9 Common Traveler Complaints About Denver International Airport

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Denver International Airport (DEN) is absolutely huge, no matter how you slice it. It is the largest airport in the United States by area, not to mention it was the 9th-busiest airport on Earth between August 2025 and August 2026. It even slid a spot from the prior year to still make the top ten. While Denver International's size allows it to successfully serve millions of passengers a year, it also comes with some challenges, especially for those who aren't frequent travelers.

I've flown through Denver International dozens of times. This airport offers a lot of perks, including a Westin hotel that will make you want an overnight layover, but I can also understand the frustrations that some people voice about flying into and out of DEN. From using the sometimes pernickety train system to feeling price-gouged for food and beverages, here we take a closer look at nine common traveler complaints about Denver International Airport and how you can prepare at home before your next flight.

To put together this guide, I relied on my own knowledge of Denver International, as I've flown through it dozens of times. I also turned to news networks and radio stations like KYGO, CBS, and Denver 9 News. Additionally, I used the official Denver Airport website and firsthand accounts from travelers on Reddit, Quora, Tripadvisor, and Facebook.

As we already established, saying Denver International is "big" is a bit of an understatement. DEN sits on 53 square miles of land. In comparison, Texas's also famously large Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is the second-largest American airport by area, but it occupies just under 27 square miles. For additional perspective, the Mile High City's airport property is about eight square miles larger than the entire city of San Francisco! This can, as one might imagine, be a source of consternation for travelers.

When discussing traversing the airport to catch a connection, one Redditor lamented, "it can take forever to get from the train to the farthest gates." A 2026 study found that, on average, Denver International requires passengers to take the second-farthest walk to their gate of any airport in the nation. It is over 1.1 miles from the airport's front door to the furthest gate! This is eclipsed only by a 1.5-mile trek to Dallas-Fort Worth's most remote gate. It's also worth noting that it isn't always possible to travel between DEN destinations on foot. Another Reddit user complained that "they should have made it possible to walk from B and C to the terminal. That train goes down way too often."

Having flown through Denver International frequently, I can attest that the best course of action here is to give yourself more time than you think you need. Furthermore, trying to catch a tight connection is not advisable here between the sheer size of the property and potential train shutdowns. Those with mobility limitations should look into DEN's wheelchair assistance options instead of trying to navigate the property on their own.

Although DEN isn't even one of the worst airports for long security lines in the United States, it has still developed a reputation for having TSA lines that are longer than passengers expect. In July 2026, a traveler took to Reddit to warn others: "Regular and Precheck TSA queues were really long this morning at around 9am. Regular must've been over 1 hour ..." At especially busy periods of time, like school breaks and summer, the Denver airport security line can actually wrap through the baggage claim area.

Travelers note that the make-up of people in line plays a major role in how efficient the TSA screening process is. On Reddit, one person noted that when they travel for business on weekday mornings "the difference in the security lines is night and day" compared to when they take family trips during their kids' school holidays. Another Redditor chimed in to point out that items like strollers can create a kerfuffle at the checkpoint, as well as kids trying to load their own bins.

While security holdups certainly aren't unique to Denver International, even the slightest backlog can be exacerbated by the sheer volume of passengers who travel through this facility on any given day. If you are a frequent flier, registering for TSA PreCheck or CLEAR is a smart choice. I have personally rarely waited more than 15 minutes to get through DEN's security checkpoint in the CLEAR lane.

Riding Denver International's underground train is key to successfully navigating the massive property, but the system is not without its fair share of problems. As we alluded to earlier in this guide, the "Train to the Gates" travels from the airport's primary Jeppesen Terminal to Terminals A, B, and C. While it is possible to walk from Jeppesen to Terminal A if you so choose, you will have to take the train to access Terminals B or C. Unfortunately, the Train to the Gates is a common source of frustration for travelers.

