mrsticka wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:15 am
Have you ever been through a major airport like Minneapolis, Denver or Chicago O'Hare and you were walking through their extremely long concourses and it felt like they just went on and on forever?
An interesting question. I'm approaching a milestone in terms of miles flown on airlines. Pretty much every major and a ton of minor airports and quite a few international ones. On one hand yes it can be a hassle to get from gate to gate or even gate to baggage. On the other what's the goal? Fly, get bags, get out of airport. However it happens as long as there's a bathroom and a bed where I'm going I can live with the hassle. There are a lot of convenient large airports out there that are a pleasure to encounter and then, for example, La Guardia prior to remodeling which is still going on since the Hoover administration. Still, if it was the most convenient to my destination I did it.
I'd put up with long concourses in exchange for third world airports or Moscow which I consider third world in many ways. It's never fun flying into an airport that could be part of a coup.
mrsticka wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:15 am
Have you ever been through a major airport like Minneapolis, Denver or Chicago O'Hare and you were walking through their extremely long concourses and it felt like they just went on and on forever?
An interesting question. I'm approaching a milestone in terms of miles flown on airlines. Pretty much every major and a ton of minor airports and quite a few international ones. On one hand yes it can be a hassle to get from gate to gate or even gate to baggage. On the other what's the goal? Fly, get bags, get out of airport. However it happens as long as there's a bathroom and a bed where I'm going I can live with the hassle. There are a lot of convenient large airports out there that are a pleasure to encounter and then, for example, La Guardia prior to remodeling which is still going on since the Hoover administration. Still, if it was the most convenient to my destination I did it.
I'd put up with long concourses in exchange for third world airports or Moscow which I consider third world in many ways. It's never fun flying into an airport that could be part of a coup.
Friendly skies people....
Amsterdam was like landing in the Westroads. Shops everywhere.
Rome was like landing in the middle of a machine gun nest. Heavily armed dudes all over the place
London was nice and compact for something the volume of Heathrow. The meeting hotel on the other side of the runway was interesting.
Of all the international airports, I have been too, the one I liked the best was Copenhagen's. Very attractive wood paneling and pleasant people.
mrsticka wrote: Mon Jan 25, 2021 9:15 am
Have you ever been through a major airport like Minneapolis, Denver or Chicago O'Hare and you were walking through their extremely long concourses and it felt like they just went on and on forever?
Denver can feel like it's a hike at times (like a couple years ago when my SW flight was delayed out of OMA and we hit the ground in DEN and I could see on my phone what gate I needed to get to ASAP for my connection, we drove right by it and parked on the complete opposite end...come on!) But the worst I've had to deal with was Charlotte, that one seemed to go on for miles.
Worst I've been to is SEA. O/D isn't bad, but making an Alaska connection is torture.
MSP: I've never done an O/D there, but connecting on DL is horrible.
SLC is a hike for a DL connection, but it's straightforward.
These places are build-on upon build-on and it shows, trying to shoehorn gates and concourses in every available square meter of space.
ATL: I'd just as soon not change concourses for a connection, but as long as you don't have to do that, it's fine.
Same for DFW.
IAH? Last time I flew there on DL and out on AA, so I was in the weeds both times! I shudder to think what UA's side of things looks like.
I don’t really mind long concourses. It gives me somewhere to walk around during long layovers.
For me it’s how pleasant does it feel to be there. Does the airport make me more intrigued to visit the city? Is it well maintained with nice amenities and up-to-date processes for getting to/from your plane?
Domestically, and in part for nostalgic purposes I’ve always enjoyed Orlando. Denver feels new and modern. Seattle felt nicely organized like a European airport. Atlanta is pleasant enough but every single time I’ve been through felt like the day before Thanksgiving or something - it’s never not crazy busy.
In contrast, heck on earth is connecting from an international flight at JFK to a domestic Delta flight. The international arrivals area there feels like being at the busiest DMV ever. Like if there were only one DMV on all of NYC it would feel like the international arrivals area at JFK. Slow, crowded, and stale. Then you take the airport train to Terminal 2 which drops you off OUTSIDE across the street. And this terminal feels like a K-Mart in 2021 - it looks like it was pretty nice in like 1967, but now it’s a couple months from being turned into a temporary Halloween store.
"Video game violence is not a new problem. Who could forget in the wake of SimCity how children everywhere took up urban planning." - Stephen Colbert
My personal trip from H E L L was in the 80s when as a courtesy I let a friend who was trying to be a travel agent book me from Omaha to Spain. For reasons passing any understanding she booked me from OMA to LGA, THEN she had me taking a bus from there to JFK. By the way, OMA-LGA stopped in ORD. Why ow WHY oh WHY she did that is way beyond me. I never asked. A bus from LGA to JFK in 1980s New York traffic.
