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.
CVG8.0
LEX8.5+0.5
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
CVG7.5
LEX7.6+0.1
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
CVG7.4
LEX7.6+0.2
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
CVG6.6
LEX7.2+0.6
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
CVG7.2
LEX7.4+0.2
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
CVG7.5+1.5
LEX6.0
Best for
CVG
Delta connections on Concourse BPriority Pass / Escape Lounges usersTravelers who want Skyline Chili or Graeter’s before boardingDriving or rideshare trips to Greater Cincinnati
LEX
Central Kentucky origin/destination tripsWeekday AA / DL / UA club members who want the $0 ClubDrivers who will use the $14 Long-Term lot
Watch out for
CVG
People-mover time after security on tight connectionsNo rail—only TANK bus, rideshare, taxi, or carDelta Sky Club often closed by ~19:00Located in Hebron, KY—not downtown Cincinnati
LEX
TSA leftover close 8:30 p.m. on the original scheduleThe Club is closed SaturdaysNo rail — LexTran Route 8 is selected weekday tripsOfficial dest table is U.S. only
Amenities and tips
CVG
Local Cincinnati foodEscape Lounges + The Club + Sky ClubDropWater refill stationsFree Wi-FiFamily play areasTANK 2X + rideshare curb
Clear security, then add tram time
Arrive ~2 hours domestic / 3 international; peak banks are early morning and late afternoon. PreCheck/CLEAR help, but build 8–12 minutes to your gate after screening.
One terminal, two island concourses
Check A vs B on your boarding pass before security so you ride the correct tram spur; A and B are connected airside via the tunnel.
Eat local—Skyline, Graeter’s, Braxton
Skip generic chains when you can: Skyline Coneys on B and Graeter’s on A are the Cincinnati signatures most travelers actually want.
LEX
The Club at Blue GrassBourbon Library + Snack BarrelComplimentary Wi-FiNursing suite + LEX PetsGoodMaps + Sunflower lanyardsLong-Term parking after the 2026 expansion
Official leftover is 90 minutes — checkpoint closes 8:30 p.m.
Official TSA / dest leftover: arrive 90 minutes before scheduled departure. Checkpoint daily 4:00 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; hours vary by the original flight schedule.
One civil hall — A and B after the same screening story
Commercial passengers use one ticketed-pax building. Official leftover Concourse A and Concourse B. Official pages do not print a live gate-to-airline map — read FIDS.
Eat after TSA — Bourbon Library is the named kitchen
Official dining: airside Bourbon Library 6:00 a.m.–last flight, Dunkin’ 4:15 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Sir Veza’s 11:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m., Snack Barrel 4:15 a.m.–last flight. Landside leftover is Blue Grass MarketPlace 6:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
CVG · Straightforward midsize Kentucky-side Cincinnati airport with one security checkpoint, an underground tram to island Concourses A/B, solid local food, and three lounges—offset by no rail link and a Sky Club that often closes mid-evening.
LEX · LEX is a one-hall Bluegrass field that stays simple — 90-minute leftover, a Saturday-closed $25 club, and $14 Long-Term — as long as you do not expect rail or a Priority Pass room.
