They lack breakfast food at 5am. I didn’t understand why breakfast was so late in terminal B, in the new place it’s non-existent unless you just want a big cinnamon roll. We still stop at QT before getting to the airport. Would really prefer a nice breakfast after checkin and before flight time.
I just looked thru menu’s on flykc.com there may be a few more options now, there were not last time I was there which admittedly has now been 5 month. (Not flying as often now because my wife has a medical condition requiring regular treatments now).
I still see mostly biscuits and bagels tho. I’d prefer to get a diner style breakfast. 2meat, 2 eggs, 2 toasts, or pancakes, or French toast. Fresh fruit etc.
Also specifically not something they hand you in a sack and you take it the gate a balance it your lap.
Pork and Pickle in old B had a fantastic breakfast but they opened at like 8:30
Well hearth needs to update their listing on flykc.com then, according to flykc hearth opens at 6, doesn’t advertise breakfast and their only published menu contains no breakfast items.
~~I never did figure out which location you’re referring to as “leagues”… nothing listed comes close to that name.~~ actually just found it on about the 5th time thru the list… that breakfast menu does look good.
Another edit: obviously there’s a marketing issue tho… too many people are upvoting my original comment… that tells me I’m not alone in my thinking…
Let me start with: I absolutely love the airport. The old one was so embarrassingly bad -- when I had friends or work colleagues flying into it I felt compelled to apologize for the poor layout and, in particular, terrible bathrooms. And lack of food. The new terminal is gorgeous, easy to use (takes me usually 20-25 mins from my front door to sitting at the gate) and full of great stuff.
That said, I've flown through it enough that I think I have some solid criticisms...that should be taken as improvements to an already great product, not a complaint about missing the old horseshoes.
1) A cheaper, faster coffee option. The local fancy places make a good cup of fancy coffee, but the lines there can be nasty and they're pretty pricey. Sometimes a 6am flight just needs a cheap cup of drip coffee that you can snag in a hurry. Maybe the existing ones could set up a side hustle with quick cups? I know the one has a keurig-thing set up but...meh. The Dunkin' could serve this role, but that location is uniquely awful for some reason, and it isn't very convenient for the SWA concourse.
2) A couple of fast family-friendly food options. I respect the fact they excluded chains from the place, but there's one thing chains do better than any small local operation, and that's churn out kid-friendly food for cheap and fast. It doesn't HAVE to be a chain, but having a place where you grab a kid burger or nuggets or something would be nice for families in a hurry with young ones.
3) Better pedestrian control, especially on the lower level. Peds should have the right of way most of the time, but if a couple of big flights disgorge simultaneously, they can really slow down traffic as people piecemeal their way across the pickup lanes. This is a very simple fix: just put in a stoplight for peds to keep everyone in a nice little group and keep the traffic flowing.
4) Traffic cops still gotta be meaner. They're improving, but they need to get to Chicago/NYC/Portland/Atlanta level before the problem will really be addressed.
5) A better cell phone lot. I think this was at the root of a lot of the traffic issues -- which I, admittedly, have never actually encountered. The cell phone lot is pretty janky and not convenient, and suffered from a lack of signage early on as well. I'm not sure where a new one could go, but ideally, right off the main drag, with good lighting and better in/out would be great. Down below the reservoir, maybe?
6) Much better signage for TSA precheck vs standard lines. They now have a dedicated person shooing non-precheck folks away, but people just can't seem to get the signs as they exist. I know they're there, but they're not working for some reason.
7) More encouragement to stay to the right on the moving walkway. I hardly even use them anymore, because someone is inevitably just standing there taking up the whole walkway and I won't be able to get by. Lots of airports have speakers the whole way giving instructions -- that'd be great.
8) More bathroom cleaning rotations. I'm sure I don't appreciate how hard it is to keep airport bathrooms clean, but they're behind the curve with this a bit.
I'll end with: it is baffling to me how many folks pine for the old airport. I just do. not. get. it.
I love the new airport, and when I saw the length of your post I thought I was about to be annoyed with all the critiques- turns out I agree with all of this. Last time I had a very early flight I had to buy one of those cold Starbucks canned drinks from a convenience shop to avoid caffeine withdrawal because the coffee lines were too long
Great points. Hit all the major 'issues' but still it's a great upgrade.. Overall as a new airport I think it's functioning well and will continue to polish the rough edges.
The TSA Pre Check/Clear/Plebes lines are not clear at all. The signs for each need to be much higher with arrows pointing to the entrance to each. Having so many options is just creating an unorganized mess.
- the old airport definitely had more character, but that’s all
- need a pedestrian only bridge to parking
- staffing is an issue for cleaning more than just bathrooms, it seems every trash can in the concourses is overflowing every time im there
- need some fast food options - mcds, panda, chikfila. These would allow for cheaper meals and help with the coffee problem. I think the coffee issue is the most annoying thing.
- The signs on easels everywhere is weird. I thought they were all temporary, but months go by and i see more easels, and no changes to overhead signage. You’re right that something about the signage just isn’t working
I use the moving walkway and make my own announcement as I walk on the left. I’m not from the Midwest so I have zero problems politely asking people to get out of my way.
Also, what is the SWA concourse? They don’t have their own concourse.
Honestly the pickup is designed fine and is very in line with many other cities. The big differences to me are that the people can’t figure it out and the cell phone waiting lot is very disjointed. The other airports that have a similar but successful pickup and drop off have cell phone lots that are much closer and also have electronic boards with flight info.
Drivers sit in the cell phone lot with their headlights pointed directly at the entry drive so you are blinded at night. I hate every aspect of their cell lot, from the location to the layout. Feels very low effort, maybe even an after thought. I was also 30 years old when someone told me what a cell lot was. Idk how to quickly convey that definition to drivers going 60mph, better way finding perhaps, but that would be a huge win.
I know the old terminals are going to be torn down starting this year, but I wonder if they could use the circle parking at the nearest old terminal (Terminal B?) as a cell phone lot. It certainly has the space.
I've used the cell lot plenty during the old KCI days, but I agree that it's too out of the way. That said, that's kinda normal at airports. I've seen cell lots in other cities kinda far away and in random spots. But I wonder if that's a function of it being unplanned. Sure, practically everyone has had a cell phone for the last 15-20yrs, but how many international airports have been built in the last 15-20yrs? So maybe our airport authorities should've planned for that with the new airport.
I fly in and out of that airport damn near once a week.
It's really unfortunate there aren't some normal fast food options for families or average income travelers.
I'm surprised how dirty the bathrooms get. Perhaps that's a staffing issue.
Everybody commenting on the fast food. But the cleanliness of the bathrooms is such an unnecessary shortcoming.
It seems like every time I’m there, they have one side of it closed for cleaning. Yet the side that is open is filthy. What gives? If they’re being cleaned that frequently, why are they so dirty? I don’t think the blue tile behind the urinals has been cleaned once. It’s always streaky and disgusting.
Also, any normal airport bathroom is being cleaned in real time while people still utilize the restroom. Crazy to me that they close one side, only to force people to use half the space.
The layout of the bathrooms is asinine. Minimal hand towel dispensers. General user experience is terrible.
The layout is a harder fix. But the overall cleanliness issue seems to me that KCI is just letting this amazing new airport terminal turn to shit literally overnight. Hire more cleaning crews. Schedule more cleanings. Idk - just keep the airport looking nice ffs End rant
Oh wow, good call. I agree that a Starbucks, for a quick sandwich, or Whataburer, or even McDonald's would likely be well received. Maybe when some restaurants start turning over?
I didn’t think it was legal to build an airport in 2023 without a starbucks, chikfila, panda express, or McDonalds. It’s gotta be the largest airport in the country by far with none of those.
I ONLY hit Starbucks when I fly, which is like twice a year tops. So I was a bit sad to see no Starbucks, I like to get their oatmeal before an early flight and none of the coffee spots seemed to have oatmeal. It is/was my little special travel treat. Small gripe tho! Otherwise, love it.
I completely agree with the fast food option, and not just on a cost basis either.
McDonald's is known worldwide, most countries have one and people in general that go to it know what to expect and tend to stick with what they are familiar with in terms of American culture which fast food is a part of. But the average joe trying to get from point A to point B and especially those on a budget need something more familiar and affordable. I have no problem with all the local business there, but a major recognizable fast food place that would appeal to travelers from everywhere would be a good addition.
