Dallas Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The DFW crew card
| Fastest into town | There are two towns, and they need different trains from different terminals. For Dallas, the DART Orange Line from DFW Airport Terminal A Station reaches West End Station in downtown Dallas in 51 minutes. For Fort Worth, Trinity Metro’s TEXRail from DFW Airport Terminal B Station reaches Fort Worth Central Station in 50 minutes |
|---|---|
| First and last train | The first Orange Line train leaves DFW Airport Terminal A Station at 4:13 a.m. The last one that actually reaches downtown Dallas leaves at 12:48 a.m. and arrives West End Station at 1:39 a.m. Later departures exist (1:29 a.m. weekdays, 1:34 a.m. weekends) but they terminate at Bachman Station and never reach downtown Dallas |
| Payments | DART and Trinity Metro sell separate tickets. A DART local day pass is USD 6.00 and a regional day pass is USD 9.00; the regional pass is the one that covers both operators. Pay with the GoPass app, a ticket vending machine on the platform, a GoPass Tap card, or a contactless card tapped on the platform reader before you board. Note the exception: DART states there is NO ticket vending machine at DFW Airport Terminal B Station, which is the TEXRail and Silver Line platform, so buy before you get there |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 911 (City of Dallas, DFW Airport, and Texas statewide numbers) · non-emergency 214-744-4444 |
| Solo & at night | Taxis wait on the lower level of Terminals A, B, C, D and E, with a DFW Airport Guest Assistant at the taxi stands between 8:00 AM and 12 AM to place you with a cab. App based rideshare is a different curb: the upper level of each terminal. Inside security, Skylink runs 24 hours a day between all five terminals |
| Crew knows | Both timetables end with a train that does not get you where you are going. Out of Terminal B the last listed TEXRail, 12:30 a.m., carries an asterisk: ‘Trains do not complete a full trip between downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport’. The last useful departure is 11:40 p.m. Out of Terminal A the 1:29 a.m. weekday and 1:34 a.m. weekend Orange Line trains stop at Bachman Station and never reach downtown Dallas, so the last useful one there is 12:48 a.m. |
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airlinecrewdiscount.net · DFW crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Sep 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
Every number on this page comes from an official source. Where no official source gives a number, we say so instead of guessing.
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Getting from DFW Airport into downtown Dallas or downtown Fort Worth: which train, and from which terminal?
DFW sits between two city centers, Dallas to the east and Fort Worth to the west, and they are served by different operators from different terminals. Dallas is the DART Orange Line out of Terminal A. Fort Worth is Trinity Metro’s TEXRail out of Terminal B. Getting the terminal wrong costs you a shuttle ride and about half an hour, so fix the terminal before you fix the train. At Terminal C the Terminal Link now stops only on the lower level near gate C17, and the ground transport stops there have moved. Follow the signs.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train to Dallas (DART Orange Line, DFW Airport Terminal A Station) | 51 minutes from DFW Airport Terminal A Station to West End Station in downtown Dallas, and 53 minutes back the other way every 15 minutes during peak hours, every 20 minutes midday, every 30 minutes late at night |
USD 6.00 DART local day pass, or USD 9.00 regional day pass | The Terminal A station is reached by the walkway on the lower level near Entry A10, and all Orange Line trains serve downtown Dallas. First departure from the airport is 4:13 a.m. The last train that reaches downtown Dallas leaves at 12:48 a.m. Going back, the last train from West End Station to the airport leaves at 11:51 p.m. and arrives 12:44 a.m. The downtown transfer points are West End, Akard, St. Paul and Pearl/Arts District. |
| Train to Fort Worth (Trinity Metro TEXRail, DFW Airport Terminal B Station) | 50 minutes from DFW Airport Terminal B Station to Fort Worth Central Station, 55 minutes to Fort Worth T&P Station every 30 minutes from early morning to about 7:40 p.m., then hourly until the last train, on the same schedule seven days a week including all holidays |
USD 2.00 single ride, USD 4.00 local day pass, USD 9.00 regional day pass | The station is at the northern end of the airport at Terminal B and is reached by the nearest lower level entry B43. From there the operator puts Terminal A at a five minute walk, and warns that transferring to the DART Orange Line requires a regional ticket or the applicable DART fare. First departure from Terminal B is 5:10 a.m. and the last is 11:40 p.m., reaching Fort Worth Central Station at 12:30 a.m. Coming back, the last train into Terminal B arrives 11:36 p.m., leaving Fort Worth Central Station at 10:47 p.m. If you are heading into Fort Worth without your bags, the operator states that checked baggage storage is available at the Amtrak office inside Fort Worth Central Station. Watch the last train, because Fort Worth has the same trap as Dallas: a 12:30 a.m. departure from Terminal B is listed, but the brochure marks it with an asterisk, ‘Trains do not complete a full trip between downtown Fort Worth and DFW Airport’. The last useful one is 11:40 p.m., reaching Fort Worth Central at 12:30 a.m. The two operators word the entry point differently: the brochure and DART both say the platform is at the nearest lower level entry B43, while Trinity Metro’s own page tells arriving passengers to exit at B30. Both are official and they plausibly describe two doors of one terminal, so follow the signs at the terminal. |
