Tampa International Airport:
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The address is 5503 West Spruce Street Tampa, Florida 33607. It is the largest of the airports in the area with the St. Pete - Clearwater International airport being the next largest Tampa Bay Airport.
Although, I am not a frequent
flier, I have always found the Tampa airport to
be very user friendly and easy to navigate.
It is considered by some to be the best mid-sized airport in the nation.
The Tampa International Airport (also known as TIA, the airport code is TPA) has received awards for the following:
- 2nd best airport in the world (1st in the U.S.) for mid-sized airports according to J.D. Power and Associates 2002 Global Airport Passenger Satisfaction Study for customer satisfaction.
- 4th best in the world (2nd in the U.S.) the next year in the same survey.
- “Best Airport in the U.S.” - Conde Nast Traveller magazine
Airlines
There are a variety of airlines that fly out of the Tampa International Airport, many of which have direct flights to places throughout the world.Air Canada
Air Tran
America West
American
British Airways
Cayman Airways
Delta
Freedom
Airlines
Frontier
Jet Blue
KLM
Midwest
Northwest
Southwest
Spirit
Ted
United
US Airways
Transportation and Parking
Tampa airport transportation is a breeze with various options including Tampa airport car rental, shuttles, public transportation, and taxis.I would highly recommend renting a car if you are going to be in the area for more than a few days since the public transportation in the area is not all that great.
If you are only going to be here for a couple of nights and are staying in a hotel nearby then take advantage of the shuttles that the hotels in the area offer. Many of those are free or are of minimal cost.
If you are departing from the Tampa International Airport then you will need to find parking unless you are fortunate enough to have someone drop you off.
There are many Tampa airport parking options including short term, long term, valet, and economy parking.
Tampa International Airport is a wonderful airport in a great location.
Restaurants and Shopping
Tampa International Airport is located in a perfect location in the Westshore district in Tampa with many restaurants and shopping malls nearby.If you have a few extra hours before checking in be sure to check these out.
There are two major malls within minutes from the airport. These include Westshore Plaza and International Plaza.
International Plaza is a high-end shopping place with very good restaurants such as Cheesecake Factory and Capital Grille.
Be sure to have some extra money to spend as this place features stores such as Louis Vutton, Coach, and Gucci.
There are also some less high-end stores such as Express, Guess, and Dillard’s.
Westshore Plaza is another shopping mall right down the street on Westshore Blvd. Some of the popular restaurants here include Maggiano’s Little Italy and P.F. Chang’s.
The major stores here include Sax Fifth Ave, Macy’s, and JCPenney.
On the way to the mall you will pass some of the restaurant favorites in the Tampa area such as Lee Roy Selmon’s, Fleming’s Steak House and Roy’s.
If you do not have the time to venture out of the airport into the Westshore district then there are also many restaurants inside the airport.
Everything from fast food such as Burger King and Pizza Hut to casual dining restaurants such as Chili’s and TGI Friday’s.
Some of these restaurants are
located at the Landside Building whereas
others are located throughout the various Airsides.