Lambert-St Louis International Airport – STL

You know, it’s not terrible. It’s a relatively small airport for being a relatively large city which makes navigation and gate location much easier than most.
My TSA experience didn’t leave me anxious and borderline depressed like it usually does; lines were quick and the agents weren’t incompetent like I’m used to. Although I decided to check in electronically and their antiquated technology was unable to read my electronic boarding pass and they nearly made me turn back around to go get a pass printed.
Otherwise a decent airport. Take the metro train if you can. A two-​hour pass costs $ 4 and should get you to within a few blocks of anywhere downtown. If you don’t want to/can’t figure this out, $ 20-​$ 25 for a 15 minute Über ride to/​from downtown will get you where you need to go.

This is a nice airport with two terminals. Terminal 2 is Southwest and Terminal 1 is everything else.
The check in, bag claim and security check are all in easy to find locations without any excessive walking. We fly in and out at peak times and even though the security line looked fairly long, we were through it within 15 minutes or so.
Once through security there are plenty of restaurants and shops to grab a bite to eat or a snack or souvenir.
They could use more device plug ins/​charging outlets but otherwise this is a clean and easy to get through airport.
Enjoy!

Pretty easy getting in and out of STL.
Bags came out fairly quick and the drive to downtown is also a quick one.
I’ll keep this airport out of the Chicago and Atlanta «likened to the gates of hell» category.
Thumbs up.

I have wasted far too many hours of my life hanging around in this airport. For some reason, I feel like I’m cursed everytime I fly through or out of Lambert as I can’t seem to get out of there with no flight delays. Security is a bit on the slow side here as well. It’s mostly a no-​frills kind of airport and the dining/​shopping opportunities between flights are limited. Women’s restrooms aren’t cleaned often enough. It’s not an awful place, but having spent so much time here, the basic no-​frills approach offered at Lambert puts it fairly low on my list of favorite airports.

The St Louis airport is a nice sized airport with updated features and well maintained facilities. I found it very fast to get in and out of security and also fairly easy and hassle free to get through security. The gates were close to get from one to another and the restaurant and food choices were pretty good.

This airport is just fine. It’s pretty easy to navigate, and while the «common» areas are a little run down [looking at you, bathrooms] the Delta area is nice enough [though I’m still looking at you, bathrooms].
I’ve never spent a significant amount of time in this airport, so I haven’t paid a whole lot of attention to restaurants and shops.
TSA lines can be on the longer side but seem to move pretty quickly considering.
I appreciate that there’s a MetroLink station at the airport (even though my company will pay for a cab when I’m there for work it’s hard for me to shell out $ 40 for a 15-​minute drive), but beware the machines are a little touchy — every time I’ve tried to buy a ticket I’ve had to try multiple machines and sometimes resort to using cash because my card won’t register.
Über can drop you off at the airport but only black car service can pick you up.

In some cases, check in is upstairs and security is downstairs. Only one place to have alcohol before going through the gate. The best thing is that it is easy to navigate around. Very outdated

I was running late, I thought there was no way I would make my flight, but the airport is easy to navigate and the staff was super awesome and I got through check in fast with no problems!
Also flying in was a good experience and well! I got nothing but good things to say about St. Lou airport. now how about a direct flight to Des Moines to make this a 5 star!

It’s small and not so pretty.
On the upside, it’s clean and the employees work hard to keep it that way.
The terminal is narrow. Lines are long for bars and restaurants because they aren’t able to offer many tables (because the space is limited).
In the Southwest terminal, there aren’t many options for dinning aside from a few fast food joints.
Don’t get me wrong, there are far worse airports. This one does the job. …and the travelers are all very friendly — some good hearted Americans here!

Decent airport with decent food and drink options for while you wait for your flight, at least in the Southwest terminal. The security line was surprisingly long, but moved pretty quickly. Once in the terminal, I wondered up and down the terminal hoping to find a bar seat. While there plenty of bars, all seats were taken. I just wanted to watch a little basketball and sip a brew. I ended up grabbing some food from CPK. Ah well. The terminal was currently under construction, so that’s likely the main culprit of the crowdedness.
Pro Tip: If you’re heading anywhere near downtown St. Louis, skip the $ 40+ cab ride and head to the Metrolink station right outside the terminal. You’ll have a nice scenic ride to the city and will only be out $ 2.50.

