US Airport · Texas

Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)

Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) is American Airlines' largest hub and one of the biggest airports in the United States by land area, sprawling across roughly 27 square miles between the two cities it serves. It handles around 80 million passengers a year and acts as American's connecting engine for flights between the East Coast, West Coast, Latin America and Asia. DFW's five terminals (A, B, C, D and E) wrap in a giant horseshoe around a central spine connected by the free Skylink airside train and TerminaLink landside shuttles. One quick factoid: DFW is one of only a handful of US airports with its own ZIP code (75261).

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Terminals at DFW

Terminal A
American mainline and American Eagle
AA's primary domestic terminal with multiple Admirals Clubs.
Terminal B
American Eagle regional
Almost exclusively regional jets; often used for short-haul connections.
Terminal C
American mainline domestic
Older AA terminal, with phased renovations underway as part of the DFW capital plan.
Terminal D (International Terminal)
American international long-haul plus most foreign-flag carriers
Modern international gateway with Federal Inspection Services and several flagship lounges.
Terminal E
Delta, United, Southwest (limited), Spirit, Frontier, JetBlue, Alaska
Non-American carriers cluster here. Renovated in recent years with new dining and seating.

Getting to Dallas/Fort Worth

Mode Details Cost Frequency
Rail (TRE & DART)DART Orange Line connects DFW Terminal A to downtown Dallas in about 50 minutes; the TRE Trinity Railway Express links to both Dallas and Fort Worth via a shuttle from CentrePort/DFW Airport Station.DART $3 one-way; TRE day pass $12Every 15-30 min weekdays, less on weekends
Rideshare / TaxiRideshare pickup at upper-level (departures) curb at most terminals; taxis at lower-level arrivals curb.Taxi roughly $55-70 to downtown Dallas or Fort Worth; rideshare $35-65On demand
Hotel shuttlesMost airport-area hotels (Grapevine, Irving) run free shuttles from the lower arrivals curb at each terminal.Free with stayEvery 15-30 min
Long-distance shuttleScheduled shared-ride van services run to Waco, Tyler, Wichita Falls and other Texas cities.$50-95 depending on citySeveral daily runs per route

Parking at DFW

Tier Rate Shuttle Best for
Terminal Parking$30/day maxNone — short walk to terminalTrips under 24 hours
Express Parking (North/South)$15/dayFree shuttle every 5-10 minTrips 1-7 days
Remote Parking (Lots A and B)$10/dayFree shuttle every 10-15 minLong trips on a budget
Valet$45/day maxNonePremium drop-off and pickup

Lounges at DFW

American Flagship Lounge
📍 Terminal D, Gate D24
International First/Business on AA or Oneworld long-haul
American Admirals Club
📍 Multiple — Terminals A, B, C, D, E
Admirals Club membership, eligible AA international flights, paid day pass
Centurion Lounge
📍 Terminal D, Gate D17
Amex Platinum, Centurion, Business Platinum cardholders
Capital One Lounge
📍 Terminal D
Capital One Venture X primary cardholders, paid entry for select cards
The Club at DFW
📍 Terminal D and Terminal E
Priority Pass, paid day pass, eligible premium credit cards
Minute Suites
📍 Terminal D
Pay per hour for private rest suites

Top destinations from DFW

Destination Country From
London (LHR)United Kingdom$449Open route guide →
Paris (CDG)France$449Open route guide →
Rome (FCO)Italy$699Open route guide →
Los Angeles (LAX)United States$169Open route guide →
New York (JFK)United States$169Open route guide →
Miami (MIA)United States$169Open route guide →

Airlines at DFW

American Airlines British Airways Lufthansa Qatar Airways Korean Air Japan Airlines Qantas Spirit Airlines Frontier Airlines United Airlines Delta Air Lines

5 things you didn't know about Dallas/Fort Worth

Verified by the CompareFlights team
  1. 1DFW is physically larger than the entire island of Manhattan — 17,207 acres of land, enough that the airport has its own postal ZIP code (75261) and its own city designation in Texas state records.
  2. 2The original 1973 design used 'semi-circular' terminals so passengers could walk no more than 200 metres from curb to gate — a deliberate response to the long-walk frustration at JFK and ORD.
  3. 3DFW's Skylink intra-terminal train completes a full loop of all five terminals every 9 minutes — the fastest people mover at any US airport with comparable terminal coverage.
  4. 4American Airlines' headquarters sits on DFW property in Fort Worth — the only US airport that hosts the corporate HQ of a major US airline (in addition to AA's largest hub operations).
  5. 5DFW has more passenger jet bridges (over 180) than any other airport in the world — more bridges than the entire greater Los Angeles area combined.

Frequently asked about DFW

Which terminal does American use at DFW?

American uses Terminals A, B and C for domestic mainline and regional flights and Terminal D for international long-haul. Through-passengers can move between all five terminals airside on the free Skylink train, which runs every two minutes. Connecting times under 45 minutes are routine, but international-to-domestic still requires re-clearing security.

How early should I arrive at DFW for an international flight?

Three hours before departure is the recommended minimum from Terminal D. AA's flagship international banks (afternoon and evening) can produce long check-in queues. If you have TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, two and a half hours is generally enough but allow extra in summer.

Can I walk between terminals at DFW?

No — the terminals form a giant horseshoe roughly a mile across. Use the free airside Skylink train (post-security) or the landside TerminaLink shuttle bus. Skylink runs continuously every two minutes and is by far the fastest way to make a connection.

What's the cheapest way from DFW to downtown Dallas?

The DART Orange Line at $3 one-way runs directly from a station between Terminals A and B to downtown Dallas in about 50 minutes. Rideshare typically runs $35-65 and taxis $55-70, both subject to surge and traffic on State Highway 114 and the Tollway.

Is there a hotel inside DFW?

Yes — the Grand Hyatt DFW is built directly into Terminal D, accessible airside and landside. The Hyatt Regency DFW sits on the airport campus a short shuttle ride from Terminal C. Numerous Grapevine and Irving hotels offer free shuttles.

Nearby airports

Dallas Love Field (DAL)
20 mi E
Southwest's home airport; closer to downtown Dallas
Fort Worth Alliance (AFW)
27 mi NW
Cargo and general aviation; no scheduled commercial service
Fort Worth Meacham (FTW)
20 mi W
General aviation only