Bethlehem: Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA: ABE) (July 2017)




As life-long Lehigh Valley Residents, my spouse and I often fly from Lehigh Valley International Airport (LVIA), which is also called Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (ABE) Airport. Landside (outside of security), the self-serve Lehigh Valley Café exists on the departures (top) level, as well as various vending machines on the arrivals (bottom) level. Stairs, elevators, and escalators are available to move between levels in the main terminal landside; airside, only escalators and elevators are visible (although there must be stairs behind the scenes for service and emergency purposes). 

Porters/skycaps are sometimes available to help with your luggage, or you can use one of the few self-serve luggage carts/trolleys to handle your own bags. No curbside check-in is available, but most airlines have automated kiosks where you can print your boarding pass or luggage tags. (There are also kiosk downstairs just prior to security where you can print a boarding pass if you have no luggage to check.) There are four sets of restrooms, two inside security, and two outside of security, and a there is a purified water fountain inside security so that you can refill your empty bottle. The airport has a cell phone waiting lot, if you are picking someone up. Taxis are sometimes available, but unfortunately Uber and Lyft pick-up service was discouraged in early July 2017. The airport is currently renovating its rental car area, which will offer improvements such as canopies when finished. All major car rental companies (Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Thrifty, Alamo, and Budget) have desks onsite directly across from baggage claim. Valet, short, and long-term parking is available; unfortunately, parking is not inexpensive ($14 per day or $79 per week for long-term), but there is much less stress when you fly from ABE than from our next closest airports of Philadelphia or Newark. You can pay your parking bill at the automated kiosk on the way to baggage claim (there are only two carousels), or you can pay an attendant in person as you exit in your car. LVIA recently opened a dedicated TSA Pre-Check lane after a concerted effort to offer applications and interviews onsite ($85 per year); we have Global Entry privileges ($100 per year), so we can also use Pre-Check, and it is nice not to have to remove shoes, computers, or liquids or empty our pockets before we pass through the security scanner. 

Airside, In addition to the PA Pub Café and Spirits (see my separate review titled “You’ll Definitely Visit on Your Way Out of Town!”), the secure area also offers the Spirit of the Lehigh Valley News and Gifts shop that sells drinks, snacks, reading material, souvenirs, and forgotten items. (Years ago, there was a similar shop/newsstand landside, but it closed during the most recent renovations.) Also within security, the airport has recently opened a children’s play area in one of the older unused lower-level gates, and charging stations and massage chairs are available.

We love flying from small and manageable ABE, even though it requires a connection (sometimes on smaller aircraft, the size of which you cannot stow your rollaboard in the overhead, and that sometimes land in satellite terminals or on the tarmac with no jet way) through Chicago (United), Detroit or Atlanta (Delta), or Charlotte or Philadelphia (American); on occasion, we have also used the United connection through Newark (but that is not preferable to us because it involves limo bus service instead of an actual flight). Lower-cost carrier Allegiant offers non-stop service to some Florida cities from ABE. We will gladly fly from hassle-free ABE anytime!

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