Huntsville International Airport

Date of Visit: April 3, 2014

This was Mik's third or fourth time flying out of Huntsville in the year and a half since we knew we were relocating here and have lived here, but it was the first time we really spent time in the terminal because we arrived hours earlier than normal since Dad had to drop us off on his way to work.  It quickly has gone from being one of our favorite airports to our least favorite.

First off, the first time we arrived in Hunstville and rode the elevator from the gate level to the security entrance/exit level we were impressed.  In fact, it is Mik's second favorite elevator with the only better one being the Warning Walls Will Move ones you go on for the accessible route to go on Indiana Jones at Disneyland.  After our experience this past week, though, the airport has annoyed him to the point he feels he cannot even call it his second favorite elevator, although he cannot name any specific elevator to replace it on the list of only two favorite elevators, so it's now in last while still actually being second.

What made our opinion of the Huntsville Airport go to the worst airport experience ever is the fact that there is not a companion bathroom in the terminal.  Now that doesn't seem like a totally horrible thing, but when we returned from our D23 Expo trip in August I know I took him to a companion restroom outside security before exiting to where Dad was waiting in the pick up area (very nice set up by the way!).  It is inconvenient that they totally have one in the airport, but it would have required going through security again, which is a bigger hassle for someone in a wheelchair than most others.  We did not have time to go through that and I went into the women's room to go myself and found that they also do not even have handicap stalls big enough to fit a wheelchair and a companion.  In fact, they seem like they may not even big enough for someone in a wheelchair that does not need a companion to help them.

Thus, as much as we love the one elevator. We now totally hate the airport.  It also does not help that the other elevator from the security level to the pick up/drop off/baggage claim level is barely big enough when two of us travel with Mik.  Additionally, the aisle chairs are not that great including not even fitting to be next to the bulkhead row in the little planes, which is mostly what at least American and US Airways fly to/from Huntsville (we mainly have flown the larger American planes to DFW, so didn't even realize the aisle chair issue until this trip to DC).  Sure, even the nicest aisle chairs do not work well on the small planes, which is why Mik hates flying them, but at least those fit in the aisle and it is the turning to get on/off that is an issue.

Bottom line is Mik was glad to not realize the airport was so bad until this trip because this trip was our first condo hunting trip to DC.  The whole little plane experience even lead to Mom joke maybe we should just rent a place now and not go home, but more on that in another post because that is more about the D.C. airport.

Destination Info:
Huntsville International Airport
1000 Glenn Hearn Blvd
Huntsville, AL 35824