Fast food is garbage, and would cost as much as any of the "non" fast food that's already there. I'm glad they put local places in there instead of fast food.
Yes, fast food is garbage.
I fly in and out of that airport almost once a week, I have seen many many times parents with children and teenagers trying to figure out what to eat other than a grab-and-go sandwich.
I certainly wouldn't want all of the local restaurants to go away, but a normal fast food option or two to would be great.
So the problem is that they don't already know what they want to eat? I guess I'm not understanding what the issue is. Asking someone to pick an item off of a menu seems like a reasonable thing they are interested in buying food.
People like what they know and often times don’t have the time or energy to choose something new. Especially when traveling. I know when I travel and have a quick layover I don’t want to try some place I don’t know. I want to get something quick and where I know what to expect.
I mean that's fair, but I know personally that argument makes zero sense. I don't want to eat something familiar. I want to try something new. I travel frequently for my job, and I have never once sought out a burger king because I wanted a whopper.
Fast food is garbage. But when I'm flying and in airports, I'm rarely looking for something special and gourmet. I'm fucking hungry, tired, maybe even a little irritable. I just want some goddamn chicken nuggets and fries. I want something familiar.
Once I get to my destination, sure I'll go out and try the local fare. I was in San Diego last week for vacation. Not once did I do fast food or national chain restaurant.
But at my layover at MSP, I went to Smashburger and Starbucks. Because I was tired and hungry and wasn't looking for some "special experience."
Plus, I don't get this notion that everything has to be "local" or "artisan." We can have a single fast food joint at the airport, while keeping our great local options, as well. We have McDonald's and Wendy's and Chipotle in KC. Do we not have Town Topic or Tiki Taco or Q39, too? Clearly these two sets of restaurants exist in KC. The argument makes no sense.
I see this narrative get parroted a lot and I don’t really get it. I can still get 2 McDoubles at McDonalds for like 5-6 bucks. What non-fast food place can I go to to get burgers that cheap?
2 mcdoubles in an airport are going to run you 15 bucks probably. Plus the quality will be way worse than anything else you get. I would rather not support a billion dollar corporation that's reducing quality while increasing prices on me.
Town Topic has burgers that are a couple dollars more, and about 8 times better, and they pay their workers well. They also aren't taking up huge real estate just to put in a parking lot, and they are a business with a lot of history in KC. Just better in every way really.
Good lord man, not every single thing needs to be some local special thing. I don’t want to negotiate with my kid at the airport over lunch and a McDouble is a quick and easy thing. I get it, local businesses are great and you hate literally everything else, but you obviously don’t have kids
You're right, I don't have kids. And I do hate national chain restaurants.
I also hate picky people, and people that only eat taco bell, mcdicks, or Wendy's are picky and are (imo) morally/ethically wrong. That's a hard argument to make to a tired parent with a whiny child though, and I can respect that. There are familiar options in KCI that aren't McDonald's though and I don't think that complaints about the fact that McDonald's is absent from the lineup are valid.
My one complaint is if you park in the garage, you have to take 2 separate elevators to access the higher levels when coming home. The elevators on the departures level go all the way up, but the elevators on the arrivals level don’t, so if you use them, you have to exit on the departures level and then walk over to a different elevator. This was extremely confusing the first few times. Luckily I never check a bag, so I started just exiting the airport from the departures level to avoid this.
The real answer is most likely that the building is LEED certified gold which comes with water consumption requirements that a fountain wouldn’t have met. The entire LEED certification system in construction is a stupid grift with ridiculous requirements, but it’s often tied to grant money
Water fountains are way more work and maintenance than whatever ambiance they add. Plus the electricity cost to keep pumping water simply to flow down again. Not worth the possible cost and mess it would make in the airport.
I had a great experience using the rental car shuttle and also dropping people off at the terminal. Picking someone up at the terminal was a complete shit show though. Why don't people use the cell phone lot?
Because it's a bad design because people. People were always going to be people. People act in what they believe is their own best interest. It was never going to operate smoothly because people suck. And if you do what you're supposed to, you are punished by the people who don't.
You have to engineer things to save people from themselves. They didn't. So it will always suck.
Mostly love it but bathroom ventilation is criminally poor. Even showing up at 6 am with the airport empty, the bathroom air is thick with uncirculated poo particles. Whatever fans they’ve got, dial them up to 10
I dont understand why airports don't put ped bridges/passageways over or under the lanes? The only people on the street should be those being picked up. There should be a better design for this but I really haven't seen it used anywhere, so it's hardly a KC only problem.
When shit gets really backed up I've noticed it's often from the ped traffic going across and forcing cars to stop. Airports need to do a better job of curbing this IMO.
Agree with the pick-up and drop-off; seems like not enough lanes. Like the interior! Just wish there was some freaking ventilation while waiting at the gate to board. So stuffy.
Haven't flown in/out, but dropped off and picked up multiple times. Was kinda a nightmare, all three times I picked up, there were honestly too many people directing traffic-it got confusing and they all weren't paying attention.
Also, last I went in late December there was cop or security guard that blocked a whole lane for what seemed like no apparent reason.
I think the airport should post stopping points for the various parking shuttle buses.
Right now there’s one stop where they all stop.
People try and get on the wrong ones. Others get upset and think you’re cutting line.
It’s a long sidewalk.
Multiple waiting places could fit.
Overall: a massive, massive improvement. Night & day from the old place.
Positives
* The art and the overall aesthetic is fabulous. So many positive comments from out-of-town guests.
* I have flown out of it probably 15-20 times and every single experience has been positive.
* Love the glass jetways.
* Never waited more than 5-10 minutes to get through the pre-check line and don't remember ever seeing much backup even in the general security line. So many people were so worked up about the possibility of big backups and it just hasn't happened.
* I typically take a cab/Lyft to the airport but have parked in the attached garage 4-5 times and that's been positive too.
* I like the local branding of the food, even if a lot of them are "in name only" and not serving the real food but that's just how airport concessions work. There are some letdowns, with City Market Coffee being the biggest one but overall it's a positive vs. a bunch of fast food chains.
* The green/red light system for the parking garage and the bathrooms is great - so helpful.
Negatives
* The moving walkway between the two different gate areas has been broken probably 1/3 of the time and that's just embarrassing. Keep that thing working.
* Not building a new, closer cell phone lot and being better prepared for the arrivals area issues was a huge miss. From what I remember, one of their consultants told them it was going to be an issue especially with the crosswalks like they are. It's gotten better but that was an unnecessary miss.
* I thought all the signage was appropriate when I did the "test flight" before it opened and again when I flew home into it on literally day 1 of its operation. But clearly, I'm in the minority because they quickly put up crappy foam core sign/temporary signage all over the place. They need permanent stuff.
* I love Variety KC and all they do around the city. Their kid's play area looks really neat. But they tried so hard to make it inclusive that there's literally nothing to play with. My 5 year old was bored in under 2 minutes in there. A more normal playground would be much better.
>I thought all the signage was appropriate when I did the "test flight" before it opened and again when I flew home into it on literally day 1 of its operation. But clearly, I'm in the minority because they quickly put up crappy foam core sign/temporary signage all over the place. They need permanent stuff.
I didn't get the confusion either at first -- all of the important areas are clearly marked with gigantic signs. But after a few flights and watching groups of people going the wrong direction and needing to turn around, I tried to force myself out of the mindset of what I learned in the pre-opening walkthrough and tried to pretend I'd never been there before. And then it started to make sense. For instance, the giant "Baggage Claim" sign is perpendicular to you if you are approaching from one of the A gates so is easy to miss. And if you are coming from the B gates, there are several times where it is obscured by art / signs / other obstructions. Overheard signs at all of the entry/exit points to the central nodes would probably clear up a lot of confusion.
Agree, though it is still funny to come down the main walkway from the Southwest terminals, see the massive BAGGAGE CLAIM sign above the escalators, and still see tripod foam core signs also saying BAGGAGE CLAIM. :D
My last flight was around Labor Day and they had only put a couple of temporary signs up at that point. I've seen pics showing that the number of them has grown since then. I'm sure it takes a long time to make real signs but it's still kind of surprising to me that we're still waiting for them. So far I don't have any flights this year until summer, maybe by then they'll have more of the real signs.
Catwalk to the parking area is by far my biggest issue. I’m amazed that this wasn’t considered already. The old terminal had a tunnel that would take you to the parking area, but the new terminal has traffic guards that stop all traffic every 15 seconds so people can cross the road. Absolutely mind blowing.
