I think DIA was finished for maybe a couple of years before they started upgrading shit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
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I think DIA was finished for maybe a couple of years before they started upgrading shit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
Other than the new Skyclub as mentioned, it's almost worse than the old airport. Most of the Delta gates are close and don't require the super long walks, which is good, except that everyone else going anywhere is moving through, making those gates feel extra crowded. It honestly feels more crowded than the old one, even with all of the extra capacity.Quote:
Originally Posted by snowaddict91
I think the best idea in airports is to have separate levels for arrivals vs. departures. So when you get off the plane you aren't wading through the hoards who are already crowding the gates waiting to get on.
Think we will try this for a light dinner at LAX
https://www.slapfishrestaurant.com/menu
Glad I'm reading this thread. I had no idea before today that SLC had gotten a new airport. How far from the old airport is it--or is it just a new terminal?
New terminal.Quote:
Originally Posted by The AD
A new airport for SLC is a stretch as the runways are the same, but the old terminals are being scrapped and some of the new termical buildings (A+B) are in full operation. Some of the SLC commuter flights require deplaning onto a bus to the terminal, but construction continues.Quote:
Originally Posted by The AD
- 2001 scramble to add TSA.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ted Striker
- 2010 scramble to add full body scanners
- current modernizations to make all the hastily installed security shit workwise
- DHS / CBP modernizations…. current trend is “facial recognition”
- Baggage modernization projects. Most airports still move baggage with humans and tugs, not belts.
- Sometimes new aircraft require gate modification: PLBs, fueling, striping, etc…
- All the airlines lease their gate, lounge and logistics space, so when there are mergers or expansions, there are TI projects that go along.
- All the vendors lease their space. The current trend is to drop national chains and go with local businesses. These all require TIs.
- General expansion… more gates, more runways, public transit, etc…
- Systems modernization. A lot of these airports have some bones that are 80+ years old…
When doing these projects you have to appease the airport authority, TSA, CBP/DHS, local building department, local fire, the airlines, and the vendors… Add into the fact that you can’t close the place down to do the work…. A 2 year project quickly becomes a 5 year project….
I’ve done a few airport projects. All the majors have development plans with 30-50 year timelines ahead of them….
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DFW is the worst.
Any airport where they change the departure gate on you at the time of check in and it requires and extra 20 minutes to take the shuttle bus to a new terminal is bullshit.
Used to fly to Dallas 3 times a year for 4 years and I swear half the time this happened. So much so I built in the wrong gate scenario into my itinerary as to when to leave the hotel.
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And enlarge secure area with food/drinks because security became a pita, and add stuff so people could transit without rechecking, and generalLy change the orientation of airports. Some of the best airports pre 9/11 sucked hard post 9/11.Quote:
Originally Posted by nickwm21
That is a particularly nice Sky Club Lounge. I'll toss out ATL though for Sky Club options though, there's one on each concourse so if you're so inclined you can hit them up like a pub crawl, and the one in Concourse F has an outdoor patio where you can watch the planes that's really cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by teleee
By the way, we've added a nice new option in the Seattle area in the last couple years: Paine Field in Everett. Unfortunately it opened for commercial passenger flights just before Covid hit, so the timing wasn't great. Right now only Alaska Airlines is flying out of Paine. Both Southwest and United were supposed to use Paine, but United ended their flights last month and I don't think Southwest ever started.
I haven't used it yet, but everyone I've talked to says it's literally five minutes from walking in the door to getting to your gate.
https://www.flypainefield.com/
Not that I fly or have flown much but IME Rapid Transit to/ from the airport is a game changer especily in a foreign country where you don't speak a da language, Barcelona & Lisbon were really easy & cheap to get into the city and for Vancover with which i am the most familiar the RT line with a 10$ all day unlimited pass was a game changer
You should see the runwaysQuote:
Originally Posted by AK47bp
VDZ (Valdez, AK), HNS (Haines, AK, and YBD (Bella Coola, BC) are all great. Feels like you have them to your self [emoji2], which you do. Love getting on and off the plane from the runway. I’ll be in YBD again in February.