| Train north only (DART Silver Line, DFW Airport Terminal B Station) | 54 minutes from DFW Airport Terminal B Station to Shiloh Road first departure from DFW Terminal B 4:28 a.m., last 12:28 a.m.; roughly every 30 minutes at peak and hourly midday and evening |
same DART passes as the Orange Line | This is the trap at Terminal B. DART states plainly that Silver Line trains do not go to downtown Dallas; the line runs north to Cypress Waters, Carrollton, Addison, Richardson, and Plano. Terminal B Station is served by both the Silver Line and TEXRail, so DART warns you to make sure you board the DART branded train for the Dallas side. The platform is reached by the walkway on the lower level near Entry B43. Buy your pass before you arrive: DART lists ticket vending machines at all DART and TRE rail stations except DFW Airport Terminal B Station. Reminder that this line does NOT go to downtown Dallas: DART says so itself. For downtown Dallas you want the Orange Line from Terminal A. |
| Taxi | a DFW Airport Guest Assistant staffs the taxi stands between 8:00 AM and 12 AM | the airport publishes no fare table, no flat rate, and no fare estimate to either downtown | Taxi service is on the lower level of Terminals A, B, C, D and E. The airport lists 19 taxi companies. For a special request after midnight, the airport says to dial +1-972-973-4061. Ask the driver what the ride will cost before you load the bags, because no official rate is published anywhere on the operator’s site. |
| Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, Wingz, Alto, AUX) | app priced; the airport publishes no fare | App based transportation network providers are at the upper level curbside of each terminal, which is the opposite level from the taxis. The airport names Uber, Lyft, WINGZ, Alto, and AUX Rideshare as the providers. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Dallas and Fort Worth, from the West End and Deep Ellum across to the Stockyards
Downtown Dallas and the West End: Where the Orange Line puts you down, with the historic district, museums, and the main downtown Dallas grid inside a few blocks of the station.
Deep Ellum, Dallas: Murals, live music rooms, and bars just east of downtown Dallas, the evening neighborhood rather than the sightseeing one.
Bishop Arts District, Dallas: Independent shops and small restaurants south of the river in Oak Cliff, a quieter change of pace from the downtown Dallas core.
Downtown Fort Worth and Sundance Square: The TEXRail end of the trip, compact and walkable straight off Fort Worth Central Station.
Fort Worth Stockyards: The old cattle district north of downtown Fort Worth, and the usual reason crew choose the Fort Worth side over the Dallas side.
What to Do on a Layover in Dallas or Fort Worth, from a terminal sit to a full run into one downtown
Under 5 hours: Stay in the terminal. Either downtown is roughly an hour of train each way before you add walking, waiting, and screening on the return, so a city run does not fit. Skylink runs 24 hours between all five terminals and the airport Wi-Fi is free, so a terminal change for better food is the realistic move.
5 to 9 hours: Pick one city and one direction, and commit to it. Dallas by Orange Line from Terminal A, or Fort Worth by TEXRail from Terminal B. Trying to see both in one window is how people miss report time, because the two lines leave from different terminals and do not connect to each other in town.
9 hours plus: A full run into one downtown is comfortable: train in, one neighborhood on foot, a proper meal, train back. Work out your return train before you leave the platform, because the last useful services back to the airport run earlier than most people assume.
Crew Tips for Dallas Fort Worth Airport: two fare systems, three rail services, and the last train that is not the last train
Two transit agencies, two fares: DART runs the Dallas side and Trinity Metro runs the Fort Worth side, and a local ticket for one is not valid on the other. Trinity Metro’s local fares are USD 2.00 for a single ride and USD 4.00 for a day pass, covering Trinity Metro buses, On-Demand, TEXRail, and TRE west to CentrePort Station. The regional pass is the one that crosses the line: USD 9.00 for a day, and the operator defines it as all Trinity Metro services plus all bus and rail services offered by DART and DCTA. DART prints the matching figures on its own site, a local day pass at USD 6.00 and a regional day pass at USD 9.00.
Right terminal, right train: DFW has three rail services and they are not interchangeable. The Orange Line serves DFW Airport Terminal A Station near Gate A10 and is the only one of the three that runs to downtown Dallas. The Silver Line serves DFW Airport Terminal B Station near Gate B43 and does not go to downtown Dallas at all. TEXRail also serves Terminal B Station, so at that platform check whether the train is DART branded or Trinity Metro branded before you board. There is also a TRE LINK shuttle bus from the upper level outside Gate D22 in Terminal D to CentrePort/DFW Airport Station on the Trinity Railway Express, running every 20 minutes weekday peak and every 40 minutes off peak and Saturdays, with no TRE or TRE LINK service on Sundays.
