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St. Petersburg-Clearwater International
Tampa Bay Airport

Many people are not aware but there is more than one Tampa Bay airport in the area.  Tampa International Airport is, of course, the largest and most popular Tampa Bay airport.

It also is one of the best airports in the country and has earned titles as the “best in the nation” and one of the best in the world.
 
However, the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International airport has its own claim to fame. 
St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport Field
It is known as the “birthplace of commercial air transportation”. 

History

The first commercial flight took place here in 1914.  Tickets were sold by St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line with Tony Jannus as the pilot.

It is now hard to believe but during that time the only means of transportation from St. Petersburg to Tampa was a non-direct 2 hour railroad journey.

These days I can hop in the car and make it to St. Petersburg from Tampa in less than 30 minutes.  Boy, have times changed.

Because of this long journey, when Tony Jannus proposed a direct flight over the Tampa Bay, needless to say he received good support most notably from the St. Petersburg mayor who was on the first flight.
 
This history making flight flew from downtown near the St. Petersburg Pier across the Tampa Bay to Tampa in a 23 minute flight. 

Current Status 

That first commercial flight was many decades ago.  In addition to commercial flights currently, the airport consists of government activities and air cargo.
  St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
The airport is the busiest Coastal Guard Air station in the world.
 
It is also used by companies such as the United Parcel Service and for other air cargo.
 
Most schedule commercial airlines fly out of Tampa International, however, there are some commercial flights that fly out of the airport.
 
Mainly low cost airlines and charter carriers choose this Tampa Bay airport for its flights.
 
These airlines include:
 
Allegiant Air
www.allegiantair.com
Flights to the following cities
 
Allentown (Lehigh Valley), PA
Chattanooga, TN
Chicago-Rockford, IL
Des Moines, IA 
Fort Wayne, IN 
Greensboro, NC 
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC      
Knoxville, TN
Lansing, MI
Peoria, IL
Roanoke, VA 
South Bend, IN
Springfield, MO
Toledo, OH

USA 3000 Airlines
www.usa3000airlines.com
Flights to the following cities

Chicago (O'Hare), IL
Cincinnati, OH (Beginning service December 18, 2007)
Cleveland, OH
Detroit, MI
Newark, NJ
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
St. Louis, MO

Sun Country Airlines
www.suncountry.com
Flights to the following cities
 
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (seasonal) 
Myrtle Beach Direct Air
www.myrtlebeachdirectair.com
Flights to the following cities 
Gulfport/Biloxi, MS
Myrtle Beach, SC
Niagara/Buffalo, NY
Newark, NJ
Pittsburgh, PA 

Sunwing Airlines
www.flysunwing.com
Flights to the following cities

Toronto 

Transat Holidays
www.transatholidays.com
Flights to the following cities 

Halifax, Nova Scotia (seasonal service)
Moncton, New Brunswick (seasonal service)
 
SeaCoast Airlines – Provides Charter Service
www.seacoastairlines.com
Flights to the following cities
 
Marathon and Key West, FL 

Airport Parking 

Long term and short term parking is available at the airport.

Long term and short term parking are both $2.00 for the first hour and $2.00 for each additional hour.  Long term parking has a maximum daily cost of $8.00, while short term parking has a maximum daily cost of $11.00.

There is Remote Parking which opens occasionally when needed with a maximum daily cost of $7.00.

Airport Transportation

Similar to Tampa airport transportation, there are various means of transit from the St. Petersburg-Clearwater airport. 

These include 
  • Car Rental
  • Shuttles
  • Taxis
  • Bus
Renting a car is usually the most popular option since it is the most convenient.  This is because the public transportation system in the Tampa Bay area is not all that great.

The car rental companies at the airport include:
  • Alamo/National
  • Avis Rent a Car
  • Budget Rental Cars
  • Enterprise Car Rental
  • Hertz Rental
  • Dollar Car Rental (Airport Pick Up, Offsite)
In my experience of renting a car in the Tampa Bay area, Dollar Car Rental usually has the best value considering quality and rate. 

This is especially true when renting a car to travel out of the state.
However, Thrifty and Enterprise usually have good rates as well.  I talk more about Tampa car rentals on this page.

You may also want to try some of the shuttles at the airport or if you are staying in one of the hotels nearby they may offer free or cheap transportation to and from the hotel.

You can check the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport site for information on taxi and shuttle rates.

With the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport travellers to the Tampa Bay area have even more flight choices.  You may be able to find a reduced cost rate with one of the low fare carriers that fly out of the facility.
 
Although the destinations are limited the airport does provide you with flights on the East Coast and Midwest.

With its own mark in history, the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport is the best Tampa Bay airport in at least one category: Best Historical Airport.

Tampa Bay Airport photos courtesy of Hawk684 and MikeReichold.


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