The Southern Airport That Was Crowned With The Unpleasant Title Of Most Crowded In America

Entering an airport and seeing a line nearly touching your destination is always irritating. When you're a little late, walking around with clunky luggage and hoping to reach your gate in time for boarding could be a recipe for disaster if you're flying out of Clearwater, Florida. In 2023, a study by LendingTree voted St. Pete-Clearwater International (PIE) the most crowded airport in America.

The findings were taken from 100 airports across the country with the most available seats for domestic and international flights. PIE's occupancy rate reaches 87%, but the busy port might rank highest due to its size. It has 11 gates, compared to Newark Liberty International (EWR) in New Jersey, which has over 100. While EWR is the fifth most crowded airport of 2023, this may be because it has way more volume to fill to achieve similar numbers to PIE. Clearwater had 1,423,985 available seats in 2023, with 1,238,998 passengers, whereas, an airport like EWR had more than quadruple the number of seats (26,154,826) and passengers (22,131,910).

St. Pete-Clearwater International has stayed pretty high in the rankings for a few years. The last time LendingTree did this study was in 2018, and PIE still ranked in the top five most crowded. So, if you're looking to head toward the Gulf Coast of Florida with a lot more room, you might want to choose the best in the country for travel and food, Tampa International Airport (TPA) – just a 17-minute drive across Old Tampa Bay.

Even though St. Pete-Clearwater International was voted the most crowded, it may be for good reason. According to Google Reviews, more than 4,600 people rated the airport close to 5 stars. People say that security and boarding are fast despite their business. They enjoy the smaller size of the airport, and they comment on the building's cleanliness, too. However, its likeness can come at a cost. LendingTree's Chief Credit Analyst, Matt Schulz, says that the more people fly, the more it can cause an uptick in ticket prices.

Historically, PIE was the first airport to sell a ticket for flight travel on January 1, 1914 (Imagine the price difference from a century ago to now!) The St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line sold the ticket, and you can find a replica of the airplane on display at baggage claim. The airport became a commercial airport in 1957 following WWII, after serving as an Air Force Base.

Aside from the airport acting as a museum, many other amenities make passengers feel comfortable. This includes WiFi, dog parks, and privacy rooms for breastfeeding mothers. If you're a nervous flier or have a natural anxiety that comes with flying, the airport also has PIE PUPS (Pets Uplifting People), which are their therapy dogs that walk around with a handler to make customers feel at ease.

There are plenty of airport hacks that will help you zip through TSA and improve your airport experience. Online check-in 24 hours in advance will cut down time, so you don't have to start from square one and print your boarding pass at the airport. Additionally, applying to TSA PreCheck and Global Entry allows access to expedited lines. It may be a good idea to get it as soon as you can before it grows any bigger. According to TSA, their PreCheck program has reached up to 20 million members as of August 2024. However, if you sign up for Global Entry, though it may be a tad more expensive, it comes with the TSA PreCheck benefits.

Once you're through security, it can be beneficial to get lounge access. These isolated areas will help enhance your experience, especially during long layovers. Some credit cards will give you access to different lounges, or you can pay extra to upgrade. While PIE doesn't have lounges, especially not anything close to the opulent U.A.E. First Class lounge, the trick to a smoother experience, here, is time. It is recommended you book early morning flights or get to the airport with ample time to spend, so you can have a stress-free journey to your gate. Finally, LendingTree recommends you check out your credit card travel benefits. Depending on the card you have, you might have benefits hiding that you didn't even know were possible to attain.