Providence Airport

Pretty attractive small airport in my estimation Good service easy gates excellent luggage pickup and altogether easy in and out. Tying into nearby AMTRAC line is a great idea and is in process. And it beats Boston to bits! Short-sighted local NIMBY heads seem to be dictating the future of the airports necessary runway extension without politicians willing to stand up to them for the good of the now ailing state economy.

PVD is an airport that is sadly in need of runway expansion but the locals are fighting this tooth and nail. The majors want a longer runway to allow non-stop west coast flights. Southwest is the 'big kid' on the block here and their lift out of PVD is formidable. Recent changes in the routing of arriving passengers directly into the baggage area were positive. Parking rates border on the insane but if you park off-site with a shuttle you can get a fairly good deal. Certainly a great alternative to BOS.

PVD had gotten bigger (more gates) but not necessarily better. Construction is a problem now as the terminal is being re-done. Baggage service is slow for a medium size airport. And the future is tied up in whether the State of Rhode Island can get past local opposition to expanding the main runway to about 9000 feet. Still it is a very fine alternative to fighting the hassles of Logan in Boston.

I agree with Nick - PVD is a great alternative to BOS. Yes it does get crowded at times (the 'Southwest effect') but it is easy to get in and out of the terminal and the crowds are still smaller than those at larger more congested airports. In addition it is easy to get transportation to downtown Providence (to make a connection to Amtrak for a ride to Boston for instance) and there is also convenient bus service directly from PVD to Boston's South Station.

PVD is definitely a nice airport but the planners didn't realize how many people would use this airport for departures and arrivals. Clean and the staff is friendly.

One of the best airports in the Northeast. It is a great hassle free alternative to Boston Logan. During peak hours (mostly 6-8am) the line can be extremely long but it still moves. Everything is clean and efficient. The problem is there are too many flights and people for one small terminal of 16 gates. They need to expand or build a new terminal. Because I live in the area I use this airport all the time. If you are going to Boston I recommend taking PVD instead.