Inside Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
Today we’re looking at Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF), a follow-up to previous coverage of New York airports, including JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) and Albany (ALB) airports. Buffalo Airport serves Southern Ontario in Canada as well as the New York metropolitan area.
History
The airport started life as the Buffalo Municipal Airport in 1926, so it’s one of the country’s oldest public airports. It started passenger service in 1927 with flights to Cleveland. The airport had successive expansions in 1955 and 1961 and its name was changed to Greater Buffalo International Airport in 1959. Expansions continued to address the growing air traffic, but it soon became clear that a new airport would be needed to keep pace with modern requirements. This was built between the existing terminals and opened in November 1997 as the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. The old terminals were then demolished.
The airport now has 25 gates and handled more than 5 million passengers in 2010. According to the airport it’s the fifth least expensive place to fly in the US, with a price per mile of about half of the most expensive place. It serves several major air carriers including AirTran, American Airlines, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United and US Airways.
Services and Amenities
BUF Airport has a range of useful passenger services and amenities. In addition to food outlets and shops, the airport has a cell phone lot, laptop workstations near gates 3,14, and 20, and charging stations for cell phones and MP3 players at gates 4,14, and 20 and in the baggage claim. There are also special services for disabled travelers. Check out the terminal map and list of accommodation for more nearby amenities.
BUF Airport Parking
In addition to the onsite airport parking, we also offer Buffalo airport parking reservations. These include Thrifty Airport Parking, Airport Valet Parking and airport parking from The Parking Spot. Book on the web for discounted airport parking rates which are locked in when you reserve.
Things to Do Near Buffalo Airport
If you’re visiting the area, you’ll find plenty to do near Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. You could make things easy by hopping on a plane and visiting Niagara Falls, but if you want to stay in the US, here are some suggestions:
- Go on a sailing adventure on the Spirit of Buffalo. Best done in summer, a sail on a 73 foot schooner is one of the areas most popular things to do.
- Visit Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House.
- Check out the beautiful Victorian homes, lovely walks and eclectic nightlife in Allentown.
- Find out more about Theodore Roosevelt at Wilcox Mansion.
- See the Heritage Farm (and the animals) at Buffalo Zoo.
Image: Craig Damlo
Tags: Airport parking locations, buf airport parking, buffalo airport parking, buffalo attractions, Niagara attractions
