Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport / Wold–Chamberlain Field

Minneapolis-Saint Paul is a major Delta hub and the busiest airport in the Upper Midwest. It also carries a strong low-cost presence, led by locally based Sun Country. It runs on two terminals with an unusually clean solution for tying them together: the light rail links both.

The terminals

Terminal 1 (Lindbergh) is the main building — Delta and most other airlines, with a large set of concourses connected airside, plus a small tram between the two furthest concourses. Terminal 2 (Humphrey) is the smaller building used by Sun Country and several low-cost carriers. The two terminals are physically separate, but the METRO Blue Line light rail runs between them, which makes moving from one to the other cheap and simple — you ride one stop. Note that a connection crossing terminals still means leaving security and rescreening, so allow time.

Getting into the Twin Cities

The METRO Blue Line is the standout feature for travelers: from stations at both terminals it runs into downtown Minneapolis in around 25 minutes, and the other direction reaches the Mall of America. It is inexpensive and reliable. For downtown Saint Paul or the suburbs, a taxi or rideshare fills the gap; the airport sits about 16 km southwest of downtown Minneapolis, a quick drive off-peak.

Worth knowing

Winter is the operational wildcard — heavy snow and cold can delay flights, though MSP is well practiced at handling it. For a Delta connection, Terminal 1 is a comfortable, well-run building. The main thing to get right is your terminal: Sun Country and several budget carriers use Terminal 2, which many first-timers overlook, and the light rail — not a walk — is how you get between the two.