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Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the second busiest airport in the U.S., serving over 30 million passengers in 2021. The airport is bigger than Manhattan and is so large that it has its own ZIP code. Despite its size, it’s an easy airport to navigate with a convenient light rail service running between all terminals.
DFW is the main hub for American Airlines with the airline solely occupying 3 of the 5 terminals.
Here’s all the information you need to know on how to navigate DFW and ensure you get to your gate efficiently.
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was designed to reduce traffic congestion within the terminals and therefore speed up services such as the Terminal Link shuttle bus. The terminals are all accessible individually from the International Parkway/ State Highway Spur 97 that runs from north to south of the airport.
The terminals are shaped like semicircles, apart from Terminal D, with parking lots, ground transportation, and pre-security departure and arrival facilities situated on the inside of the semicircle. The departure gates and Skylink train are located post-security on the outside of the semicircle where only ticketed passengers are permitted.
Terminals C and D have airport hotels either located within the terminal or just outside the terminal. Each terminal has its own shops, cafes, lounges, and restaurants with the widest selection being in Terminal D, also known as the international terminal.
In some situations, you may need to connect between terminals outside of the secure area, and the best way to do this is via the free Terminal Link shuttle bus. The Terminal Link shuttle bus stops at all terminals from 5:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. with an out-of-hours service available by calling 972-574-5465.
Buses operate every 5 to 10 minutes from the departures level of each terminal, excluding Terminal D where pick-up and drop-off are from the arrivals level. There are 2 pick-up points at each terminal signposted ” Terminal Link.”
Terminal Link shuttle buses operate from:
DFW has a convenient airside people mover called Skylink, with 2 Skylink stations located at either end of each terminal depending on which gate you need to reach. The Skylink is free to use and operates clockwise and counter-clockwise, so you can choose the direction with the quickest journey to your desired terminal.
Trains depart every 2 minutes, and it takes a maximum of 9 minutes to travel between the furthest points. The Skylink runs post-security for the full journey, so passengers need to clear security to utilize this transportation.
Skylink stations are located:
Terminal A is located on the east side of the airport, opposite Terminal B and next to Terminal C. There are 26 gates numbered A8 to A11, A13 to A25, A28, A29, and A33 to A39, with the lower numbered gates located at the north of the semicircle through to the higher numbered gates at the south.
Terminal A is connected to Terminals B and C via post-security walkways if you’re looking to walk between terminals.
To reach Terminal B, you can cross over the Skylink tunnel, with moving walkways, that is located opposite gate A39, up the escalator/elevator at the south end of Terminal A. To reach Terminal C from Terminal A, walk along the connector tunnel, with moving walkways, that is located next to gate A39 on the same level.
If you would prefer to take the Skylink train between terminals, then the Terminal A stations are located between gates A13 and A16 and between gates A29 and A34 up the escalator/elevator on Level 3.
If you have to exit the secure area, then you can pick up the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside the terminal on the departures level, entry/exit A10 for gates A1 to A20, and entry/exit A16 for gates A21 to A39.
Hot Tip: If you’re connecting from the higher numbered gates of Terminal A to the lower numbered gates of Terminals B or C, then it may be quicker for you to walk rather than catch the Skylink, due to the locations of the Skylink stations.
Terminal B has 44 gates numbered B1 to B11, B12A, B12B, B14 to B17, B19, B21, B22, and B24 to B44, and B46 to B49 with the higher numbered gates located at the north of the terminal and the lower numbered gates at the south. The terminal is situated on the west side of the airport, opposite Terminal A and beside Terminal D, both of which are accessible by the Skylink train or connecting walkways.
To reach Terminal A by foot, take the escalator/elevator near gate B4 to level 3 and cross over the Skylink using the moving walkways. To reach Terminal D, continue around the corner near gate B4, past gates B1 and B3 through the walkway until you reach Terminal D. There are no moving walkways on this route.
To reach Terminal C by foot, walk across the connector bridge to Terminal A and take a right at gate A39 to walk through the walkway to Terminal C.