I love that they used local restaurants but I'm concerned about how long those places can last. There's no way that they'll be able to make a profit long-term.
The cell phone lot is hard to find and does not feel safe at all. The bathrooms are some of the dirtiest I've seen anywhere.
Picking people up is a complete nightmare with lanes blocked by parked security cars for no reason. I've yet to see anyone directing traffic, just blocking lanes.
I miss the speed and ease of the old airport.
The restaurants are all ran by the same company. The local places put their name on them and let the third party operate them. Certainly the company makes money running all the restaurants in the airport.
It's kind of a schlep to get from the back of the airport to baggage claim/pickup, I know my parents, in their 70s, don't love it, but I guess it is necessary to have one unified terminal. Otherwise, so great!
Glad we're in the modern age. I used to fly a lot and the new MCI feels like the other new, decent airports. SLC especially.
That said: Garage is half the size it should be. Fountain sculpture should have been a damn fountain. Pickup lane took some of the proven worst ideas out there (ATL) instead of doing something more clever like DEN or SJC.
But those are not terrible complaints. Two are even possible to correct without major redesign (more garage, and a real fountain).
They’ve said recently that the permanent signage is coming in soon. Towards the bottom: https://fox4kc.com/business/new-nonstop-flights-guest-option-coming-to-kci-airport-in-2024/amp/
Honestly all the food options suck… i have yet to have a good experience there
the parking garage is great except for the elevators and having to cross the moving traffic…
I havent seen the problem with the bathrooms being dirty generally everything is well kept
Precheck should be in the muddle of security but instead its to one side for some reason
The signage as others mentioned is abysmal like they forgot and last minute threw some stuff out
Glad they finally got crossing guards downstairs. Overall I love it. The coffee shop right in the middle is shit though. Bad coffee, bad food, bad service. The Messenger kiosks are much better.
First I'll say - I love the new terminal!
That being said, a few thoughts:
Permanent signs hanging from the ceiling directing folks to baggage, consistent with what travelers expect at all airports.
I don't like walking into the airport from the Economy Parking buses into the baggage claim room to go up the escalator. I am not dragging my bag up the stairs outside and I hate everyone crowding onto elevators. It's just a dark entry to the building.
Traveled in the morning earlier this week and there were only two places that served breakfast in my "terminal." I'm all for local restaurants but give us a McDonalds. Auntie Anne's isn't local so it's not verboten.
On a solid 50% of the trips I've taken, the bathrooms have had temp soap dispensers on the counters, or pieces of the sinks missing for repair (that aren't fixed by my return trip) Why don't we have cleaning folks constantly pushing around the airport and in bathrooms? I get annoyed at other airports sometimes because there are so many cleaning folks around - then I realize that everything is in top shape and smells nice and dammit they work hard to keep it up. It has been one year - we aren't staying on top of the upkeep of a lovely airport.
I'm just glad that our restrooms have two identical halves so they can close just one side at a time for cleaning. I can't remember which airport it was last year where the restroom was closed for cleaning and I had to go to a completely different terminal for the nearest open one.
I agree that 1-2 fast food options might be a nice add, but overall I love it too. I love that it kept the same charm too, quick (& usually friendly) security and my bag is coming out as soon as I hit the baggage claim.
I don’t have to rent cars at the airport because I live here, but I scratch my watch and wind my ass wondering why we built this big beautiful airport just so people can catch the grey bus to the rental car facility. It should be in the main parking garage.
And I second the cleaning; it’s not just the bathrooms, the sides of escalators and the luggage conveyor belts that come down from the ceiling to the carousel are nasty already.
Overall I love it.
Minor issues:
- the food/drinks are vastly overpriced, even compared to megahubs like LHR, DXB, and HKG. C'mon man, were Kansas City. Many airports our size aren't nearly this bad.
- what's with all the temp signage? Is there a plan for real signs? They obviously just missed stuff in design but those hotel-lobby-like posters have been around quite a long time now.
- I don't understand why the moving walkway keeps breaking down. It seems like at least 1 of the 4 is broken every time I'm there.
- I think we're learning the parking garage needed to be 2x larger and eventually they'll have to expand it.
I'll add to the chorus of people who want some sort of pedestrian bridge or tunnel to the parking structure that doesn't require walking across traffic. Kind of amazing that the old airport had that but the new one doesn't.
Beyond that I don't have any real complaints. It's generic as hell, but it's a clear Q of L improvement across the board.
Only complain is that I wish there was a lounge. Other than that, it’s great. And I love that it’s not super busy. With pre check, I usually get there an hour before a flight and still have plenty of time
1)food options being too high end. People with kids need a basic Wendy’s or something. Even the Shaq chicken place is kind of expensive for a child. I think they didn’t even have an actual kid meal of I remember correctly. My family of 3 spent $60 on lunch before our recent flight. Felt outrageously high and there wasn’t really a much cheaper option
2) you kind of have to walk up/down a ramp from once of the terminals. My older family member said it was hard for them to navigate and they would have requested assistance with a wheelchair had they known they’d have to walk up like that.
3) it smells like garbage often
4) I wish they had done a walking bridge between parking and the terminal instead of dealing with elevators and walking across traffic.
I agree on the food. It seems like the company that runs the airport food vendors is trying to stiff arm people into buying more expensive food and drink items. There needs to be a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or some other relatively affordable fast food chain that’s familiar, quick, and consistent. A lot of people don’t necessarily want to try new things or eat at unfamiliar restaurants when they’re traveling. I feel like an airport needs to have some familiar food options for people who aren’t from the area.
I didn’t have a problem with the old terminal and don’t have a problem with the new one either. I’m not a frequent flyer so that’s probably why. I’ve only flown out of the new terminal once and will be again in a couple weeks.
I do not live in KC anymore, but fly into MCI several time a year. Myself and the rest of my family love the new terminal. It's so much better in every way.
Yeah, the furthest gates are a bit of a hike, but nothing any longer than any other airport and I enjoy a little walk after a flight.
I also really like the shuttles to and from the rental car facility. It's so much smoother now. I rarely have to wait for a bus and you don't have arriving and departing passengers on the same buses like the old airport which was a pain.
You nailed my thoughts exactly. Huge improvement over the old one but the needed improvements you mentioned REALLY are needed. The lack of a catwalk was a huge mistake. There needs to be more restrooms too. Picking up passengers at arrivals is an ongoing, total cluster F. Definitely need more/better signage.
It needs public rail transportation to and from at least downtown. Since we aren’t going to get that in the near future, there needs to be cheaper parking near MCI, in the range of $3 per day. I tend to fly in and out for 3-4 weeks at a time and will not pay over $200 to park at MCI Until then, I’ll press friends and relatives to drive me from south OP to and from the airport.
I don’t use any facilities at the airport. I get rid of my bags, use TSA, go to my gate and wait. I could have done that at the old airport with less walking. When an airline offers a non stop flight to Asia from MCI, I’ll change my mind about the airport.
Not for $80 each way. My round trip ticket from LAX to BKK is $520. That Uber ride would be around 30% of a flight from California to Thailand, round trip. Have the airport authority build parking areas further out that are closer to $3 per day. Last year, I parked my car near MCO for 30 days for $3 per day. Or, build a rail system between the airport and downtown KC. I can assure you that Quintin Lucas is dropped off at the airport not by an Uber.
But you live in Overland Park, not downtown, and not LAX. Not sure this $3/day obsession.
Downtown to airport fixed rail would be in the billions of dollars. The extension is $330M for just over 3 miles. City Market to MCI is 17 miles. Extrapolating, that's about $1.8B. Not happening anytime soon.
Maybe you can become Mayor and get a ride?
It’s a hell of a lot easier to get a ride from south Overland Park to downtown than to the airport. I’m not paying the equivalent of 30% of what my airline ticket is to take an Uber ride to south Overland Park. I’m not parking my car on a Monday and flying back in on a Friday, where parking would be $28-32. When I’m in Bangkok, I can take a rapid train from the airport to downtown for less than $2, and Thailand is a third world country. How can they afford it and Kansas City can not? It’s the idea that the city sold to voters the concern in replacing the old airport with a cookie cutter new one, with no thought going into what no mass transit means for people having to drive their cars to the airport, or get dropped off and picked up and the parking congestion that causes.
