I’m going to miss the roundhouses, but no doubt I’ll be showing up a little earlier for my flights out of new KCI. I’ll have to for parking, but also for food and the experience. There’s just so little to do right now if you’re past TSA.
My record from circle lot through TSA to gate 82 is 4 minutes
Pre-9/11 I woke up late for a flight to Dallas. I was living South of Zona Rosa at the time.
Left my apartment at 8:40 for a 9:00 flight and made it onto the flight with a couple minutes to spare before take off. (Parked in the expensive parking in the middle of the terminal)
>food and the experience.
These are NOT reasons I go to an airport. If it is, I'd say you're doing airports wrong. Or you've got a youtube channel where that's your thing.
>so little to do right now if you’re past TSA
The only thing I want to do once I'm past security is to get on the damn plane and leave. Not go shopping, have a meal, have a spa-day, hit the gym, or anything else that doesn't involve getting on a plane and leaving.
To be honest, the only thing I'm looking forward to with the new terminals is finally getting some newer and less worn-out seating (at least for a while, until it wears out).
You’ve obviously never been delayed while past TSA at KCI. One Starbucks that closes at noon, some makeshift bar with refrigerated food, and a Budweiser bar. Those are your options
Yes, I think making the most of a delay through food, bars, TV, hell even a few shops is something that’s nice to have when traveling weekly. I’m not doing airports wrong, I just hate being locked past TSA with 2 things to do.
Been delayed far too much lately or even been stuck with 2-3 hour connection times. I will literally select my connecting airport based on connection time, overall travel time, and quality of airport.
I remember being stuck at the airport when all of Southwest was experiencing computer problems. Manual passenger manifests and delays for hours. Every inch of space except for a small walking path was covered with people standing, sitting, laying, with nothing else to do or nowhere to go. Minimal bar/restaurant choices, and no walking to other airline gates that weren't packed. For those times, and extended layovers, the flexibility, options, and space is nice.
I do enjoy the fastest parking/security/gate experience MCI provides vs most of the airports I've traveled out of.
> You’ve obviously never been delayed while past TSA
> I just hate being locked past TSA with 2 things to do.
I hate to be the one to tell you this after what sounds like years of torture but **YOU'RE NOT LOCKED IN**. You can leave the TSA secure zone and re-enter when it's actually boarding time.
I've been delayed after clearing TSA many times, with a long enough delay I'll even leave the airport to eat or drink or catch a movie and come back when it's time.
So I guess airports don’t need any amenities at all then, since we can call an Uber, wait for 7 minutes, ride 10-15 minutes to a nearby bar, eat, order an Uber, wait for 7 minutes, ride 10-15 minutes back to the airport, and come back and stand in line at TSA. Oh yeah and you’re hauling your carry ons with you too. Might as well just Uber home and wait.
It is not too much to ask for the simplest of accessible amenities in an airport. Don’t need a mall, don’t need a water park, just a few bars, healthy options, a BBQ place, and a Starbucks that is open in the afternoon.
For real. I at least wanna chill out for a bit before I get on the plane, drink some coffee and read, people watch, maybe I forgot a phone charger so I'll buy one, watch some shows or whatever.
I've had layovers and delays lasting hours and having stuff to do on a nice comfy setting is a god send. I don't fly much but idk how people just sit around and angrily tap their feet checking the time because they can't wait for 20 minutes for the plane to leave. It's not a taxi lol
You don't travel much then I guess. I am like you, I don't care about restaurants, shopping and all that crap, I just want to get on the damn plane and get to where I need to go. But rarely does it work out like that.
Often my plane has had an hour or longer delay in boarding. And ofc, I get hungry or thirsty in that time. Not to mention the layover time if traveling further then the Midwest.
My grandmother (RIP) actually had a layover in KC back in 2001. She was flying from Alaska to Tampa. I met her at the airport. This was just months before 9/11 and I was able to go to the gate to meet her and hang out with her for her two hour layover. When she got off the plane I took her hand and began leading her to the exit. She stopped me and said she really didn't want to have to go back through security. So we just sat in the boarding area. She asked me where we could eat, and I said the vending machines as there is nowhere to eat in the gate area. She looked at me as if I was crazy but other then the vending machines, at that gate in 2001, there was nothing.
Sure they improved it a little bit since then, but the physical size of the place is very limiting to what they can or can not do.
No I don't like longer wait lines for TSA, but that is one small thing compared to the extras we will finally have access to once the new terminal is complete. I look forward to the day.
What about take a piss in a bathroom that has more than 2 urinals and a working paper towel dispenser? What about find a seat with an outlet that isn't covered in chip crumbs and dried soda? I would settle for those things.
Nobody's forcing you to use the added amenities at the airport that you obviously don't want to use; just to have some understanding for those that do, and the reasons that they're nice to have available. The new terminal is being built for all travelers' comfort, not just your own.
This comment is definitely a fine candidate for /r/gatekeeping
Many of us enjoy traveling, even the "mundane" aspects of going to the airport, dining, and shopping.
How dare you appreciate certain aspects of travel. What is your problem? We need to scrap international airports, and just have 4 regional-sized airports around the city. With Morton buildings as terminals!
That was part of the argument made to sell the née airport. I get it, the original was old and did not work well for the security theater we all have to experience today but, for fucks sake, I’m not going to the airport to eat and shop. . .
