In this guide (10 sections)
Start with the flight, then the map. If you fly Southwest or live in central Dallas, Love Field is usually the easier airport. If you fly American, need an international flight or live west of Irving, DFW usually wins. North of LBJ it can go either way, so compare the flight first and plan the ride second.
Our dispatchers book rides to both airports every day, from 4 AM drop-offs at DFW Terminal D to late Southwest arrivals at Love Field. This is how we help people decide, and how to set up the ride so the airport part is the easy part.
01What is the real difference between DFW and Love Field?
They are very different airports. DFW is one of the biggest airports in the country and spreads across land between the two cities. Love Field sits in northwest Dallas, off Mockingbird Lane, with one terminal you can walk end to end.
| DFW Airport | Dallas Love Field (DAL) | |
|---|---|---|
| Main airline | American Airlines hub, plus many other carriers | Southwest’s home base, plus a few other airlines |
| Layout | Five terminals, A to E, linked by the Skylink train | One terminal |
| International | Most of the region’s international flights | Mostly domestic |
| Usually closer for | Fort Worth, Grapevine, Southlake, Irving, Las Colinas, Arlington | Downtown, Uptown, Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Medical District |
| Tell your chauffeur | Airline, flight number and terminal letter | Airline and flight number |
Either way, the ride works the same with us: one dispatcher, a flight-tracked pickup and a chauffeur who loads the bags.
02Which airport is closer to me?
Distance is the easy part of the decision. Here is how it usually shakes out by area. Traffic on 635, 75 and 183 can change it at rush hour, so we time the pickup to the day and hour you fly.
Uptown, Downtown, Oak Lawn, Highland Park, University Park and Preston Hollow are minutes from Love Field.
Fort Worth, Southlake and Grapevine, Colleyville, Irving, Las Colinas and Arlington are closer to DFW. Grapevine borders the airport.
From Frisco, DFW is about 30–40 minutes. From McKinney, plan on roughly 40–50 minutes to either airport. Let the flight decide.
From Lakewood and White Rock, Love Field is normally the shorter drive. If the better flight is out of DFW, just leave a bit earlier.
DFW is so big that the drive from the airport entrance to your terminal takes a few minutes on its own. Tell your chauffeur the terminal letter and you get dropped at the right door.
03Should the airline decide it for me?
Most of the time, yes. If your airline only flies your route from one airport, the decision is made. When both airports work, compare the whole trip, not just the ticket:
A nonstop from the airport that is farther away often beats a connection from the one that is closer.
A 6 AM flight from the closer airport can mean a later wake-up than you think. Count the drive in your alarm.
Families and groups with bags care more about one smooth ride than about a few miles.
Check the return flight too. A late arrival is easier when the ride home is already booked.
Not sure if a booked car is worth it for your trip? Our limo vs. Uber guide gives the honest answer, including when to just use the app.
04Flying out of DFW: what to know
DFW rewards a little planning. Know your terminal before you leave the house: American flies from several of them, and Terminal D handles most international departures. If you are connecting, the Skylink train moves you between terminals without going back through security.
- 1Book the day before, or earlier
Send the flight number and terminal. We set the pickup time with you, based on the distance, the hour and your bags. 4 AM pickups are normal for us.
- 2Your chauffeur arrives early
The car is at your door before the pickup time, and your chauffeur loads the luggage.
- 3Dropped at your terminal door
No parking garage, no shuttle from the remote lot, no walking with bags.
- 4The ride home is tracked
On the way back your chauffeur tracks the flight, so an early or late landing is already handled.
“TIED is the only way to get to and from the airport in style. Affordable and easy to schedule. The communication is awesome and door to gate, then gate to door takes the hassle out of parking. Try it once and you will be hooked.”
05Flying out of Love Field: what to know
Love Field is simple: one terminal and a short drive from central Dallas. That short drive is also the trap. People cut it close because the airport is “right there,” then hit a holiday security line. Plan the same cushion you would for any airport.
Love Field is also handy for quick business trips, since Southwest’s short hops to Houston and Austin leave from DAL. Book the ride home before you fly out, and your chauffeur is tracking the flight while you wrap up the last meeting. See our Love Field car service page for how pickups work there.
“Andrew was absolutely amazing. He came to the airport to pick us up twice when our flight was a different day. He is kind and willing to have a conversation with us. The suv was clean and accommodating to our family. Fresh water waiting for us and we were made to feel like we were royalty. I’ve never had a better experience!!!”
06What if my trip uses both airports?
It happens more than you would think: you land on American at DFW and fly home on Southwest from Love Field, or the other way around. The drive between the two is usually 25 to 40 minutes, longer at rush hour. On separate tickets, the airline will not wait for you, so plan that drive as its own leg.
We track the arriving flight to time the pickup and plan the drop-off around the departing one.
You check in and go through security again at the second airport. Build that into the connection.
A Sprinter keeps a team or family and all the luggage together between airports.
The full details are on our DFW to Love Field transfer page.
07Flying for Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Thanksgiving week and the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s are when both airports are at their busiest. Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year, and the Wednesday before and the Sunday after are among the busiest travel days of the year. Rides fill up fast too.
- Book the ride with the flight
Send both flight numbers. Early-morning holiday rides book up first.
- Confirm the pickup
Check the airline app for schedule changes and let us know if anything moved.
- Leave with more cushion
Security lines and curbs get crowded at both airports. We plan extra time with you.
- Your flight is tracked
Weather delays happen. If the flight moves, even to the next day, the pickup moves with it.
08What happens if my flight is delayed or moved?
This is where a booked car earns its keep. Every TIED airport pickup is flight-tracked, so your chauffeur sees the delay before you have to call. If the flight moves to the next day, call us and the reservation moves with it.
“Highly recommend using TIED Luxury Transportation for your traveling needs. Our flight was delayed and than moved to the next day and without a thought they moved our reservation and picked us up at the airport.”
Send your flight and pickup address. A dispatcher calls back within 30 minutes.
09Traveling with a group or lots of bags?
Families, wedding parties and work teams should ride together. One vehicle sized for the people and the bags beats three rideshare cars meeting at the wrong door. Tell us the headcount and the bag count, and we match the vehicle.
Black SUV / Escalade ESVUp to 5 seats
Executive SprinterUp to 10 seats
Limo SprinterUp to 14 seats
Mini bus27–31 seats
MotorcoachUp to 56 seatsSeat counts from the TIED fleet page. Swipe for more.
Picking up a visiting client or executive? Our black SUV service sends a black Escalade or Suburban with a chauffeur who is at the curb before your guest is. For conferences and big arrival days, see DFW Airport car service.
10Before you book: what to send your dispatcher
Tick these off and your quote comes back faster, with the right vehicle the first time.
Black SUVs and Sprinters to DFW and Love Field, with your flight tracked and your chauffeur there before you are.
DFW or Love Field, the rule is the same: pick the airport that gives you the best flight, then book the ride early so you never have to think about it.
