The Portland Oregon Airport, known as Portland International Airport, is the nicest airport I have ever visited. I am not saying that because I am from Oregon. I have been in major airports all over the world including many large US airports. PDX is attractive, easy to get around in, has great shopping and food outlets, and has a light rail train,
Max,
that travels into downtown Portland and as far as Beaverton to the west.
If you are coming to Oregon from very far away, flying is your best choice. Portland International Airport has direct flights from most of the major hub airports in the US and it has direct flights from Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and The Netherlands.
Airlines that have flights to and from Portland Oregon Airport are:
saltoricco, Creative Commons
Air Canada Jazz
Alaska Airlines
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Delta Air Lines
Frontier Airlines
Hawaiian Airlines
Horizon Air
JetBlue Airways
Lufthansa
Mexicana
Northwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
United and United Express
US Airways
You can find the best deals and prices for a flight to Portland on Kayak. Cheap Flights
Portland Oregon Airport Voted #1 in USA
Read on for the reasons these business travelors gave for liking PDX.
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Free Wi-Fi Access is offered all over the main level of the airport. This includes most gates, the food court, and lobby areas. To use this service you need an 802.11b-capable wireless network card.
Many of Portland's popular restaurants have an outlet at PDX and this includes three brewpubs. The neat thing is that they are not allowed to
charge more for food than they do in their "in town" restaurants. Plus remember there is no sales tax in Oregon.
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Some of Portland's best stores are also represented at the airport including Powell's Books, Nike, Norm Thompson, and the Oregon Pendleton Shop. Again, the same prices as are charged in the downtown stores.
Parking at Portland International Airport is as convenient as is possible at any airport. Short term parking is in a parking building next to the terminal.
Long term parking is out a ways but there is a shuttle service that makes its rounds regularly. I don't think I have ever had to wait longer than 7-8 minutes for a shuttle. These are equipped for handicapped access. There are no reservations for parking and if you need it there is free flat tire and jump start service.
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Taking Max into downtown Portland is easy. The terminal at the airport is outside near the baggage claim area. There are ticket machines which take both credit and debit cards. To go into downtown which is about a 38-minute trip, you need an all-zone ticket which at the present time costs about $2.05. The cars are equipped to handle mobility devices. For your luggage all you have to do is roll it on board. A train arrives approximately every 15 minutes.
Many hotels have courtesy shuttles that will take you directly from the airport to your
Portland hotel.
In order to really see Oregon you need a car. While there are smaller airports dotted around the state with flights from Portland, unless someone is meeting you and loaning you a car or driving you around, you will still need to rent one.
Rental cars are available from the following companies at Portland Oregon Airport:
Avis Rent A Car
Budget Rent A Car
Dollar Rent A Car
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
Hertz Rent A Car
You can save money and compare prices on a rental car at Cheap Rental Cars
If it has been a while since you have traveled by air, it is a good idea to become up to date with current security regulations. For instance, if you want to take a bottle of hand lotion in your carry-on you have to make sure it holds no more than three ounces of lotion. If you are traveling from abroad, there are new identity requirements. To get the latest on air travel so you don't have any last minute surprises take a look at the
TSA website.
