport by American standards. Amenities are on par with other large US hubs but security checks rarely take more than 15 mins of queuing. Customs/Immigration is probably the fastest I have experienced in the US and although int'l transfer passengers must exit the secure area and undergo an additional security check this is not really different from any other US airport. Gate-to-gate transfers can be quite a trek given the size of the airport but are quite simple if your gate is closer to a Skytrain entrance. The biggest gripe is the fact that the baggage system is slow and outdated. Unless you are flying into the newer terminal D expect to wait about 30 minutes before you will see your bag.

Of many airports I have slept in overnight due to cancelled flights or early morning flight DFW is the only one I know that passes out cots to passengers who are sleeping at the airport! They pass out blankets and cots. Around 1000pm various airport staff roam the airport with their electric carts passing out these cots and blankets to anyone who wants one. At Narita airport in Japan they actually gather passengers to a secured area of the airport check their papers and then turn off the lights. Although Narita airport doesn't pass out blankets and cots the area where they cordon off passengers have seats that you can stretch out on.

DFW is a very nice airport with great maintenance and cleanliness. The newer International D- Terminal is very nice and modern. Also the Skytrain is very convenient and useful.

Little short of a shambles recently. Took over 90 minutes to get a BA 747 through immigration which meant that getting a connecting flight was touch and go. What made it a lot worse was that connecting passengers do not stay in a secure area but have to go through security again. On top of this the air con was so poor that the terminals were unpleasantly warm.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is very large and clean airport. Its overall aesthetic appeal puts it in contrast to say Chicago O'Hare International. Plan sufficient time for connections! This airport is on the list of the world's busiest the airport complex is massive and the last problem you want to have when travelling is to miss a flight. There is however a tram system that is helpful.

A pleasant change from LAX and San Diego my home airports. Arrived in transit and had to spend two hours here. As I was looking at a large directory sign I was approached by a very nice lady who wore a tag identifying her as an "ambassador" of the airport. She handed me a small map and directory and explained the skylink a free train system the airport has to take you from one terminal to another. It is clearly marked and had signs specifying what terminal the train took you to. The airport was clean had plenty of shops and restaurants and was well organized. I didn't have to pick up baggage or go through customs but the airport itself is one of the better ones I've been in.

DFW airport is decent in terms of check in security access etc but one has to pay to just even drop someone. The cart costs $3 while it is free in 3rd world countries like India. So is the wifi which is free at most Indian airports but not available for free at DFW airport. There is not much to eat for people who drop off passengers except at Terminal D. Not many international flights there as well.

Transportation around the airport was terrible. For that reason alone I prefer to avoid Dallas FW but will go through it if the only other option is LAX. Other than transport it's a pretty average airport for the US. Security and Customs are subpar but not unbearable. The level of service is generally substandard as well.

Last October 2008 we came through Immigration in transit for LHR from Mexico as we were British (foreigners) our queue was huge it took 3 hours to get through! We were lucky we did not miss our next flight but a whole lot of people did! Nightmare - they need more officers for the foreigners - Americans fly through in a breeze I must add. However as an Airport fantastic - just got to help people through Immigration - it is only because of a lack of staff!