Salt Lake City Airport

Not Verified | I thought the same thing, “Who in their right mind would have designed something like this?”. This airport was built for singles under 40, neither families nor those not trading for a marathon, I saw numerous people running to catch their flight exacerbated by the distance between gates. When we arrived it seemed like a mile walk to the car rentals. Where are the sky trams or passenger trains. Did the architect design this in a vacuum? Go visit Atlanta’s airport, or Detroit. These airports move people as opposed to having the people hike. On our return flight today we sat on the tarmac for over 2 hours as over 100 bags were missing. The baggage system broke and the pilot said it was a fiasco. I can understand a mechanical breakdown, but failure to test seems to be in keep with the other lack of attention to detail this airport exhibits. In short, SLC is not enjoyable, Maybe it can be fixed.

✅ Trip Verified | This is one of the worst experiences I’ve had at an airport. Allow at least an hour just to walk to your gate - it’s insane how far apart the terminals are from each other. I arrived 2 hours before my flight, waited in line for security for an hour and then had to sprint to my gate to not miss my flight. Little did I know I would be sprinting for a good 2 miles, no exaggeration. The airport layout is ridiculous especially with no transpiration to these extremely far concourses.

✅ Trip Verified | Obviously this airport was designed by an architecture student who had never traveled by plane. It is a more aesthetically pleasing airport than its predecessor, but the outdated predecessor was 10 times more functional. Security screening should be on the same level as airline check in as that seems to be the worldwide norm. Instead, you check in then immediately have to ride an escalator or elevator to security screening area. Guess what, security screening is located right where all the arriving passengers have to claim their luggage! Brilliant. Speaking of claiming your luggage, there is one thing that was brought over from the predecessor, the infamous luggage destroyer carousels. It’s 2021 and there are much better designs than the drop and crash luggage destroyer. Look it up, Nashville, Fort Lauderdale, even JFK have no dump and destroy carousels. Oh and after you claim your bags, you have to cross the sky bridge and then ride and escalator or elevator to get to the street pick up. Here’s an idea, put baggage claim on ground level. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about the insane length of time it takes to get to the B gates and how they couldn’t figure out how to line up the connector with the main entry corridor. Obviously this airport was designed by a person who had a vested interest in escalator, elevator and moving walkway sales and installation as I find it difficult to believe any reasonably intelligent person could not figure out some of these challenges before this design was approved. Here’s an idea, get input from the traveling public, you know the people who actually pay for and use the facility. I can assure you even the least architecturally educated among us could create a more functional and less time intensive design. Alas, I’m just a simpleton who believes the shortest distance is a straight line.

✅ Trip Verified | As mentioned in other reviews, this is the worst airport design. I’m a healthy 67 year old woman and the distance of walking with luggage is ridiculous. I will not use this airport again unless they install trams or carts. My daughter had a time getting her two young children to walk with their carry-ons that distance. Very bad design, shame on the architects.

✅ Trip Verified | When I left I left from an A gate. I was impressed by the new airport. The modern art, the cool stores, the restrooms every 3rd gate. I have flown out of this airport for 15 years and was truly blown away. But my return was a nightmare. Our plane literally parked way out on the tarmac somewhere. We had to walk outside the plane down a ramp (in winter) to a shuttle bus. The bus drove us to B gates—which is nowhere near the baggage claim. 3/4 of a mile walk later around the entire airport I finally got to baggage claim. Got my bag and the signage that used to be so clear about where to get ground transportation didn’t exist anymore. I went out a door for shuttles, and had to ask a Trax bus driver where the Economy shuttle line was. She directed me to 6c which was further down. Who designs an airport like this? It’s a giant U, and no one thought “hey—how about a connecting tram between the gates? It’s insane. God forbid I had a connecting flight to make. Even so—it was practically an asthma attack just to get from the tarmac to my bag. And one of the walkways in the opposite directions wasn’t even working. I felt so bad for those people. Build a tram like every other city has done. These distances are crazy for a healthy person, let alone someone who is older, infirm, running late, and etc.

