Minneapolis St Paul Airport

There is a good mix of shops and eating places but most important of all the signeage is clear.We were coming in from Europe and needing to catch another flight connection after clearing customs. I was SO pleased that after we'd done that there was a sign indicating where the luggage needed to go for onward flights. Last year we went through Dulles and we hadn't a clue where the bags had to go and the staff didn't help. One sign at MSP saved an awful lot of upset and resulting delayed baggage that we had at Dulles. Give me MSP anyday.

I use MSP 5-6 times a year and find it "serviceable". Its too big and distances between connections can be long and tiring even with the escalators and trams. Food tends to be mediocre and expensive and in general I find the whole MSP experience dispiriting. One good thing: the NWA lounges are top- notch or very close to it. Also you can pay a daily fee and get in. Very worthwhile if you have a 5-6 hour (or more) layover. International arrival there is OK no long delays but customs takes themselves very seriously and seems to operate on the premise if they're not inspecting someone's bags they're not doing their jobs. You can get to the Mall of America pretty easily if you do find yourself with a 6 hour layover. At least you could before I-45 collapsed.

One of the nicest US airports I've visited which made an enforced further 24 hour stay that much more bearable. Nicely spaced out nothing is too far away and even getting to/from Downtown Minneapolis and the MoA is a lot easier than (say) Heathrow. If you fly NW and use hotel drop-off the self check-in where you're dropped off makes things less hassle. Only minor quibble was that if you have a lot of people queuing up for a non NW flight (in my case UAL) it gets crowded. But then it was the time when my own flight got delayed so it was probably a bad day.

The layout at MSP is excellent. The walk is never too long and you don't need to leave security to change concourses unlike SFO LAX etc. Also all the check-in counters are in the same hall which is great if different people in your group are flying different airlines and you want to say goodbye. Short security lines due to multiple multi lane checkpoints. On-site rental car and parking makes travel into town easy.

Just transferred twice through MSP on NW a few weeks ago. I liked the airport a lot but it fails in comparison to DTW. The Lindbergh Terminal is quite a hike especially if you are coming in on Northwest Airlink. The G and C terminals are very long but there is a walkway where you can transfer from one side to the other. I really enjoyed the observation deck at the D concourse and the view was excellent. The C concourse tram is very helpful especially for the elderly. Waiting areas tend to be crowded in the C concourse but D E F and G were just fine. Great restaurants also. All and all I was quite happy with MSP. Expect a bit of a walk and familiarize yourself with the terminal layout in the NW magazine. If you do that you should be just fine.

At first glance you may wonder why MSP received the award for best North American Airport. Let's face it the terminals aren't brand new like DEN or SAN and nobody likes paying high air fares because of its n torious fortress status. However there are many factors that make MSP stand out like the quick and easy immigration/customs area tram to Concourse C excellent restaurant choices (try the Itasca Grill) and its close proximity to the downtown area. I think the terminal dedicated to low cost carriers (Humphrey terminal) is a great aspect of MSP - it's cozy and a breeze to get through and you don't have to wade through the thousands of connecting passengers on NWA to get to your gate. The Lindbergh terminal (main terminal) has a nice clean shopping area in the middle with an even cleaner food court but the concourses themselves are dotted with decent restaurants as well. The layout makes sense and you never have to walk very far unless you're at the very end of a concourse or you forget to take the tram. There's also train service to the Mall of America (currently the biggest mall in the US great for a long layover) and the downtown area. The airport could use a facelift as some of the ceilings are a bit low and the baggage area is becoming slightly dilapidated. It would be a blessing if Southwest came here - it would drive down some of the high fares associated with the Northwest monopoly but I suppose every fortress airport could use some Southwest relief.

I have always liked connecting though MSP. I agree with people when they say that if you're coming in on an RJ or Prop that you had better wear hiking shoes but the abundance of moving walkways is definately a plus. Anyway the airport has always been clean and the staff has the friendly "Midwest Hospitality" feel about them. Being from Wisconsin myself it was mostly overlooked outbound and only noticed on my way back home after missing this while at my destination.

Décor is a very staid; it didn't feel like the most modern of airports. Unlike Mr Kuhlmann I did not find much trouble navigating from Humphrey to the Hertz pick-up but I was disappointed at the distance I still had to walk especially as I had an extraordinary amount of luggage. However I was impressed with the friendliness of all staff especially at United.

To answer the question about the trams with no people they were undergoing testing and before certification for use they had to run 30 days without needing matinence. I personally have ridden them since then and they are without any staff aboard. Also much less known to travelers here is the Humphrey terminal which has been built in the last five years. This terminal features six gates none of which are / can be owned by any single airline. Also the new light-rail system is a plus for travelers who have a layover because not only does it connect to the mall of america but the MOA terminal is within walking distance of a new indoor waterpark once construction has finished this waterpark will be the largest indoor waterpartk in the US.

Overall I like MSP yes it is a pain to get to some concourses but it is an older airport. My question is why have the train (light rail) connecting Minneapolis Fort Snelling the airport and the Mall of America if I cannot park at any of those locations and ride the train to the airport without getting my car towed? Maybe a few people like to go to the Mall but I doubt many fly into MSP and ride the train elsewhere without additional transportation. Seems like a huge waste to me.