Skylink and Terminal Link are not the same thing: Skylink is inside security: a free train connecting all five terminals, running 24 hours a day, arriving every two minutes, with an average ride of five minutes and a maximum of nine minutes between the farthest points, and no ticket or pass needed. Terminal Link is outside security: free orange vans between all terminals every 10 minutes, service hours 5 a.m. to 12 a.m., and for after hours pick up the airport says to call 972-574-5465. Follow the Terminal Link signs to the upper level at Terminals A, B, C and E, or the lower level at Terminal D only. This matters on a layover: once you leave security to catch a train into town, Skylink is closed to you and Terminal Link is the only way between terminals. The two operators word this differently: the airport signs Terminal Link to the upper level at Terminals A, B, C and E and the lower level at D, while DART describes it as lower level. Follow the signs at the terminal rather than a level number.
Texas heat is an operational factor, not scenery: The National Weather Service office in Fort Worth starts heat alert procedures when the daytime heat index is expected to reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit or higher for two consecutive days with an overnight minimum of at least 78 degrees Fahrenheit in between. The same office adds that those values are for shady locations only and that exposure to full sunshine can increase them by up to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. On a summer layover that turns a walk between downtown Dallas blocks into real exposure, so carry water and put the outdoor part of the day early or late.
Fix your last train before you leave the airport: Coming back from Dallas, the last Orange Line train from West End Station to the airport leaves at 11:51 p.m. and arrives at DFW Airport Station at 12:44 a.m. Miss it and you are on a taxi or a rideshare with no published fare. Note also that the very last departures listed out of the airport, 1:29 a.m. on weekdays and 1:34 a.m. at weekends, terminate at Bachman Station and never reach downtown Dallas, so they are no use for an inbound run. TEXRail has the same trap on the Fort Worth side, described above.
Connectivity in the terminals: Airport Wi-Fi is free. Turn Wi-Fi on, select the network named DFW Public 5G Wi-Fi or DFW Public 6E Wi-Fi, and accept the terms and conditions. Charging stations with USB ports sit in many gate waiting areas, and there are seated power stations throughout the airport for laptops.
Emergency Numbers for Dallas, Texas, and the United States
👉 Swipe sideways if the numbers do not fit
| Emergency (police, fire, medical) | 911 |
| Dallas Police non-emergency, to make a report | 214-744-4444 |
| City of Dallas 311, non-emergency city services, staffed 24/7 | 214-670-3111 |
| DFW Airport Police non-emergency, on airport property | 972-973-3210 |
| Texas Poison Center Network, 24 hour free medical advice | 1-800-222-1222 |
| United States country code (calling from abroad) | +1 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from DFW Airport to downtown Dallas?
Take the DART Orange Line from DFW Airport Terminal A Station, reached by the walkway on the lower level near Entry A10. The operator’s own timetable puts the ride at 51 minutes to West End Station in downtown Dallas, with trains every 15 minutes at peak, every 20 minutes midday, and every 30 minutes late at night. A DART local day pass is USD 6.00 and a regional day pass is USD 9.00. All Orange Line trains serve downtown Dallas.
Which DFW terminal does TEXRail go to, and how long does it take to Fort Worth?
TEXRail serves DFW Airport Terminal B Station, not Terminal A. Trinity Metro’s own schedule puts the ride at 50 minutes from Terminal B to Fort Worth Central Station and 55 minutes to Fort Worth T&P Station, running every 30 minutes at peak and hourly off peak, on the same schedule seven days a week including holidays. A single ride is USD 2.00 and a local day pass is USD 4.00. The station is reached by the nearest lower level entry B43, and the operator puts Terminal A at a five minute walk from there.
What is the last train from downtown Dallas back to DFW Airport?
The last Orange Line train from West End Station to the airport leaves at 11:51 p.m. and arrives at DFW Airport Station at 12:44 a.m. In the other direction the last train that actually reaches downtown Dallas leaves the airport at 12:48 a.m.; the later 1:29 a.m. weekday and 1:34 a.m. weekend departures terminate at Bachman Station and never get downtown Dallas.
Can I use one ticket on both DART and TEXRail?
Only the regional pass. A DART local day pass at USD 6.00 and a Trinity Metro local day pass at USD 4.00 are each valid on their own operator. The regional day pass at USD 9.00 is the one that covers both, defined by Trinity Metro as all its own services plus all bus and rail services offered by DART and DCTA.
Is tap water safe to drink in Dallas?
Yes. The City of Dallas Water Utilities states in its water quality report that it is a Superior Rated Water System, the highest rating awarded by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and that its water meets or exceeds all state and federal requirements for water quality and is safe to drink.
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Crew Discounts in Dallas: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you head down to the Terminal A or Terminal B platform. Next Dallas rotation you start on the rates instead of from scratch.