Not Verified | After a life of much travel, domestic and international, this was the worst experience I have had. Had I known that I would be forced to walk for more than 45 minutes with a carry-on shoulder bag, I would have carried-on a roller bag. Next time, for sure. The signage was unclear: the moving walkways appeared to be going to A terminal and the baggage claim sign to the left suggested that one should walk on the left side where there were no moving walkways. When I figured out that I could go on a moving walkway, the last one ended and a left turn toward baggage claim presented a further long walk with no moving walkways. Also, the moving walkways were jammed: no social distancing and no airport attendants to make certain that would happen. The thoughts I wrestled with were that I am older but fortunately in good health. If I had not been and had a heart condition as do many of my age, I might have suffered a heart attack from the length of the walk and having to carry a bag. And I feared exposure to Covid on the jammed moving walkways and escalators. Thirdly, I wondered how far I would have had to walk in a short time, had I been making a connection. Finally, after retrieving my luggage, I stopped a bicycle-riding SLC policeman to ask how to go to passenger pick up and he looked at me with two large suitcases and brusquely said "go up those stairs over there." Right. I like to be supportive of police, but that was the unkindest cut of all. I would like to say that I would avoid SLC in the future, but I live in Jackson Hole and every trip I take must go through Salt Lake. In an era of technological advance and sophistication, what idiots designed the new airport? It is a crime -- and I suspect there will be many passengers suffering health problems while at the airport. They had better lay on large numbers of motorized carts and people to operate them and provide clearer signage.

✅ Trip Verified | Worst airport experience ever. I’ve been flying for 40 years, domestic and international. I always look forward to experiencing a new airport or sizable expansion, such as SLC has recently undergone. Unfortunately, there are too many problems with the new facility to enumerate. The remote (as in feels like you are in the next county) nature of the B terminal is particularly troublesome. On arrival in terminal B, the single down escalator designed to give access to the pedestrian tunnel to terminal A was out of service. There was no ongoing effort to repair the equipment nor any effort made by airport personnel to advise travelers of the situation—just a huge “traffic jam” (btw, interesting social experiment—social distancing immediately collapsed, health is apparently less important than getting ahead). I agree wholeheartedly with those who wonder if those who designed and executed the expansion actually travel regularly. Travelers beware: If you have a right connection you are likely to miss it, particularly if it in involves a terminal transfer. There are certain airports I have avoided for years. For instance, given the choice I would ordinarily fly through SLC over DIA every day of the week. Not anymore. SLC has catapulted straight to the top of my list of airports to avoid.

✅ Trip Verified | My wife (who is on oxygen) and I had to leave from and returned to gates at the very end of the main concourse - of the very, very, very long main concourse. There are moving walkways - 4, to be exact - that are very, very far apart, and there is nowhere for a handicapped person to sit and rest between those walkways. Everything is very clean and sanitized - with nowhere to rest. There are no kiosks in the concourse with airport maps showing what stores are available within that long concourse, either, so if you're looking for something, you have to physically re-walk that long, long concourse. On one of those walkways, I spied a food place with a few blocked-off tables, but nothing like at PDX or SeaTac or O'Hare. There are very few places to eat, anyway - so maybe that is why they don't bother with kiosks. Once out of the concourse and past the security doors, there are multiple "island" features where one can sit and get a breath, which is a good thing, because it is another long, long walk to get to baggage claims - which is another long problem. There are two sets of carousels - one to the left of the security exit, and one to the right. Neither is clearly marked overhead, but one is for Delta, the other for all other carriers. The video screens to tell you where your luggage will be are both a long way from where you first see them - so you have to walk hundreds of feet - only to find out you should have gone the other way. Then, I had to pass four empty, unused carousels to get to my luggage. So then, I could finally leave the terminal and go out to my waiting daughter. Except: When you leave the terminal, you are in the area for shuttles. You walk to one of two crosswalks, and get to the area for Uber and Lyft vehicles. Then you find that there is a concrete wall between you and the place passenger cars can pick you up, so you get to go back across the shuttle area, back in the terminal, up to the second floor, across those lanes and back down to the ground to get out where you can be picked up. All in all, it was a miserable experience. I have been in hundreds of airports around the world. I have never had such a miserable experience. Even getting kicked out of Elmas on Cagliari when it closed and my ride hadn't come was not as bad as this. Just one more proof that "new and improved" is a lie. It is a false lie!