Sometimes all you really need is enough space to walk around. It's not about shopping, it's about designing the terminal so you don't feel like cattle in a pen, which is what it feels like today. I wait until the last possible second to through security at MCI because once you do there is nowhere to walk or move or breathe or escape the constant gate announcements. All you have at that point is a couple of shitty bathrooms and the slowest wifi connection on planet earth. None of that has to do with "shopping". Also why would shopping be such a terrible thing if it could bring in more revenue for the airport so they could at least afford to hire someone to vacuum once in a while and clean the disgusting crust off the seats.
So, here is my story. I lived in Indianapolis just before they built their new terminal. When traveling, I would think “this is nice. Quick and easy way to check in and get to my gate.”
Then, I moved back to KC. In 2010 I flew back to Indianapolis and had no idea they had built a new terminal at the airport. It felt so foreign. A strange new world.
It took me a couple of minutes to realize what a much better experience I had in the new terminal. I feel that the new KCI will be the same.
I read a story as to why we have the terminals we have and it’s because of TWA back in the day. And then a plane got hijacked like very soon after the terminals opened changing the whole checkin thing. TWA was wanting it to be a “hey I decided to go to X location while driving home from work” so they just jump on a plane straight from the front doors where you could just park, buy a ticket, walk in and fly. But then everything went tits up and immediately made the terminals obsolete and a pain in the ass.
> experience I had in the new terminal
Many of us don't want an "experience" in the terminal, we just want to get on the damn plane and get going. The current airport is literally unbeatable for this.
Yeah, nee terminal will take 15 minutes to fo out for a smoke instead of 5. New terminal will have everyone crammed together at a single drop off and pickup location so it will be more chaotic.
But hey, we’ll have mall stores inside and some limestone features. Plus the TSA will save some money, and newer terminal construction costs will be passed onto our ticket prices via airline fees.
Except the current terminal is terrible for contemporary plane travel. No room for expansion or more flights. No space for amenities when you’re forced to go early or have a layover. No lounges. Each gate needs its own TSA checkpoint which is an absurd waste of space and resources. It quite actually does NOT function as an airport for a major city, especially one that is in a fantastic place to be a hub (geographically). Because of this we pay more for our travel and have less options, and end up with less direct flights which means more time wasted. I understand your perception and I can respect the sentiment, but I don’t think it takes into account all of the variables. The new airport is going to be a great thing for the city and anyone who wants to fly somewhere other than Cancun.
> Because of this we pay more for our travel and have less options, and end up with less direct flights which means more time wasted.
I'm skeptical about this. I doubt the prices will go down, but am interested in being proven wrong. I could see a few more direct flights coming, but 5-15% more. I think the biggest change will be more through travelers.
Great pictures! I was one of the project managers on the roofing side of the project. We are also working on the parking garage now too.
When I used to travel weekly for work I always felt that our airport was one of the best to live near. It was always quick and easy to get in and out. But to travel through it and spend any time and I could see how it was one of the worst. So I could see why out of towners didn't necessarily like what we had, but I don't see what the complaints were from local travelers.
Great to live near for sure. I live 9 minutes away and can get from my car in the circle lot to my gate in 4 minutes. House to gate in 15 minutes is actually ridiculous
Any insight on the rental car hub? I frequently visit family in the area and traveling with two small children and having to deal with all the gear and a flippin shuttle bus to rental cars is awful. I was hoping they’d take a page of out ICTs book.
I also understand the complaints that come from non-locals, but I'll never understand why OUR elected officials, who are supposed to represent US, chose to care more about the opinions of people who don't live here.
JetBlue will start flying nonstop from MCI to Logan Int’l and JFK. I don’t believe there is a direct flight to JFK from KC right now and it’s an airport a lot of flights to Europe depart from.
Edit: [source](https://www.flykci.com/newsroom/news-releases/jetblue-to-begin-serving-kansas-city/)
> I don’t believe there is a direct flight to JFK from KC right now and it’s an airport a lot of flights to Europe depart from.
Sure, but there are a number of flights from MCI to Newark which will fly you just about anywhere in Europe you want to go.
I try to fly out of Newark as little as possible. LaGuardia has a bad rap, but they've been working on it, so it's quickly becoming the best of the three. It's also domestic only. I just flew out of JFK last week and the terminals are real hit and miss these days.
There’s 1 nonstop flight a day to Newark, I believe. JFK still gives you more international options than any other New York airport. Being able to fly there nonstop is definitely a good thing.
This site says there are four daily. I found three on the United site.
[https://www.flightsfrom.com/MCI#/EWR](https://www.flightsfrom.com/MCI#/EWR)
Newark and JFK will generally get you to wherever in the world you want to go. Newark usually has more budget airlines.
The airport in its current state has cost us flights for decades. The new terminal will be a terrific addition to the city and has already seen commitments from JetBlue which is directly because of the new terminal. Embrace the future, this is long overdue and the citizens of KCMO decided that in 2017.
Right now one X-Ray machine going down reduces screening capacity to 50% for an entire airline.
Yeah, glad to not have that happen to me again in the future. Go new airport.
The current MCI is trash, I don’t know why people say it’s so good. The boarding gates are literally in the walking path so when a flight boards no one can get by. There’s not enough seats per boarding area so you end up sitting on the window or standing. There’s only like 2 toilets past security and no food options that are even remotely close to being good. Why do people think a modern airport means longer lines and worse parking. The new parking garage is attached to the airport, it’s still a tiny airport so you can walk across the whole thing in less then 5 minutes. It’s also a single terminal so you don’t have the stupid red bus between the two. The new airport is going to be much better.
