Cleveland Hopkins International Airport – CLE

Clean bath rooms, kind staff, and smart advertising. I chose American Airlines. I like the art from local teenagers. I’ve never seen such impressive drawings from 13 Year olds before!

We fly out of here a lot, horrible, they say it’s due to construction. But it’s still the same after 20 years!

Meh!
It’s a lack-​luster airport with lack-​luster food and services. There’s not much design to it and is very utilitarian. Southwest is crammed in to two gates at the end of a concourse.
It’s not a terribly big airport, and it does have a very logical and easy in-​out ingress/​egress. What is also nice is that there isn’t a ton of traffic to fight because of it’s location. Though near three major arteries, it somehow stands apart from the more crowded traffic patterns.
It’s always fun to look at the NASA site too. I’m not sure if it still is one, but it’s an unexpected surprise when you see it.

This airport is under construction and very dirty. The carpet through baggage check was dark colored and it was clear that it had not been vacuumed in a very long time. People have to take there shoes off to walk through here!!!
Traveling the day after Christmas but not too crowded. I was fling Spirit so no TSA pre check. The line was not that long but they staff seemed pretty disorganized.

One word: paint. This is easily the most drab airport I have ever been to. Worst part, it has always been this way, AND they are doing renovations. Maybe they will add color later? Or will the place still look like the CLE winter sky still?
Why would you have a major airline at the furthest possible position, both ticketing and baggage? What did American Airlines do to deserve this? Security is not that much different than a slaughter house line. At least it’s usually quick.
Parking is probably close to the best of any airport I’ve had to deal with, so there’s that. Prices are definitely the cheapest.
Bonus fun is that the planes takeoff and land over I-​480W. As in close to it. Love freaking out people who’ve never experienced a 747 coming at them before.

Smaller size airport — easy to get in and out. This is a definite plus — don’t want to waste valuable vacation time in the airport!

3 stars temporarily due to MASSIVE construction projects. Seems like they’re redoing the entire airport all at once! I’m told its because they’re getting ready for the Republican national convention. Leave time for rental cars, it’s a little bit of a bus ride. Pay attention to the rental car return signs, it could be confusing and easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention. On the good side, TSA were extremely friendly, pre check efficient and gates convenient. I feel badly for those who don’t have pre-​check, if you haven’t signed up, do so as soon as you can! Regular security line was very, very, very long. Looking forward to updating my review once on the construction has finished.

Average airport. It’s currently being updated which is good because it’s being modernized a bit but bad because it’s a bit of a mess. The car rental return is a hassle. It’s completely off-​site and you then take a bus back to the airport. A bit odd. I got completely turned around when returning a rental one day.
The parking options are plentiful. I usually grab a private lot like Park and Fly and then they will bus you to the shuttle stops at the terminals. Very convenient. The security check wasn’t bad. It’s a bit clustered and tight and I felt a bit rushed and stressed, but if you are prepared and don’t pack like a moron you are fine. The staff was friendly.

I really don’t have too much to say about CLE. Not bad. not good​.it just works. I like that it is close to the city thought!
I do however have a fun story as to why I like how close it is to the city… I was in town for a friend’s wedding. The reception was great. so great that they extended the open bar an extra hour. After the reception ended a few of us decided to hit the downtown bars and casino. I really don’t know what time we got back to the hotel at but I am pretty sure my alarm never went off. I woke up about 45min before my flight was set to depart. I told my friend I am going for it. he told me I am crazy and we should just sleep. I said no lets GO! We hammered it to the airport. I sprinted through pre-​check and made it to my gate RIGHT as they were about to close the door. Disaster averted!

Oh, CLE. You’re my home airport, and as an avid work traveler, I wish I could quit you. But CAK is too far away and I have no other options.
CLE currently looks like it’s in a third world country in the middle of a war zone due to construction. It’s hard to drive into the airport, harder to get to ticketing, and dammed near impossible to get out after your flight.
I look forward to mid-​2016 when all of the construction is completed so my beloved airport can go back to being just ok instead of sub-​par.

As the welcome mat for my most recent visit to the land of Cleves, Hopkins airport leaves a bit to be desired. The airport shows some age, being refurbished in places, but still shows the wear and tear of a lot of dirty shoes.
Movement through the airport is not as efficient as in other big city airports and ground transportation is challenging at times. My favorite was the sign at the curb where the rental car shuttle used to be. Sign says simply «Shuttles have moved».
Okay, got it. Where exactly?

I used to fly in here frequently when Continental Airlines still existed. I revisited it more recently on a trip to see some friends… I guess I never realized how dumpy this airport was.
The construction (which my friend mentioned has been going on forever) has made a mess out of this place. On arrival, it didn’t effect much; most of the airport looks like it hasn’t been updated since the late 80s, but who cares?
On departure, it matters a lot. Security checkpoints are closed, but there’s no clearly marked detour to the one they want you to use. The TSA here moves relatively quick, but they’re clearly understaffed so screening takes a little while. It’s nothing compared to O’Hare or Atlanta, but be prepared for a bit of a wait.
Getting in and out of the airport by car is a mess. The front of the terminal is extremely congested and people just double park, leading to bad backups. This might be alleviated when the construction is done, but maybe not.
Some of the gates don’t even have a podium for the ticket agent to stand at, which must make working their flights kind of a pain in the ass. They had to have someone running back and forth between gates to make changes to peoples’ tickets and confirm standbys. I feel for them.

