Friedman Memorial Airport (SUN)

The airport is nice, don’t get me wrong, but I had the absolute worst time going through TSA. This one guy saw me as military and singled me out and treated me unfairly. I’ve been to many airports and they’ve accepted my military ID with no problems. This one guy said that my military ID would not work, because it was missing my birthdate, and some other things. I work with these things daily and pointed it out. He said he didn’t care and needed to see my drivers license. This was weird but I complied, but even with my drivers licenses he said it was unacceptable. So for like 30 minutes I had to go through some extra stuff just to get on a plane. I’m just glad I got there 45 minutes early or else I’d miss my flight. If you’re military, you will get singled out here.

Smallest airport I have ever seen. I travel a lot for work and I am used to going in and out of big airports. Always with a backpack and carry one. I rarely check in baggage, but this trip I did. This particular airport was so tiny that baggage claim literally came right off the plane into the baggage pick up area. And since we were traveling from West to East we had to take a puddle jumper from Sun Valley, ID to Denver, Colorado in order to get back to Chicago. The airport staff were kind, and generous with their time and help. These are moments that reminds me of how living in a small town can be a blessing versus living in a big city.

Easy in, easy out! Small airport with limited flights in and out. No air bridges here, walking up to the aircraft and outdoor ramps are it! Very quiet, non-stressful, complete opposite of most airport experiences. Definitely don't come here thinking you can grab a substantial meal pre-flight, but there are vending machines and some snacks and beverages. Not to mention the breathtaking surroundings and backdrop being at the foot of Della Mt. Needless to say, not a terrible spot to fly into or out of!

Very convenient airport well run , clean and steps away to rental car pick up and drop off. Sun Valley Ski resort is only about 12 miles away.

Over zealous TSA. No metal in my body, freezing cold from outside, yet pat downs after ATI, plus very rude. One “cafe” open.::$18 for small breakfast sandwich and 6oz juice.

Size and ease of airport is great. People who work here are awful. I frequent the airport and I still have yet to meet a kind desk/gate agent. Don't even think about checking a bag that is .5 pounds over the weight limit and don't try to carry on more than you should. Even if your plane is half full! There are 2 people that walk back and forth outside departures and arrivals which is less than a city block and they will ask you to move after less than 30 seconds if you're not loading or unloading a person... even if there isn't another car in sight. These people are almost robots, not even human and very unkind. What is the point? There is NEVER a backup of cars, ever. I just don't get it. Can't you be kind? I guess Sun Valleys tagline "Stay Sunny" does not apply to them. :(

Hey did you know that if your flight is scheduled for after 5pm you will be physically barred from getting onto your flight because TSA leaves at 3:30? Showing up at a one gate airport an hour before your flight leaves (5:30, flight scheduled for 6:30) means absolute bupkis. Absolutely unacceptable.

This airport has 3 major car rentals! See the image below. Great airport!

Easy in, easy out! Small airport with limited flights in and out. No air bridges here, walking up to the aircraft and outdoor ramps are it! Very quiet, non-stressful, complete opposite of most airport experiences. Definitely don't come here thinking you can grab a substantial meal pre-flight, but there are vending machines and some snacks and beverages. Not to mention the breathtaking surroundings and backdrop being at the foot of Della Mt. Needless to say, not a terrible spot to fly into or out of!

Well, there really isn't much to this airport. It's small with just a little cafe inside so food options are very limited, so I recommend eating or bringing your own food before coming to the airport. Other than that, the customer service agents are very nice and friendly!

Excellent small airport. The staff is very, very helful. Nothing like big airports in the rest of the USA!!

This airport is tiny, so you shouldn't have any problems navigating around. If you're looking for food (like I was since I was waiting for a friend at the airport), there aren't many options besides the vending machines by the baggage carousel and the cafe at the other end of the airport (which was sadly closed on Independence Day). I think the people at the airport were sad about working on Independence Day, but they were grilling up a storm just outside of the arrivals door. But really, the best thing about this airport is the free wifi. Oh yeah.

Great small airport. Easy to get & out of. Staff is friendly & helpful. Clean. Food is limited & expensive but it's like every other airport.

