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A traveler's guide to DFW airport
11:15 AM CDT on Monday, August 25, 2008
Mention Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and the superlatives begin:
•It's the world's third-busiest airport in terms of takeoffs and landings. It's the world's sixth-busiest if you're counting passengers.
•The airport covers 29.8 square miles. That's bigger than the island of Manhattan, which is just shy of 23 square miles.
•It has seven runways, plus room for an eighth. It can land four airplanes at once, something no other airport can do.
•And it's served by 21 airlines that can take you to 173 destinations.
But with five terminals, D/FW can be intimidating to the novice and challenging even to experienced fliers.
So take a deep breath and use our D/FW guide to make your next trip smoother.
Here's a rundown of highlights you'll find in each terminal. For a more complete list, go to www.dfwairport.com, where you can search by terminal, type of shop or restaurant. Pocket-size guides are available in displays throughout the terminals if you want to see what's near your gate.
Four of the five terminals – A, B, C and E – were built when the airport opened in 1974 and have a horseshoe design. The idea was that you could park across the street from your gate and hop on your airplane. There are at least three security checkpoints in each terminal; you shouldn't have too long a walk to reach one. (And your wait in a security line shouldn't be long, either.)
The fifth terminal, International Terminal D, opened in 2005. Its U-shape has squared corners, making it easier to see your gate from the shops and restaurants. It's more than a half-mile from end to end, but moving sidewalks help speed you along. The master plan for D/FW includes a sixth terminal, Terminal F, when more capacity is needed.
If you're trying to decide whether you should enter the airport from the North or South entrance, remember: Traveling north to south, the terminals spell A-C-E on the airport's east side. Remembering the west side terminals isn't as catchy. It goes B-D and, when it's built, F.
Think airport shopping means paying dramatically higher prices? Not here.
D/FW adopted a street-pricing model in 1995. Vendors are allowed to charge a maximum of 10 percent more than similar items cost outside the airport. The add-on compensates for the higher costs of airport operations.
Like most airports, when D/FW was built, folks didn't spend much time connecting to flights. There wasn't much call for extra space for stores and sit-down restaurants. Newspaper stands and quick eats were du jour
But with more than two-thirds of D/FW's passengers now connecting, rather than starting their trip here, shops and eateries have been shoehorned into every possible nook and cranny. The exception is Terminal D, which was built with room for retail. And that's where you'll find the best shopping.
Here are some great stops around the airport:
Best place to indulge: Let go of travel stress at XpresSpa. The quick-service spa operates in 17 airports in the U.S., Mexico and Europe and has locations at D/FW near Gates A24 and D20. Services are geared toward travelers who need a quick fix between flights.
The spas specialize in treatments for all the places that leave a traveler aching. Pamper your doggies with a foot massage, from $24 for 10 minutes. Try a 20-minute mini-facial for $40. Or, relax in one of the spa's high-tech massage chairs and let the program knead away those knots in your shoulders. (Prices start at $15 for 10 minutes.)
Full-body massages and standard spa services such as hair removal and facials are also available if you have more time.
Need a gift? Head to one of two locations for La Bodega Winery (D14 or A15) for some decidedly un-airporty gifts. The shop specializes in Texas wines but has recently expanded to boutique international labels, and there's something for just about every wine lover. D/FW also has several shops often found in shopping malls, including L'Occitane (D15), Brookstone (D20 and D27) and Fossil (C26, D12 and D28).
Need something for a sports fan? Visit one of D/FW's Official Dallas Cowboys Pro Shops, near gates A24, D23 and E13. Prefer golf? There are PGA Tour shops at A29 and D33.
Unexpected deals? Check out the Buckaroo Tax-Free shop near D14. Unlike Buckaroo's duty-free locations, this shop is open to all passengers, not only those taking an international flight.
Just spilled mustard on your dress shirt? Pick up a new shirt at Brooks Brothers (D26 and E16 sell men's clothes; the shop near C14 also has women's clothing). Or, stop by Shop24, DFW Travelmart, Z Market or a newsstand for a stain-remover stick.
Looking for kid-friendly items? Go to KidZoo at A34 or Lone Star Kids at E16.
Western flair? Head to Ropin & Ridin at A38 or Lone Star Attitude at C33.
24/7 shopping: Visit one of D/FW's 15 Zoom stores. These are large vending machines that offer items you wouldn't expect, including iPods and accessories, cosmetics and convenience-store items.
Quick grab: Check out convenience stores DFW TravelMart at C11, D20, and D25, or Z Market at B33. Z Market, which opened in June, features deli items created by Fort Worth's Lonesome Dove chef Tim Love.
Remember when airport terminals had only cocktail lounges and heat-lamp-roasted hot dogs? No more. D/FW boasts outposts of some of the region's favorite eateries, including Fort Worth's Reata Grill, Dallas' Dickey's BBQ and Las Colinas' Cool River Café.
And, if you're looking to brush up on your Lone Star State wineries, you can visit the world's only winery in an airport, La Bodega Winery , near gate A15, or its tasting room and gift shop near gate D14. You won't go hungry. La Bodega serves tapas-style bites.
