Uber / Lyft · Wikipedia reprint: about 7 miles to Clearwater, 9 to downtown St. Petersburg, 17 to Tampa — official pages do not print a drive-time tile
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.
LAL8.6+0.3
PIE8.3
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
LAL7.4
PIE7.4
Food & retail
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
LAL6.8
PIE7.5+0.7
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
LAL7.6+0.1
PIE7.5
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
LAL7.4+0.2
PIE7.2
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
LAL2.0
PIE2.0
Best for
LAL
Avelo nonstops without MCO or TPA trafficTravelers who want a one-checkpoint hallFree overflow parking or a four-hour paved-lot meet
PIE
Allegiant leisure trips that actually land at PIE, not TPABeach trips that can book Grouper to Clearwater BeachDomestic departures that can follow the official 2-hour clock
Watch out for
LAL
No passenger lounge and a Priority Pass 404Avelo counters open only around each turnRed Line is weekday-only and misses late SJU arrivalsDo not merge leftover TPA, leftover MCO, or leftover ARV
PIE
No passenger lounge and no CLEAR — do not buy a third-party Club PIE passGates 2–6 and 7–11 are separate holdrooms; official pages do not describe a sterile connectorLong-term parking fills; budget Key Lime / Strawberry and the ~20-minute shuttleBermudAir Caribbean stamps start 20–24 December 2026 — not today’s board
Give Avelo a full 90 minutes — the counter is not all-day
Official leftover-prints arrive 90 minutes before departure. Live 18 Sep 2026 FlightAware leftover-prints the first Avelo departure as VXP252 to ROC at 07:52 EDT.
Stay in the Don Emerson hall — one checkpoint, one airline
Official leftover-prints one passenger terminal at 3900 Don Emerson Drive. Avelo leftover-prints the main terminal for check-in, TSA, and boarding.
Eat at SORA before TSA if you want a sit-down plate
Official leftover-prints SORA Eatery pre-security (fast casual) and The MarketplACE post-security (grab and go).
PIE
Two holdrooms, short walks, unpublished TSA hoursNo passenger loungeMazzaro and Liquid Provisions on 7–11; 3 Daughters on 2–6Airport_Guest Wi-Fi and mapped hold-room fillersKids play, Mamava, and Bark Parks on both sidesGrouper to the beach; first-come parking
Arrive 2–3 hours early — TSA hours are unpublished
Official FAQ asks for two hours on US flights and three hours when you leave the country, plus extra for parking construction. Official pages do not print checkpoint clock hours or a wait tile.
Pick A or B first — 2–6 and 7–11 are not one walk
Allegiant checks in at Ticketing A. Sun Country is at Ticketing B. Gates 2–6 sit between the two halls; Gates 7–11 exit into baggage claim.
Mazzaro and Liquid Provisions are 7–11; 3 Daughters is 2–6
After TSA, eat on the holdroom your gate actually uses. Landside District Pub is upstairs most days 8 a.m.–4 p.m.; Hudson Dunkin’ sits between Ticketing A and B.
LAL · A one-hall Polk County field that trades a lounge for Avelo 737s, $9 paved parking, and a free grass overflow — easy if you stay on LAL and ignore leftover Tampa and leftover Orlando.
PIE · Clearwater put 2,794,067 people through two small holdrooms in 2025: easy when you pick the right TSA, eat on that side, take Grouper to the beach, and accept there is still no lounge.