Normally I have very good experiences at Friedman airport. But the latest has not been good I rented a car at Hertz Rent-a-Car. I reserved the car 3 days in advance. Showed up to get the car with my debit card. I was refused the car without a credit card. Or a $500 deposit. Which they ran on my card without telling me. It was declined because there was not enough money for a car rental and a $500 deposit. So I reserved another car got $500 sent to me. I was supposed to pay for the car. Which was right at $210 and a $500 deposit. Which would have been 710. I had around $850 in my account which would have paid for the gas going to Portland should have been more than enough. Now I'm finding that hurts ran a higher amount then what I had in the account again. And then ran it again leaving me $4 in my account. Note I was going to pay for my food and gas going to Portland. I got out of Haley went to get some money found out I had none. Other than $30 in my wallet. Which would not be enough fuel to get me to Portland. So I had to inconvenience a friend to go to my bank and put money in my account so I could make it. Now I'm trying to get a hold of corporate. And they're telling me I have to resolve this with the same people. That took my money. I have filed with the attorney general on this matter and I plan on going to Americans with disability act. And to add insult to injury. I called the 800 number on the card that was provided on the envelope. And it was for people 50 and over Life alert. I don't know what that has to do with a rental car company or resolving this issue.

"Best Airport of 2009" - I think that's what the sign said in the gate area of this adorable little airport. They should be the best... it's a tiny place with only a couple of airlines that fly into it (Horizon Air and Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines) and only one runway. Friendly service including one airport security person to every four or five passengers, I'd estimate. What a difference and personal touch (literally in some cases) compared to the large airports I'm used to traveling in and out of. The gate area has a couple of soda machines and a sitting area and that's it. The main terminal has a coffee shop, restrooms, a small baggage claim area. If you don't mind flying on small planes, this is an incredibly easy airport to fly in and out of... and the Sun Valley/Ketchum area is amazing. Hope to be back soon!

The PDX to Sun Valley direct flight is a major plus - 1.5 hours on one of Horizon's larger turboprops. Then 20 minutes to Sun Valley by car. This is worth all of the limitations of the airport. The airport itself is tiny and no frills. The line at the single-lane TSA checkpoint can move quickly if you arrive early, however as more flights are being scheduled, there is the potential for major bottlenecking. They were doing a ton of carryon bag inspections. So, while we got through in less than 2 minutes, a sizable had formed closer to takeoff. The TSA agents were surprisingly unfriendly. Food and beverage options are very limited. The pop and snack machines near the entrance accept credit cards, and were operational. The single pop machine beyond TSA checkpoint was out of order. There is a small cafe at the terminal which has ready made wraps, bagels, chips, coffee drinks, and bottled drinks, all of which are quite over priced. It is staffed by one guy, and when he takes a break, you're out of luck. The bathrooms were very clean. All in all, you can't beat the direct flight from Portland, even though the airport is nothing to write home about.

Small airport serving Sun Valley and the other small towns around, for locals and tourists coming in for hiking/biking in the summer or for skiing in the winter. Also for corporate events trips and celebrities vacationing in the area. Has vending machines and a small snack bar, and that's pretty much it, but that's all you need. It's only some 40 min from Salt Lake City, unless high wind delays landings (and of course, take offs too, since there is only 1 runway and only 1 way in and out from here. If you don't know what I'm talking about - consider yourself lucky!)

This airport is incredibly inefficient and disorganized, which makes traveling through the area insufferable. Theoretically, a small airport with such a low volume of travelers should be quick and easy, but this is not the case in Hailey, Idaho. If you check-in on time for your departing flight, you're in for a wait because nothing ever leaves on time. Either the airport's clocks are permanently set an hour behind or they have literally gone out and hired every person in the South Central Idaho area that never learned to tell time. When flights are diverted to Boise or Twin Falls due to weather, you're in for a real treat. Busses are filled slowly and take forever to leave. Seriously, I am convinced my legally blind, 94-year-old grandpa, who is currently in the hospital recovering from a minor stroke, could fly in from Florida tomorrow and fill these busses more quickly than the people working at this airport do. Landing here is no better. (Again, diversions make this process infinitely worse, but I worry about a negative impact to my mental health if I describe that ungodly situation in detail. My sleep was already disrupted by night terrors for days and I don't think I can handle recalling that experience right now.) Even if you land on time, you surely won't leave the airport on time. Watching checked bags emerge from the plane reminds me of a family of slugs on a road trip. Either smaller planes with fewer passengers and less luggage are harder to unload than bigger planes with more passengers and more bags or this airport is inept. I'm not particularly well versed in planes so I can't say for sure which it is. Using this airport is certainly the lowlight of an otherwise wonderful trip to the area. Mentally prepare yourself before and build in a few days after to come to terms with the atrocity you were just submitted to. Good luck and happy holidays.

