Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Review as a First-Time Flyer

We landed at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) after our first-ever flight as a family, and I’ve got to say, as someone who walked off the plane still recovering from my own anxiety spiral…

It was smooth. Surprisingly smooth.

The baggage claim was easy to find. The airport was clean, calm, and well laid out. We didn’t have to fight through a wall of people or guess which hallway would lead us to rideshare pickup. Even with two kids who’d just been trapped in seats for four hours, I didn’t feel overwhelmed walking through DFW.

What stood out most, though, was the energy.

Coming from Boston, I’m used to people avoiding eye contact at all costs. At DFW?

Strangers said hi.

People offered to help when we looked confused.

An older gentleman chatted with my kids while we waited for our bags like we were longtime neighbors.

Southern hospitality isn’t just a saying. It’s real, and we felt it the second we landed.

On our way back home, we had a few hours to kill in DFW before boarding and that’s where the experience became more realistic.

We stopped at IHOP in the terminal, thinking it’d be an easy, family-friendly option. It was… not.

Overpriced, underwhelming, and extremely mediocre.

Would not recommend it unless you’re desperate and your expectations are on the floor.

We tried to grab Dunkin’ coffee after that, because obviously we were flying back to Boston and had to refuel with our regional beverage of choice.

But the line?

Out of control.

We genuinely didn’t think we’d make it to the gate in time if we waited, so we skipped it.

Pro tip: If you want coffee before your flight out of DFW, get there extra early, and don’t bank on last-minute stops.

We did manage to grab Chick-fil-A, though.

Reliable, fast, and actually good.

If you need something the kids will eat (and you won’t regret), this was the win of the terminal.

All in all, DFW gave us a smooth arrival and a realistic but manageable departure and that’s more than I can say for a lot of airports.

Would I fly through DFW again?

Absolutely.

Just not for the pancakes.