Parking

The parking options at Charlotte Douglas have drastically improved in recent years. There have been two new Daily Parking decks erected since 2005, providing almost 6,000 additional parking spaces for the traveling public. There are also two Long Term lots, with a combined almost 6,500 spaces. There is also the Remote lot, which is between the Daily and Long Term lots, with about 1,500 spaces. Charlotte's close-in surface and deck parking exits are serviced by part-time personnel from booths apparently dating to the 1982 terminal expansion.

The Daily parking rates at CLT are some of the lowest in the nation, with Long Term & Remote parking costing $3 per day, Daily Parking $6, and Hourly $16. Staff audits every parking area each evening to upload license plate data to ensure each vehicle is assessed the correct parking fee when it exits. The airport has recently aligned with a customer service program called SmartPark, which allows customers to call a hotline 24 hours a day to receive updates on parking conditions.

Inbound and outbound directional/informational signs are poorly positioned creating problems for first time arrivals. There is a free cell-phone parking area for people to wait for inbound passengers.

Charlotte International Airport is located approximately five miles from Uptown Charlotte and sits on the North Carolina-South Carolina border. Charlotte is the largest city in this regional area, and the International Airport is the primary airport for the vicinity. Nearly 500 daily arrivals and departures occur at Charlotte International and the airport welcomes millions of travelers each year.

Charlotte International is a medium-sized airport and easy to navigate. Several major airlines operate from the airport such as Air Canada, Airtran, Continental, Delta Airlines, Jet Blue, United, U.S. Airways, and Northwest. Charlotte is the major hub for U.S Airways, and passengers can enjoy non-stop services to 120 U.S and international destinations, which include Mexico City, London, and the Caribbean.

This airport features one Main Terminal and five concourses: A, B, C, D and E. Services and amenities available to travelers include an Atrium that has comfortable lounge chairs, fast food restaurants, and coffee shop. Other convenient airline amenities include wireless Internet access throughout the Main Terminal, banking services, medical services, interfaith chapel, and business conference facilities.

Long Term Parking - Long term or extended parking at Charlotte International is offered to airline passengers who park their vehicles for more than 48 hours. Airport shuttles pick-up and drop-off passengers at the Main Terminal and long term parking lot. The daily maximum rate is $3. Before parking, passengers can unload luggage on the ticket level of the Main Terminal.

Discount Airport Parking - Discount parking is accessible in the hourly parking and daily parking lot. Hourly parking is free for the first hour and $1 for each additional 30 minutes. Space is the hourly parking lot is limited, and reserved for drivers picking up and dropping up passengers. Daily parking is $1 per hour.

Handicapped Parking - Disabled and special needs parking are available in all parking lots. The hourly parking lot, daily parking lot, and long term parking lot include rows designated for handicapped passengers. Wheelchair services are available, and airport shuttles are outfitted with wheelchair lifts. Disable passengers may be dropped off and picked up from the curbside zones located outside the Main Terminal.

Airport Hotel Parking - Due to limited available parking, airline passengers can park their vehicles off-site at remote parking lots and hotel parking. Airport shuttle services and hotel courtesy shuttles are on hand for drop-off and pick-up. Off-site parking is available at a reduced rate. Airport hotels feature special services that include free parking with one night's hotel stay.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT) is a public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The airport gained its current name in 1982 and is currently US Airways' largest hub, with service to 135 domestic and international destinations as of 2008.[3] In 2007, it was the 30th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. In March 2008, 75.2 percent of flights arrived on-time to Charlotte Douglas (6th out of the 32 major U.S. airports).

The early years

The city received a $200,000 grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1930 to establish Charlotte's first municipal airport.

In 1936, the Charlotte Municipal Airport opened and was operated by the City of Charlotte. Eastern Air Lines began its first regularly scheduled passenger service in 1937. The original passenger terminal is still at the airport, and is now the Carolinas Aviation Museum. The United States Army Air Forces took control of the airport and established Morris Field Air Base in 1941.

1950 to mid-1960s: into the jet age

In 1950, Eastern Airlines began regularly scheduled passenger service from CLT. In 1954, a 70,000 square foot passenger terminal opened, and the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport in honor of former Charlotte Mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The terminal had two floors, although passenger operations were confined to the ground floor. Ticketing and baggage claim were located on each side of an open space which bisected the building from north to south, and a mezzanine restaurant and various airline offices overlooked this open space. Delta Air Lines began regularly scheduled passenger service in 1956.

Eastern Air Lines began the region's first regularly scheduled jet service in 1962. Eastern used the west pier, Piedmont and Delta the center pier, and United and Southern used the east pier.

Late 1960s to 1978: growth pre-deregulation

A major renovation project in the late 1960s expanded the facility considerably. Eastern opened a 'unit terminal' in 1967, replacing the old west pier. This new facility had 8 dedicated gates for Eastern, each with its own departure lounge, as well as a snack bar and separate baggage claim space. Eastern passengers continued to check in at the main terminal.