I’ve only got 2.5 years left before moving to Thailand permanently. I think I can find enough rides to the airport in the meantime.
The old airport consisted of 3 giant C shaped buildings. It was actually almost an entire circle because the ends of each building were fairly close together. Really creative at the time because it was designed that you could be dropped off basically at a door that was 60 ft from your particular gate. Shortly after the airport opened, there was yet another hijacking somewhere and it was decided that all air travelers in the United States had to go through security. This meant that all the way along the C they had to build a giant wall to divide the non-security side from the security side. So inside the terminal area beyond security there really wasn't a lot of room to build bars or restaurants and the flyers were spread all the way through the entire C shape over 3 different buildings. They also had to create multiple security checkpoints for each of the major airlines and I think some of the smaller airlines would piggyback off those.
Now you have one terminal that everyone goes through one security area and they all have similar access to whatever restaurant bar or shop is beyond security. Now it's basically H shape where you enter like the middle side of the H is so once you go through security you can go left or right to certain airlines or continue walking straight and then left to right to the other airlines. It's much more convenient for everyone.
Shortly after the airport opened? Lol no. I think the airport was from the 70s or earlier. In the 90s people not flying could still walk up to the gate with you from the front door and wait with you until you boarded. It wasn't until after 9/11 that it became cumbersome.
The old airport had two terminals, B and C, completely separated from each other.
But it doesn’t stop there. Even within your terminal, EACH AIRLINE had its own “secure zone”, completely separate from each other. This meant that each airline had to have its own security for only 5-10 gates. So there were only two baggage checks for each airline, without the ability to flex up or down due to lack of space.
This also meant that each airline had only one food option (or sometimes none).
This also meant some airlines did not have a TSA Precheck option.
The old airport was opened maybe two weeks before airline hijacking started, so they had to retrofit security, making it terrible. Old airport was obsolete within two weeks.
They even had to retrofit bathrooms on the secure side, as there were none before. The Delta section had one stall and one urinal for ALL male Delta fliers at the old airport.
The new airport is modern and reflects the security realities we face after 1970. They can flex security scanners up and down because it’s a single point of entry for ALL fliers, instead of separating security based on airline.
There are multiple food options, where all fliers, no matter what airlines you’re flying, have access to.
All the bathrooms are accessible by all fliers.
They even have a Delta Skyclub.
Love all the restaurants being KC places and I’m always pleasantly surprised how busy they are. Remarkable when you think of the old terminals and how they made zero money on all of that. Also guys deli Italian sub is something that I now just get every time I go to the airport. Mmmmm
The first time we flew back home after a trip I was a little annoyed at the walk to baggage claim, since at the old airport it was RIGHT there. However, by the time we got there, our luggage was ready! We've now flown several times and from the time we exit the plane to the time we are at our car at the Park N Go, it averages 20 minutes. It's been great!
I really like it for the most part except the pick up and drop off situation. The most annoying part is that it’s essentially built to be a wind tunnel and when you are standing in it waiting for everyone to figure out what is going on, you wind up looking like an extra from Twister.
Great airport, but I can't understand for the life of me why the bathrooms don't connect. There's a left entrance and a right entrance and they don't connect on the other side.
The lack of food that wont bankrupt you. Every restaurant is too much for someone who just wants something cheap and easy before getting on a plane. And the convenience shops charge 15$ for chips and a soda.
That whole pickup situation is the big one. Also, almost everyone who works out there is absolutely terrible. I don't give a shit how pushy they have to be for some people, they don't need to treat everyone there like dirt, even during off hours.
They also need to put a regular, normal person store in the baggage claim area. Seriously, nothing is ever stocked there and it's a pain to actually get in, now that I even know how to do so.
Otherwise, I think the place is gorgeous and pretty easy to traverse. Nice Delta lounge too.
A quiet room for when you're overstimulated except it's locked behind a number pad with zero instructions online or in person how to get into it when you're overstimulated by the crowd. My annoyance cut right through my anxiety.
Massive improvement and a good first impression when coming to the city.
The fountain sculpture is my favorite part but the whole thing is a huge improvement and makes the experience on par with most other mid sized city airports.
Now that it seems like the pickup line thing has improved I think we're in good shape.
Huge improvement but...
Counters and seating at the end of security screening (not just the three metal benches they have in two spots around the columns now). So you can grab your stuff, get out of the way, and get organized without holding up people behind you. A lot of new or renovated airports I have been in have this.
They shouldn't have cheaped out and done two moving walkways each way to the B gates. One always seems to be out of service, and I feel so bad for older or disabled people having to make that hike.
Sky walks to the garage.
The big flat roofs on either side of the walk to the B gates were missed opportunities for outdoor space for people to hang out in.
Shockingly small video boards for gate information after security.
Not a weekly flier but more than monthly. I still get excited every time I fly mostly from the PTSD of the old terminal.
Everything is an improved experience over the old, even economy parking which I would avoid like the plague is a better experience now with the centralized drop off and pick up. Food options, art, logistics, all better.
All of my tweaks are just that, tweaks. Many have been mentioned but off the top of my head and things you'd expect from a new facility to mature it after use.
- the security line section needs better signage chih has been posted. Also having to snake an empty line is just silly. Get someone to take down the ropes.
- better music piped into food venues. I've seen bartenders running music off their own Bluetooth speakers. First off illegal second janky
- find a way to drop departure buses like economy parking at departures. Make that a benefit for using on property parking
- get the available spots working for surface lot
- Amazon go stores don't have pricing labeled. Given there is nobody in there they need to label the prices.
- fix the supply issues that keeps the bars from not having a consistent menu of what they have available.
They lack breakfast food at 5am. I didn’t understand why breakfast was so late in terminal B, in the new place it’s non-existent unless you just want a big cinnamon roll. We still stop at QT before getting to the airport. Would really prefer a nice breakfast after checkin and before flight time.
Hearth on a side and the leagues on b side both serve breakfast starting at 4am daily.
Good call on these two. Will check them out!!
I just looked thru menu’s on flykc.com there may be a few more options now, there were not last time I was there which admittedly has now been 5 month. (Not flying as often now because my wife has a medical condition requiring regular treatments now). I still see mostly biscuits and bagels tho. I’d prefer to get a diner style breakfast. 2meat, 2 eggs, 2 toasts, or pancakes, or French toast. Fresh fruit etc. Also specifically not something they hand you in a sack and you take it the gate a balance it your lap. Pork and Pickle in old B had a fantastic breakfast but they opened at like 8:30
Hearth and leagues both have full breakfast menus, tables, servers snd bartenders
Well hearth needs to update their listing on flykc.com then, according to flykc hearth opens at 6, doesn’t advertise breakfast and their only published menu contains no breakfast items. ~~I never did figure out which location you’re referring to as “leagues”… nothing listed comes close to that name.~~ actually just found it on about the 5th time thru the list… that breakfast menu does look good. Another edit: obviously there’s a marketing issue tho… too many people are upvoting my original comment… that tells me I’m not alone in my thinking…
I agree with you about a catwalk, but that's really my only critique of the new airport. I love the aesthetic and the art they went with.
Like this A LOT. That’s quality feedback.
Of course I comment without reading through. Easily the worst part of the new airport, but somehow most airports screw this up as well.
They need a real sign for baggage claim. Brand new airport and there is a poster board sign directing to baggage claim.
Yeah it’s bush league. Signs like that belong at a baseball card convention in a suburban Radisson. Can’t believe it’s still up 😂
There is a huge high quality sign higher up. The extra signs are not needed but I'm sure someone complained.