It had a day trip to the area, so i was in early in the morning and then out later that night.
The E terminal for southwest is pretty small and the food options… ugh.
When i landed at 8:30 the starbucks line was half the terminal long. Similar with dunkin donuts.
Rental car was easy to get to — straight out and onto the bus.
Easy airport, but bring your own snacks!

Just returned from a quick work trip to STL; the direct flight from MKE to STL is 45 minutes and that rules, bee tee dubs.
So! Lambert-​St Louis: approx a 15-​minute ride from airport to hotel (and vice versa) and relatively easy to navigate (it’s no clustereff like the KC airport… more on that soon).
Anyways, this review is for Terminal 2 exclusively, which is their Southwest terminal. I’m a pretty big Southwest devotee, you guys.
Sometimes lists are helpful. Here are some pros and cons!
Pros:
–Friendly TSA employees! Love that.
–easy to navigate
Cons:
–long, long, long lines in the Southwest terminal at 7am — both for bag drop (curbside and inside) and a ginormous TSA line… just FYI (I think early a.m. may just be extra busy, perhaps?)
–not a ton of great/​healthy food options… there’s a bagel place, otherwise it’s Starbucks, Burger King and Chili’s
Reasonably sized if not a little small, but it’s just one airline and one terminal. I’d be curious to see what the other terminal is like!

You know what is kind of cool at this airport? If you are a fan of Ted Drewes, and who isn’t, there is a little freezer in the terminal that sells little portions of their incredible custard. It’s literally a freezer in a box, and when you stick in your 6 Washingtons, it opens up and this little suction device comes around and sucks out a tiny tub of portable heaven for you to fly up to heaven with. How cool is that? Not as good, of course, as the real thing, but my kid was sure happy to have one more shot at frozen custard perfection before we flew back to Maine from our vakay in St. Louis.
Otherwise, this airport is about as bland and uninteresting as it comes. But in the end, I will always choose a bland but SMALL airport over a interesting but HUGE hub like Hotlanta or Chicago, where the crowds are panic attack-​inducing, the lines endless, and the migraines persistent…

Thump… thump…thump…thump…thump…thump…thump…
Dear STL,
If there is ever a plan to replace that tile floor, please make sure the new floor is smooth with no deep grout lines that rattle my luggage from the gate to the exit.
Thanks.

Oh Lambert. My home airport.
I love it because it’s near and dear to my heart. But there isn’t TOO much excitement. It has everything you need. Starbucks, STL restaurants, enough seating, clean bathrooms. Staff is always friendly (well most of them depending on airline).
It was a nightmare traveling during holiday season but that goes for every airport.
The last time I was there I got through security and to my gate in 10 minutes. I’m talking to the kiosk to check my bags, dropped them off, went through security, and was sitting down at my gate in 10 MINUTES. AMAZE. And that was terminal one (terminal two is smaller and just flies Southwest)!
Love ya Lambert!

What a disaster this place is… Rental car signs sent me completely around the entire airport and back onto the highway, took me 20 minutes to finally find it.
The airport itself is not intuitive at all… Gates can only be accessed by certain security lines, found 300 yards across the terminal from each other.
At least mine had a Dunkin Donuts.
Leave yourself extra time when flying out of here.

Will rate thus airport as one hella cheapskate airport in America when it comes to free WiFi. Even when they tout this airport as WiFi friendly, dont ever believe this marketing gimmick! The free WiFi for 20 minutes clock will start clicking on your device the moment u log in even when u switched off your WiFi connection on your device before 20 minutes’ time is up. Come on STL Airport! Have some moral truth in your advertising n public message! This nickel n dime to get a few bucks more is just disgusting! With the high tech, u dont tell me u r unable to deliver the free 20 minutes to its fullest? Duhhhh!

The airport itself is ok. Clean, easy to navigate and has all the essentials.
The only real issue I have is that only Über Black Car can slip in and the taxis service is sketchy looking with dated, dirty taxis and not the best drivers. They should be more progressive and allow ride-​share services.

While the airport itself might seem a bit run-​down and dated, it’s still worth visiting for the architecture and design by Eero Saarinen who also designed the iconic Gateway Arch. The point is, my expectations for most airports are fairly low and this one isn’t any worse than most I’ve come through in my travels. That being said, it could definitely use a bit of freshening up — as long as they keep Saarinen’s design elements alive I’d be all for that. Really, the people aren’t too bad and there’s some OK food around so have at it.