✅ Trip Verified | After checking-in, in order to get to the TSA checkpoint, you must go down one level, which is uncommon for US airports. From what I saw, there is only one checkpoint for the entire airport, which could cause long lines during the busy time. We were departing in the late evening, and the line seemed to be about 10-15 minutes long, while the TSA-Pre and priority lanes were completely empty. The security equipment was brand new, and the process went smoothly until I was selected for an additional security check due to my arm brace. The agent was quite rude and forcefully patted down the brace and caused pain after collecting three substance samples and two hand metal detector tests. Additionally, the same agent flipped everything out of one of our suitcases to confiscate a bottle of lotion that was 5 millilitres over the limit and has passed through multiple airports before. Past security, there were a few restaurants like Shake Shack and only one lounge, the Delta SkyClub. Most stores are still under construction. The A gates, which are used by Delta are located within a few minutes of walking distance. However, all other airlines depart from the B gates, which require all passengers to once again go one level lower and walk for quite a large amount of time. The B gates do have restaurants, however, the best options are closer to the entrance of the airport at the A gates. The wifi worked well and all seats were equipped with a power outlet. The airport is made for solo travelers, the layout and long walking distances are not designed for families and people who may need assistance. If you plan on flying with a large group or require mobility help, flying Delta is best as their gates are closest.

✅ Trip Verified | I have used this airport for many years to travel on business in the western USA. After my recent experience at the "new" airport, I will be looking for a new western USA base. Simply put, I honestly cannot think of anything positive to say about this new airport. The new parking garage is a mess. The signage is quite poor. I wanted to park my rental car in the short term area as I have always done. But when I pulled up the ramp, there were two ways I could go: the left-hand ramp went up, so I took the right-hand entrance. The garage is very poorly designed. The entrances to the garage are VERY narrow, and you have to enter on a right-angle, which made things very tricky. Fortunately I had a very small car, but it was a tight squeeze even so. Once I got into Level Two, I saw a sign stating that overnight parking was not permitted. I drove around for a least 5 minutes, trying to find either someone to help me or the way up to Level Three. There WAS a booth that said "Information" but no one was around. So I drove around for another 5 minutes, trying to find the exit. There are signs pointing to "exit" but in fact many of them just lead right back into the same level! When I finally DID find the exit, it was unmarked, off to the side in an odd location, and not only did it require a 90-degree turn, but there was a long concrete barrier about six inches high alongside the exit. I couldn't pull into it, so I had to go all the way around and then swing wide. As it was, it was a VERY tight lane, as was the entrance to the down ramp. When I finally got to the exit, I asked the lady at the ticket booth where I could park overnight. She told me to go left, up to Level Three, and that she would immediately call her supervisor, who would meet me at the entrance, to help me. Needless to say, no one up there on Level 3 either. When I got down to the check-in area, it was absolute chaos. Long lines to get a baggage tag, even longer lines to drop the bag off: and the counters were fully staffed. The chaos was not the fault of the airline, but rather the poor airport design. Very poorly laid-out and definitely not customer friendly. I asked the lady at check-in how I was to get to my gate. She said, "you're at B20" and that's a bit of a walk: 1.2 miles, actually." As it turned out it was even further than that! Another airport employee told me later that they were going to build an underground train to connect Terminals A and B, but had no idea if/when that would actually be completed. Several of the rolling walkways were also not functioning. I felt sorry for the older people that I saw that were clearly struggling with that hike. The signage throughout the airport is poor. For example, to get to Terminal B from Terminal A, you have to walk halfway down Terminal A, then take the stairs (or escalators, if they're working) down to the tunnel that leads to B. One would think that this would be frequently signposted but in fact it is not. I wandered around for quite a while before I stumbled upon it. Returning to SLC was more of the same. There are a few signs for "Baggage Claim" and then they suddenly disappear. Again, a fair bit of wandering and I finally found: right at the entrance to Terminal A! Not secure at all. For those of you that travel internationally, let me describe SLC: it makes Frankfurt or Paris Charles de Gaulle seem organized and friendly. By the way beer and coffee are basically your only food options..