One of my favorite hubs was SLC, again in the 80s. It was a hub for Western Airlines. My flight was one of the first to land in that set. All the planes land, everyone gets off, when the music stops you get on your next flight. But the view of the mountains was amazing.
TitosBuritoBarn wrote: Thu Jan 28, 2021 3:30 pm
I don’t really mind long concourses. It gives me somewhere to walk around during long layovers.
Single loaded concourses are not efficient for passenger movements or airline operations. Airports (driven by airlines) usually try to build double-loaded concourses when possible.
Is anybody familiar with Seattle/Tacoma International Airport? They have 2 satellite concourses. One on the north end and one on the south end. They're accessible via underground trains. Sometimes I think to myself what if Omaha had an airport like that. Sure, it would look pretty cool, but at the same time, a pain to get through.
mrsticka wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:23 am
Is anybody familiar with Seattle/Tacoma International Airport? They have 2 satellite concourses. One on the north end and one on the south end. They're accessible via underground trains. Sometimes I think to myself what if Omaha had an airport like that. Sure, it would look pretty cool, but at the same time, a pain to get through.
mrsticka wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:23 am
Is anybody familiar with Seattle/Tacoma International Airport? They have 2 satellite concourses. One on the north end and one on the south end. They're accessible via underground trains. Sometimes I think to myself what if Omaha had an airport like that. Sure, it would look pretty cool, but at the same time, a pain to get through.
mrsticka wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:23 am
Is anybody familiar with Seattle/Tacoma International Airport? They have 2 satellite concourses. One on the north end and one on the south end. They're accessible via underground trains. Sometimes I think to myself what if Omaha had an airport like that. Sure, it would look pretty cool, but at the same time, a pain to get through.
Somewhat like Denver on a smaller scale, no?
In a manner of speaking, yes.
Denver and Atlanta are extremely similar with their separated terminals in a straight line, connected by underground trains (though I don't believe DEN has underground walkways like ATL does if have time to kill and you prefer to hoof it).
It looks like Seattle/Tacoma would maybe be more similar to O'Hare, Orlando or Tampa with their stand alone satellite terminals. London Heathrow looks like it could have satellite terminals connected underground as well, never been there though. Looking at Google Earth images, Pittsburgh's airport is fairly unique.
mrsticka wrote: Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:23 am
Is anybody familiar with Seattle/Tacoma International Airport? They have 2 satellite concourses. One on the north end and one on the south end. They're accessible via underground trains. Sometimes I think to myself what if Omaha had an airport like that. Sure, it would look pretty cool, but at the same time, a pain to get through.
I don't mind the tunnels/train connections and most of the time things run pretty smoothly, though I'll admit that Miami was a bit of a hassle to get through with their train system.
I really hate these gargantuan airports like Hartsfield and O'Hare (I think DeGaulle was designed by graduates of the Marquis de Sade school of airport architecture). They're a royal pain in the azz when you have to run from one terminal to another to catch a connecting flight that's leaving in 15 minutes. I'd much rather deal with a smaller airport. At least cities like L.A., D.C. have at least 3 each, and NY has at least 4.
I’ve flown in and out of Atlanta’s airport numerous times over the years and always found its rail system to their gates to be one of the most user friendly components of the large airports I’ve ever frequented...
ricko wrote: Thu Feb 04, 2021 5:15 am
I really hate these gargantuan airports like Hartsfield and O'Hare (I think DeGaulle was designed by graduates of the Marquis de Sade school of airport architecture). They're a royal pain in the azz when you have to run from one terminal to another to catch a connecting flight that's leaving in 15 minutes. I'd much rather deal with a smaller airport. At least cities like L.A., D.C. have at least 3 each, and NY has at least 4.
Actually, as someone who flies through ATL at least once a year, I have found the airport to be very easy to navigate, even at peak times.
I do agree with your comments about Charles DeGaulle. Bizarre doesn’t even begin...
My current favorites are Houston Hobby and Chicago Midway, mostly because of their small footprints.
As I sit pre sunrise waiting for my morning flight on SW I noticed the display screen shows there are a total of 15 remaining departures today from the airport.
Last edited by nativeomahan on Tue Feb 09, 2021 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
mrsticka wrote: Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:28 am
Anybody remember Denver's old Stapleton airport? It closed in 1995 when Denver International opened.
Yes of (con)course! Such a convenient airport to downtown!
I was amazed how quickly it disappeared following the opening of Denver International Airport. Look on Google Earth or Maps now and you would be hard pressed to determine where it had been.
