Raleigh Durham International - Airport Review

Source

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is located at 2400 John Brantley Blvd, Morrisville, NC 27560. The airport is conveniently located to serve both Raleigh and Durham as well as nearby Research Triangle Park. The airport is fairly easy to get in and out of, although lines to get through security can get long during peak travel or when there are disruptions in airline service. The airport is comprised of two terminals with a parking garage located between the two. The airport also has less expensive off-site parking approximately one mile away.

The airport is located just off US I-40 in Morrisville, NC. Like most airports, the departure drop-off road circles the interior of the airport. Rental cars are located nearby, but far enough that a shuttle picks up and drops off at the terminals. Parking used to be fairly cheap at RDU but has undergone major changes in recent years, to include pricing. There used to be a single price for the entire parking garage. Someone decided that the first floor was better and could charge more, so the parking was divided into different pricing strata. Premiere, Central and Economy.

Premiere Parking is on the first level. Rates are three dollars per hour or eighteen dollars per day. The rest of the parking garage, approximately 10,000 spaces, make up the Central Parking tier. This rate is two dollars per hour or fourteen dollars per day. Most of these spots are covered, but some are not, particularly on the upper levels. All spots in the garage are fairly close to either terminal and are walking distance. The Economy Lot is one dollar per hour or six dollars per day, making it a great value for longer trips or vacation. A shuttle picks up and drops off at the economy lot. It is not walking distance. These spots are in a secure lot, but uncovered. If you park for more than one day, extra days are charged by the hour based on the time you parked. They max out at the daily rate.

Terminal 1 is located to the right of the parking garage. It has undergone major renovations over the past couple of years. Currently, the entire terminal is serviced by Southwest Airlines. Check in is on the lower level, while TSA is located on the upper level. There are limited concessions in Terminal 1, which include Starbucks, Salsarita's, ACC American Cafe, Char-Grill and La Tapenade Mediterranean Cafe. There are also a couple of shops to purchase snacks or reading material. I don't fly Southwest very often, but have traveled in and out of this terminal. The amount of traffic through this terminal is much lighter than Terminal 2, the concessions a bit more limited and TSA a bit quicker to get through most times.

Terminal 2 is located to the left of the parking garage. Check in and TSA are both located on the upper level. The lower level is for baggage claim. Terminal 2 services several airlines, which include Alaska, Allegiant, Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue and United Airlines. The USO is also located in Terminal 2.

There are several restaurants and concessions inside Terminal 2. Restaurants include 42nd St. Oyster Bar, A&W, All American Food, Brookwood Farms, Bruegger’s Bagel, California Pizza Kitchen, Camden Food Co., Carolina Ale House, Carolina Vintages, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Flavours, Gordon Biersch, Jason’s Deli, Panopolis, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and Starbucks (2 Locations). There are also several new stands, Sky Club and Admirals Club as well as vending machines in this terminal.

RDU is an International Airport. However, the international destinations are limited. They have, however, been increasing in recent years. I have flown to Paris direct on Delta and I have flown to London direct on American Airlines. Both were super convenient. And passing through Customs on the return flights was fairly quick compared to Atlanta or Charlotte. Other International destinations include Cancun, Montego Bay, Punta Cana and Toronto. The map above shows the domestic locations you can reach from RDU non-stop. It seems I generally have a lay-over for most of my domestic trips, but it is always nice when I can find a direct flight for my travel. Those flights are generally limited to one or two flights per day other than major corridors like Atlanta (Delta) or Washington DC (American).

RDU strictly enforces the pick-up/drop-off line in front of the airport. There is a cell lot located between the terminals where family can wait for loved ones to land. If you pull up in front of the terminal and wait, you will quickly be rushed off by the airport police. They tend to be strict. The lot is not far away and only takes a minute to circle back, so take advantage of it if you are picking someone up.

Having traveled in and out of this airport dozens of times, my best advice is to give yourself the full two hours the airlines suggest for arrival. This will give you time to clear both the ticketing counter and TSA. The ticketing counters can be a pain and unexpected flight changes may require you to see a ticketing agent. When possible, check-in online. If you are able to travel without checked bags, you can skip the ticketing counters and head straight to TSA. If you are checking a bag, consider using the skycaps if there are long lines at the airline counters. There often are. The airlines do have self-service kiosks that make the process go faster, but even the baggage drop can become congested when there are flight delays. The skycaps are an easy work around.

For clearing TSA, the best bet is to get Global Entry. That will get you into the TSA pre-check line. Pre-check means you don't have to remove your shoes or empty your pockets (other than metal) and you don't have to remove your laptops. Travel with an empty water bottle. You can fill it up on the other side of security. Make sure you don't have liquids and be prepared to remove shoes and electronics if you are going through the regular line. The more prepared you are, the quicker the line moves. Travel smart and travel safe. And if you find yourself passing through RDU, watch for me...it seems I am there every other week.

Photos and maps were taken from the RDU.com website. It is a good resource for additional information about your trip.