Charleston Airport (CHS) Flights & Information

The busiest airport in South Carolina, Charleston Airport (CHS), has been growing by leaps and bounds. Its new terminal brought a host of great food and beverage options, a new lounge, new cross-country flights and even a short-lived transatlantic flight. This southern town is a popular tourist destination, and its airport is the main gateway to the history, culture and amazing food to be explored. The airport is compact and easy to navigate, but there are some interesting features and perks worth knowing about when using CHS.

Airlines and destinations

Charleston’s airport has flights from all major U.S. airlines to their domestic hubs. This means you can travel from CHS anywhere in North America (and often the world) with just one connection.

Southwest and Spirit Airlines have added flights, helping to bring down the cost of airfare for all travelers. But, it is the arrival of Breeze that has really transformed the airport’s route map. The carrier made CHS a focus city and flies point-to-point routes to key destinations that did not have existing nonstop service.

Breeze serves Akron/Canton, Cincinnati, Columbus, Ft. Myers, Hartford, Long Island/Islip, Louisville, Los Angeles, Manchester, N.H., Newburgh/Stewart, New Haven, Conn., New Orleans, Norfolk, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Portland, Maine, Providence, Richmond, Syracuse, Tampa, White Plains, N.Y. and West Palm Beach.

Almost all of these cities did not already have nonstop service from CHS. Take note that these flights are not operated on a daily basis, and there are some cities that are only flown seasonally. This means that if your flight is delayed or cancelled, it could be a few days before you can take another Breeze flight.

Charleston had nonstop service to London Heathrow on British Airways, which was a coup for the region and helped draw more international tourists. Unfortunately, the flight was suspended, but the airport hopes to reinstate long-haul flying. For now, Air Canada’s flight to Toronto is the only international service.

Terminal layout

The terminal is all on the same level with check-in areas to one side and baggage claim on the other. One central security checkpoint funnels travelers into the airside area. Within the building are two small concourses with departure gates separated by an atrium flooded with natural light plus shops and dining options.

Given the success of growing passenger traffic, the airport is planning to add a third concourse. Delta is the busiest airline at the airport (closely followed by American), and it uses almost all of Concourse A. All other airlines operate from the B concourse.

A Priority Pass-accessible lounge, The Club CHS, is one level above the atrium area and has great views of the airport. It offers an open bar, a menu of light snacks and plenty of space to work. But, this is a small lounge, and it can get crowded at times. When there is space, the lounge also sells day passes.

How to get to CHS

The airport is only 12 miles from town, which means the drive is about 20 minutes from most downtown hotels. Just remember that in the early-morning hours when almost every gate has an airplane departing around the same time, security lines can be long.

Parking lots in front of the airport, as well as some distant lots with shuttles, are available for those that drive. I use the economy lots because they are quite affordable, and the shuttles arrive with some frequency. There is an app that outlines the parking lot shuttle locations and wait times.

The rental car counters are in the arrivals area, and getting to the actual car is only a short walk away. When dropping off a rental car, travelers leave the vehicle in the parking garage and take a covered path back to the airport.

Taxis are available, but they are not always waiting at the airport. I sometimes have to ask the information booth to call one. Rideshare services are more convenient and a much better option for frequency and in-app tracking of your trip.

The local CARTA bus system has a stop at the airport and takes travelers into town. But, it makes a lot of stops, and I would not recommend it for those with heavy luggage. Besides, I find that rideshare services are hardly expensive and will take you directly to your intended doorstep.

Plus, many hotels in the area offer free airport shuttles, and those make a great option for travelers without their own car. I prefer the North Charleston Marriott, which is close to the airport or the Aloft (also part of the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program).

Food, shopping and beverage options

When it comes to trendsetting dining, nothing will stand out from the incredible foodie scene in town. Still, there are several great options for grabbing a bite to eat or drink at the airport.

Perhaps the most lively at the airport, and my personal favorite, is the DeSano Pizza Bakery. Its wood-fired oven pizzas can be smelled from afar, and they can box them up to take on your flight.

Southerners know how to throw a good party, and there are two craft breweries with a presence in the airport: Commonhouse Aleworks from North Charleston (near the airport) and Charleston Beer Works, which offers craft beers from numerous regional and local breweries on tap.

Chick-fil-A is without a doubt one of the most popular spots at the airport, and you can expect lines much of the day (except on Sunday when the brand remains closed).

The shops at the airport fall into the chain category, and it would be nice to see a few more local vendors set up in the terminal. The problem is that there is limited space.

I would love to see the option to buy Southern favorites like pimiento cheese (known as palmetto cheese in South Carolina) and boiled peanuts once past security. There used to be some shops, but these have closed in recent years. Charleston Beer Works is my favorite because they serve boiled peanuts.

If you are looking for Starbucks at CHS, you are out of luck. The airport has opted to only work with Dunkin’ for its coffee, doughnut and refreshment needs.

Art at the airport

This region of South Carolina is known as the Low Country, and the airport has tapped numerous artists and photographers from the region to help develop its art and culture program.

There are also numerous artefacts and historic exhibits that are on loan from the Charleston Heritage Foundation on display in the terminal. If you want to preview what is being featured during your visit, the airport’s website offers video updates on its website. Using airports as mini museums is a trend that I really love.

Passenger amenities

In addition to artwork and a Priority Pass lounge, there are other perks to enjoy when flying through CHS. One of those is the number of seats within the airport. Even the corridors from the main security checkpoint to each concourse has a row of seats along the window (seats by the gate can get snatched up quickly).

While many airports have done away with curbside check-in options (a former staple of airline offerings), CHS still offers it for a fee. Almost all airlines that operate at the airport allow you to use the CHS Check n’ Go service to check luggage and print boarding passes the moment you step out of your car.

The dog therapy program at CHS helps anxious travelers (as well as anyone that is missing their own pet) the chance to interact with rescue dogs that greet guests before their flight departure. This is one of the many airports that also uses sunflower lanyards for travelers with invisible disabilities to alert staff to demonstrate extra care.

Free Wi-Fi and more than 2,000 power and USB ports are in place around the two concourses. There is no need to stretch very far to find a power outlet. Nursing mothers will find two private booths for extra privacy.

Do not throw away empty water bottles because there are refilling stations just behind the security checkpoint in either concourse.

Important things to know

When booking a flight and checking a bag to Charleston, be sure that you use CHS and not CRW, which is the airport code for Charleston, West Virginia. I have seen other people make this mistake a few times when city names are similar and end up with missing baggage.

International service is not yet booming here. So, if you notice widebody Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes wearing the livery of international airlines like Air China and KLM, that is because Boeing has a factory at the airport to assemble these aircraft.

If you hear aircraft with extremely powerful engines, those are not passenger planes. CHS is a joint civil and military facility so there are Air Force jets that are based here and regularly perform maneuvers in the area. There’s a lot to take in from the windows for aviation buffs like me.