Uber / Lyft / Door G taxis · ~10–15 min to downtown South Bend / ~15–20 min to Notre Dame
Where they are
One map, pinned from each airport’s published coordinates.
Category scores
Overall is the published weighted sum. A highlighted score is ahead; a tie stays plain.
Ease of use
25% · Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
AZO8.6+0.4
SBN8.2
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
AZO7.4+0.1
SBN7.3
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
AZO6.8
SBN6.8
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
AZO7.6
SBN8.6+1.0
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
AZO6.6
SBN7.4+0.8
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
AZO2.0
SBN2.0
Best for
AZO
ORD and DTW connections without driving to GRR or DTWTravelers who want a one-checkpoint 2011 hall$12 long-term parking next to I-94 Exit 78
SBN
Origin-and-destination trips that can live with one checkpoint and a $13 Long-Term lotChicago-bound travelers who will ride the in-terminal South Shore instead of connecting at ORDNotre Dame weekends if you will take the official two-hour clock and skip the closed Short-Term lotEmpty-bottle travelers who will use the mapped filler between Gates 6 and 7
Watch out for
AZO
Commercial pause 12–18 Sep 2026 (official Runway 17-35 closure 12–19 Sep)No passenger lounge and a Priority Pass 404Metro Duke is weekday-only with a midday gapDo not merge BTL, GRR, LAN, DTW, or the Air Zoo
SBN
Assuming Priority Pass, Escape, or an airline club exists (live PP / Escape have no SBN pin)Treating American ORD as a jet before 5 Oct 2026 — leftover Landline motorcoach through 4 OctTreating leftover Breeze RSW, leftover Allegiant Knoxville, or leftover Chocolate Café hours as liveWaiting on the front drive or walking to Doors B/C — leftover closed for SBN UpFront
Amenities and tips
AZO
$12 long-term lotTailwind after TSAComplimentary Wi-FiNo loungeFamily restrooms and indoor pet relief
This week there is no airline to catch
Official groundbreaking prints commercial air service suspended during the 12–19 Sep Runway 17-35 closure. WKZO prints the commercial cutoff at 12:00 a.m. on 12 Sep and a 19 Sep restart.
Stay in the 2011 Portage Road hall
Official maps print one parking sheet plus first-floor and second-floor terminal sheets. Official services print Gate 2 and Gate 4. Wikipedia prints five gates. Those gate-count cells do not match.
Eat at Tailwind after TSA if you want a published plate
Official services and FAQ print a post-security restaurant, bar, coffee shop, and gift shop run by Tailwind. Official Tailwind page prints breakfast and lunch and no hours and no menu prices.
SBN
Sky Dine + Dunkin’ at Gate 6SBN-Free WiFi + business centers + Gate 7 nursing roomSouth Shore Line in the terminalMapped bottle filler between Gates 6 and 7One-checkpoint accessibility + Global Entry enrollmentNo passenger lounge
Two hours while the front drive is a construction site
Official leftover arrive two hours before departure; leftover Notre Dame home-game Sundays get the same two-hour clock because the lot and TSA both swell.
Cross at Door F; Doors B and C are closed
SBN UpFront leftover keeps the front drive open for drop-off, but waiting on the curb is banned — cell-phone lot, then a call-up.
Sky Dine plus Dunkin’ at Gate 6 — Jimmy John’s is still landing
Dedicated dining leftover: Sky Dine is the live kitchen on both sides of TSA; Dunkin’ is NOW OPEN post-security across from Gate 6.
AZO · A one-hall Portage Road county field with American to O'Hare and Delta to Detroit — easy when the airlines are turning, dark this week for the Runway 17-35 extension, and empty of lounges.
SBN · South Bend’s county-owned one-hall field: a South Shore train in the terminal, a $13 Long-Term lot, five live airline names, and a front drive that stays a construction site into 2027 — with no passenger lounge.