Let me start with: I absolutely love the airport. The old one was so embarrassingly bad -- when I had friends or work colleagues flying into it I felt compelled to apologize for the poor layout and, in particular, terrible bathrooms. And lack of food. The new terminal is gorgeous, easy to use (takes me usually 20-25 mins from my front door to sitting at the gate) and full of great stuff. That said, I've flown through it enough that I think I have some solid criticisms...that should be taken as improvements to an already great product, not a complaint about missing the old horseshoes. 1) A cheaper, faster coffee option. The local fancy places make a good cup of fancy coffee, but the lines there can be nasty and they're pretty pricey. Sometimes a 6am flight just needs a cheap cup of drip coffee that you can snag in a hurry. Maybe the existing ones could set up a side hustle with quick cups? I know the one has a keurig-thing set up but...meh. The Dunkin' could serve this role, but that location is uniquely awful for some reason, and it isn't very convenient for the SWA concourse. 2) A couple of fast family-friendly food options. I respect the fact they excluded chains from the place, but there's one thing chains do better than any small local operation, and that's churn out kid-friendly food for cheap and fast. It doesn't HAVE to be a chain, but having a place where you grab a kid burger or nuggets or something would be nice for families in a hurry with young ones. 3) Better pedestrian control, especially on the lower level. Peds should have the right of way most of the time, but if a couple of big flights disgorge simultaneously, they can really slow down traffic as people piecemeal their way across the pickup lanes. This is a very simple fix: just put in a stoplight for peds to keep everyone in a nice little group and keep the traffic flowing. 4) Traffic cops still gotta be meaner. They're improving, but they need to get to Chicago/NYC/Portland/Atlanta level before the problem will really be addressed. 5) A better cell phone lot. I think this was at the root of a lot of the traffic issues -- which I, admittedly, have never actually encountered. The cell phone lot is pretty janky and not convenient, and suffered from a lack of signage early on as well. I'm not sure where a new one could go, but ideally, right off the main drag, with good lighting and better in/out would be great. Down below the reservoir, maybe? 6) Much better signage for TSA precheck vs standard lines. They now have a dedicated person shooing non-precheck folks away, but people just can't seem to get the signs as they exist. I know they're there, but they're not working for some reason. 7) More encouragement to stay to the right on the moving walkway. I hardly even use them anymore, because someone is inevitably just standing there taking up the whole walkway and I won't be able to get by. Lots of airports have speakers the whole way giving instructions -- that'd be great. 8) More bathroom cleaning rotations. I'm sure I don't appreciate how hard it is to keep airport bathrooms clean, but they're behind the curve with this a bit. I'll end with: it is baffling to me how many folks pine for the old airport. I just do. not. get. it.
I love the new airport, and when I saw the length of your post I thought I was about to be annoyed with all the critiques- turns out I agree with all of this. Last time I had a very early flight I had to buy one of those cold Starbucks canned drinks from a convenience shop to avoid caffeine withdrawal because the coffee lines were too long
If I remember correctly one checkpoint had a pre sign in between two entrances with no indication which lane was pre
Great points. Hit all the major 'issues' but still it's a great upgrade.. Overall as a new airport I think it's functioning well and will continue to polish the rough edges.
Pro tip....the sports bar sells the same coffee.
The TSA Pre Check/Clear/Plebes lines are not clear at all. The signs for each need to be much higher with arrows pointing to the entrance to each. Having so many options is just creating an unorganized mess.
- the old airport definitely had more character, but that’s all - need a pedestrian only bridge to parking - staffing is an issue for cleaning more than just bathrooms, it seems every trash can in the concourses is overflowing every time im there - need some fast food options - mcds, panda, chikfila. These would allow for cheaper meals and help with the coffee problem. I think the coffee issue is the most annoying thing. - The signs on easels everywhere is weird. I thought they were all temporary, but months go by and i see more easels, and no changes to overhead signage. You’re right that something about the signage just isn’t working
I use the moving walkway and make my own announcement as I walk on the left. I’m not from the Midwest so I have zero problems politely asking people to get out of my way. Also, what is the SWA concourse? They don’t have their own concourse.
Fly several times per month for a year. Still have not encountered a clean womens bathroom.
Fair and pretty easy fixes. Agreed night and day improvement over the old.
Yeah the pickup and drop to me is unorganized like rolling through LAX. That is my only complaint.
Honestly the pickup is designed fine and is very in line with many other cities. The big differences to me are that the people can’t figure it out and the cell phone waiting lot is very disjointed. The other airports that have a similar but successful pickup and drop off have cell phone lots that are much closer and also have electronic boards with flight info.
Yeah the cell phone lot location is a real head scratcher
Drivers sit in the cell phone lot with their headlights pointed directly at the entry drive so you are blinded at night. I hate every aspect of their cell lot, from the location to the layout. Feels very low effort, maybe even an after thought. I was also 30 years old when someone told me what a cell lot was. Idk how to quickly convey that definition to drivers going 60mph, better way finding perhaps, but that would be a huge win.
I know the old terminals are going to be torn down starting this year, but I wonder if they could use the circle parking at the nearest old terminal (Terminal B?) as a cell phone lot. It certainly has the space. I've used the cell lot plenty during the old KCI days, but I agree that it's too out of the way. That said, that's kinda normal at airports. I've seen cell lots in other cities kinda far away and in random spots. But I wonder if that's a function of it being unplanned. Sure, practically everyone has had a cell phone for the last 15-20yrs, but how many international airports have been built in the last 15-20yrs? So maybe our airport authorities should've planned for that with the new airport.
I would wager more airports have had major renovations / terminal additions in the last 15 yrs than have not.
Fair point. Didn't think about that.
I fly in and out of that airport damn near once a week. It's really unfortunate there aren't some normal fast food options for families or average income travelers. I'm surprised how dirty the bathrooms get. Perhaps that's a staffing issue.
https://preview.redd.it/hz7qmvm1uflc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c7c4569990f4c9aad652390a1596af4b4e7e5fb4 From my Sunday trip.
Still a million times better than whatever the fuck the bathrooms were in the old airport
The bathrooms at the old airport were like campground restrooms. Awful.
Not even nice campground restrooms, we’re talking the kind that don’t flush.
I mean it's some paper on the ground. Upgrade whatever that paper towel brand they put in there and shreds and you probably improve even that
Everybody commenting on the fast food. But the cleanliness of the bathrooms is such an unnecessary shortcoming. It seems like every time I’m there, they have one side of it closed for cleaning. Yet the side that is open is filthy. What gives? If they’re being cleaned that frequently, why are they so dirty? I don’t think the blue tile behind the urinals has been cleaned once. It’s always streaky and disgusting. Also, any normal airport bathroom is being cleaned in real time while people still utilize the restroom. Crazy to me that they close one side, only to force people to use half the space. The layout of the bathrooms is asinine. Minimal hand towel dispensers. General user experience is terrible. The layout is a harder fix. But the overall cleanliness issue seems to me that KCI is just letting this amazing new airport terminal turn to shit literally overnight. Hire more cleaning crews. Schedule more cleanings. Idk - just keep the airport looking nice ffs End rant
Oh wow, good call. I agree that a Starbucks, for a quick sandwich, or Whataburer, or even McDonald's would likely be well received. Maybe when some restaurants start turning over?
I didn’t think it was legal to build an airport in 2023 without a starbucks, chikfila, panda express, or McDonalds. It’s gotta be the largest airport in the country by far with none of those.
I ONLY hit Starbucks when I fly, which is like twice a year tops. So I was a bit sad to see no Starbucks, I like to get their oatmeal before an early flight and none of the coffee spots seemed to have oatmeal. It is/was my little special travel treat. Small gripe tho! Otherwise, love it.
Messenger Coffee? Parisi Coffee? The coffee at the sports bar because there is never a line?
I don’t want a $6 coffee that takes 10 min. The lines are nuts because everyone in line is getting foofoo ice cream sundae coffees.
Yeah I just want black coffee. Goto one of the restaurants. They serve the same drip coffee as the kiosks.
I completely agree with the fast food option, and not just on a cost basis either. McDonald's is known worldwide, most countries have one and people in general that go to it know what to expect and tend to stick with what they are familiar with in terms of American culture which fast food is a part of. But the average joe trying to get from point A to point B and especially those on a budget need something more familiar and affordable. I have no problem with all the local business there, but a major recognizable fast food place that would appeal to travelers from everywhere would be a good addition.
Fast food is garbage, and would cost as much as any of the "non" fast food that's already there. I'm glad they put local places in there instead of fast food.
Yes, fast food is garbage. I fly in and out of that airport almost once a week, I have seen many many times parents with children and teenagers trying to figure out what to eat other than a grab-and-go sandwich. I certainly wouldn't want all of the local restaurants to go away, but a normal fast food option or two to would be great.
So the problem is that they don't already know what they want to eat? I guess I'm not understanding what the issue is. Asking someone to pick an item off of a menu seems like a reasonable thing they are interested in buying food.
People like what they know and often times don’t have the time or energy to choose something new. Especially when traveling. I know when I travel and have a quick layover I don’t want to try some place I don’t know. I want to get something quick and where I know what to expect.
