TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Charlotte Airport

Connecting in Charlotte for the first time this coming Monday on American Airlines. Anything I need to know about navigating the Charlotte airport?

Not really. It's set up like a wheel with spokes, so look at the map online to determine where your connection is. The moving sidewalks help if you're short of time. It's a pretty easy airport to navigate.

We have a little over an hour so should be no problem as long as our flight is on time. Thanks for the help.

We went through Charlotte last month on AA , we had over an hour and just made our next flight. We had to run to the gate. Customs was really backed up. Will not do it again unless we have at least two hours. Hope you don't have any trouble.

Coming home, or going down? That's cutting it very close if you have to go through immigration, but on the way down you're golden.

Going down we had over an hour it took forever to get to our gate only had time to grab something to eat then needed to board. Coming home customs was a nightmare. Everyone was going to miss there connections, we just made it. We really had to run to the gate!

We're going down in November on AA via Charlotte and I was wondering the same thing. TY for the info. This will be only the second or third time in all our SXM trips and years we've ever connected anywhere going down. Using up all our FF miles and there wasn't a n/s out of JFK for our dates but at least we're flying home via JFK on a JB n/stop.

On the way down to SXM its not bad in charlotte. On the way back, its hit or miss. One time 4 other international flights landed at the same time and it was crazy. Last year we had a later flight from SXM and we were the only flight there that needed to get thru customs. We also had only carry-ons , so we didn't need to get bags, which also helped.

We flew through there last Thursday. Several of the moving walkways were down. We connected from like B to D?? Quite a hike, without the walkways, for me..

We have an hour and nine minute layover going down and just over two hours coming back so hopefully all should be well.

AA has announced that they're eliminating electric carts in CLT, which means that if the walkways are down then you either walk or get a wheelchair. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Sad.gif" alt="" />

Yes, you should be fine.

I actually didn't see any electric carts there, but I wasn't looking for them either. The first terminal when we landed was JAM packed with people. I could see where electric carts might be dangerous.

AA ended the use of electric carts @ CLT back in April.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article149664479.html

The various terminals can get really, really crowded - I think when the airport was built back in the 80's, they didn't realize then, the amount of traffic it would see today. The terminals are quite narrow.

I feel like I'm always running through charlotte. I don't like it there

Best Bloody Mary's!!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/drinking.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the link.

Like with many other well-intentioned ideas and conveniences, people find a way to abuse a good thing. Yes, CLT can be congested but you also have people abusing the electric carts just like you have people abusing the handicap parking situation and the (FAKE) service/therapy/emotional support dog.

Regarding CLT in general, going down it is usually easy to make a 1 hour connection. Coming back, if it isn't 2 hours or more for you connection, I would be very concerned.

OK, now I'm concerned! This will also be our first trip through CLT. There aren't many good choices flying from Pensacola. We've got 53 minutes going down and 1 hour 10 minutes returning. My question is if we use ONLY carry on luggage with no checked bags, is this doable?

Going down, you should be fine. I would suggest checking flightaware in the days leading up to your trip to check which gates you are flying into and out of and can sort of plan your route. Traveling with JUST carry on for the return will certainly help, but it's tight and would be a challenge through ANY airport when factoring in customs/immigration. On our return from SXM last month, it took about 1.5 hours to clear in Atlanta.

My initial response is NO!. It may be doable IF you are the only arriving international flight on the ground at that time. I have arrived before where we sat on the plane waiting on a gate. I have sat at the gate for 30 minutes or more waiting on the immigration area to clear to accept more passengers and then about 90 minutes (or more) to get through. CLT had a staffing problem and I have no idea if it has been resolved. It has been 2 trips since I connected via CLT but I would be very uncomfortable with 70 minutes. Luggage usually is not the problem, is is the number of people waiting to clear and the lack of staffing.

IMHO, the ONLY way that works is IF all of the stars, the moon, AA and US C & I line up perfectly.

Good luck.

Wow, that would scare the cr*p out of me, on the way home!!!! That actually doesn't seem to be a legal connection to me, with clearing customs. If you want to make it for sure, I definitely would do only carry on bags. And that still is no guarantee at all. AND I would definitely look before you leave home, as far as your options to get home the same night, if you miss the connection.. Often the people at the counter have no idea what the options are to get you home, if you miss the connection, especially on other airlines. Best wishes..

I've done both successfully, but it's a crapshoot. If you have Global Entry, your chances are much better on the return trip; and if you don't have checked bags, you'll be in even better shape. Since they added kiosks at immigration in CLT, the holdup is more waiting for your checked bags than it is getting through immigration, even if you don't have GE. We get thru immigration in minutes, and by the time we get our bags, pretty much everyone else is through immigration as well. I always make sure there's a later flight in case I miss my connection.