Ok airport. It can get you most locations domestically. Fairly clean. Most of the staff is curt, but working in that environment isn’t the most pleasant. You need to pay for wifi, which is annoying. One benefit of this airport is the short lines. Rarely do you have to wait long.

The STL airport is far from the worst airport, however it is also far from the best. Both T1 and T2 are easy to navigate and as long as you do not travel during peak travel times you should not have a crazy wait. The food is not great, but very few airports have what I consider good food.

As far as airports go, I’ve always had a fairly good experience at Lambert. I’m always flying either out of or into the airport, so I never stick around long enough to grab a bite or anything, but as far as getting through security, it’s always been a breeze.
Granted, TSA Pre Check is fairly fast everywhere, but I was through security at my gate within 5 minutes of walking through the front doors on my recent flight. Can’t ask for much more from an airport.

Heeeeeee… this airport is so small when you arrive here from ATL. At least that makes getting out and getting your bags easy.
However getting to Metrolink has to be the oddest thing… for a few seconds I really thought I was just following signs that weren’t taking me anywhere.
I was flying Southwest so that made it easy, one bunch of gates in said terminal, no line for security whatsoever, no line to check my bag.
Okay but really the most important thing and the reason I’m writing this review is that you can buy Schlafly bottles in the airport and take them with you. You pay a $ 4 – 5 premium for this but screw it, it’s worth it especially if you don’t have a checked bag or you fear the bottles getting broken in a checked bag.

In my top 3 of fav airports. Listen, Im not trying to be at the TSA all day and this is one of the quickest I have been thru. The other would be the San Francisco Airport (which is my # 2)
You can take the Metrolink from 1 terminal to another for free. There are 2 Metrolink (light rails system) stations here to connect you to the region, so thats a a plus
Lambert does need more flights coming in and out and more options for restaurants and such. Its still dated from 1991 as far as not having a variety of restaurants and such.
City, business and aiport leaders need to realize that this is the 1^st impression most ppl get of STL and make it more modern and up to date

Last week was my first time flying into St. Louis in about 30 years…
Evening flight coming in — was about 7:30 pm when I arrived. I was surprised to see how many businesses in the Terminal (Terminal A) were closed for the evening. I guess there are not many evening flights at Lambert-​St. Louis International Airport…
I made my way down to baggage claim with no problem, then out to the Hertz shuttle bus station.
On the way back through — was easy to get up to the United ticket counter to check in, then over to the TSA PreCheck security checkpoint, and then finally down to Terminal A. There is not a ton of dining options in Terminal A, but enough to take care of business. I ended up visiting the Starbucks and the Hudson in Terminal A (reviewed separately). There was adequate seating in the Gate area, although I think they need to add additional electrical outlets for travelers.

Lambert Airport is a smaller airport than a lot of others, but I think that is a good thing. I always find it super easy to travel in or out of Lambert. The security lines never get too bad, and I can usually get there within an hour of my flight and be at the gate with plenty of time to spare. The Southwest terminal more so than the main terminal.
The only knock is that since a lot of the flight have been cut over the years, it is difficult to find direct flights to many cities.

It’s an airport I hadn’t planned on visiting. We got re-​routed here due to a storm in Chicago. What I saw of the airport seemed fine, including the bar right in front of our gate :)

Lambert is just an average airport to me. They have really stepped up their game by doing a ton of remodel in the main terminal. There are some few other things they could improve… which is the selection of restaurants, stores, snack bars they put in here. there should be a few more then what’s already in here. I’m happy to see that the starbucks inside the main terminal doesn’t over charge you on drinks and food like other airport starbuck locations. I absolutely hate the pick up passenger area. I don’t know how many times i’ve been here and still get lost lol. They also boot people so quickly if the person you’re picking up isn’t outside. it’s a good and bad thing i guess.
Also, as other’s stated NO FREE WIFI! Which is ok since I have a ton of LTE. But Lambert is one of the fewer airports that do not provide free wifi.