As for real airports, MSP is pretty efficient for a big international airport. One big terminal. No shuttling around on trams to hyphen around.
ATL is a pain. It’s so spread out.
Most US airports have the archetectual splendor, clietele, cleanliness and culinary inpiration of a 1970's inner city Greyhound Bus Station. As the scruffy US airports have aged poorly the airport benchmarks to beat air overseas. It is sad when the Dehli airport has a wow factor with the koi ponds and palm trees that is totally lacking at any US airport. The Incheon airport in Korea with the indoor pine forests is another stand out.
For all the La Guardia haters (including me), LGA does have nicer toilets than the Chitwan airport in Nepal, so there is that.
A guide I skied with told me when they were in Katmandu or one of those airports-doesnt matter but 3 guys were looking at the x-ray machine to scan the baggage, when buddy went to the washroom the door was at an angle where he could see the screen,
it was blank cuz the m/c was broken
Wow, I’m near the SkyClub in LAX. Two huge police dudes in full regalia just woke up a scruffy looking kid that was sleeping on the floor…sounds like he has been sleeping in the Delta terminal and hiding out from security for over four days. He definitely seems scared, and is trying not to answer any questions directly. I feel really bad for this kid, he is probably not going to have a good week. I can only imagine what his back story is.
Pre 9/11 there were people who lived/squatted in LAX, I guess it's a lot harder now.
Sounds like his family reported him missing on the 4th of November.
Damn, that's gotta be a sad story.
As for best airport, Terminal B at Sacramento was built post 9/11 with a lot of the security stuff in mind. Lots of room for people to move about and enough restaurants to feed passengers stuck past security.
Worst: Ontario. Never a smooth departure or landing, and the terminal is void of all services. Maybe 1 fast food burger is open, and only until 7pm. Entire place is built like a strip mall and rental cars are a long bus ride away.
Runner up for worst: Lihue. Flew out of there in July of this year. The security line was wrapped around the terminal. No like work is real for the TSA there.
That airport is complete chaos. I saw a policeman bitch slap a guy in front of me who was trying to push his way inside the main door as a mad rush of people were trying to get inside.Quote:
Originally Posted by XXX-er
The worst was being stuck behind some hiking tour group or big expedition that have seemingly 20 bags per person and only one person in the group knows the plan or speaks the language.
And when you finally get on your flight you have the comfort of knowing it's one of the sketchiest places to fly in the world.
In many ways KONT only exists as an IFR alternate for LAX.
“Modern” third world is a showcase airport so you can fool the rich farang and siphoned $$$. I ended up sick as a dig transmitting that nice Delhi airport, fuck it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Talisman
Yep been to all the ATL sky lounges they for sure win in the convenience department, SLC takes the prize for the nicest though - including the outdoor area where you can watch the planes and the new construction going onQuote:
Originally Posted by BmillsSkier
Shout out to STS and SBP. My family is in Santa Rosa and divegirl's in San Luis Obispo so with direct flights from Seattle, we regularly fly into both.
STS (Charles M Shultz Airport) has the one good sushi place, just opened an outpost of Costeaux French bakery, and has the giant Peanuts character statues.
SBP has a great outdoor lounge area between security and the gates. You can chill on nice Adirondack chairs outside in the sun while you wait for boarding.
And wine flies free out of both back to SEA.
I gotta say DFW is my favorite. I can’t think of another that has as good of restaurants.
Midway is my least favorite. It got a little bit better recently but for a while the restaurant’s literally all had the same menu, they just changed the names.
US airport over hauls should be part of a stimulus package.
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Can we talk about the airports where it seems like you're taxiing forever? DIA is pretty bad. ORD too. I went through Vancouver last month on the way back from Europe and my flight from there to Seattle seemed like it taxied forever, but part of that might have just been it being the last leg of a very long day in the air.
billy bishop in toronto is the best. land on an island, couple escalators and then you’re downtown. i don’t think there’s anything else quite like it.
LAX. I swear we taxied around the full perimeter of the airport before arriving at the gate, where we then had to wait for 30 minutes for it to clear.Quote:
Originally Posted by The AD
LAX is typically fast out / slow in. YVR is the opposite. ORD is just congested all the time.