Yes I remember Denver’s Stapleton, it was so convenient to the city of Denver. Similar to how Eppley is for Omaha. The new one seems way out on the plains. I was just in Denver last week, weather was fantastic 60’s with no snow.
One of Stapleton's runways actually went over I-70.
But apparently, from what I've read about Stapleton, it had numerous problems. Among them were noise due to being close to a neighborhood and the runways being too close to each other.
ByrnesViceVersa wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:11 am
Allegiant Airlines is adding a new nonstop flight, from Omaha to Los Angeles. Starting June 4th, 2021
LAX or one of the other area airports?
mrsticka wrote: Wed Feb 10, 2021 3:50 am
One of Stapleton's runways actually went over I-70.
But apparently, from what I've read about Stapleton, it had numerous problems. Among them were noise due to being close to a neighborhood and the runways being too close to each other.
Plus it was over capacity and with no room for expansion.
yes we had daily flights on Alaska, they reduced them to seasonal and then completely dropped the route. Hoping they’ll bring them back as traffic picks up.
I was looking at a trip to Atlanta this June and noticed that Delta has 737's flying to/from OMA-ATL on all their nonstop flights on the board. Not sure if that's due to the pandemic and/or they've reduced flights, but Covid may have killed off the MDs sooner than anticipated.
Also, WN is running about $75 less RT on their cheapest non-stop flights vs Delta's main cabin rates.
Bearcat06 wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:46 pm
I was looking at a trip to Atlanta this June and noticed that Delta has 737's flying to/from OMA-ATL on all their nonstop flights on the board. Not sure if that's due to the pandemic and/or they've reduced flights, but Covid may have killed off the MDs sooner than anticipated.
Also, WN is running about $75 less RT on their cheapest non-stop flights vs Delta's main cabin rates.
Delta's MDs got retired last June. Lot's of early aircraft retirements across the board for the airlines.
Bearcat06 wrote: Thu Feb 18, 2021 4:46 pm
I was looking at a trip to Atlanta this June and noticed that Delta has 737's flying to/from OMA-ATL on all their nonstop flights on the board. Not sure if that's due to the pandemic and/or they've reduced flights, but Covid may have killed off the MDs sooner than anticipated.
Also, WN is running about $75 less RT on their cheapest non-stop flights vs Delta's main cabin rates.
Delta's MDs got retired last June. Lot's of early aircraft retirements across the board for the airlines.
I knew they were going to be retiring them, but the last I heard it was going to take until 2022. I figured OMA would be one of the last to see them, not that I'll really miss them though.
Could you imagine Omaha's airport having a layout similar to Jacksonville's old concourse layout? I mean Jacksonville, FL. The one that it had prior to the mid-2000's?
mrsticka wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:43 pm
Could you imagine Omaha's airport having a layout similar to Jacksonville's old concourse layout? I mean Jacksonville, FL. The one that it had prior to the mid-2000's?
Has anyone here been to the Jacksonville airport, let alone before the mid 2000s?
mrsticka wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:43 pm
Could you imagine Omaha's airport having a layout similar to Jacksonville's old concourse layout? I mean Jacksonville, FL. The one that it had prior to the mid-2000's?
Has anyone here been to the Jacksonville airport, let alone before the mid 2000s?
2007, and that was the last time I walked on the tarmac to board--no jetway. Other than that, I can't tell you a thing about the airport.
mrsticka wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:43 pm
Could you imagine Omaha's airport having a layout similar to Jacksonville's old concourse layout? I mean Jacksonville, FL. The one that it had prior to the mid-2000's?
Has anyone here been to the Jacksonville airport, let alone before the mid 2000s?
Cant say I’ve ever been to Florida’s other other other city.
"Video game violence is not a new problem. Who could forget in the wake of SimCity how children everywhere took up urban planning." - Stephen Colbert
mrsticka wrote: Wed Mar 10, 2021 4:43 pm
Could you imagine Omaha's airport having a layout similar to Jacksonville's old concourse layout? I mean Jacksonville, FL. The one that it had prior to the mid-2000's?
Has anyone here been to the Jacksonville airport, let alone before the mid 2000s?
Cant say I’ve ever been to Florida’s other other other city.
It's beautiful & different from the others there. If you get a chance go. The beaches are amazing. The people are friendly and in February the weather is very nice. No snow, no ice, no weeks below zero.
Well, prior to the 2000's, Jacksonville's airport had a centralized terminal with a security checkpoint and 3 concourses. If you looked at a diagram of the old terminal, Concourses A and C were horizontal and Concourse B was vertical.
Here's what Jacksonville's airport looked like in the 80's:
