Sacramento Airport

I have been through this airport every month for over 2 years. This is the first time I have had someone raise their voice and tell me that I and all other employees are wrong. I simply requested to not go through the x- ray machine. Every where else directs me to where I am to stand and wait to be patted down and wand with a metal detector. Highly upsetting.

Once again landed at the old terminal (United) and departed from the new (Southwest). The older terminal is not bad but nothing special. Of course landing one does not deal with check-in counters restaurants etc. We again experienced the rental car shuttle getting filled quickly even mid-day on a weekday (when the driver saw we had four bags she said she probably shouldn't have stopped but let us on). I wish the terminals had two levels of roadways so you didn't have to take an escalator or elevator up to the check-in area.

The new terminal which houses Southwest among other airlines is a definite step up. The train required to get from the main terminal to the departure gates was fast. There was a large variety of eateries near the gates. No haute cuisine but decent enough and better than in many other airports. The other older terminal is more run of the mill. My main complaint was that there seemed to be too few shuttle buses between the terminal and the consolidated rental car facility and they could quickly be overwhelmed. At least all rental car companies are housed together.

On our trip to Las Vegas my husband and I needed wheelchair assistance for the first time. He can not stand for long periods and can certainly not make the long distances to the gates without assistance. All the assistants were kind and accommodating. We could not have made this trip without this service. We do recommend however that your shuttle stop at all locations as needed in economy parking. We were dropped off at a lighted kiosk which required walking several rows to our car. They didn't announce our location was coming up.

My husband and I just departed from Terminal B at the SAC airport. My husband is handicapped and needed wheelchair assistance. Securing a chair immediately was not a problem and airline agents at counter were great. My issues began at the security check. The agent at the scanning portal did not speak clearly as to where my husband was to wait for an agent to give him a pat down. He waited and waited for an agent to arrive. It made the whole security area seem disorganized. We also had a similar experience at our departure gate. Again our airline agent checking boarding passes called at least 4 times for assistance before she got confirmation that someone would eventually get there. Is this airport short handed or do they just not want to deal with the handicap.

Airport is apparently in the process of a large expansion. Overall arrival and departure were fairly easy but the check-in area for Southwest Airlnes was very overcrowded (both the indoor check-in counter and outside curbside check-in area). The consolidated rental car facility was easy to use though there are few attendants in the lot to help you if you have any problem finding your car etc. One pleasant surprise was the low price of gas at the station on airport property; actually lower price than many in-town stations (though did not accept American Express) making it an easy choice when filling the tank before returning n your rental car. Lots of shops and restaurants in the airport once you pass through security.

It seems that several years ago it was a nicer experience to "eat and run". As I recall there were choices of restaurants and they were available to everyone not just to those who were flying out. It changes the portrait of reunions and/or farewells when the best choice is to go somewhere else oftentimes including wandering about lost for a bit in the process (being a stranger in a strange land) finding yet another parking place and being unsure of the surrondings and/or offerings on the menu. The ideal plan is to eat with friends and family in a comfortable environment and proceed with the rest of the itinerary. Many of us don't want to add more stops and more diversions to often already overbooked travel plans. How wonderful it would be to enjoy a meal together without going out of the way to do it. Add to that the fact that less and less is being offered or served onboard flight it's very nice to have a restaurant or two available before departing or upon arriving.

A bright and spacious airport but one word of warning. We surrendered our hire car planning to stay the night at the airport hotel and eat at the airport restaurant (just beyond the massive sign on the outside of the building announcing 'Restaurant and with it's own doors at that. Beware - inside is a small pizza hut express and a vending machine selling (on the occasion we visited) two salads and I don't mean a choice of two sorts I mean a total of two. We made the best of it but found the airport at the state capital contributed poorly to the gastronomic experience.

Sacramento airport is one of the nicer ones I've been in the United States. The terminals are open and bright with a nice food court area and some shops. There's not a huge selection in food or shops but it is a small airport and the selection there is is good for the size. Check in is efficient. Baggage claim is a bit crowded but that is the only complaint. Access to the airport is good and it is not far from the city.