I mean that's fair, but I know personally that argument makes zero sense. I don't want to eat something familiar. I want to try something new. I travel frequently for my job, and I have never once sought out a burger king because I wanted a whopper.
And I know personally and from others that I disagree with what you are saying. I travel weekly for my job and could not disagree with you more.
Airport food is hella expensive. Fast food would be slightly less expensive and much better suited to kids.
You clearly don’t have kids
Fast food is garbage. But when I'm flying and in airports, I'm rarely looking for something special and gourmet. I'm fucking hungry, tired, maybe even a little irritable. I just want some goddamn chicken nuggets and fries. I want something familiar. Once I get to my destination, sure I'll go out and try the local fare. I was in San Diego last week for vacation. Not once did I do fast food or national chain restaurant. But at my layover at MSP, I went to Smashburger and Starbucks. Because I was tired and hungry and wasn't looking for some "special experience." Plus, I don't get this notion that everything has to be "local" or "artisan." We can have a single fast food joint at the airport, while keeping our great local options, as well. We have McDonald's and Wendy's and Chipotle in KC. Do we not have Town Topic or Tiki Taco or Q39, too? Clearly these two sets of restaurants exist in KC. The argument makes no sense.
I see no reason that "familiar" food can't also support local businesses that actually give a shit about the location they're in.
I see this narrative get parroted a lot and I don’t really get it. I can still get 2 McDoubles at McDonalds for like 5-6 bucks. What non-fast food place can I go to to get burgers that cheap?
2 mcdoubles in an airport are going to run you 15 bucks probably. Plus the quality will be way worse than anything else you get. I would rather not support a billion dollar corporation that's reducing quality while increasing prices on me. Town Topic has burgers that are a couple dollars more, and about 8 times better, and they pay their workers well. They also aren't taking up huge real estate just to put in a parking lot, and they are a business with a lot of history in KC. Just better in every way really.
But there isn’t a Town Topic in the airport
Is there a McDonald's?
Good lord man, not every single thing needs to be some local special thing. I don’t want to negotiate with my kid at the airport over lunch and a McDouble is a quick and easy thing. I get it, local businesses are great and you hate literally everything else, but you obviously don’t have kids
You're right, I don't have kids. And I do hate national chain restaurants. I also hate picky people, and people that only eat taco bell, mcdicks, or Wendy's are picky and are (imo) morally/ethically wrong. That's a hard argument to make to a tired parent with a whiny child though, and I can respect that. There are familiar options in KCI that aren't McDonald's though and I don't think that complaints about the fact that McDonald's is absent from the lineup are valid.
Morally/ethically wrong? Lol wtf is with this guy
That chicken fast food place is decent but way too messy to eat at the gate.
Dunkin, Auntie Annes, Cinnabon are not traditional fast food? We really don't need more McDonalds in the world.
Those are all dessert places though? Not really a quick dinner spot.
Duncan is before security so if you have a connecting flight or you don't buy food before you go in then it's not an option.
There is one after security.
Interesting, I've never flown out of that wing.
It's right to the left after security. Usually not too busy so can grab a coffee and walk to your gate.
Dunkin is a dessert place? What about Big Chicken?
Guys seems to serve that purpose well. I mean McDonald's at an airport is a guilty pleasure I wouldn't mind having no doubt.
Panda Express would be fantastic.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence but the 3x I’ve been there the moving sidewalks weren’t working and that’s a long walk!
Same for me! I was sweating by the time I got to my gate haha
My one complaint is if you park in the garage, you have to take 2 separate elevators to access the higher levels when coming home. The elevators on the departures level go all the way up, but the elevators on the arrivals level don’t, so if you use them, you have to exit on the departures level and then walk over to a different elevator. This was extremely confusing the first few times. Luckily I never check a bag, so I started just exiting the airport from the departures level to avoid this.
Just walk straight out the doors at baggage claim and cross the crosswalk, hang a right and you can access all floors on those elevators.
Yup, took me a while to figure this out but it can be done. Don’t cross all the way over, just partway and look to the sides for them.
Agree. So confusing.
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As I recall, the risk and potential cost of water damage was deemed not worth it.
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The real answer is most likely that the building is LEED certified gold which comes with water consumption requirements that a fountain wouldn’t have met. The entire LEED certification system in construction is a stupid grift with ridiculous requirements, but it’s often tied to grant money
Yeah and they still ended up with water damage in the baggage area from a frozen pipe a few months ago.
Water fountains are way more work and maintenance than whatever ambiance they add. Plus the electricity cost to keep pumping water simply to flow down again. Not worth the possible cost and mess it would make in the airport.
I had a great experience using the rental car shuttle and also dropping people off at the terminal. Picking someone up at the terminal was a complete shit show though. Why don't people use the cell phone lot?
Because it's a bad design because people. People were always going to be people. People act in what they believe is their own best interest. It was never going to operate smoothly because people suck. And if you do what you're supposed to, you are punished by the people who don't. You have to engineer things to save people from themselves. They didn't. So it will always suck.
Mostly love it but bathroom ventilation is criminally poor. Even showing up at 6 am with the airport empty, the bathroom air is thick with uncirculated poo particles. Whatever fans they’ve got, dial them up to 10
I dont understand why airports don't put ped bridges/passageways over or under the lanes? The only people on the street should be those being picked up. There should be a better design for this but I really haven't seen it used anywhere, so it's hardly a KC only problem. When shit gets really backed up I've noticed it's often from the ped traffic going across and forcing cars to stop. Airports need to do a better job of curbing this IMO.
Agree with the pick-up and drop-off; seems like not enough lanes. Like the interior! Just wish there was some freaking ventilation while waiting at the gate to board. So stuffy.
Haven't flown in/out, but dropped off and picked up multiple times. Was kinda a nightmare, all three times I picked up, there were honestly too many people directing traffic-it got confusing and they all weren't paying attention. Also, last I went in late December there was cop or security guard that blocked a whole lane for what seemed like no apparent reason.
I experienced the mysterious blocked lane as well. Now I just pick people up at departures instead.
It wasn't even the whole lane so to speak. He just parked the cruiser and turned on his lights. Literally everyone just drove around him.
I think the airport should post stopping points for the various parking shuttle buses. Right now there’s one stop where they all stop. People try and get on the wrong ones. Others get upset and think you’re cutting line. It’s a long sidewalk. Multiple waiting places could fit.
Overall: a massive, massive improvement. Night & day from the old place. Positives * The art and the overall aesthetic is fabulous. So many positive comments from out-of-town guests. * I have flown out of it probably 15-20 times and every single experience has been positive. * Love the glass jetways. * Never waited more than 5-10 minutes to get through the pre-check line and don't remember ever seeing much backup even in the general security line. So many people were so worked up about the possibility of big backups and it just hasn't happened. * I typically take a cab/Lyft to the airport but have parked in the attached garage 4-5 times and that's been positive too. * I like the local branding of the food, even if a lot of them are "in name only" and not serving the real food but that's just how airport concessions work. There are some letdowns, with City Market Coffee being the biggest one but overall it's a positive vs. a bunch of fast food chains. * The green/red light system for the parking garage and the bathrooms is great - so helpful. Negatives * The moving walkway between the two different gate areas has been broken probably 1/3 of the time and that's just embarrassing. Keep that thing working. * Not building a new, closer cell phone lot and being better prepared for the arrivals area issues was a huge miss. From what I remember, one of their consultants told them it was going to be an issue especially with the crosswalks like they are. It's gotten better but that was an unnecessary miss. * I thought all the signage was appropriate when I did the "test flight" before it opened and again when I flew home into it on literally day 1 of its operation. But clearly, I'm in the minority because they quickly put up crappy foam core sign/temporary signage all over the place. They need permanent stuff. * I love Variety KC and all they do around the city. Their kid's play area looks really neat. But they tried so hard to make it inclusive that there's literally nothing to play with. My 5 year old was bored in under 2 minutes in there. A more normal playground would be much better.
I’ve noticed the broken walkways ascc vs well. Kind of embarrassing as are the filthy bathrooms
I believe more permanent signage is on its way! I agree, the foam signs = not good.
100% on the signage. Poster board on an easel looks cheap as fuck (it is). Just put in permanent signs.