Two years later in 1969, a new enclosed concourse was built parallel to the center pier. When it was completed, Piedmont, Eastern and Delta moved in and the old center pier was demolished. The new concourse also had separate departure lounges, as well as restrooms and an enlarged baggage claim area. United's flights continued to the use the east pier, although an enclosed holdroom was added for waiting passengers.

In 1973, Eastern added two more gates to the end of its west concourse.

1978 to 1989: Becoming a major hub

After airline deregulation in 1978, passenger numbers at the terminal nearly doubled between 1978 and 1980, and a new 10,000-foot parallel runway and control tower were opened in 1979 to handle the increased passenger loads. The airport's master plan also called for construction of a new terminal across the runway from the existing site. Ground for this expansion was broken in 1979.

In 1979, Piedmont Airlines dedicated Charlotte as the hub for its rapidly expanding route network. To accommodate the booming growth of the facility, a new 325,000-square-foot passenger terminal opened in 1982, and the airport was renamed Charlotte Douglas International Airport. In 1987, Piedmont inaugurated non-stop service to London.

In the mid-1980s, the old terminal site was converted in to a cargo center, and the central concourse and Eastern 'unit terminal' were removed to make way for larger, more modern cargo buildings. The original main building still stands, however, and is used for office space. The old control tower was removed in the late 1990s.

In 1989, Piedmont was acquired via merger by US Air.

1990 to 2004: the influence of US Airways

In 1990, a new 80,000 square-foot international and commuter concourse opened, and in 1991 further expansion of the terminal buildings continued, reflective of USAir's dominating presence at the airport.

A Rocking Chair in between concourses. February 2005.In 1992, Lufthansa began Boeing 747 service to Germany; however, this service was discontinued shortly thereafter. In 1994, British Airways began service to London via a "global alliance" with USAir. This has since been discontinued, as the airlines have chosen opposite alliances. Lufthansa did restart service to Charlotte and now operates flights between Charlotte and Munich, Germany.

When USAir became US Airways in 1996, Charlotte remained its largest hub in terms of passenger traffic, and in 1999, plans were announced for the construction of a regional carrier concourse (present-day Concourse E) and for the expansion of Concourses A and D.

In 2002, the new 26-gate Concourse E opened, and US Airways also began non-stop service to Belize, Freeport, Providenciales, Punta Cana, and St. Croix.

In 2003, the main ticketing hall was expanded to the east, providing 13 additional ticketing counters and a new security checkpoint; and Concourse D was expanded by an additional 9 gates. That year, US Airways began service to Costa Rica, Mexico City, and St. Kitts. Lufthansa also returned to the airport, this time providing service to Munich.

2005 and beyond

Following US Airways' acquisition by America West Airlines (the airline will retain the US Airways name), Charlotte (CLT) remains the primary domestic hub for the airline. However, the vast majority of US Airways' international routes are served out of the airline's second-largest hub, Philadelphia. In April 2007, Charlotte was the fastest growing airport in the US. Fastest Growing.CLT went on to surpass its sister hub in Philadelphia as one of the 30 busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic.[citation needed] A new terminal to the northwest of the center of the airport will be built in the near future, possibly as a Caribbean/Latin America international terminal. As a result, rental car agencies will reportedly be placed in the bottom level of the closer 2 parking decks. Concourse E is currently being expanded to include a wing that can hold 8-12 gates. The US Department of Transportation have tentatively awarded US Airways for a Charlotte-Philadelphia-Beijing route to begin in March 2009. The service will not operate with the same plane, however, with passengers having to switch to different aircraft when arriving in Philadelphia.

Construction

Runway Construction - Construction of CLT's third parallel runway began in the spring of 2007. At 9,000 feet long, the new "third parallel" will allow three independent approaches for arrivals, automatically increasing air service by 33 percent.

Construction will involve two phases. The first phase, beginning in March, will include grading and drainage. The second phase is scheduled to begin in Spring 2009. It will include paving and lighting of the runway.

The anticipated runway completion date is January 2010. The project is funded through federal grants, passenger facility charges and bond funds. The Runway construction also has planned to reroute several roads around the airport. Within these plans, a new interchange at the I-485 Outerbelt is planned to connect the airport and another relocated road.

Parking

The parking options at Charlotte Douglas have drastically improved in recent years. There have been two new Daily Parking decks erected since 2005, providing almost 6,000 additional parking spaces for the traveling public. There are also two Long Term lots, with a combined almost 6,500 spaces. There is also the Remote lot, which is between the Daily and Long Term lots, with about 1,500 spaces. Charlotte's close-in surface and deck parking exits are serviced by part-time personnel from booths apparently dating to the 1982 terminal expansion. The Daily parking rates at CLT are some of the lowest in the nation, with Long Term & Remote parking costing $3 per day, Daily Parking $6, and Hourly $16. Staff audits every parking area each evening to upload license plate data to ensure each vehicle is assessed the correct parking fee when it exits. The airport has recently aligned with a customer service program called SmartPark, which allows customers to call a hotline 24 hours a day to receive updates on parking conditions.

Inbound and outbound directional/informational signs are poorly positioned creating problems for first time arrivals. There is a free cell-phone parking area for people to wait for inbound passengers.