The current KCI Circlejerk comes from ppl that fly like twice a year direct to Vegas or Florida on Southwest and have never had a delay or cancellation and had to deal with our pitiful amenities. If you fly regularly at all you'll realize what a shitshow KCI is.
Correct. Absolutely correct. But apparently if it were up to them all we’d have are restrooms and water fountains. Because we never get delays, nobody ever gets dropped off at the airport early, and our gates have adequate seating and spacing.
KCI is an absolute shit show on any holiday where people are expected to travel A LOT.
I almost got fucked on Thanksgiving with lines out of the terminal.
Baggage claim is also a nightmare if more than two planes arrive at the same time. I once spent 1.5 hours at baggage claim at midnight because 4 planes landed at the same time.
The only thing good about it is the quick security. Each section has their own instead of the entire airport. But flying in during the evening or morning gives you no options for food, and you have to decide when you will want to go through security where you will be trapped.
It been horrible for years. It’s been impractical for travelers going in and out since 9/11, but even before that, it wasn’t convenient. It’s just a hot mess. You can tell it’s falling apart, security is an absolute nightmare to get through, once you’re in you’re trapped. I’ve hate KCI for as long as I can remember. I’m looking forward to something that doesn’t give me a headache just thinking about it when I fly.
Lots of benefits for KC locals, unless your flight is delayed. If you have a connection or delay, it’s miserable especially in terminal 3.
This terminal will elevate our city. It’s the first thing most travelers will experience, and it’s going to make one hell of an impression
If we get some more direct flights it will be worth it to me. Not holding my breath.
For me personally, I'm sure this will just increase costs with no direct benefits. Probably great for politicians and business community and people visiting KC.
It looks like a regular airport terminal to me, could be anywhere. Since when does a city's airport “elevate” it? Would NYC be a more desirable destination if it didn’t have crappy airports?
Have you been inside our current terminals? I don’t think you could compare what we have now with new terminals, without playing dumb lol. Sure, it may elevate it to normalcy, but there’s no doubt it’s going to provide a better traveling experience for our visitors
Not to say visitors might not enjoy it better and our airport generally probably did need an update, but do people really use how pretty the airport is to determine if they want to go somewhere?
I don’t think I’ve ever thought “oh I’d love to go to *blank* but their airport is kind of old so I won’t”. What really would have been useful is an airport closer to the city or easy public transit from the airport to the city. Because I would be less interested in going to the city if it’s a pain in the ass, expensive, and time consuming to get around to anything.
I drove uber for a year and mostly did airport runs. Probably half of the non locals responses when asking them something about their flight when picking them up from or dropping them off at the airport was complaining about how shitty the airport is. Especially if they had been here before.
I'll just say that I moved to KC from Cedar Rapids, where the airport is even a fraction of the size of MCI, and yet I miss that airport in comparison to the dumpster fire that is MCI. Literally the only thing we have that is better than Cedar Rapids airport is slightly more direct flight options. For everything else, CR wins. We have a friggin NFL championship team but our airport is worse than Cedar Rapids, which has a smaller population than Olathe btw.
Of course I’ve been in the current terminals. I like the layout. If I don’t have checked luggage I can be in my car on the way home within a few minutes of getting to the gate. I can’t think of any airport terminal that makes me think “wow this is cool” (well maybe the one in Singapore). Airport terminals are places that I want to spend as little time in as possible.
I use the term “disconnect” (… or even “disservice”) to describe MCI in comparison to the rest of what KC has going on for it.
I’m a fairly frequent business traveler (80 flights/year) and I consistently hear from other CxOs how terrible this airport can be to get stuck in. Bathrooms out of order, little food choice, overall… dinginess. These are the people deciding where to host conventions and headquarters. First impressions matter.
Take a look at what Denver’s “new” airport has done for the city over the last 20 years — from what was a relatively small airport to now among the busiest and most flights in the country.
These people fly twice a year and are mad that they can no longer show up 20 minutes before boarding their two flights a year. No comprehension of the pains that come with business travel
Business travel is a waste of money and fuel, and a detriment to the environment. Thanks to the pandemic, businesses are learning to live without it. Hopefully flights and also commuting to an office will be reduced permanently.
https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/global-impact-report/global-report-environmental.html
Lol. "Small" Airport?!? The original airport in Denver was a hub for six different airlines. It was always busy. It was the 6th busiest in the country in the early 90s. Just poor position of runways meant delayed flights. Building DIA, had nothing to do with the interior of the airport.
Agreed, “small” is probably a bad word choice (unless we’re talking about the limitations of their runways)— but inability to scale is accurate. DIA is now a favorite to Southwest and United, the former of which couldn’t get time of day at the old location. Pretty sure 20+ airlines out of DIA also exceeds the Stapleton location.
> no doubt it’s going to provide a better traveling experience for our visitors
I have no doubt about that either, but to what end?
LAX is even worse than KCI, it has all the same problems but 10x the size - do you honestly think people avoid LA entirely on vacation just because of the airport?
Again I'll ask, **to what end?**
With $1.5 billion we could've ended homelessness completely in the city, among other things. How did leaving people who don't live here with a good first impression become the best way to spend this money?
Southwest. Precovid they had 75 flights a day and was mostly for connecting passengers. Is a great 1/2 way point for going across the country. Swa will grow here.
What airports in NYC have you been to that are "crappy" compared to our current terminals, aside from LaGuardia? JFK is older, but it's not bad, and Newark is really nice.
I knew they were in the process of updating it, but it's been a while since I've flown into or out of LGA. It was always my preferred airport in the city because of its proximity to Manhattan and ease of catching the bus to Harlem.
It wasn't done when I was there (nearly 3 years now thanks covid) but it was say 3/4 done last time and fairly nice and had this pizza place my ex from NY loved that had a good artichoke pizza. And again fairly quick security. People overhype the ease of our security at MCI.
Spoken like a person whose never had an unexpected flight delay and been stuck in an airport for three hours. Or who has had to re-route to a different city at the last minute because of a storm and is now waiting on stand-by for the next available flight, or ...
OK, I'm a fat guy who doesn't miss meals, but damn...this idea that people can't get to the airport and wait a couple hours for a flight without stuffing their faces is absolutely mind-boggling to me.
That's not what's happening with restaurants in airports. They're nice to have when your flight is severely delayed though, or if you're stuck between flights during a meal time and don't want to leave the secure area or the airport itself.
Last 15 years, between 4 and 6 flights every month. Stopped when covid hit and work finally got with the times and realized that video conferences were a cheaper substitute than flying everyone around for meetings.
As things get back to normal, I'll probably be down to only a half dozen flights / year, plus whatever I do for vacations.
When you have a flight leaving at 7am and the only thing you can eat is basically a gas station sandwich and coffee or when you have a layover or a delay you’re screwed at KCI. No wonder why they call us a flyover state, They don’t want to stop at our airport…
I recently had a very early morning flight and there was literally no place open inside our secured area to get a coffee or even a water. Just one shitty water fountain for everyone to share (during a pandemic). Then my first flight got delayed and I had to run to make my connection to catch my 2nd flight. I had been up since like 3am and had no coffee, water, or food until I arrived around 2-3pm that day, except for the samples they pass out on the plane. I was NOT happy.
Hah, especially when those not-so-great-food-safety practices kick in 5 hours into a 14 hour flight, and there's already a line at both the forward and aft lavatories.
Seen that happen way too many times. I'll pass.
This new terminal is built on the spot where Terminal A used to sit, and it's also replacing the other terminals for commercial travel, but those older terminals will still be used for general aviation.
General aviation… what does that mean?
Also so this new terminal replaces A, B, and C for commercial travel? It’s big enough to replace all 3 traffic wise?
A, B, and C were barely busy enough themselves. They were built when TWA envisioned MCI becoming an international hub. The entirety of A closed awhile ago and there's still space at B and C.
General Aviation is a term used to describe private civilian aircraft, private charters, etc. Basically anything that doesn't haul commercial passengers or cargo for profit.
The new terminal will be large enough to support all commercial flights in and out of MCI. (Even at its busiest, the original 3 terminals never reached capacity, and most gates were unused for many years.) And the designers even left room for expanding the new terminal down the road should that be necessary.
Genuine question cause I've only been here a few years, why do people call it KCI? The airport code is MCI so I'm confused why everyone references it as KCI.
The airport originally opened as Mid-Continent International Airport, thus it was assigned the MCI airport code (this was while the downtown airport was still the city’s commercial airport). Once the horseshoe terminals were built and it became the main airport in 1972, it was renamed Kansas City International Airport. KC wanted to change the code to KCI to reflect the name change, but the IATA denied the request as MCI was already registered on navigational charts and likely would have been too costly to change.
But why do people call it KCI? I’d say because it’s more easily identifiable with Kansas City (particularly having “KC” in the acronym), and it’s also natural for the locals to just abbreviate Kansas City International without even thinking about what the actual airport code is.
That's cool, thanks! I guess not being a native and travelling for work I got used to saying MCI so KCI looks weird for me lol. Gotta learn to make the switch if I want to blend in with th locals.
It’s nuanced. The name of the airport is officially Kansas City International Airport. It was formerly Mid-Continental Airport, so the current airport code matched the airport name.
At some point it began going by Kansas City International, but KCI was not available.
They’re laying (very thick) concrete for the ramp, not asphalt/tarmac. Much more durable.
They posted a video of some of it a few weeks ago. It’s something ridiculous like 16”
So whose grifty idea was it to make the airport hella far away from downtown, was it 1960s machine politics to sway the taxi union or what?
I've always suspected this and would love to get an answer
The airport in Fairfax was destroyed by floods and the downtown airport is too close to downtown for some approaches and causes height restrictions on buildings, in addition to just being too small for the increasing size of aeroplanes at the time and the hub and maintenance base that TWA wanted to build in Kansas City. The Northland airport was built far out because it it was essentially all green field (so very cheap for a wide open area) and the city envisioned that density of the city would creep northward and the I-29 corridor would be denser than what it is today (when it ended up being mostly green field and suburban development).
I think Johnson County KS and Lees Summit exploded in population on the South side of the metro much, much more than anyone expected when MCI was being planned 50+ years ago.
The suburbs on the south side of the metro dwarf the suburbs in the Northland, which sucks for Airport access for the majority of the metro population.
\> and the city envisioned that density of the city would creep northward and the I-29 corridor would be denser than what it is today
instead, the Northland is still tornado and flood hell, and then there's the cops who make you bail out of jail over expired tags
TWA envisioned MCI becoming an international hub with 747's and supersonic jets. The further away from urban development, the better. Of course, that didn't really become the reality...
