Charlotte Airport Expansion to Add 10 More Gates and New Exhibits

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is still undergoing renovations, but more is in store for the airport layout. A recent news article has announced that 10 new gates will open next week at the Charlotte airport as part of the expansion of Concourse A.

Many have seen all of the construction in the last few months during this $200+ million renovation. But, some of that will soon be completed. The 200,000 expansion will also include a unique exhibit dedicated to the Wright Brothers. Visitors and locals traveling through the airport will get the chance to learn about the story of the Wright Brothers.

Out of the new gates, there will be 7 dedicated to Delta Airlines, 2 for Frontier Airlines, and one will be a common-use gate for many. The new space will be open on September 17 and available for travelers to enjoy. Hopefully this expansion will allow for much more space and better traffic flow than we have seen at the airport in the last few months. The CEO of the airport states that the expansion will allow for more concessions, more space, and more amenities for travelers to enjoy. Whether it's locals or new visitors, the area will have plenty for tons of people who visit the airport everyday.

More updates will be coming later this year, including a new Delta Sky Club. The rest of the expansion will also host more dining options and shops for travelers. Hopefully, this means there will be more flight options and less cancellations coming our way. See the full news report by WBTV to see more details.

One thing no one wants to have to do is sleep in an airport. It's uncomfortable and either means a delay in getting to your destination or home and no one wants that. But if you do get stuck in that most unfortunate of situations there are better and worse places for that to happen. And in North Carolina, there is only one airport you want to be stuck overnight in. According to a new study, there is only one sleep friendly North Carolina airport.

And it's one that a lot of people complain about overall. But I'm sure that's mainly due to the sheer volume of people who travel through it on a daily basis.

In the spirit of summer travel (and the seemingly inevitable delays), our friends at CPAP.com set out to determine the most – and least – sleep-friendly airports across North America. Their rankings are based on a variety of factors. These include accessibility to massage chairs, lounges, minute suites, benches without armrests, and more.

Because while relaxing in the airport isn't the end goal of a trip it's nice to do. Especially if you are stuck there for an extended period of time. (In which case I am simply unable to relax).

I do love getting to the airport early, getting through security, and relaxing at a bar with a glass of wine and perhaps a meal if it's the right time. In fact, I often say that's the best-tasting drink of vacation and I don't care how much it costs it's always worth it. That's the moment I truly feel like I'm on vacation.

So in case you are traveling this summer (take me with you!) keep reading to find out the most sleep friendly North Carolina airport (s). These will be ranked worst to best for 7 NC airports. Thanks to our friends at CPAP.com for sharing their research with us. You can read the full study here.

Wilmington International is a great option for travelers on the North Carolina coast. They offer 17 non stop destination on a variety of airlines, and offer connections to hubs like Atlanta and Charlotte to get you to even more of the world. That being said, you don't want to get stuck there overnight! They were the worst ranking NC airport for overnight and relaxation amenities with zero options across the board.

Massage options: 0

24-hour food availability: 0

Shower facilities: 0

Minute suites: 0

Lounges: 0

Overall Ranking: 141

Situated between the two largest airports in the state you'll find Greensboro's Piedmont Triad International Airport. If you think there may be a possibility of having to stay the night in the airport (I know I know, no one anticipates that) you may want to make the drive to one of the other two. Piedmont Tried doesn't offer the comforts you may want in that situation.

Massage options: 0

24-hour food availability: 0

Shower facilities: 0

Minute suites: 0

Lounges: 0

Overall Ranking: 132

Just barely surpassing Piedmont Triad was Asheville Regional Airport. The regional airport serves Allegiant, American, Delta, JetBlue, Suncountry, and United Airlines. But scored the same as the previous two airports on our list when it comes to overnight amenities.

Massage options: 0

24-hour food availability: 0

Shower facilities: 0

Minute suites: 0

Lounges: 0

Overall Ranking: 131

Though the address is technically Richlands, NC Albert J. Ellis serves the Jacksonville area. Both American Airlines and Delta operate out of the airport which also serves private aircraft. Unlike the other airports on this list so far, it has a lounge though which bumped it up in the rankings!

Massage options: 0

24-hour food availability: 0

Shower facilities: 0

Minute suites: 0

Lounges: 1

Overall Ranking: 104

Fayetteville often gets an undeserved bad rap. But not this time! Ranking just outside the top 100 and third in the state of North Carolina for sleep-friendly airports is Fayetteville Regional. Both American and Delta fly out of this regional airport offering you easy connections to unlimited destinations!

Massage options: 0

24-hour food availability: 0

Shower facilities: 0

Minute suites: 0

Lounges: 1

Overall Ranking: 102

As a lifelong Charlottean who has flown out of CLT more times than I could count, I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the ease of flying to and from RDU. It's noticeably smaller, and you may have to have a connection airline dependant, but there are a lot of great nonstop destinations. Plus it's smaller, easier to navigate, and the lines were a breeze when I have flown there.

Massage options: 0

24-hour food availability: 0

Shower facilities: 0

Minute suites: 0

Lounges: 0

Overall Ranking: 3

It should come as no surprise that the largest airport in the state has the most offerings for travelers who need to sleep there. Many would argue it's the one you're the most likely to have to. That is thanks to the sheer volume of one of the nation's busiest airports.

Massage options: 2

24-hour food availability: 11

Shower facilities: 1

Minute suites: 2

Lounges: 9

Overall Ranking: 17