Thank goodness for small airports. FMA is one of the smallest airports I have ever seen -- there might have been more (and larger) private aircraft than commercial aircraft. I flew in and out on Labor Day weekend and was able to check in in under 5 minutes and clear security in under 5 as well. You can't do that at any major airport these days. They have free wi-fi and the woman who runs the small store near the departure gate is as nice as can be. Ask her to call you a cab -- she totally has the hook up and will get you a great deal.

although WiFi was t working, my email concern was addressed by the management in a very timely fashion.

Small airport tucked in the valley. Love that there is commercial airline service here! Easy to get through security and it has all the small town feels

Free Wifi, Security Is slow. Often United overbooks and you are trapped.

Sun valley airport, when i was there i was like... hmm.. where am I. I was transferring to a connecting plane. It turned out to be the same plane. It's really small, so there's no sign or whatever to guide you. You just talk to one guard and he knows all the flights that night and will lead you to the gate and you need to go through the security check again though. The flight we were taking delayed a lot, saying tail wind is not enough and need 8 volunteers off the plane. I guess it's the airline... And also, the waiting room is small, though it has several gates, guess they share the same room. But still the people are nice there, the lady tried to pronounce my name, and she made it correct :D not every American can pronouce it correct.

Needs better Customer Service. Several of us Requested they change one of TV's to opening weekend of NFL. Hour later operations person still refused to act - hope you enjoyed that looooongggg coffee break or siesta! Total joke and ridiculous. #Fail #WishIcouldGiveZeroStar

Very nice community airport was recently remodled. Service is exceptional reminds you of the glory days of flight

I had pre check, I am handicapped and wIth a broken leg. I have always been able to take my water with me after checking. They stopped me, dumped all of my water for my medication fully hand patted me down, took my boot off myy broken leg as I was in pain and scanned it even though I was originally cleared.

Slowest security check in the country! Slower than LAX by a thousand times. Water/Drink vending machine broken. Kiosk that sells water/drinks/food is closed. Trapped in waiting area with no water.

If I could give no stars I would. No concessions, only vending machines, rude and incompetent staff along with unpredictable weather.

i was at the airport 7 minutes before takeoff and they wouldn't let me on I explained I had car trouble and the plane was still sitting there but they said no I missed my only chance home. The man that worked there was very nice but come on help me get home!

One of the best airports I have ever visited. Unlike other airports it feels very cozy/comfortable, and it is beautifully decorated inside. Ticketing and TSA agents are super friendly, and check in is very quick/easy. There is only one terminal and one security check point so you don't really need to come to the airport too early. The rental car companies are in the same building, by the baggage claim. I had a rental car to return, and got checked in and to the gate in less than 5 minutes. Inside the gate there are vending machines for sodas and water. There is also a bathroom and water fountain in the area. Yes, there are no amenities like coffee kiosks or gift shops, but what do you expect? This is a small town!

Beautiful airport with the recent upgrades, but the single lane TSA screening can't keep up with the crowds. Long security lines that they cannot seem to efficiently handle. Also, they won't tell you this but in the winter with bigger crowds and ski equipment your luggage will not be loaded on the plane for weight reasons. And, it will be several days before they can get all of the excess luggage out. Plan ahead and be sure to carry on any valuables/necessities. I've been flying in and out of this airport for over 20 years and I'm disappointed to say they handled these issues much better in the old days.

its a small little airport, but if you are going to Sun Valley to ski this is the place to go