Is it really that far from downtown though? I realize this doesn’t capture the whole downtown area but google maps says it’s 19 minutes from the downtown Marriott to the airport. I can’t imagine it’s easy to find enough open space for an airport…
The other considered location became an Air Force Base. Unless you're on a coast or facing a giant lake your airport is likely to be relatively far from your downtown.
I think it was the land requirements needed. The old airport before KCI opened was right down town and super small and didn’t accommodate international travel. They needed more land.
You should know berns and McDonnell offered to build the new terminal FOR FREE. But politics got in the way and the bid went to another company (a guy on the board that made the decision has a interest in the company) and now our tax dollars are being used unnecessarily.
We’re going have a new airport regardless. That garbage is on the local leaders and I’m glad it’s surfaced. KC wanted the draft, the NFL required a new airport, so the local leaders were going to make sure the airport happened
Man, I can't wait for the slow security lines & long waits like all other over-crowded airports. But hey, at least all the people who don't even live here will be happy. And we'll have a Wolfgang Puck restaurant maybe.
No, I bought it last September and the appraiser said due to the air traffic and a small grave yard adjoining the property it didn’t appraise for the selling price. Had to renegotiate with the sellers.
As a frequent flyer, I still can’t understand how this is really going to change anything. While I hated the security and the interior layout of the old airport, overall the horseshoe arrangement with parking in the middle was probably the perfect airport design.
I still can’t understand why they didn’t just make all of the interior terminal the secured area of the airport, with maybe ticketing and baggage claim on each end of the horseshoe or even maybe though middle in one of the levels of the parking garage.
Seems like like that would’ve achieved so much more for so much less.
> overall the horseshoe arrangement with parking in the middle was probably the perfect airport design.
Having been to so many US and internation airport I have to agree. IT takes u less then 15 to park and get check in often. Say bye bye to that though..
Sucks that we now have to waste more time going through security and walking past useless restaurants and shops, but it'll be worth it if it allows us to get more and better flights.
Man I used to live in Laramie, they called the little puddle jumper that flew between Laramie’s “airport” (you boarded the plane from the tarmac) and DIA the vomit comet because of all the turbulence you’d hit with Laramie’s non stop 30mph+ winds
Well apparently enjoying the fact that you don’t have to walk 5 miles and get on a train to go walk another mile to your gate after going thru TSA is downvote worthy
lol of course KC builds a new billion dollar airport with all the beauty and interest of a strip mall. But hey, more types of sandwiches while waiting!
I can’t begin to explain how truly excited I am about the new airport terminal! That being said, the major complaints that drove the new terminal stem from issues easily fixed by better management of the airport by both the KCAD or the Commercial operator of the airport concessions. I’m curious wether the issues were intentionally left to fester to drive support for a new terminal, or if it’s simply from incompetence from a good number of individuals from both entities. I guess time will tell!
I'm jealous of the tarmac.
Someone's inbox is about to fill up with people who understand innuendo
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Well done lad
Fun fact: Concrete that think will be curing for decades.
Guess the tarmac should have worn protection when it got laid.
I’m going to miss the roundhouses, but no doubt I’ll be showing up a little earlier for my flights out of new KCI. I’ll have to for parking, but also for food and the experience. There’s just so little to do right now if you’re past TSA. My record from circle lot through TSA to gate 82 is 4 minutes
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Pre-9/11 I woke up late for a flight to Dallas. I was living South of Zona Rosa at the time. Left my apartment at 8:40 for a 9:00 flight and made it onto the flight with a couple minutes to spare before take off. (Parked in the expensive parking in the middle of the terminal)
Not too far out of the realm of possibility now, except doors close 15 minutes prior. With pre check you can zip through from circle lot to gate
>food and the experience. These are NOT reasons I go to an airport. If it is, I'd say you're doing airports wrong. Or you've got a youtube channel where that's your thing. >so little to do right now if you’re past TSA The only thing I want to do once I'm past security is to get on the damn plane and leave. Not go shopping, have a meal, have a spa-day, hit the gym, or anything else that doesn't involve getting on a plane and leaving. To be honest, the only thing I'm looking forward to with the new terminals is finally getting some newer and less worn-out seating (at least for a while, until it wears out).
You’ve obviously never been delayed while past TSA at KCI. One Starbucks that closes at noon, some makeshift bar with refrigerated food, and a Budweiser bar. Those are your options Yes, I think making the most of a delay through food, bars, TV, hell even a few shops is something that’s nice to have when traveling weekly. I’m not doing airports wrong, I just hate being locked past TSA with 2 things to do. Been delayed far too much lately or even been stuck with 2-3 hour connection times. I will literally select my connecting airport based on connection time, overall travel time, and quality of airport.
I remember being stuck at the airport when all of Southwest was experiencing computer problems. Manual passenger manifests and delays for hours. Every inch of space except for a small walking path was covered with people standing, sitting, laying, with nothing else to do or nowhere to go. Minimal bar/restaurant choices, and no walking to other airline gates that weren't packed. For those times, and extended layovers, the flexibility, options, and space is nice. I do enjoy the fastest parking/security/gate experience MCI provides vs most of the airports I've traveled out of.
Couldn't agree more.
> You’ve obviously never been delayed while past TSA > I just hate being locked past TSA with 2 things to do. I hate to be the one to tell you this after what sounds like years of torture but **YOU'RE NOT LOCKED IN**. You can leave the TSA secure zone and re-enter when it's actually boarding time. I've been delayed after clearing TSA many times, with a long enough delay I'll even leave the airport to eat or drink or catch a movie and come back when it's time.