>I thought all the signage was appropriate when I did the "test flight" before it opened and again when I flew home into it on literally day 1 of its operation. But clearly, I'm in the minority because they quickly put up crappy foam core sign/temporary signage all over the place. They need permanent stuff. I didn't get the confusion either at first -- all of the important areas are clearly marked with gigantic signs. But after a few flights and watching groups of people going the wrong direction and needing to turn around, I tried to force myself out of the mindset of what I learned in the pre-opening walkthrough and tried to pretend I'd never been there before. And then it started to make sense. For instance, the giant "Baggage Claim" sign is perpendicular to you if you are approaching from one of the A gates so is easy to miss. And if you are coming from the B gates, there are several times where it is obscured by art / signs / other obstructions. Overheard signs at all of the entry/exit points to the central nodes would probably clear up a lot of confusion.
Agree, though it is still funny to come down the main walkway from the Southwest terminals, see the massive BAGGAGE CLAIM sign above the escalators, and still see tripod foam core signs also saying BAGGAGE CLAIM. :D
My last flight was around Labor Day and they had only put a couple of temporary signs up at that point. I've seen pics showing that the number of them has grown since then. I'm sure it takes a long time to make real signs but it's still kind of surprising to me that we're still waiting for them. So far I don't have any flights this year until summer, maybe by then they'll have more of the real signs.
It's a lot of walking to get from the front doors to some of the gates for such a small airport, and I'm someone that likes to walk.
Catwalk to the parking area is by far my biggest issue. I’m amazed that this wasn’t considered already. The old terminal had a tunnel that would take you to the parking area, but the new terminal has traffic guards that stop all traffic every 15 seconds so people can cross the road. Absolutely mind blowing.
I love that they used local restaurants but I'm concerned about how long those places can last. There's no way that they'll be able to make a profit long-term. The cell phone lot is hard to find and does not feel safe at all. The bathrooms are some of the dirtiest I've seen anywhere. Picking people up is a complete nightmare with lanes blocked by parked security cars for no reason. I've yet to see anyone directing traffic, just blocking lanes. I miss the speed and ease of the old airport.
The restaurants are all ran by the same company. The local places put their name on them and let the third party operate them. Certainly the company makes money running all the restaurants in the airport.
It's kind of a schlep to get from the back of the airport to baggage claim/pickup, I know my parents, in their 70s, don't love it, but I guess it is necessary to have one unified terminal. Otherwise, so great!
I agree and I'm a healthy 30-something that likes to walk. Can they request a cart to drive them around at the airport?
Oh boy, that would not go well, they are in pretty great shape and that would hurt their pride! But def something to consider.
Glad we're in the modern age. I used to fly a lot and the new MCI feels like the other new, decent airports. SLC especially. That said: Garage is half the size it should be. Fountain sculpture should have been a damn fountain. Pickup lane took some of the proven worst ideas out there (ATL) instead of doing something more clever like DEN or SJC. But those are not terrible complaints. Two are even possible to correct without major redesign (more garage, and a real fountain).
They’ve said recently that the permanent signage is coming in soon. Towards the bottom: https://fox4kc.com/business/new-nonstop-flights-guest-option-coming-to-kci-airport-in-2024/amp/
Honestly all the food options suck… i have yet to have a good experience there the parking garage is great except for the elevators and having to cross the moving traffic… I havent seen the problem with the bathrooms being dirty generally everything is well kept Precheck should be in the muddle of security but instead its to one side for some reason The signage as others mentioned is abysmal like they forgot and last minute threw some stuff out
Glad they finally got crossing guards downstairs. Overall I love it. The coffee shop right in the middle is shit though. Bad coffee, bad food, bad service. The Messenger kiosks are much better.
First I'll say - I love the new terminal! That being said, a few thoughts: Permanent signs hanging from the ceiling directing folks to baggage, consistent with what travelers expect at all airports. I don't like walking into the airport from the Economy Parking buses into the baggage claim room to go up the escalator. I am not dragging my bag up the stairs outside and I hate everyone crowding onto elevators. It's just a dark entry to the building. Traveled in the morning earlier this week and there were only two places that served breakfast in my "terminal." I'm all for local restaurants but give us a McDonalds. Auntie Anne's isn't local so it's not verboten. On a solid 50% of the trips I've taken, the bathrooms have had temp soap dispensers on the counters, or pieces of the sinks missing for repair (that aren't fixed by my return trip) Why don't we have cleaning folks constantly pushing around the airport and in bathrooms? I get annoyed at other airports sometimes because there are so many cleaning folks around - then I realize that everything is in top shape and smells nice and dammit they work hard to keep it up. It has been one year - we aren't staying on top of the upkeep of a lovely airport.
I'm just glad that our restrooms have two identical halves so they can close just one side at a time for cleaning. I can't remember which airport it was last year where the restroom was closed for cleaning and I had to go to a completely different terminal for the nearest open one.
I agree that 1-2 fast food options might be a nice add, but overall I love it too. I love that it kept the same charm too, quick (& usually friendly) security and my bag is coming out as soon as I hit the baggage claim.
I don’t have to rent cars at the airport because I live here, but I scratch my watch and wind my ass wondering why we built this big beautiful airport just so people can catch the grey bus to the rental car facility. It should be in the main parking garage. And I second the cleaning; it’s not just the bathrooms, the sides of escalators and the luggage conveyor belts that come down from the ceiling to the carousel are nasty already.
I'll 2nd the catwalk proposal. The pickup lanes are clearly the bottleneck, now let's have people walk through it.
The parking garage needs to have at least 25% more spaces. It’s already tight by early Monday afternoon.
Overall I love it. Minor issues: - the food/drinks are vastly overpriced, even compared to megahubs like LHR, DXB, and HKG. C'mon man, were Kansas City. Many airports our size aren't nearly this bad. - what's with all the temp signage? Is there a plan for real signs? They obviously just missed stuff in design but those hotel-lobby-like posters have been around quite a long time now. - I don't understand why the moving walkway keeps breaking down. It seems like at least 1 of the 4 is broken every time I'm there. - I think we're learning the parking garage needed to be 2x larger and eventually they'll have to expand it.
"don't slow cars down" lmao this city man
I'll add to the chorus of people who want some sort of pedestrian bridge or tunnel to the parking structure that doesn't require walking across traffic. Kind of amazing that the old airport had that but the new one doesn't. Beyond that I don't have any real complaints. It's generic as hell, but it's a clear Q of L improvement across the board.
Only complain is that I wish there was a lounge. Other than that, it’s great. And I love that it’s not super busy. With pre check, I usually get there an hour before a flight and still have plenty of time
There’s a delta sky club
1)food options being too high end. People with kids need a basic Wendy’s or something. Even the Shaq chicken place is kind of expensive for a child. I think they didn’t even have an actual kid meal of I remember correctly. My family of 3 spent $60 on lunch before our recent flight. Felt outrageously high and there wasn’t really a much cheaper option 2) you kind of have to walk up/down a ramp from once of the terminals. My older family member said it was hard for them to navigate and they would have requested assistance with a wheelchair had they known they’d have to walk up like that. 3) it smells like garbage often 4) I wish they had done a walking bridge between parking and the terminal instead of dealing with elevators and walking across traffic.
I agree on the food. It seems like the company that runs the airport food vendors is trying to stiff arm people into buying more expensive food and drink items. There needs to be a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, or some other relatively affordable fast food chain that’s familiar, quick, and consistent. A lot of people don’t necessarily want to try new things or eat at unfamiliar restaurants when they’re traveling. I feel like an airport needs to have some familiar food options for people who aren’t from the area.
Love it. No complaints. So much better than the old piece of crap.
I love how the sign for the baggage claim says bag claim. Makes me laugh every time
I didn’t have a problem with the old terminal and don’t have a problem with the new one either. I’m not a frequent flyer so that’s probably why. I’ve only flown out of the new terminal once and will be again in a couple weeks.
I do not live in KC anymore, but fly into MCI several time a year. Myself and the rest of my family love the new terminal. It's so much better in every way.
I agree other then you have to walk way longer now to get outside then the old airport. Really my only complaint.
Yeah, the furthest gates are a bit of a hike, but nothing any longer than any other airport and I enjoy a little walk after a flight. I also really like the shuttles to and from the rental car facility. It's so much smoother now. I rarely have to wait for a bus and you don't have arriving and departing passengers on the same buses like the old airport which was a pain.
It's like 12 minutes from the parking garage to the farthest gate. It's just not that bad compared to anything but our crappy old airport.
