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Without a doubt, Charlotte Douglas International is the best airport in the Carolinas. It's the biggest airport in North and South Carolina, so it offers the most options when it comes to flights. This typically means lower airfare, more scheduling flexibility, and a larger number of non-stop flights. CLT to SFO, FTW.
Growing up in High Point, our family's "home" airport was naturally Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport (PTI). It's a fine airport if you're making a short regional/east coast trip. However, more often than not, you will have to connect somewhere if your itinerary originates or ends at PTI. That can be an inconvenience.
More often these days, if flying into or out of North Carolina and trying to get to the Triad, we'll bypass PTI altogether and instead use CLT (and in some instances, RDU - Raleigh/Durham International Airport). The less-than-1.5-hour drive from the Triad to CLT is worth the time savings and hassle of having to connect in Chicago, DC, Dallas, Houston, etc.
Currently, the Charlotte airport is in the midst of major expansion/renovation. Passenger traffic is growing and the airport is trying to keep up. While the airport is a hub for US Airways, it still feels relatively small. No need for people movers. You can walk in a straight line and cover all the terminals in a short amount of time. This is good and bad - no need to navigate/walk long distances, but when it's packed, it's packed (not a whole lot of space). There are multiple security checkpoints and you can easily go from one to another to find shorter lines.
The airport has many years on it, but it's well maintained and feels comparatively modern and clean. One of the best things about Charlotte's airport are the inexpensive parking fees. Unfortunately, parking fees will be increasing soon, but will remain at reasonable levels. Long-term lots will increase to $7 a day from $5 a day and daily parking will increase to $10 a day from $7 a day. The hourly deck and valet prices are set to increase too. All parking at CLT requires shuttle access to the terminals.
Overall, Charlotte Douglas is a solid airport for the Carolinas.
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