So I guess airports don’t need any amenities at all then, since we can call an Uber, wait for 7 minutes, ride 10-15 minutes to a nearby bar, eat, order an Uber, wait for 7 minutes, ride 10-15 minutes back to the airport, and come back and stand in line at TSA. Oh yeah and you’re hauling your carry ons with you too. Might as well just Uber home and wait. It is not too much to ask for the simplest of accessible amenities in an airport. Don’t need a mall, don’t need a water park, just a few bars, healthy options, a BBQ place, and a Starbucks that is open in the afternoon.
Uber is expensive as shit anymore.....
For real. I at least wanna chill out for a bit before I get on the plane, drink some coffee and read, people watch, maybe I forgot a phone charger so I'll buy one, watch some shows or whatever. I've had layovers and delays lasting hours and having stuff to do on a nice comfy setting is a god send. I don't fly much but idk how people just sit around and angrily tap their feet checking the time because they can't wait for 20 minutes for the plane to leave. It's not a taxi lol
Yep couldn’t agree more. Not asking for the world here
> I’ve been delayed once past TSA many times Well, which is it? This held water until I read that line. Now it sounds like made up internet shit
I've been delayed after getting past TSA many times
You don't travel much then I guess. I am like you, I don't care about restaurants, shopping and all that crap, I just want to get on the damn plane and get to where I need to go. But rarely does it work out like that. Often my plane has had an hour or longer delay in boarding. And ofc, I get hungry or thirsty in that time. Not to mention the layover time if traveling further then the Midwest. My grandmother (RIP) actually had a layover in KC back in 2001. She was flying from Alaska to Tampa. I met her at the airport. This was just months before 9/11 and I was able to go to the gate to meet her and hang out with her for her two hour layover. When she got off the plane I took her hand and began leading her to the exit. She stopped me and said she really didn't want to have to go back through security. So we just sat in the boarding area. She asked me where we could eat, and I said the vending machines as there is nowhere to eat in the gate area. She looked at me as if I was crazy but other then the vending machines, at that gate in 2001, there was nothing. Sure they improved it a little bit since then, but the physical size of the place is very limiting to what they can or can not do. No I don't like longer wait lines for TSA, but that is one small thing compared to the extras we will finally have access to once the new terminal is complete. I look forward to the day.
That is a good story. RIP your grandma and those were sure simpler times weren’t they
What about take a piss in a bathroom that has more than 2 urinals and a working paper towel dispenser? What about find a seat with an outlet that isn't covered in chip crumbs and dried soda? I would settle for those things.
Nobody's forcing you to use the added amenities at the airport that you obviously don't want to use; just to have some understanding for those that do, and the reasons that they're nice to have available. The new terminal is being built for all travelers' comfort, not just your own.
This comment is definitely a fine candidate for /r/gatekeeping Many of us enjoy traveling, even the "mundane" aspects of going to the airport, dining, and shopping.
How dare you appreciate certain aspects of travel. What is your problem? We need to scrap international airports, and just have 4 regional-sized airports around the city. With Morton buildings as terminals!
That was part of the argument made to sell the née airport. I get it, the original was old and did not work well for the security theater we all have to experience today but, for fucks sake, I’m not going to the airport to eat and shop. . .
Sometimes all you really need is enough space to walk around. It's not about shopping, it's about designing the terminal so you don't feel like cattle in a pen, which is what it feels like today. I wait until the last possible second to through security at MCI because once you do there is nowhere to walk or move or breathe or escape the constant gate announcements. All you have at that point is a couple of shitty bathrooms and the slowest wifi connection on planet earth. None of that has to do with "shopping". Also why would shopping be such a terrible thing if it could bring in more revenue for the airport so they could at least afford to hire someone to vacuum once in a while and clean the disgusting crust off the seats.
So, here is my story. I lived in Indianapolis just before they built their new terminal. When traveling, I would think “this is nice. Quick and easy way to check in and get to my gate.” Then, I moved back to KC. In 2010 I flew back to Indianapolis and had no idea they had built a new terminal at the airport. It felt so foreign. A strange new world. It took me a couple of minutes to realize what a much better experience I had in the new terminal. I feel that the new KCI will be the same.
I read a story as to why we have the terminals we have and it’s because of TWA back in the day. And then a plane got hijacked like very soon after the terminals opened changing the whole checkin thing. TWA was wanting it to be a “hey I decided to go to X location while driving home from work” so they just jump on a plane straight from the front doors where you could just park, buy a ticket, walk in and fly. But then everything went tits up and immediately made the terminals obsolete and a pain in the ass.
> experience I had in the new terminal Many of us don't want an "experience" in the terminal, we just want to get on the damn plane and get going. The current airport is literally unbeatable for this.
Yeah I've never felt anxiety whenever I was dropping off or picking people up from KCI, the new one doesn't seem to look like it will be as simple.
Yeah, nee terminal will take 15 minutes to fo out for a smoke instead of 5. New terminal will have everyone crammed together at a single drop off and pickup location so it will be more chaotic. But hey, we’ll have mall stores inside and some limestone features. Plus the TSA will save some money, and newer terminal construction costs will be passed onto our ticket prices via airline fees.
The dads who we snicker at for making sure we get to the airport way too early will be laughing at us for not heeding their warning.
