I’ve never had any particular difficulty with the airport in Charlotte. Given the rise of the “hub and spoke” system decades ago as well as the purchase of Piedmont Airlines by USAir, I’m relegated to practically always having to take a puddle-jumper there for a connecting flight, not very many direct flights remaining to where I need to go. The only complaint I have is that the airport sprawls and appears rather willy-nilly, if your gate is on another concourse you’re going to be pressed to make it at times.
Yeah, terminal E is usually a cluster of rude crowds, gate changes at the last minute and ubiquitous puddle-jumpers.
CLT, PHL and PHX all sport mostly old USAir metal too, not AA’s upgraded planes.