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Happy Minot Monday! Lots of us have been traveling for the holidays. Now that we are settling back into a regular routine, isn’t it time to think about spring travel plans? It’s no secret that I love living life in Practically Canada, however travel from Minot can be tricky. Whether that’s because you have a hard time finding a flight, or accepting the hours you’ll need to spend in the car…or you are simply shocked by the oddity that is North Dakota airports–I’ve got you covered. Today’s Minot Monday covers everything you need to know about flying out of Minot for your next big trip. (Future Minto Monday posts will cover car travel and train travel.)
Last time we lived in Minot I had friends ask me all the time how I convinced people to come visit. Most people hear the words “North Dakota” and immediately decide that they don’t want to live here, let alone visit. Before you can convince them to come for a visit they’re already talking about the winters being too cold and the fact that there’s nothing to do. (I hear these excuses even in the summer when it’s anything but cold and definitely not boring.) Come to think of it, maybe I should write a Minot Monday post about convincing friends to come visit.
The clincher for me is never convincing people they should come for a visit–it’s working out the logistics of how to get someone here. The same is true on the flip side. Planning trips out of Minot can be equally challenging. Flying from Minot is rarely direct and often pricey. But don’t let that stop you. Flying from Minot is also filled with sitcom (or Gilmore Girls-esque) terminals and characters. There’s no perfect formula, but I’m happy to share the good, bad and quirky that I’ve discovered when it comes to travel from Minot.
Flying From Minot | A few anecdotes
My preferred method of travel from Minot is flying. The first time I arrived in Minot it was July 2012. I had flown from Shreveport, LA to Denver to Minneapolis to Minot. A slightly drugged Panda-cat was my carry on luggage. It took all day. And I do mean all day. I had never set foot in North Dakota, now I was about to live here.
When I got off the plane and exited the jet bridge I was totally taken aback. I was standing in the smallest commercial airport I’d ever seen. I was frazzled from the day and eager to get something to eat and see Derek (we’d been apart for about two months at this point.) Because I was so exhausted I noticed very little except the size of the building and that there were only about four gates, all totally visible in the rectangular room.
The Magical Minot Airport Experience
Later, as I took more flights out of Minot, I came to understand that travel from Minot was a truly unique situation. Although everyone in town warned of long security lines (sometimes I heard of them nearly out the door), security never took me longer than 15 minutes. I don’t think I ever waited behind more than five people.
As stated, the gates were all fully visible at once. Rows of seats filled the space, most travelers (including myself after living in Minot for a year or so) would run into someone they knew while waiting for a flight. Once, while waiting for a flight, an employee walked to the middle of the terminal, cleared her throat and said, “Excuse me.” She wasn’t shouting, or using the intercom–but the whole room quieted down.
“Somebody dropped their keys.” She held them up for all to see. “I’ll have them up here at the desk. Everybody, just check to make sure you’ve got yours.” A minute later a man walked up to the desk to claim his keys.
There’s something special there, right?
There was a small snack bar inside security. For as long as anyone could remember one of the items listed was a “Hot Dawg.”
Once, after claiming our luggage, I left my laptop bag in near the baggage carousel. I realized when I got home. Derek went back and to discover it was waiting behind the desk. “As soon as you walked out, someone brought it up. We figured you’d be back quickly,” the man working told him.
The “New” Minot Airport
Sadly, that tiny airport is gone now. It’s been replaced by a more modern model–but the feel of the experience is much the same. The “new” airport (as it’s still called in many local circles) is bigger and more spread out. While the “old” airport always felt busy because everyone waiting for a flight was seated close together, the “new” airport nearly always feels empty.
It’s clean. There are plenty of seats. The windows are beautiful. Again, if you are used to flying from a larger hub–security lines will floor you with their brevity. There is a snack bar…but don’t hold your breath. They no longer offer the Hot Dawg.
Flying From Minot
If you’d like to pursue air travel from Minot your best bet is to fly out of Minot (obviously) or Bismarck. The Bismarck airport is just shy of two hours away from Minot, but sometimes you can get a heck of a deal. (Since you’ll need to drive down, keep parking in mind. Don’t worry though–it maxes out at $40/week.)
The Bismarck airport is a lot like Minot’s. While traveling for the holidays we flew from Bismarck. It’s small, clean and friendly. Again, there is no music playing over the intercom. So you can sit in silence–or watch one of the living-room-sized TVs sprinkled around the terminal. Unlike large airports that might feel the need to micromanage what you watch, the TV remotes are left out in Bismarck for travelers to use and watch whatever they like. (I shared our real-time Bismarck airport experience on my Instagram and Facebook stories.)
Seriously, is North Dakota for real? This place is awesome. Flying from MOT (The Minot International Airport)
If you choose to fly from Minot or Bismarck here some tips and things to keep in mind.
- Don’t pay for parking in Minot. Parking rates at MOT are $12/day or $72/week. The city of Minot is so small and well connected. A ride to the airport will take less than 15 minutes from most parts of town. Ask a friend or take a taxi/Lyft.
- Be a flexible traveler. Flying from our small airports means rates tend to be high. The more flexible your dates, the better chance at getting a good deal. I like to use Kayak’s month view to find the best price.
- Set an airfare alert. This goes hand in hand with being flexible. If you know where you’d like to go (like to your hometown to visit family) or where certain friends would fly out to come visit Minot–you can watch the rates and be alerted when they drop.
- Remember to check alternate airports. Try to get creative with your flights. Be open to flying out of Bismarck instead of Minot–or flying in to an airport that might be a short drive from your final destination.
- Be open to creative routes. Hacker fares that may require you to change airlines during your layover can save you big money flying out of small airports. This works especially well if you can pack light enough to only need a carry on.
- Understand and accept you’ll be on a very small aircraft. The planes coming in and out of Minot (and Bismarck) are small. Accept that fact. You will not be able to bring a full-sized roller carry-on on board. They’ll gate check it for you (meaning you’ll leave it on the jet bridge and pick it up on the jet bridge upon landing.) Depending on the airline you may be charged an additional fee for a roller carry-on.
Airlines Serving Minot
- Delta
- United
- Allegiant
Allegiant Direct Flights from Minot
Direct from Minot to Pheonix and Las Vegas are available through Allegiant Air. Fares are cheap, so this is a good way to escape the winter chill or meet up with family/friends who refuse to come all the way north (their loss.)
Airlines Serving Bismarck
- Delta
- United
- American
- Allegiant
- Frontier
Allegiant Direct Flights from Bismarck
- Daytona Beach. FL
- Orlando, FL
- Las Vegas, NV
- Phoenix, AZ
I hope this helps–even a little. Here’s to a New Year full of fun travels and lots of visitors!