Worst, Dulles no food to speak of and massive security line.
Best, COS never busy, long term parking to gate takes 15mins including tsa check point.
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The Sacramento airport is one of the most overbuilt airports I've ever experienced. WTF. Does it really need a train? It's smaller than PDX, both the City and the airport. It makes zero sense other than someone convinced the airport they would eventually become a hub for some airline. It's not bad, don't get me wrong, just really huge for the little amount of traffic it has.Quote:
Originally Posted by Not DJSapp
Another airport that is completely overbuilt is Indianapolis. It's motherfucking huge for how little aircraft fly through there. Again, nice airport IMO, but just unnecessary.
Pittsburgh airport is depressing. US Air went away and that fucker is a huge ghost town of an airport. CVG is similar.
SEA TAC and PDX are brutal right now with all the construction.
I don't mind ORD...I know, I'm an exception. MDW is dece. LGA is nice now. Newark still sucks. JFK also sucks. Logan is a dump IMO. DEN is huge, but it's pretty decent. LAX sucks but they're at least trying to fix it.
Got diverted to Louisville when someone had a panic attack and my flight emergency landed that was bound for CLT. That airport is not nice...especially when you are there for 12 hours. Found some decent BBQ in Louisville though.
But the reason this thread got my attention was because the OP said Love Field is nice...WTF? That is one hellhole of an airport IMO. I guess it's nice in that it's a small shithole so it's easier to navigate than DFW, but it's not nice. The AA lounge in DFW is decent at least...Love Field? Da Fuq?
I could go on about airports...they're pretty cool in general.
FRA. Seems like a 45 minute taxi no matter what. That's actually taxiing and not standing still waiting for a gate.Quote:
Originally Posted by The AD
The key to getting thru security at ORD is to go to Terminal 2.
The key to a pleasant experience at ORD is to never fly through there, ever. To call it third-world would be insulting to the comparatively lovely airport in Bangui.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shredhead
saw a mention of KC, that is a shit airport for sure with the 3 C terminals of old but they are working to replace. Will see how it comes out.
DIA security sucks for avg Joe, will see if recent changes help out. I like DIA though as I fly alot of direct in the US and works out pretty good.
I use Flightradar24 to track flights and I was picking up Mrs. Plug at ORD and I see that she’s landed, and I’m seeing the plane move towards the gate. Cool.Quote:
Originally Posted by The AD
I’m waiting in the cell phone waiting area, so I start to pull out, and then the plane stops on top of that airplane bridge over the road for 30 minutes.
And I’m sorry but any fucking airport that has one of those trains that doesn’t have another way to get to the gate so I can bypass the fucking train, sucks.
Trains suck.
So we flew through SLC to LAX yesterday, can confirm the SLC Delta lounge is very nice but the hike to B gates sucks balls. LAX presently looks like Dresden after the firebombing.
I can also confirm large LDS families still meander 8 and more abreast while moving through SLC, a very effective blocking move for any and all people caught behind.
Well you can't fit the country's busiest (and world's second busiest) airport in a postage stamp lot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sluff
I'm biased but I think ATL is insanely easy. Park right in the garages front of North or South Terminals, Precheck/Clear line is smooth sailing and right onto the plane train to your concourse. Escalator up and you're dead center. Low numbers to your right, high numbers to your left. As mentioned Sky Lounges at every concourse too. You can go from garage to booze in your hand in as little as 15-20 minutes.
Man, CVG is depressing. I used to fly out of there in its heyday when it was a Delta hub and Delta's commuter airline, Comair was headquartered there. Place was so hoppin that they built Comair their own standalone terminal, and then it went under and Delta chose DET over it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Adolf Allerbush
You go through there now and its nothing but two shuttered terminals and a grab-bag of discount airlines like Sprit. Gross.
Speaking of DET, I'm reminded that they have a particularly generous, but small, Delta Sky Club at the end of the terminal with the peoplemover thing. Self-serve good booze. We took off out of there a while back for a bachelor party in Amsterdam and helped ourselves to coffee cup sized-pours of Woodford for the flight. The lady attendant just kept bringing out more bottles.