University Park Airport – SCE

It’s a small airport. The reason I’m giving it 5 stars is because of the help provided by the deputy officers here. I had a early morning flight and drop the keys into the Dropbox before realizing I lock my phone in the car. The deputy in charge did everything in his power to help me get my phone. And I did get my phone without missing my flight! Freaking awesome.

Service is fast. It is a small airport and you don’t find long lines. Plus, there are only three airlines, which make the security point non-​busy. I have travel in the three airlines available here and if you do t buy the ticket with anticipation, you might be paying 1000 dols from state college to Miami.

The TINIEST airport from which I’ve ever flown out of, so be prepared for very few options foodwise. On the plus side, you don’t have to arrive very early to go through security!

Wow. I don’t even know where to start today. I am so angry about what I had to deal with.
I had a flight on Delta from University Park to Detroit on my way home to Los Angeles. The flight was supposed to be 45 minutes… and got delayed SEVEN HOURS AND THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. This was because one of the generators was mysteriously broken. First, it was a 1 hour delay. Then 2. Then finally our time was moved from 6:25am to 2pm.
Thankfully the Ramada where I stayed was incredibly generous and let me go back to the room I had checked out of to nap. Finally got back to the airport and asked a guy named Bob J. if I could have my meal voucher (which is legally owed to you in a long delay, by the way) and he said he couldn’t do it because he needed a supervisor. I said okay, I’ll ask at the gate, to which he replied «Okay.» I go through security and get to the gate. I go to the counter and ask the person working (and Bob, who happened to be there too) if I could have my meal voucher. Bob said «I told you already I need a supervisor.» I said «You told me you couldn’t do that outside.» He said «If you want a voucher you’re going to have to go back out through security and get it at checkin. I don’t have time for you.» I said «I just went through security and you’re going to make me go out again when you told me I could get it here?» At which point he YELLS «Listen. I told you I don’t have time for you. I have two delayed flights. You need to go out or sit down.» I was like, «You do not need to get fussy with me. I’m asking you for a voucher that is legally mine. Why can’t I get it?» He continues to yell «Go back through security then!!» I was like «Are you REALLY going to go through this with me?» He goes «Nope. Go back out.» And spins around with his back towards me. I, understandably angry, say under my breath «Fan-​fucking-​tastic.» He spins back around and says «You watch what you say or maybe you won’t get on a flight today at all.»
Flabbergasted. All I wanted was my meal voucher, and after being over 6 hours late at this point, I was still being patient. I went back through security and got my damn vouchers after about 20 minutes of standing around with no help. I saw him again and I walk up to him. He rolls his eyes and goes, «what’s up?» I said, «What is your name?» «Bob.» «And the first initial of your last name?» «J.» I say, «Thanks» and I start walking away. He goes «I don’t care.» I said «excuse me?» He goes, «I don’t care what you say about me because I don’t like the way you spoke to me. You called me a name.» I said «What?! What name?» And he goes «You did. Even TSA heard you.» (This was clearly a pathetic attempt to intimidate me, which failed miserably because I was quite aware of the 2% power of authority he had.) Blatant lie, by the way, because I never called him any sort of name, which is why he couldn’t tell me which name I apparently called him.
He berated me and yelled at me for no reason. I have never felt so embarrassed and disrespected in my life– over a damn meal voucher, no less! What a big man you are, Bob, by choking up a 23 year old girl to tears! Complete rude jackass, with some very serious mental issues. I will absolutely never ever EVER fly Delta again and I sincerely hope someone fires that jackass lest he behaves himself that way again. State College airport, get your shit together.

Let me say the staff here is top notch. During a recent 3 hour delay I was blown away by the gate agent’s customer service. That said, this is a tiny airport with two gates. If you haven’t been in it before, food is outside the TSA check, but it is a nice sized café/​shop. Once in the gate, you have vending machines as the only options. Additionally maintenance is not onsite on Sundays. I learned this hard way as we waited to hours for the local, contract maintenance to show up to the airport. It seems like the stops here are Dulles, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Philly. But if there is a maintenance problem, this place really takes care of you in regards to hotel and transportation needs.

The biggest mistake SCE has made is hooking up with Philly. Having to go through there has made driving to Harrisburg worth it, I live 10 minutes from SCE.

A pleasant, but mixed bag. Lovely clouds painted on the ceiling walls, a (wo)man-made waterfall near the restrooms — but only one place to eat, with the Cooking Channel blasting through the seating area. The wifi blocked Gmail and social networking while I was there. The security lane is kind of hidden. You can catch a cab outside from a nice guy with a ponytail.

Nice, small airport however, they are too lazy to use ramps for their customers safety

Very small airport. Limited flight times. Limited food available. Eat before arriving. There are three gates. Clean though.

This airport is teeny tiny. If you’re wanting any non-​vending machine fare, you should make sure you dine before security. There’s not much back there in the room closest to the runway.
Security was surprisingly thorough, though they still use metal detectors and not one of the MRI-​like scanny things. They do have free wifi and the magazines selection was a nice touch.

Small airport that is extremely efficient. Not much in the way of perks. What you see is what you get. But if you fly here, you are typically either staying or leaving to go back home. The real culture of the area is downtown, anyway.
Check in lines are typically fast and hassle free. Transportation can be a problem if not prearranged. There is a rental counter. Prepay for your parking to avoid any hassle.

Small airport, in and out very quick. Nothing by way of amenities but it does the job. Not very close to town.