After a particularly disruptive service outage, a Redditor pointed out that the "DEN train system is a textbook cautionary tale of putting all your eggs in one basket," meaning there is no other viable way for passengers to access two-thirds of the airport's terminals. Others on the thread agreed, with one commenter saying they would "walk 500 tunnels" instead of taking the train if walking were an option. Similar complaints exist on other threads, with one Redditor noting that even when the train system is fully up and running "at 100% it's not enough to support the demand needed with DIA's growth."

As of 2026, Denver International authorities have tried to upgrade the on-site transit system with modernized train cars (per 9NEWS). The attempt to improve passenger transportation, however, has backfired due to numerous outages since the updated cars were installed. Between May 2025 and May 2026, 131 service problems were related to the new vehicles. That amounts to one outage about every two-and-a-half days. Although not all of the outages are lengthy, every minute adds up when over 200,000 passengers a day need to get where they're going.

As we've established, merely getting to your gate at DEN can be a journey in and of itself. And, in some cases, it's not even the end of the saga. Gate changes are not uncommon here, and I've personally experienced multiple last-minute changes while flying through Denver. On Reddit, one person referred to "gate weirdness" in which the boarding pass, the gate signage, and in-airport announcements all had different information about their departure gate.

The original poster on that Reddit thread acknowledged: "I know that gates can change but it is extra frustrating when the monitors have the wrong gate numbers." There are many reasons gate changes happen at all airports, including mechanical failures that leave planes stuck at gates that were meant to be open and delayed arrivals that leave gates unexpectedly occupied. It serves to reason that gate changes occur more frequently, and therefore wreak more havoc, at extremely busy airports like Denver, where United alone operates nearly 400 daily flights.

Delays are another common issue at DEN. Historically, this major hub has been near the top of the list of domestic airports with the most delays. If you find yourself dealing with a delayed flight, there are certain things you should do immediately. For starters, speak to an airline agent to find out what options are available to you. They may be able to get you another on-time flight the same day. Otherwise, they can help you secure a future flight and determine what complimentary lodging options may be available to you.

Denver International is located over 20 miles from downtown, and even midday on a weekday, I've found it takes 30 to 40 minutes to arrive on airport grounds, let alone get to your terminal. If you factor in contingencies like rush-hour traffic, car crashes, road construction, or inclement weather, it can take even longer to get to the airport. For comparison, Indianapolis International Airport, which has been voted the best in America for customer service, is just about 12 miles from the city center. The two metros have similar populations.

Travelers frequently become frustrated with how relatively far away DEN is from downtown hotels and other population centers. In a Reddit thread discussing the distance, one person explained that the "prior airport was 7 miles away from the city center ... it just feels remote." Another local on Reddit pointed out that, for tourists arriving in the Mile High City, the location of the airport may be frustrating due to the lack of Rocky Mountain scenery, writing, "... that's the DEN complaint – people go there for the mountains, and it's a 45 minute + drive to get through Denver to get where you are going ..."

In regard to departing from Denver International, both locals and visitors have access to a couple of transportation options. Perhaps the simplest option is to take the local light rail A-Line train, which is usually about a 37-minute trip one-way from Union Station. Other options include renting a car, hiring a private driver, or taking advantage of ride-share services like Lyft and Uber, which typically cost between $40 and $60 from downtown to the airport.

Almost all food in airports has a reputation for being absurdly expensive, but prices at Denver International received so much negative feedback that the city's local NBC affiliate decided to investigate. The 9NEWS team learned that the airport has a rule that food items cannot have more than 15% cost markup, but that regulation was being largely ignored by vendors. McDonald's was the worst offender, with the markup for soft drinks sitting at 114% compared to McDonald's franchises outside the airport. Starbucks was also high on the list, with airport price increases between 31% and 54%.

Travelers were understandably frustrated after the news story was released. In a Reddit discussion about 9NEWS's findings, one person blamed airport authorities for not making vendors abide by the rules, writing, "Laws without enforcement are merely suggestions." Another Redditor agreed, saying, "This could have been enforced decades ago." On Facebook, someone was upset enough by the price-gouging revelation to simply say "sue them," though it was unclear if they meant the airport for lack of policy enforcement or the restaurants themselves.

