Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) Flights & Information

Boasting a major Delta Air Lines hub for the west, Salt Lake City (SLC) airport is a gateway to many cities, especially in the Mountain West. It serves the largest city in Utah with flights to cities around the country as well as to Europe. The airport has undergone some major upgrades to build a striking and modern new terminal and add more passenger amenities than ever before. Modern art, spacious gate areas and dozens of dining and shopping options (most from Utah) make connecting through or flying from SLC an enjoyable experience. Here are some top tips when using the airport.

Airport layout

The airport used to have five concourses that were bursting at the seams with passengers. The redesign and construction at SLC now consists of two long concourses that replaced the original buildings. They are connected via two underground tunnels with moving walkways and overhead music.

In the main terminal, guests check in for all airlines before going through an expanded security checkpoint. The Plaza is the main dining area immediately after clearing security. It offers numerous local options ranging from local craft beer to Mexican tacos and salads.

Concourse A is the main hub operation for Delta, which dominates the terminal. I like how the airport uses big screens that are visible from afar with the flight destination in large print. It is helpful when you are walking through the crowd to be able to see where your flight is from afar.

Concourse B requires a long walk via one of two tunnels to reach more Delta gates as well as those of other airlines at the airport. Getting from The Plaza to the farthest gate in Concourse B can be a 15-20 minute brisk walk. When making a tight connection, you will certainly want to wear comfortable shoes though.

There are future plans to extend both the A and B concourses and the new tunnel helps to alleviate some of the long walks needed to get to Concourse B. Aside from the long walking distances, the new concourses are a vast improvement, especially for those traveling on regional jets, which used to require walking outside to board planes by stairway.

I think that another impressive feature of the redesigned airport is that every seat at every gate has power port access. If the airport’s traffic numbers continue to grow, the facility is considering an underground train to speed up the passenger flow, too.

The airport’s clever app has a wayfinding feature that directs you how to get around the terminals. You can put in your gate or a preferred restaurant, and it will give you walking directions and tell you how long it takes to get there.

A new “greeting room” in the arrivals area is for people to welcome and greet loved ones and friends. While they wait, there is comfortable seating with a map of the world (salvaged from the old airport) and a fireplace to enjoy. This is not something I have seen at other large airports, and it helps to clear some of the crowds in the arrivals area.

Airlines and destinations

Delta is the major airline at the airport serving cities across the U.S. and Mexico. It also flies longer flights from SLC to Hawaii, Paris, London and Amsterdam. Many passengers flying to smaller cities in the Mountain and Pacific Northwest transfer at SLC to reach places like Kalispell, Montana; St. George, Utah; and Idaho Falls, Idaho.

All of the major U.S. airlines serve SLC giving travelers plenty of choices. Since there is no sizable airport within close driving distance, the fact that there are so many carriers here is helpful to keep prices in check from the monopoly Delta has here.

Hawaiian Airlines flies nonstop to the islands. Low-cost airlines like Avelo, Frontier and Spirit operate at the airport. The only foreign carriers are Aeromexico, Air Canada and KLM (the latter only flies seasonally).

No matter where you’re going, there are beautiful views when flying here. The airport’s neighbor is the famous body of water for which the city is named. The Great Salt Lake is easily visible after takeoff or before landing so be sure to reserve a window seat.

Dining at SLC

The impressive lineup of restaurants includes Monarca, which is a Mexican restaurant in town, but now with an airport location. Its most popular dishes are the octopus tacos with cheese and lobster enchiladas.

Aubergine serves international fare with fresh salads and sandwiches, none of which use artificial sugar. Moab Brewery is another exciting local craft brewery and pub that gives visitors to Utah a chance to try something from the state, even if they are only there a few hours. This is just one of several local breweries in the airport.

Don’t miss the fries at Bruges Belgian Bistro paired with its homemade sauces. There are also Belgian waffles with both sweet and savory recipes, just like what you would find at their in-town location.

Lounges

With the opening of the new concourse, Delta unveiled one of its most beautiful Sky Clubs in the system at SLC. Its old lounge had few windows and crowded seating. The new Sky Club is bright with dozens of seats, floor-to-ceiling windows and plenty of work stations.

There are two main bars and two large buffets and food stations with hot and cold food. My favorite features of this lounge include the fireplaces (especially cozy when it is snowing outside), the SkyDeck (an outdoor seating area facing the mountains) and the quiet phone booths for people to take calls without disturbing other people.

If the art and photography catches your attention, there is a detailed guide available that explains each piece.

Plans are in place to open a United Club and a new American Express Centurion Lounge in the coming years. That’s great news for non-Delta flyers. Priority Pass cardholders can book an hour at the Minute Suites, which has private rooms for resting or working. I recommend making a reservation in advance as they are often full.

How to get to SLC

The city’s light rail network stretches all the way to the airport making it a cinch to get downtown quickly after landing (unless you are already out of breath from the long walk through the terminal).

Known as TRAX light rail, it leaves from a temporary station with a shuttle bus taking travelers from the terminal to the station.

A new parking garage expanded the number of parking spaces at the airport while taxis, rideshare services and limos are all conveniently available on the ground level. Additional offsite parking, which requires a shuttle, is cheaper than the main garage. Rental car companies have their offices in the Gateway Center, a short walk after exiting the terminal.

Airport hotels

There is no onsite airport hotel, but several are within a short driving distance and have free shuttles. I usually stay at the DoubleTree by Hilton or Hyatt Place, but the drive into downtown Salt Lake City is not far. There are many nicer choices in town like Le Meridien and Kimpton Hotel Monaco, both of which have more artistic flair.

Terminal artwork

The airport is busy year-round and close to many of the country’s best national parks, ski areas and outdoor activities. Many of the art installations throughout the airport are meant to reflect these same natural surroundings.

After entering security, The Canyon is a breathtaking permanent wall installation that mimics the patterns of the state’s famous landscape. It is so large that it almost reaches the length of a football field.

I like The Falls, which is an 80-foot escalator sculpture made of composite material in the arrivals area of the airport. In the new central (and very blue) tunnel, the combination of the blue terrazzo floor, waving ceiling pattern and changing LED lights depict the rivers flowing through the state’s canyons and landscape. The latter art installation cost the airport more than $5 million.

What to do on a SLC layover

Depending on the amount of time you have between flights, you can venture out of the airport and explore local sites. I would only recommend this if you have at least four hours.

The most popular visitor attraction is Temple Square, home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the world-famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It offers free tours throughout the day. There used to be a free shuttle from the airport to the temple, but this has been discontinued. The light rail is an easy alternative though.

At Temple Square, there are museum exhibits, rooftop gardens and a substantial art collection. I think the biggest hit is the family history library where you can trace your roots through generations using their genealogical data and resources.

The square is in the heart of downtown, and it is easy to stroll to nearby restaurants for a bite to eat before returning to the airport.