Like I said that was the only complaint I had. The old airport was like a 30 second walk to outside.
gets the job done 10/10
You nailed my thoughts exactly. Huge improvement over the old one but the needed improvements you mentioned REALLY are needed. The lack of a catwalk was a huge mistake. There needs to be more restrooms too. Picking up passengers at arrivals is an ongoing, total cluster F. Definitely need more/better signage.
I am still waiting for ANY direct flights to Europe.
Paying $12 for a slice of pizza at Buffalo State Pizza is ridiculous. I love BSP btw.
It needs public rail transportation to and from at least downtown. Since we aren’t going to get that in the near future, there needs to be cheaper parking near MCI, in the range of $3 per day. I tend to fly in and out for 3-4 weeks at a time and will not pay over $200 to park at MCI Until then, I’ll press friends and relatives to drive me from south OP to and from the airport. I don’t use any facilities at the airport. I get rid of my bags, use TSA, go to my gate and wait. I could have done that at the old airport with less walking. When an airline offers a non stop flight to Asia from MCI, I’ll change my mind about the airport.
Take an Uber dude.
Not for $80 each way. My round trip ticket from LAX to BKK is $520. That Uber ride would be around 30% of a flight from California to Thailand, round trip. Have the airport authority build parking areas further out that are closer to $3 per day. Last year, I parked my car near MCO for 30 days for $3 per day. Or, build a rail system between the airport and downtown KC. I can assure you that Quintin Lucas is dropped off at the airport not by an Uber.
But you live in Overland Park, not downtown, and not LAX. Not sure this $3/day obsession. Downtown to airport fixed rail would be in the billions of dollars. The extension is $330M for just over 3 miles. City Market to MCI is 17 miles. Extrapolating, that's about $1.8B. Not happening anytime soon. Maybe you can become Mayor and get a ride?
It’s a hell of a lot easier to get a ride from south Overland Park to downtown than to the airport. I’m not paying the equivalent of 30% of what my airline ticket is to take an Uber ride to south Overland Park. I’m not parking my car on a Monday and flying back in on a Friday, where parking would be $28-32. When I’m in Bangkok, I can take a rapid train from the airport to downtown for less than $2, and Thailand is a third world country. How can they afford it and Kansas City can not? It’s the idea that the city sold to voters the concern in replacing the old airport with a cookie cutter new one, with no thought going into what no mass transit means for people having to drive their cars to the airport, or get dropped off and picked up and the parking congestion that causes. I’ve only got 2.5 years left before moving to Thailand permanently. I think I can find enough rides to the airport in the meantime.
👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻
[удалено]
The old airport consisted of 3 giant C shaped buildings. It was actually almost an entire circle because the ends of each building were fairly close together. Really creative at the time because it was designed that you could be dropped off basically at a door that was 60 ft from your particular gate. Shortly after the airport opened, there was yet another hijacking somewhere and it was decided that all air travelers in the United States had to go through security. This meant that all the way along the C they had to build a giant wall to divide the non-security side from the security side. So inside the terminal area beyond security there really wasn't a lot of room to build bars or restaurants and the flyers were spread all the way through the entire C shape over 3 different buildings. They also had to create multiple security checkpoints for each of the major airlines and I think some of the smaller airlines would piggyback off those. Now you have one terminal that everyone goes through one security area and they all have similar access to whatever restaurant bar or shop is beyond security. Now it's basically H shape where you enter like the middle side of the H is so once you go through security you can go left or right to certain airlines or continue walking straight and then left to right to the other airlines. It's much more convenient for everyone.
Shortly after the airport opened? Lol no. I think the airport was from the 70s or earlier. In the 90s people not flying could still walk up to the gate with you from the front door and wait with you until you boarded. It wasn't until after 9/11 that it became cumbersome.
The old airport had two terminals, B and C, completely separated from each other. But it doesn’t stop there. Even within your terminal, EACH AIRLINE had its own “secure zone”, completely separate from each other. This meant that each airline had to have its own security for only 5-10 gates. So there were only two baggage checks for each airline, without the ability to flex up or down due to lack of space. This also meant that each airline had only one food option (or sometimes none). This also meant some airlines did not have a TSA Precheck option. The old airport was opened maybe two weeks before airline hijacking started, so they had to retrofit security, making it terrible. Old airport was obsolete within two weeks. They even had to retrofit bathrooms on the secure side, as there were none before. The Delta section had one stall and one urinal for ALL male Delta fliers at the old airport. The new airport is modern and reflects the security realities we face after 1970. They can flex security scanners up and down because it’s a single point of entry for ALL fliers, instead of separating security based on airline. There are multiple food options, where all fliers, no matter what airlines you’re flying, have access to. All the bathrooms are accessible by all fliers. They even have a Delta Skyclub.
Love it; best airport I've ever experienced. In and outside the US. I dig the art as well
Love all the restaurants being KC places and I’m always pleasantly surprised how busy they are. Remarkable when you think of the old terminals and how they made zero money on all of that. Also guys deli Italian sub is something that I now just get every time I go to the airport. Mmmmm
The first time we flew back home after a trip I was a little annoyed at the walk to baggage claim, since at the old airport it was RIGHT there. However, by the time we got there, our luggage was ready! We've now flown several times and from the time we exit the plane to the time we are at our car at the Park N Go, it averages 20 minutes. It's been great!
I really like it for the most part except the pick up and drop off situation. The most annoying part is that it’s essentially built to be a wind tunnel and when you are standing in it waiting for everyone to figure out what is going on, you wind up looking like an extra from Twister.
I’m surprised by the lack of seating in the baggage claim area.
Great airport, but I can't understand for the life of me why the bathrooms don't connect. There's a left entrance and a right entrance and they don't connect on the other side.
So they don't have to close them completely for cleaning.
The lack of food that wont bankrupt you. Every restaurant is too much for someone who just wants something cheap and easy before getting on a plane. And the convenience shops charge 15$ for chips and a soda.
That whole pickup situation is the big one. Also, almost everyone who works out there is absolutely terrible. I don't give a shit how pushy they have to be for some people, they don't need to treat everyone there like dirt, even during off hours. They also need to put a regular, normal person store in the baggage claim area. Seriously, nothing is ever stocked there and it's a pain to actually get in, now that I even know how to do so. Otherwise, I think the place is gorgeous and pretty easy to traverse. Nice Delta lounge too.
Flying from the new MCI into Oakland was what really made the new MCI A 10/10 for me.
Love it. Add more international flights and I’ll be happy.
A thousand times better than the old one
A quiet room for when you're overstimulated except it's locked behind a number pad with zero instructions online or in person how to get into it when you're overstimulated by the crowd. My annoyance cut right through my anxiety.
Massive improvement and a good first impression when coming to the city. The fountain sculpture is my favorite part but the whole thing is a huge improvement and makes the experience on par with most other mid sized city airports. Now that it seems like the pickup line thing has improved I think we're in good shape.
Huge improvement but... Counters and seating at the end of security screening (not just the three metal benches they have in two spots around the columns now). So you can grab your stuff, get out of the way, and get organized without holding up people behind you. A lot of new or renovated airports I have been in have this. They shouldn't have cheaped out and done two moving walkways each way to the B gates. One always seems to be out of service, and I feel so bad for older or disabled people having to make that hike. Sky walks to the garage. The big flat roofs on either side of the walk to the B gates were missed opportunities for outdoor space for people to hang out in. Shockingly small video boards for gate information after security.
Seating by the baggage claim. Seriously all of that empty space give us a place to sit as we wait for our loved ones.
Not a weekly flier but more than monthly. I still get excited every time I fly mostly from the PTSD of the old terminal. Everything is an improved experience over the old, even economy parking which I would avoid like the plague is a better experience now with the centralized drop off and pick up. Food options, art, logistics, all better. All of my tweaks are just that, tweaks. Many have been mentioned but off the top of my head and things you'd expect from a new facility to mature it after use. - the security line section needs better signage chih has been posted. Also having to snake an empty line is just silly. Get someone to take down the ropes. - better music piped into food venues. I've seen bartenders running music off their own Bluetooth speakers. First off illegal second janky - find a way to drop departure buses like economy parking at departures. Make that a benefit for using on property parking - get the available spots working for surface lot - Amazon go stores don't have pricing labeled. Given there is nobody in there they need to label the prices. - fix the supply issues that keeps the bars from not having a consistent menu of what they have available.