Uber / Lyft · About 15–20 minutes to downtown Rochester in clear traffic
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.
IAG7.0
ROC8.6+1.6
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
IAG5.4
ROC7.5+2.1
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
IAG4.8
ROC7.2+2.4
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
IAG6.4
ROC7.6+1.2
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
IAG6.0
ROC6.8+0.8
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
IAG2.0
ROC2.0
Best for
IAG
Allegiant leisure to Florida / Myrtle BeachNiagara Falls NY visitors wanting the closest US commercial fieldUltra-low-cost sun trips vs BUF fares
ROC
Finger Lakes / downtown Rochester trips on one of the eight live airlinesDrivers using the $16 garage or the $8 yellow shuttle lotBudget riders on RTS Route 23 at $1 to the Transit Center
Watch out for
IAG
Allegiant-only scheduled passenger profile on research dayLeisure frequencies / route churn — confirm live (SFB noted ended on some schedule feeds)No Priority Pass loungeNo published MCT
ROC
No passenger lounge and no Priority PassCLEAR is not at ROC — nearest listed NY airport is BUFSpirit ended after 7 Jan 2026; third-party maps still list itFlight Deck and On The ROCS open late — early banks eat in the food court
Amenities and tips
IAG
Allegiant sun destinationsFalls proximityCompact terminal
Allegiant leisure map
Airport Where We Fly lists Allegiant to Ft. Myers/Punta Gorda, Myrtle Beach, Orlando/Sanford, and Tampa/St. Pete.
Compact NFTA terminal
Small leisure plant — simpler than BUF.
Thin leisure F&B
Do not expect BUF-scale retail.
ROC
One upstairs TSA, two concoursesNo passenger loungeTaste of Rochester food courtGreenlightWiFiROCAirportStrong play zones and AiraSix rental counters at bags
Official clock is 90 minutes — TSA opens 03:30–04:00
The help page says arrive at least 90 minutes early for domestic flights. The checkpoint opens between 03:30 and 04:00 and follows the first departure.
One upstairs TSA, then A green right and B blue left
After screening you stay on the same sterile side. Follow the colored ceiling guides — wrong concourse is a walk, not a reclear.
Eat after TSA in the central food court
Hudson is the only named kitchen before security, at bags. Taste of Rochester, Subway, Gusto, and Dunkin sit in the post-security food court.
IAG · Niagara Falls NY leisure gateway with **Allegiant Air** sun/beach nonstops (airport lists PGD · MYR · SFB · PIE — **confirm live**) — **no Priority Pass lounge** verified on research day; BUF remains the denser full-service alternative across the metro.
ROC · Rochester put 2.80 million passengers through one upstairs TSA in 2025: easy when the bank is quiet, no lounge, no CLEAR, and the $38 million refresh is already in the building.
