Salt Lake City Airport (SLC) Flights & Flight Status

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) sits 5 miles northwest of downtown Salt Lake City and offers 330 daily flights to more than 95 nonstop destinations. Thanks to a $5.1 billion redevelopment program currently underway, SCL has soaring new terminal spaces and a wide array of impressive major art pieces and welcome amenities that I’m always delighted to encounter. This guide will help you find your way around the sprawling SLC airport like a local.

While more than 13 airlines serve SLC, the airport is a hub for Delta Air Lines, which occupies all the gates on Concourse A as well as some gates on Concourse B. Southwest, the second largest airline operating out of SLC, and all other airlines are located on Concourse B.

Getting to and from Salt Lake City International Airport

It is easy to get to and from SCL airport by car, taxi, ride hailing service, shuttle vans or car service.

Yellow Cab of Utah is the only taxi company authorized to pick up at the airport and it offers flat rates to downtown Salt Lake, the University Area and other parts of the city. I discovered I can call ahead or just ask the dispatch booth (Level 1, post 8A) for a quote of the exact fare I’ll be charged to any destination. So, no surprises once the meter drops.

In many cases, it will be far less expensive to take Salt Lake City’s light rail system, TRAX, to and from the airport. The ride between the airport and downtown Salt Lake City takes about 20 minutes. Look for the TRAX Green Line station just outside the terminal on the east, near Door 1A.

Parking at Salt Lake City International Airport

You can save at least 5% and be confident you’ve got a spot to park by reserving ahead of your trip on the SLC website.

SLC’s parking garage has a helpful red light/green light Parking Guidance System that lets you know which parking spaces are open. Here’s another helpful feature: if, like me, you sometimes forget where you parked your car, you can download the Park Assist mobile app, choose SLC airport, enter your license plate number and the app will somehow magically find your car’s location.

156 parking spots in the SLC parking system are set aside for electric vehicles. You can’t reserve a spot, but there’s a handy mobile app that tells you which spots are open. Better yet, while you must still pay the daily parking fee (no way around that) charging your EV car is free.

SLC Layout and the ‘long walk’

SLC has one main terminal and will have 94 gates once the redevelopment project is completed. The gates spread out two concourses, A & B, which are connected by two 1,200-foot-long tunnels: the Mid-Concourse and the Central Tunnel (as of Oct. 2024).

Both tunnels have moving walkways and golf cart-like shuttles. Whether you walk or ride, if you’re heading to, from or between some of the farthest gates, the journey can stretch up to 20 minutes. To avoid stress and the chance of missing a flight, build in extra time and lots of patience when heading to or from a flight at SLC or when booking a connection. And wear comfortable shoes.

The Central Tunnel is located right after the security screening checkpoint and offers a straight shot to Concourse B. The Mid-Concourse Tunnel is located about halfway down Concourse A-west. If you’re not sure which tunnel will get you closest to your gate, check the handy distance chart on the SLC website or the maps posted at the airport.

Security checkpoint tips for SLC

At SLC airport, the main security screening area is on Level 2 and most passengers head here. During busy times, I recommend you head to the security checkpoint on Level 1. It has shorter operating hours, but it is usually less crowded.

Pre-security Greeting Room

SLC has a glass-walled pre-security Greeting Room where friends and family can wait for arriving passengers. Officially the “Senator Jake Garn Greeting Room,” in honor of the first member of congress to fly in space, the room has a fireplace, comfortable seating, exhibits, flight information display boards (FIDS), an adjacent restaurant and can hold up to 400 people.

Why so many? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is based in Salt Lake City and sends tens of thousands of missionaries around the world for up to two-year terms of service. When they return home, large groups of friends and families will gather to greet them at the airport with welcome banners and balloons.

In the old SLC terminal these gatherings took place in the baggage claims areas and sometimes made it difficult for other passengers to reach the carousels to reclaim their bags. The new terminal design both addresses that congestion issue and makes reunions smoother.

Lounges at SLC airport

There are limited lounge options at SLC, which is unusual for such a big airport, but more lounges are planned for SLC’s future.

In addition to the USO lounge (Concourse A, near Gate A25), there is a 28,000-square-foot Delta Sky Club (Concourse A, Level 2 east of the Terminal Plaza) that was for a time the carrier’s largest club space. A second Delta Sky Club and a United Club lounge are planned for SLC as well.

This impressive Delta Sky Club lounge has seating for about 600, two bars and buffet areas and sweeping views of the airfield and the nearby Wasatch Mountains. Other amenities include a fireplace, shower rooms, phone booths for privacy, a covered and heated outdoor Sky Deck and some outstanding art. Access may be determined by airline cabin class, status or alliance, club membership or credit card.

Minute Suites, which rents small, short-stay rooms for napping, working or relaxing, is located on Concourse A, near Gate A33. If you have a Priority Pass membership, your first hour here will be free. A branch of XpresSpa (near Gate A15) offers nail care, massages and other rejuvenation services.

Dining and shopping at SLC airport

Dining and shopping venues at SLC airport offer a nice variety of local and regional brands and specialties, including plenty of Utah craft brews. Street pricing is in effect at SCL, which means prices in the airport must match those in town. If you see a line or are in a hurry, keep in mind that you can order ahead for pick up through Grab’s SLCtoGo program.

Art at SLC Airport

A big airport calls for big art. And lots of it. SLC made sure that the art in its new terminal allows even passengers who are simply connecting here to feel as if they’ve experienced some of Utah’s natural wonders. Here are a few of my favorite installations.

Each of the 24 post-security restrooms at SLC has a ‘Whimsy Wall’ featuring Utah-inspired artwork turned into giant vinyl wall wraps. The Mid-Concourse Tunnel sports wall murals portraying seasonal scenes of Utah. And Dennis Smith’s whimsical “Flying Machines” mobiles are restored and reinstalled on the west end of Concourse A.

Gordon Huether’s 362-foot-long installation, “The Canyon,” covers both walls of the main terminal in fabric and aluminum tubing designed to evoke the Salt Lake City landscape and real canyon walls. “The Falls,” another Huether piece, is a 65-foot-tall waterfalls-inspired installation in terminal escalator well.

And Huether’s “River Tunnel,” which runs the length of the Central Tunnel, simulates a river with blue light and wavy overhead panels. Like the tunnel soundtrack? You can download the playlist of more than 100 songs from Spotify or YouTube.

Traveling with kids at SLC Airport

While there are no designated kids play areas at SLC, kids will enjoy the LEGO shop, the restroom Whimsy Walls, the art throughout the airport and hanging out with the therapy dogs from the airport’s Pilot Pubs program. If you’ve got a long layover, take the kids to an upper floor of the airport parking garage for plane spotting.

SLC Airport’s cool baggage system

SLC knows its audience and has a baggage system that can accommodate skis, snowboards, bikes and other sports equipment without sending passengers to a separate oversize bag check section. In the bag claim area, you’ll see carousels that deliver skis in open vertical lockers, making it easy for passengers to spot and retrieve their gear. Skier or not, it’s fun to see this in action.

Activities near SLC Airport

Many Salt Lake City attractions, including Temple Square, the FamilySearch Library and the City Creek Shopping Center are a short drive or light rail ride from the airport. If you do spend time in town, be sure to download the free Salt Lake Discount Passport offered by Visit Salt Lake. The passport offers discounts on food, merchandise, event tickets and more.