Information and Travel Guide for Charlotte Douglas International Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is located about five miles away from the city of Charlotte, North Carolina. It has one large terminal with Concourses from A-E. It is one of the busiest airports in the US and dealt with an estimated 39 million passengers in 2011. It is owned and operated by the city of Charlotte. It is often regarded as an alternative to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. It is US Airways' largest hub and there are direct and connecting flights all over the world - Europe, South America, North America and the Caribbean.

History

It was opened in 1935 and known as the Charlotte Municipal Airport, but renamed to Douglas Municipal Airport in 1954 after the Charlotte mayor, Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr, and in 1982 given the name it holds today: Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Services and Amenities

There are more than 90 retail shops and restaurants at the terminal. Duty Free store is found at the Atrium and Concourse D. There are a number of bookstores, gift stores and clothing stores throughout the terminal. There is a wide variety of fast food restaurants, juice bars and cafes in the terminal such as California Pizza Kitchen (Concourse B), Sbarro (Concourse C) and Jamba Juice (D/E Connector). WiFi services are available throughout Charlotte Douglas International Airport by different providers such as CLTNET. Free WiFi is also available at cafes and restaurants at the airport.

Parking & Transportation

There are eight parking facilities available onsite and near the airport, with about 26,000 parking spots available. There are different long term and short term parking charges, with Long Term parking offering the lowest rates at $5 per day. There are two valet services available. With Curbside Valet, passengers can leave their car with a valet at the end of the Departures/Ticketing Level of the terminal and then call whenever they need their car and it will be bought to their drop off point. It costs a daily rate of $19. With Business Valet, passengers hand over their car to an attendant who parks it. It costs a daily rate of $10. A designated shuttle transports passengers to and from the terminal and luggage assistance is provided.

Eight vehicle rental companies have their offices at the airport. These are Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National/Alarmo and Thrifty. The counters are all located at the lower Baggage Claim Level.

Security

Non-ticketed passengers are not allowed past the checkpoints but are allowed in the upper ticketing area and lower baggage claim area, as well as some other areas prior to the checkpoint. No unattended vehicles are allowed to be parked in front of the terminal building.

Surrounding Places to Stay

There are several hotels, such as the Days Inn Charlotte Airport Coliseum Charlotte (located off Interstate 85 at Exit 33) and the Best Western Airport Inn (located on Interstate 85), close to the airport.

Travel Tips

You will only be able to take one piece of carry-on item as well as one personal item (such as hand bag or laptop bag) into the aircraft.

Contact Information:

Website: http://charlotteairport.com
Email: info@charlotteairport.com
Phone: +1 704 359 4000
Address: 5501 R C Josh Birmingham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28208, United States
Number of Terminals: 1
Time Zone: GMT - 5 (GMT - 4 from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October)
Location: The airport is located 8km (5 miles) west of Charlotte
Airport code: CLT