McAllen International Airport — Local services in McAllen

If you’re flying American Airlines out of this airport, plan on arriving more like three hours early for domestic flights as opposed to the normal one to two hours early. I don’t know what the other reviews are talking about in getting checked in and through security in 20 minutes, because there is no way they were running with that kind of efficiency today and there were only four people in line when my story begins - us being up directly after the passenger that was being checked in.

I’ve never seen an airport process their passengers so slowly. They averaged about twenty minutes per person - maybe their employees don’t know how to type more than one character at a time or maybe they’re laser engraving nameplates for our seats? I don’t know.

What my wife, myself, and the multiple passengers behind us do know is that their inability to process their patrons caused us (and there’s definitely going to be others) to miss the baggage check cutoff and subsequently, our flights. They offered to put us on standby for flights they knew were completely booked and then charged us $75 dollars each to get on a flight that would guarantee us seats - they claim it was our fault we missed baggage cutoff. The reality is that we were waiting for AT LEAST fifteen minutes (before the baggage check cutoff - roughly an hour before departure) while two customer service representatives struggled to get one person processed because they didn’t “think” her name was correct.

If you’re flying American out of this airport, do yourself a favor and take a selfie in front of one of their TVs with the time stamp on it so that the customer service reps and supervisors can’t blame you for their incompetence. I’m astounded and appalled at their treatment of us and the other patrons we were waiting in line with. We will be filing a complaint with the BBB and all necessary parties against the airport and American Airlines. The couple behind us was trying to get to Maine, and my wife and I were trying to get home to NC because we were actually supposed to be back yesterday - American Airlines delayed our first flight such that we’d miss our connection in Dallas. We had to forfeit the first class seats home that we used my wife’s credit card miles on, all to end up getting screwed and having to pay the airline $150 for that pleasure.

This airport/airline WILL NOT take ownership of the problem, which in this case is their inefficiency getting people checked in within a reasonable amount of time - so it is going to be 100% on you to take that selfie as a CYA policy. Let them try to dispute the time stamp on their own televisions.

My suggestions to the CSR’s (supervisor included) at McAllen International working for American Airlines are that they:

A. Invest in a typing class or intro to computers course (its 2018 and you should know how to use a computer if your job relies upon it).

B. Go back through your initial training on how customers should be treated - you guys have forgotten some key elements to working with customers, and your jobs are secured by our patronage.

C. Learn how to take ownership of the problem. I know it’s hard to admit when you’re wrong or have made a mistake, but you guys were horrible. If I offered IT support to businesses like yours and told you to sort your own problems out because “it wasn’t our fault,” I’d be out of a job. If you guys do this enough, you will be too.

To any and all American Air flyers coming through McAllen International, I wish you the best of luck in reaching your destination because these folks will do their best to be as nominally helpful as...

McAllen–Miller International Airport continues to disappoint in nearly every area of the travel experience. The recently implemented ticketless parking payment system, which was marketed as a labor-saving upgrade, is anything but efficient. Kiosks often malfunction, signage is unclear, and there are no indicators showing available spaces. Passengers still regularly need staff assistance to exit, which contradicts the system’s intended purpose of reducing staffing needs. It’s a frustrating and poorly executed update.

Parking availability itself is another major concern. The airport lacks adequate space, especially during peak times, and passengers are often left circling the lots or parking far from the terminal.

Once inside, travelers face additional delays with baggage claim. While the airport does have two carousels, wait times for checked luggage are consistently excessive—often 20 to 30 minutes or longer. Larger airports with significantly more traffic manage to deliver bags more efficiently. This signals either a staffing issue or operational inefficiency at MFE that has yet to be addressed.

Compounding these issues are long-term infrastructure concerns. The City of McAllen’s recent announcement of a $176 million terminal expansion is promising, but the project is still in early design stages and years away from completion. The airport is already operating at or above its capacity, having served over 1.2 million passengers in 2024. With no immediate action on parking improvements, baggage handling, or terminal space, travelers are left to deal with an experience that hasn’t scaled with demand. The proposed expansion includes a new multi-level parking garage and a third baggage carousel, but neither will be operational until at least 2027. In the meantime, MFE remains landlocked, limiting its ability to grow efficiently, and critical upgrades like runway extensions and parallel runway additions remain in the planning phase with no confirmed timelines.

Until MFE implements short-term solutions that match the scale of its passenger growth, the experience will continue to fall short. Poor parking, inefficient operations, and long wait times make this airport difficult...

McAllen - Miller International Airport (MFE) is a great little Airport. Not too big, not so small that you cannot get a good meal. The location is excellent, across the street from La Plaza Mall, a hotel, and numerous shops and restaurants. There is also Uber and other similar services available.

They have an Explore McAllen Marketplace and Café in the waiting area as well as inside the Terminal. In the Terminal there is also a Café, bar, VIP room, clean restrooms, and free Wi-Fi.

There are six gates and two luggage carousels. So, I always smile when flying in and the crew announces, "your checked luggage can be picked up at Carousel Number 2." Just stand in between 1and 2 , and you'll be positioned perfectly regardless of which Airline.

Speaking of airlines, MFE has flights with United, American. Aeromexico, Delta, and limited flights with Allegiant and Volaris.

If you arrive from and International location you will.go through immigration and customs first downstairs. It has been my experience that the immigration and customs process is more detailed and takes longer here, as they go through every bag. Not a problem if you are behaving.

There are also a few car rental desks across from the luggage carousels. Avis, Payless, Hertz, Enterprise, National, Dollar and Thrifty. Budget is a few blocks away, walkable, but not easy in the South Texas heat.

They have easy parking for reasonable prices. Short term and long term.

Airport Security is also well organized and uses facial recognition.

I like this Airport because it's so easy to get in and out. The only times I've seen lines is when multiple airlines have flights departing close to...