This is a small airport that knows why you fly and how to make it efficient. Security only opens prior to a flight, but that’s a good thing, since the one store and all the bathrooms are outside security. There’s free wifi. Don’t get here to early unless you’re connected or you’ve got a good book. Once you’re through security, they do have an impressive selection of books and magazines for you to peruse while waiting. When it’s time to board your plane, it’s just a walk down an enclosed hallway with different exits depending on where the plane is parked.
The employees did a great job on a tight turnaround due to a late-​arriving aircraft. They had everyone in the boarding area ready with all the carryon’s tagged and the wheelchair folks just waiting for the last passengers to disembark. Unfortunately, the CRJ-​200 requires a maintenance check prior to every flight, the contractor was late (yes, even later than the flight itself…). We were all aboard and waiting, many with tight connections, for 5 minutes before he even showed up…
Parking is free for the first 15 minutes.

Personal service, a healthy selection of community books, plastic plants, and no lines are to be found at SCE. Airport paradise may not exist, but this experience comes pretty darn close. No Cinnabon or airport bar, instead I was satisfied reading a communal classic Berenstain Bears. Turns out eating sweets is not good for you. Mindexplosiooooon.

This is the teeny tiniest little airport. Blink and you’ll miss it. They even only fly tiny planes as well, though I’ve heard they’re adding larger jets. My dad lives in State College so I sometimes fly through here. If you think it’s small now, it has actually expanded over the years and is now International (WOW!)… Only because Canada is so close.
It’s probably one of the few remaining airports where you get to hang with your loved ones almost until you board. There is a separate boarding area where non-​passengers cannot go, but it takes like 30 seconds to go through the little security line so really, what’s the rush.
There’s not much to do here, so don’t get here early and don’t get delayed. They have increased their food and beverage options though from a vending machine to what I think is a snack bar. Exciting!
Overall, if you fly here it will be the easiest part of your travel day.

For the sole purpose of serving Penn State, University Park Airport does a decent job of doing so. With only 3 gates, and 3 airlines that fly there (United, US Airways, Delta), this place is almost always dead. You can easily get through from the ticketing counter, past the security checkpoint, and onto your flight in less than 5 minutes. When I was there, there was seriously 15 other people at the airport.
The bad thing is that since its a small airport, it’s a little inconvenient to get to State College. You either have to transfer through Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington DC, or Detroit. The airport itself does have a rental car station, as well as a taxi area. There isn’t a place to get food or reading materials inside the gate area, so do so before you cross security. The only thing that you can do to kill time is to go to the Irving’s, or read some books that they have at the gate.
As far as distance from campus, its about 6 miles, so expect a 10 minute ride to wherever you need to go, or about a $ 15 cab ride.
The biggest gripe that I have with this airport is that because the planes are so small, there is a possibility of your luggage not making it onto the plane. When I came here in August, one of my huge suitcases did not make it on the plane due to the plane being overweight. This was the first time that I encountered this ridiculous issue, and it still appalls me. It was a good thing that they delivered it to me the day after, or else I would have really thrown a hissy fit.

Right now, only 3 major airlines operate out of here due to the recent NWA/​Delta merger: US Airways (via Philly), United (via Dulles/​DC Area) and Delta (via Detroit). I wish there were more flight options, but I understand that this is a small town and that my flight options will only grow with demand… I heard rumors of expansion plans… keeping my hopes up ;)
There is a little café and shop operated by Irving’s Bagel. Only vending options available after passing security. Yes, this is a small airport.
The people who work here are the nicest. I travel frequently for work and go through a lot of airports, big metro and smaller regional ones. The folks who work here are nice, helpful and efficient… a deviation from what you would expect at most other airports around the country.

Smallest airport I’ve traveled to, so no traffic. It’s under construction right now, so hopefully it will look better later.
The rental car service could speed up a little.

State College, Pennsylvania is the home of Penn State University’s main campus. With an enrollment of over 40,000 students, it is one of the largest universities in the U.S. With such a big population, you would think that the airport would be larger than it is. Alas it is not. The airport is small with an accompanying small terminal. Though this is understandable in that the town it serves does not require such a large airport either.
For a small airport, there is a decent amount of service to several cities. Three airlines serve this airport. Planes flying to this airport are of the small turboprop variety. Facilities at this airport are sparse. There are some car rental booths and a small café outside the security gate, but that is about it. With such limited offerings, at least the baggage process is quick and easy.
Ground transportation at the airport is limited to car rental and taxi service. I would suggest requesting a taxi ahead of time before you arrive. As there are other passengers who might request a taxi, it might be a while before one arrives to pick you up if you decide to call when you arrive. Do also note that there is no public transportation available from the airport, so taking a taxi or car is the way to go to get to and from here.
Overall, the State College/​University Park Airport is a good small airport that sufficiently serves the need of this community. The cost of flying here is higher because of the small market, but I think it is worth it if you need to get to Penn State rather than having to fly into Harrisburg, Philadelphia or Pittsburgh and driving here.

Sadly, last Sunday, my grandfather passed away. My parents and I each flew into State College by way of Dulles airport on Monday morning, Monday night and Tuesday morning. While my father’s flight from Phoenix, to Philadelphia, to Dulles, to State College caused his bags to get lost, the State College staff were extremely helpful, tracking his bags, and making sure they arrived with my mother’s flight later that night.
This is a small airport, but everyone is friendly, the bags come up quickly, and they have a little café with sandwiches that aren’t too bad.