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.
ROC8.6+0.2
BUF8.4
Comfort & amenities
20% · Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
ROC7.5+0.1
BUF7.4
Food & retail
Best for
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
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 it
Amenities and tips
ROC
One upstairs TSA, two concoursesNo passenger loungeTaste of Rochester food courtGreenlightWiFiROCAirport
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.
BUF · Compact single-terminal Upstate field with a real Priority Pass chair, Anchor Bar wings, and a $2 Metro bus — traded against a 9 p.m. TSA close and lake-effect winters.
15% · Food and retail quality and variety.
ROC7.2
BUF7.2
Ground access
15% · Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
ROC7.6+0.6
BUF7.0
Reliability
15% · Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
ROC6.8+0.2
BUF6.6
Lounges
10% · Worth-it density and access quality.
ROC2.0
BUF7.2+5.2
BUF
Western New York and Southern Ontario trips that should skip YYZ connectionsPriority Pass holders who will actually sit in The Club between Gates 6 and 7Drivers who want official $12 Economy parking 11 miles from downtownTravelers who will eat the original Buffalo wing at Anchor Bar after security
Flight Deck and On The ROCS open late — early banks eat in the food court
BUF
TSA closes at 21:00 even though the terminal stays open — you cannot reclearLake-effect snow is the reliability story; pad the curb, not just securityWikipedia still lists dead Metro routes 24B / 47 / 68 / 204 — only Route 24 is officialIAG / Niagara Falls is a different NFTA airport and a joint civil-military field
Strong play zones and Aira
Six 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.
BUF
Anchor BarThe ClubComplimentary Wi-FiCLEAR + PreCheckNFTA Metro Route 24
Checkpoint closes 9 p.m. — the terminal does not
Official FAQ: the building is 24/7, but TSA shuts at 21:00 daily. Ticket counters typically open 90 minutes before the first departure.
One hall, one checkpoint, walk the gate number
There is no second terminal and no airside train. After TSA you are already on the concourse — The Club is straight ahead between Gates 6 and 7.
Eat Anchor Bar after security if you want the wing
Official Anchor Bar is airside on the departure level, daily 08:00–21:00 — the original Buffalo wing, not a landside tourist trap.