Why 3 stars? Because updates are desperately needed.
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I’ve been flying into Hopkins since I was 2 years old. I waited all year long for our annual summer vacation to spend in Cleveland with family.
The problem with Hopkins is that it seems like it hasn’t been updated a ton since 1986. Everything just kind of seems old and worn.
And as an avid defender of Cleveland, I feel that the airport doesn’t do the city any favors. Cleveland has always been the butt of any joke related to a city that just generally sucks and is totally undesirable. But Cle gets a raw deal here, as there’s plenty of awesomeness in the 216 and the 440.
So my please to the folks in charge of such things: update stuff! Make the airport not look like the mid 80’s everywhere. Signage, décor, the flooring, etc. Let’s join the modern era! I’d love to see the reactions of people dreading a business trip to Cleveland, who exit the plane, and say, «wow… this is… NICE!»
#TeamHopkinsRenovate

This review is based on the current construction and overall mess that is taking place at CLE. I arrived over an hour before my flight and encountered a security line like I’ve never seen before! The staff was super nice and accommodating but there is no excuse for having only one security line open during peak travel time. I’m hoping that this issue is resolved soon!

En remodelacion, pero en general es organizado y mi avion saluo en punto.
Me imagino que cuando termuno los arreglos va a quedar espectacular!

Update: wasn’t surprised to see CLE ranked dead last among medium sized airports in North America! I got a glimpse of the outside renovations/​entrance and it looks good. Now just fix the shitty airport operations…
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Hopefully the airport completes its rehab quickly… The check in area is in disarray… People walking all over the place with no clear indication/​signs for where each airline ticketing location is… I agree construction can be a disruption but clear signage and airport staff guiding passengers will be helpful.
Just a note: I have been flying out of CLE on a weekly basis for the past 2 months…
To add to the chaos, TSA at CLE is the worst (not that they are good anywhere but you can’t get through security in less than 30 mins). One Sunday evening the security line was all the way to the other end of the airport, and guess what there were 3 TSA Pre agents and no one for the regular line??? What were they thinking…
Once you clear security check, the boarding area is clean and organized. Airline and restaurant staff are helpful and there are multiple flights leaving to all major hubs.
There is a Starbucks right after clearing security and the line moves quick. They are open early am (5:30am) so you can get your fix.
When landing, I recommend using the departures/​ticketing level to exit as the arrivals level can get crowded pretty quick.

It’s fine and stuff. The TSA line takes a good chunk of time, so be prepared to arrive the recommended two hours early. It’s pretty well signed, and also pretty clean. Flights seemed to be landing and departing on time consistently, which is always a bonus.
The line at Starbucks moves really fast! I was here at like 7AM when I was flying out, and I was more concerned about the coffee fix than I was about making my plane.
I’d go through here again, but it’s kinda off the flight-​beaten path from MSP. Too bad.

Efficiently run. Least expensive food I have ever seen in an airport! But layout was a little confusing.
This place is clean as a whistle. Including the barrooms. They have interesting artwork, and sculptures everywhere, and the environment is very calming.
All the the staff I came into contact with were friendly, and helpful.
I went to a restaurant/​bar and, had a similarly pleasant experience.
Was stuck for 3 hours here waiting for a connecting flight but, actually had a very soothing, and relaxing experience.
I was able to find USB plugs to charge my phone.

CLE is definitely not one of my favorite airports.
While it’s a small airport, going through security was a pain… it was very inefficient where there was only one scanner for two lines of people to use. Also, security was really backed up with scanning luggage… It was really irritating that they threw attitude at people trying to get their luggage. It didn’t help me when I was trying to get my three bins worth of stuff with people in the way too. But yeah, there definitely needs to be improvement on this especially since I’ve seen larger airports that don’t have this issue at all.
Aside from the security issue, it is easy to navigate around the airport. Food options are limited so I recommend bringing in snacks.

This airport has really changed a lot since I was growing up in Northeastern Ohio in the 50’s!
Overall, I found it easy to get around, easy to find my gate, clear signage, and relatively easy check in, and baggage claim.
We flew into Cleveland and were able to find baggage claim very easily and the signs for which claim area was the one for our flight was clearly marked and very accessible. Our bags arrived right away and the shuttle for the Rental cars was right outside the baggage claim area — again, very clearly marked and very accessible.
Upon returning we were able to check-​in curbside and walked straight to security — also well marked. My only gripe was with TSA — the agents were friendly, but they kept telling me to go to a line where that was not open. I finally got to the scanner and they closed the machine right as I got there. They seemed a bit disorganized and they were not communicating well.
Overall, a positive experience.

I really have no issues with CLE. This is a small airport in comparison to my home airport of Chicago O Hare. No matter what time of day I arrive it takes less than 5 minutes (once it took 10 minutes but that was Thanksgiving travel week) to check luggage and get through security. You can’t beat that. Everyone is friendly and courteous.
Only issue I have is food options. Why are there better food options outside security than inside the airport? Doesn’t make sense. And if you fly United be prepared to walk to the end of the airport to find a Starbucks. That’s just wrong. I need my $ 5 flavored water, oops I meant Starbucks refresher, easily accessible. But they do have some yummy gelato inside the airport, so that’s a plus.
This airport is convenient, easy to fly in and out of and has some reasonable onsite parking options as well. Considering I fly to work every week through this airport I can’t ask for anything more.