The American Airlines staff is always friendly and polite, the kiosk check-​ins are a nice plus to avoid the long lines and they even print your bag tags.
The security checkpoints are a bit slow but what can you say, it gives you a chance to count all the tiles on the wall and check your math a few times…

A few things have changed at the STL airport, including many more dining and retail options in the terminals.
Also, there’s free Wifi. A whole 20 minutes of free wireless internet.
Why only 20 minutes? I don’t know. Much smaller airports have unlimited complimentary Wifi, even San Luis Obispo. It might not work, but at least they’re offering it at no charge.
20 minutes is just enough to get your email opened, scan for the most important messages and then respond to maybe one or two, depending on how quickly you type. Kinda silly.
St. Louis, I love ya. STL airport? Come on…

I have a love-​hate relationship with the STL airport, but that’s mostly Southwest’s doing. They have a tendency to put me allllllll the way on the other side of the terminal when my layover is only 30 minutes long and I have barely any time to get a snack, hit the ladies’, etc. My kingdom for a nonstop flight from OKC to RDU, but a short layover at STL is the closest I’ll get right now.
My most recent travels actually got me here in time to enjoy a sandwich (a $ 9 sandwich, but a good sandwich nonetheless) and let my phone charge while waiting for the flight back to OKC. For a while, they had free wi-​fi, but I’m not sure if that is the case anymore.
Either way, it’s not a horrible airport. There’s food, beverage, and charging stations, so hopefully your airline gives you enough time to enjoy all three if you so desire.

Ah, Midwesterners. You people are so much nicer than the awful human beings that live in the Northeast. Nice enough that you make this fairly standard airport into a pleasure.
It’s clean, there’s little to no waiting at security (the friendly conversation might be a problem if there was), and it’s easy to get around. I may not have eaten anything here, but otherwise I’d say it’s a solid place.
I wish I had more to tell you.

There Could Be Far Worse Places To Spend A Six (6) Hour Lay-​Over (On My Way To Unilocal Spring Break 2015 in Ft. Lauderdale) ;)
SITREP
My airport rundown:
= At LAX, there is nothing but congestion & chaos;
= SFO is subject to constant TCA delays;
= OAK is a bit better than SFO, but if the Bay Area is slammed by massive traffic problems, it’s a massive headache no matter which airport you try to get to.
= Both Reagan (D.C.) and John Wayne (Orange County) are subject to restrictive noise reduction /​take-​off angles that leave your stomach back on the ground.
= And there just isn’t enough room to write here about (1) the «cesspool» known as JFK airport.
LAMBERT-​ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Let’s say that St. Louis is lucky to have an airport that is efficient, well-​infra-​structured, and easily-​accessible. I usually measure «How awesome an airport is» in terms of TIME, and to be more specific, time SAVED in traveling:
CORE CONSIDERATIONS:
1. How fast can I get between an airport and the local downtown area?
2. How fast can I get from the Long-​term Parking /​Rental Agency to the Airport Terminal?
3. How fast can I get through Luggage Check-​In?
4. How fast can I get through Security?
5. How fast can I get from Security to the Departing Gate?
6. How many /​How close are the Restrooms /​Starbucks on the way to the Gate?
Extra consideration when on layed-​over as here:
7. Is there FREE WIFI to be utilized with my wireless-​enabled laptop?
8. Are there decent food options?
In this instance where I was layed over over 6 hours, rest rooms were plentiful, there was plenty of Coffee stops (got my berry iced tea from Starbucks), I grabbed a fish sandwich from Burger King, I grabbed 2 – 3 additional sodas as the hours passed while WiFi’ing in peace and catching up on some Unilocal reviews.
STORES
There were some pretty cool stores here:
* Grabbed a good Entertainment mag from the CNN Newstand (as well as the aforementioned sodas; and,
* Very cool «KIds Work» Toy Store and grabbed some plush toys for the nephew & niece
All in all, some good stops to bide the time.
THE LOWDOWN
Lambert-​St. Louis International Airport is a decent airport hub to spend time at if you must catch connecting flights from one side of the country to the other.

No information here. My destination
Is listed on some electronic info boards but it others. My particular flight is not listed anywhere. No one around to help. One guy: «Not my job. There should’ve someone down there at the gate.» No one at the gate.
So is my flight going or not? I am worried and would appreciate some information.
It would also be nice to have more electrical outlets. This terminal is practically new, so how did the planners not think of this?
And no free wifi. Really, not a good airport.

Ein kleiner, feiner Airport in St. Louis. Was mir hier gefällt sind die kurzen Wege, und die für einen solchen Regionalflughafen sehr gute Gastronomie. Man bekommt eigentlich alles, was man sich vorstellen kann. Anbindung über die Autobahn ist manchmal etwas kritisch, da es oft zu Staubildung kommt.