The Skylink train stations are located between gates B9 and B12 and between gates B28 and B31, where you take the escalator/elevator to level 3 to access the train. The Skylink train can transport you to other terminals if you can remain airside; however, if you leave the secure area, then take the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside the terminal at the departures level, near entry/exit B14 for gates B1 to B25 or B43 for gates B26 to B49.
Hot Tip: It may be quicker for you to walk than take the Skylink train if you’re connecting from the lower numbered gates of Terminal B to the higher numbered gates of terminals A or D. Check where the Skylink stations are located in relation to your gate number to help make your decision.
Terminal C is located on the east side of the airport, opposite Terminal D with Terminal A and terminal E on either side. Terminal C is connected to Terminals A and D via airside walkways but is not connected to Terminal E.
There are 28 gates in Terminal C numbered C2, C4, C6 to C8, C10 to C12, C14 to C17, C19 to C22, C24, C26 to C31, C33, and C35 to C39, with the lower numbered gates in the north of the terminal and the higher number gates in the south.
To connect to Terminal A by foot, follow the walkway around to the right after gate C2, or to connect to Terminal D, take the escalator/elevator near gate C2 to level 3 and walk across the Skylink connector bridge. To connect to any of the terminals, you can ride the Skylink train, with stations accessible between gates C8 and C12 or between gates C27 and C32.
Hot Tip: If you’re connecting from the lower-numbered gates of Terminal C to the higher-numbered gates of terminals A or D, it might be quicker to walk instead of taking the Skylink train. You may even find it quicker to walk to gates B1 to B3 as these gates are located in the walkway between terminals D and B.
Terminal D consists of 28 gates numbered D5 to D8, D10 to D12, D14 to D18, D20 to D25, D27 to D31, D33, D34, D36 to D38, and D40, with the higher numbered gates at the northern end of the terminal and the lower numbered gates at the southern end.
Terminal D is located on the west side of the airport, opposite Terminal C and beside Terminal B with both connected via airside walkways.
To reach Terminal B from Terminal D, walk past gate D40 and follow the walkway around to the hallway between the 2 terminals. This is on the same level as departures and connects to the departures area of Terminal B with the lower gate numbers.
The Skylink train can be picked up between gates D11 and D20 or between gates D24 and D34 and stops at all terminals.
As Terminal D operates international flights, it is likely that on arrival you will end up outside of the secure area after clearing customs and immigration. If you have a flight connection with your bags checked to your final destination, then you can re-check these at the flight connections bag drop area, re-clear security, and ride the Skylink to your connecting terminal.
If you have to connect outside of security, then you can ride the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside of Terminal D. These depart regularly from the arrivals level at entry/exit D17 for gates D1 to D22 and D29 for gates D23 to D40.
Hot Tip: If you’ve booked 2 separate tickets and are connecting with American Airlines, then you will be able to check in for your connecting flight at the American desk in Terminal D. You can then re-clear security and ride the Skylink train from Terminal D to your connecting terminal, rather than catching the Terminal Link shuttle bus that can be slower.
Terminal E is the only terminal that is not connected to another terminal with any walkways and is located on the east side of the airport next to Terminal C.
Terminal E has 26 gates numbered E2, E4 to E18, E20, E21, E22, E22B, E23, E23B, E24, E24B, E25, E25A E25B, E26, E27, E27B, E28, E29A, E29B, and E30 to E38. The lower-numbered gates are located at the northern end of the terminal and the higher-numbered gates are at the southern end.
Gates E22, E22B, E23, E23B, E24, E24B, E25, E25A E25B, E26, E27, E27B, E28, E29A, E29B, and E30 are located at terminal E’s satellite terminal that is accessible via an underground tunnel near gate E21.
Terminal E is connected to the other terminals via the Skylink train. However, if you are connecting to terminal E from outside of the secure area of another terminal, then you wouldn’t be able to access the train as the stations are located post-security.
