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.
FWA8.5+0.3
SBN8.2
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
FWA7.8+0.5
SBN7.3
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
FWA7.3+0.5
SBN6.8
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
FWA7.2
SBN8.6+1.4
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
FWA8.0+0.6
SBN7.4
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
FWA4.5+2.5
SBN2.0
Best for
FWA
Northeast Indiana trips that should not be forced onto IND or SBNOne-building Allegiant, American, Delta, and United connectionsTravelers who will park Long-Term at $11/day or pay $30 for the Gateway Lounge
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
FWA
No Citilink stop and no rail — official FWA pages do not print Uber or LyftFAQ leftover still prints Economy parking and a relocated curb / cell lotGateway Lounge hours unpublished; day passes leftover capacity-limitedBottled-water prices unpublished; official pages do not map a named filler
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
FWA
Hop River BrewingGateway Lounge Presented by STAR BankBon Bon's Coffee + Tailwind MarketplaceFree terminal Wi-FiLong-Term parking $11Play area, sensory room, nursing rooms, SARA
Budget 90 minutes; Allegiant 120
Official leftover: arrive 90 minutes early. Allegiant leftover 120. Counters leftover close 45 minutes prior.
One TSA, then the second-floor hall
One civil hall. Dining, Marketplace, and the Gateway Lounge leftover sit post-security on the second floor.
Hop River, Bon Bon's, Marketplace
Trust the dedicated dining card, not FAQ leftover 5:00 a.m. hours. Everything named leftover is post-security.
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.
FWA · A compact one-hall with four U.S. airlines, a real $11 Long-Term lot, and a paid STAR Bank Gateway Lounge — no city bus, no Priority Pass, and no Hertz on the live rental card.
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.
