Portland International Airport
Portland International is by far Oregon’s leading airport, handling 90 percent of the state’s passengers who travel by air. Around 13.5 million people fly into Portland every year from cities around the US. The only regular international flights go to Vancouver on Jazz Air, though there is seasonal charter service to Toronto and Calgary in Canada. The main domestic route goes to Denver, followed by Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Airlines that operate out of Portland include Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, SeaPort, Southwest, Spirit, United, US Airways, and Virgin America.
The airport’s terminal is divided into five concourses, each with its own set of passenger amenities. Alaska, Delta, and United all have airport lounges for their passengers, while the Atrium in Concourse D provides a free public space to relax. Free wireless internet covers the entire terminal, while more than two dozen shops sell everything from books to sportswear. There is a wide range of eateries at the airport, from sit-down restaurants to fast-food chains and even brewpubs. Banking services and a full-service spa round off the facilities here.
Travelers can use Portland’s light rail train to zip from the airport into the city or hire a taxi or limo for the 30-minute drive. There are more affordable shared shuttle vans, hotel courtesy shuttles, and rental car companies like Avis and Hertz to choose from. All of the transportation departs from the center area of the terminal just outside of the Baggage Claim. The airport is located right off Interstate 205 for easy connections around the state. The trip into downtown Portland takes between 30 and 45 minutes on average.
Redmond Municipal Airport
Another very useful airport in Oregon is located just outside the town of Redmond. This airport provides convenient access to the eastern side of the Cascades and towns like Bend. It’s a very small regional airport, handling only around 200,000 passengers annually, but it operates 15 daily flights to Denver, Oakland, Phoenix, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle. Four airlines service the Redmond Airport: Allegiant, Alaska Airlines, Delta, and United.
The terminal may be small but it’s modern and has most basic amenities any traveler would need. There is the Coyote Ranch Pub for food and drinks, a gift shop for travel sundries, ATMs, and a conference room that can be reserved. Six major car hire companies are on site, including Budget and Enterprise. Taxis, hotel courtesy vans, and shared shuttles are other transport options. The airport is located just off highways 97 and 127 for quick driving into Bend or Redmond.