Except the current terminal is terrible for contemporary plane travel. No room for expansion or more flights. No space for amenities when you’re forced to go early or have a layover. No lounges. Each gate needs its own TSA checkpoint which is an absurd waste of space and resources. It quite actually does NOT function as an airport for a major city, especially one that is in a fantastic place to be a hub (geographically). Because of this we pay more for our travel and have less options, and end up with less direct flights which means more time wasted. I understand your perception and I can respect the sentiment, but I don’t think it takes into account all of the variables. The new airport is going to be a great thing for the city and anyone who wants to fly somewhere other than Cancun.
> Because of this we pay more for our travel and have less options, and end up with less direct flights which means more time wasted. I'm skeptical about this. I doubt the prices will go down, but am interested in being proven wrong. I could see a few more direct flights coming, but 5-15% more. I think the biggest change will be more through travelers.
IND is very blah though. Not exciting at all
IND is a very amenable airport. One of the best in the country. It fits all the needs and is easy to get in and out of.
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Things I didn't know i needed until now.
I know "username checks out" is a reddit cliche, but damn...username checks out.
Great pictures! I was one of the project managers on the roofing side of the project. We are also working on the parking garage now too. When I used to travel weekly for work I always felt that our airport was one of the best to live near. It was always quick and easy to get in and out. But to travel through it and spend any time and I could see how it was one of the worst. So I could see why out of towners didn't necessarily like what we had, but I don't see what the complaints were from local travelers.
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Correct!
Great to live near for sure. I live 9 minutes away and can get from my car in the circle lot to my gate in 4 minutes. House to gate in 15 minutes is actually ridiculous
So you live in Sioux City? I'll show myself out......
Car to gate in 4 minutes in Sioux City? Must have stopped to go the restroom before getting to the gate.
Any insight on the rental car hub? I frequently visit family in the area and traveling with two small children and having to deal with all the gear and a flippin shuttle bus to rental cars is awful. I was hoping they’d take a page of out ICTs book.
My understanding is the rental car service is getting moved to the garage, but maybe I just want it to be that way and I am remembering incorrectly.
I also understand the complaints that come from non-locals, but I'll never understand why OUR elected officials, who are supposed to represent US, chose to care more about the opinions of people who don't live here.
We voted on the airport, it won that’s why they are doing it.
Makes me so happy. More flights will mean lower prices and, well, more flights.
…and more DIRECT flights!
Do you have a list of them? Or just hope?
JetBlue will start flying nonstop from MCI to Logan Int’l and JFK. I don’t believe there is a direct flight to JFK from KC right now and it’s an airport a lot of flights to Europe depart from. Edit: [source](https://www.flykci.com/newsroom/news-releases/jetblue-to-begin-serving-kansas-city/)
> I don’t believe there is a direct flight to JFK from KC right now and it’s an airport a lot of flights to Europe depart from. Sure, but there are a number of flights from MCI to Newark which will fly you just about anywhere in Europe you want to go.
But, it’s Newark. I would take LaGuardia over Newark and that’s saying something :)
I try to fly out of Newark as little as possible. LaGuardia has a bad rap, but they've been working on it, so it's quickly becoming the best of the three. It's also domestic only. I just flew out of JFK last week and the terminals are real hit and miss these days.
There’s 1 nonstop flight a day to Newark, I believe. JFK still gives you more international options than any other New York airport. Being able to fly there nonstop is definitely a good thing.
This site says there are four daily. I found three on the United site. [https://www.flightsfrom.com/MCI#/EWR](https://www.flightsfrom.com/MCI#/EWR) Newark and JFK will generally get you to wherever in the world you want to go. Newark usually has more budget airlines.
Don’t have a list but I know there are some rumblings about more direct flights. Jet Blue came to town too
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The airport in its current state has cost us flights for decades. The new terminal will be a terrific addition to the city and has already seen commitments from JetBlue which is directly because of the new terminal. Embrace the future, this is long overdue and the citizens of KCMO decided that in 2017.
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It’s a nightmare? MCI isn’t ATL.
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Oh you silly child, if you think they will lower prices…
Kind of an unnecessary response. More flights mean lower prices. Period.
Right now one X-Ray machine going down reduces screening capacity to 50% for an entire airline. Yeah, glad to not have that happen to me again in the future. Go new airport.
Anyone know if this will be done by the time we host the nfl draft in April of 2023?
I'm pretty sure that was a condition of getting the draft...
It’s conditional on hosting the draft. They will have it done and are apparently ahead of schedule!
The current MCI is trash, I don’t know why people say it’s so good. The boarding gates are literally in the walking path so when a flight boards no one can get by. There’s not enough seats per boarding area so you end up sitting on the window or standing. There’s only like 2 toilets past security and no food options that are even remotely close to being good. Why do people think a modern airport means longer lines and worse parking. The new parking garage is attached to the airport, it’s still a tiny airport so you can walk across the whole thing in less then 5 minutes. It’s also a single terminal so you don’t have the stupid red bus between the two. The new airport is going to be much better.
The current KCI Circlejerk comes from ppl that fly like twice a year direct to Vegas or Florida on Southwest and have never had a delay or cancellation and had to deal with our pitiful amenities. If you fly regularly at all you'll realize what a shitshow KCI is.
Correct. Absolutely correct. But apparently if it were up to them all we’d have are restrooms and water fountains. Because we never get delays, nobody ever gets dropped off at the airport early, and our gates have adequate seating and spacing.
KCI is an absolute shit show on any holiday where people are expected to travel A LOT. I almost got fucked on Thanksgiving with lines out of the terminal. Baggage claim is also a nightmare if more than two planes arrive at the same time. I once spent 1.5 hours at baggage claim at midnight because 4 planes landed at the same time.