Cooler heads prevailed for some people, though. One Reddit user said, "You realize you can bring food into an airport though, right? Like you don't have to buy this crap." While their delivery could have been more eloquent, that person makes a good point. The easiest way to save money on airport snacks and meals is to simply pack your own or eat at home before your flight, depending on what time of day you leave.

For many Colorado locals, it feels Denver International has been under construction forever. In reality, they're not far off. DEN has been working on multiple major renovation and expansion projects for years, including five key construction jobs at the time of publication.

Although airport officials contend that all of these projects are intended to improve the traveler experience in the long run, they are certainly not popular in the present. An infrequent Denver visitor said on Reddit that the airport was "under construction in 2019, the last time I was here. What gives? Like in the same exact spot ... 7 years seems like a long time." Local Redditors chimed in with comments like "Progress is molasses slow" and "The original contractor sucked and was eventually fired ... they are way behind." All in all, Denver's airport construction has not moved along according to plan, and nearly everyone is feeling the impact.

One disgruntled flyer on Reddit wrote, "We've all just come to accept construction is its constant state." Additionally, news networks have questioned whether some completed jobs actually made things better at DEN. In 2025, CBS News noted that floor tiles that were laid as part of the ongoing Great Hall Project had "cracked in many places, and some tiles are held together with nothing but tape." Temporary walls, major delays caused by the first construction contractor's errors, and completely inaccessible areas of the airport have made the construction process miserable for travelers.

People who get stressed about traveling often feel a sense of relief once they land at their destination airport. If you have to pick up a checked bag at Denver International, however, you could have another frustrating situation ahead of you. Slow baggage delivery is a common complaint at DEN and is, in fact, something I can attest to myself. I've waited well over an hour to pick up my suitcase from the domestic baggage carousel upon arriving in Denver.

On Reddit, one person called it "the worst airport in the world for baggage claim." On the same thread, someone else agreed, writing, "DIA baggage is, was, and always will be a nightmare." Another Reddit discussion saw similar complaints. An aggrieved Denver transplant posted, "I cannot comprehend how this airport consistently need 1+HOUR to get the bags to the carousel." Having dealt with Denver's baggage wait times personally, I know exactly how these passengers feel.

It's extremely frustrating to find oneself waiting for an extended period to even leave the airport complex, but patience is key here. The biggest issue is Denver International's size. It takes a long time for airport officials to move baggage from faraway gates to the baggage carousels in Jeppesen Terminal. One Redditor who works in DEN's baggage department shared that the facility has "one of the furthest distances between gates and baggage claim in the entire country," which explains the long wait.

We end this guide with a complaint that is truly unique to Denver International. Some travelers say the place simply makes them feel uneasy from the moment they step into it. One Reddit user said when they see the "giant terminal with those long flat escalators I feel a sense of unease and discomfort ... am I going crazy?" Someone else on Facebook posted a photo that described empty, liminal spaces at DEN as "so creepy."

This reputation undoubtedly stems from the conspiracy theories that have surrounded the airport for decades. The theories range from bizarre, like so-called "lizard people" residing in the facility's underground tunnels, to intriguing, including rumors of connections to the Freemasons and Illuminati. Whether or not you actually buy into any of the secret society or alien race conspiracies, DEN is a hotbed of conspiracies.

Not everything is cloak-and-dagger, either. Many people online share conspiracies about various art pieces around Denver International. Leo Tanguma's oversized, dystopian-looking pieces have inspired conversation about totalitarianism and the apocalypse, while the large blue horse sculpture that welcomes people to DEN has been dubbed "Blucifer." The rather terrifying horse, whose eyes appear to glow red, has become a local legend. Perhaps the scariest thing about this artwork is that a piece of it fell on the sculptor, severed a major artery, and ultimately killed him.