To connect to terminal E outside of the secure area, you’ll need to ride the Terminal Link shuttle bus from outside of the terminal at entry/exit E14 serving gates E2 to E18 or E35 serving gates E20 to E38. If you’re connecting airside from terminal E, the Skylink train stations are located between gates E8 and E11 or between gates E31 and E32.
Hot Tip: If you’re flying American Eagle from the satellite terminal, allow an additional 10 minutes to reach your gate.
Although the Skylink train is usually the quickest way to get between terminals at DFW, in some situations it may be quicker to walk. For example, if your flight arrives at the higher-numbered gates of Terminal A and your connection is at a lower-numbered gate of Terminal B, then these gates are easily accessible via a walkway.
There’s no hard and fast rule for this as it depends entirely on the location of your arrival and departures gates and whether these are close to a Skylink station, so it’s worth checking the map.
The estimated walking times below are based on the closest points of each terminal so you will need to factor in a little extra time to reach your gate:
As with all U.S. airports, if you are arriving on an international flight, then you will need to clear customs and immigration upon arrival; that means picking up your bag from baggage claim. If you booked a combined ticket, or your bags are checked to an onward destination, then you will be able to drop them off at the flight connections bag drop area.
If you have booked separate tickets, then you will need to re-check your bag at the applicable airline’s check-in desk. In any case, you will have to re-clear security to enter the other terminals, and once you do, you can make use of the Skylink train to reach your connecting terminal.
If you’re connecting from a domestic flight, then you won’t need to clear customs and immigration, and you can remain airside to connect to your next terminal, unless you’re flying from Terminal E where no airside connections are available.
DFW terminals are accessible to passengers with disabilities, mobility concerns, and wheelchair users. The Skylink is fully accessible at each station by elevator, with dedicated seating areas onboard each train for passengers with mobility impairments.
Terminal link shuttle buses and shuttles to/from the rental car center or parking lots are wheelchair accessible, and for use in the terminal, wheelchairs can be requested through the individual airlines.
DFW is a busy airport for flight connections due to its central position and 4-hour flight time to most continental U.S. cities.
Every terminal at DFW, other than Terminal E, is connected to another with airside walkways and connector bridges, so it’s possible to walk between flight connections if you have time or are looking to stretch your legs between flights.
Passengers looking for the fastest and most convenient way to get between terminals can ride the Skylink train, operating every 2 minutes from each terminal with a train running clockwise and another running counter-clockwise to ensure you’re going in the right direction.
Featured Image Credit: Dallas Fort Worth International AirportYou can get between DFW terminals outside of the secure area by riding the free Terminal Link shuttle bus that departs from outside each terminal. To travel between terminals inside the secure area, you can ride the Skylink light rail that runs in a clockwise and counter-clockwise direction departing every 2 minutes.
All terminals but Terminal E at DFW are connected to another with airside walkways. Terminal A is connected to Terminals B and C, Terminal B is connected to Terminals A and D, Terminal C is connected to Terminals A and D, and Terminal D is connected to Terminals B and C.
American Airlines solely occupies Terminals A, B, and C at DFW. The airline also operates from terminals D and E, along with other international and domestic airlines.
Most international flights depart from Terminal D at DFW and this is the terminal that the long-haul international airlines are based out of; these airlines include British Airways, Emirates, Japan Airlines, and Lufthansa.
DFW is quite an easy airport to navigate with its clear, structured layout and numerous options for ground transportation. The easiest way to get between terminals is to catch the Skylink train that departs from 2 stations in each terminal.
Once you arrive at your terminal, then all gates are located along the outside of the semicircle with the lower-numbered gates located in the northern end of Terminals A, C, and E and the higher-numbered gates at the southern end. For Terminals B and D, it’s the opposite with the lower numbered gates at the southern end and higher numbered gates at the northern end.
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An experienced points hacker, Erin is Alex’s partner-in-crime and contributes to Upgraded Points with in-depth guides and relationship management. Erin’s work has been cited in multiple major publications.
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