Outside the security checkpoints, Au Bon Pain is D/FW's only restaurant. Its deli is near gate D27, in the international arrivals lounge. Vending machines are the only other options. If you're looking for something fancier, head to the Grand Hyatt atop Terminal D for a meal at the Grand Met.
Looking for a place to cool your heels when your flight's delayed? Here are a few suggestions.
Comfy seating: D/FW has eight Samsung Mobile Travel Centers. They're under the Skylink stations, and each is adjacent to a Starbucks in terminals A, B, C and E. The rooms offer cushy leather chairs, flat-screen TVs playing CNN and plenty of outlets for plugging in a laptop. The décor has a soft palette, and the glass walls allow you to see what's going on in the gate area without having to listen to all the announcements.
Seating with perks: D/FW has installed leather massage chairs called First Class Seats in each of its five terminals. Settle into the cushy recliner and get a half-hour massage for $10. If you're short on time, it's $1 for three minutes.
An airport oasis: Members of airline clubs know to go straight to the nearest club to finish last-minute work or find some quiet. But did you know you can buy a day pass? It'll cost you $50 for a day at American Airlines' Admirals Club (locations near A24, B6, C20 and D24) or for United's Red Carpet Club (scheduled to close by October) near gate B30, $30 for Delta's Crown Room near gate E10, and $45 for Continental's Presidents Club near gate E7. Near gate D21 in Terminal D, the Club at DFW – used by members of Priority Pass, Korean Air, Lufthansa and British Airways Executive Club – charges $35 for the day.
D/FW has holiday-themed entertainment and volunteers the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and around the busiest travel days before Christmas to lighten the mood and provide assistance.
Welcome Home a Hero: D/FW is one of two U.S. airports to host charter flights of U.S. troops coming home for rest and recuperation. Started in 2004, this program allows community members and groups to welcome the daily planeloads of service men and women. The planes arrive at gates B37 or D22. If you're nearby, you may be asked to help cheer the troops. To volunteer and get details about arrivals, contact the USO at 972-574-0392.
Rhenda White-Brunner has her hands full. Because D/FW hosts inbound and outbound R&R flights for overseas U.S. troops, the director of the nonprofit USO's D/FW outpost and her volunteer crew helped to welcome and send off about 150,000 service men and women in the last year.
The USO, which has 131 locations worldwide and a site near gate B15 at D/FW, helps with last-minute details, whether it's phone calls to friends and family before a service person departs, goodie bags with items donated by the community or making video recordings of servicemen and women reading a story that will be sent along with the corresponding book to a young loved one.
The USO also coordinates family events in the community. To volunteer, call 972-574-8764 or e-mail rwhite-brunner@uso.org.
Vickie Dowell, 55, started her career at D/FW working day and night shifts on the original airport train, Airtrans. When her son was old enough for school, daytime work hours were a must. So Ms. Dowell went to school and opened a small shop with a business partner in 1979. A few years later, she opened Jet Cuts in Terminal B, near gate B24.
Later, she added shoeshine stands in terminals B, D and E.
The shop also offers spa services such as nails and chair massage.
Over the years, Ms. Dowell has developed a base of regular customers that includes airport employees, travelers who regularly fly through D/FW and passengers who have extra time and need a trim.
"After traveling all week, who wants to make time to go to a barbershop on the weekend?" she says.
She even gets the occasional celebrity in need of a trim or shoeshine – most of them country-Western singers and sports figures – and commemorates each visit with a photo on the wall.
"This is a second home for me," Ms. Dowell said. "It's like a big family."
After retiring from a career as an executive secretary, Nancy Birdwell knew she didn't want to sit still, so she began volunteering for D/FW's airport ambassador program.
Each Tuesday, the Dallas resident takes her post near gate D22 and readies herself for the approximately 25 questions she gets during a four-hour shift.
"I don't speak any foreign languages, I only speak Texan," said Ms. Birdwell, 73. "But I can tell from their paperwork where people need to go, and if they don't understand, I just walk them to their gate and wait with them to make sure they get on the right flight."
Ms. Birdwell also acts as a docent for the airport's art collection. She recently had an unexpected surprise. She got to give a tour to the family of Richard Zapata, the artist who created her favorite terrazzo medallion, The Highest Power (near gates D6 and D7).
Need help? The D/FW Airport Ambassadors crew of more than 600 volunteers is trained to give directions, help connect you with lost travelers and answer questions about the airport. They also try to stock emergency items such as diapers and baby formula. The volunteer crew can help in 38 languages and staffs the airport 365 days a year.
Each member volunteers at least four hours a week and wears a dark green jacket or vest, a straw hat in summer and a felt hat in cool months. They aren't allowed to take tips, but thanks are appreciated.
The program marks its 10th anniversary in 2009. To get involved, call 972-574-1492 or go to www.dfwairport.com/ ambassadors.
Stop by Travelers Aid, adjacent to the baggage-claim areas near gates B30 or D15; call 972-574-4420; or go to www.travelersaiddfw.org.
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