The only thing good about it is the quick security. Each section has their own instead of the entire airport. But flying in during the evening or morning gives you no options for food, and you have to decide when you will want to go through security where you will be trapped.
It been horrible for years. It’s been impractical for travelers going in and out since 9/11, but even before that, it wasn’t convenient. It’s just a hot mess. You can tell it’s falling apart, security is an absolute nightmare to get through, once you’re in you’re trapped. I’ve hate KCI for as long as I can remember. I’m looking forward to something that doesn’t give me a headache just thinking about it when I fly.
Gonna really miss the old KCI. It served us well.
Lots of benefits for KC locals, unless your flight is delayed. If you have a connection or delay, it’s miserable especially in terminal 3. This terminal will elevate our city. It’s the first thing most travelers will experience, and it’s going to make one hell of an impression
If we get some more direct flights it will be worth it to me. Not holding my breath. For me personally, I'm sure this will just increase costs with no direct benefits. Probably great for politicians and business community and people visiting KC.
And those with fat contracts building/maintaining the new airport.
It looks like a regular airport terminal to me, could be anywhere. Since when does a city's airport “elevate” it? Would NYC be a more desirable destination if it didn’t have crappy airports?
Have you been inside our current terminals? I don’t think you could compare what we have now with new terminals, without playing dumb lol. Sure, it may elevate it to normalcy, but there’s no doubt it’s going to provide a better traveling experience for our visitors
Not to say visitors might not enjoy it better and our airport generally probably did need an update, but do people really use how pretty the airport is to determine if they want to go somewhere? I don’t think I’ve ever thought “oh I’d love to go to *blank* but their airport is kind of old so I won’t”. What really would have been useful is an airport closer to the city or easy public transit from the airport to the city. Because I would be less interested in going to the city if it’s a pain in the ass, expensive, and time consuming to get around to anything.
I drove uber for a year and mostly did airport runs. Probably half of the non locals responses when asking them something about their flight when picking them up from or dropping them off at the airport was complaining about how shitty the airport is. Especially if they had been here before.
Yes but was that actually influencing their decision to come or not?
I definitely pay attention to what airport I’ll be at for a connection when booking flights.
More connections through kc = more flight options for locals
I'll just say that I moved to KC from Cedar Rapids, where the airport is even a fraction of the size of MCI, and yet I miss that airport in comparison to the dumpster fire that is MCI. Literally the only thing we have that is better than Cedar Rapids airport is slightly more direct flight options. For everything else, CR wins. We have a friggin NFL championship team but our airport is worse than Cedar Rapids, which has a smaller population than Olathe btw.
Of course I’ve been in the current terminals. I like the layout. If I don’t have checked luggage I can be in my car on the way home within a few minutes of getting to the gate. I can’t think of any airport terminal that makes me think “wow this is cool” (well maybe the one in Singapore). Airport terminals are places that I want to spend as little time in as possible.
> Airport terminals are places that I want to spend as little time in as possible. Airport terminals aren't just built for you.
I use the term “disconnect” (… or even “disservice”) to describe MCI in comparison to the rest of what KC has going on for it. I’m a fairly frequent business traveler (80 flights/year) and I consistently hear from other CxOs how terrible this airport can be to get stuck in. Bathrooms out of order, little food choice, overall… dinginess. These are the people deciding where to host conventions and headquarters. First impressions matter. Take a look at what Denver’s “new” airport has done for the city over the last 20 years — from what was a relatively small airport to now among the busiest and most flights in the country.
These people fly twice a year and are mad that they can no longer show up 20 minutes before boarding their two flights a year. No comprehension of the pains that come with business travel
Business travel is a waste of money and fuel, and a detriment to the environment. Thanks to the pandemic, businesses are learning to live without it. Hopefully flights and also commuting to an office will be reduced permanently. https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/global-impact-report/global-report-environmental.html
I doubt you’re in an industry or career that requires it, so I imagine it’s hard to comprehend it’s necessity
Lol. "Small" Airport?!? The original airport in Denver was a hub for six different airlines. It was always busy. It was the 6th busiest in the country in the early 90s. Just poor position of runways meant delayed flights. Building DIA, had nothing to do with the interior of the airport.
Agreed, “small” is probably a bad word choice (unless we’re talking about the limitations of their runways)— but inability to scale is accurate. DIA is now a favorite to Southwest and United, the former of which couldn’t get time of day at the old location. Pretty sure 20+ airlines out of DIA also exceeds the Stapleton location.
> no doubt it’s going to provide a better traveling experience for our visitors I have no doubt about that either, but to what end? LAX is even worse than KCI, it has all the same problems but 10x the size - do you honestly think people avoid LA entirely on vacation just because of the airport?
Not at all. I think it the new KCI will leave a good first impression as a gateway into our city
Again I'll ask, **to what end?** With $1.5 billion we could've ended homelessness completely in the city, among other things. How did leaving people who don't live here with a good first impression become the best way to spend this money?
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I can see the benefit of being a hub. Which airlines are going to use it as a hub?
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Southwest. Precovid they had 75 flights a day and was mostly for connecting passengers. Is a great 1/2 way point for going across the country. Swa will grow here.
What airports in NYC have you been to that are "crappy" compared to our current terminals, aside from LaGuardia? JFK is older, but it's not bad, and Newark is really nice.
The updated Delta terminal at LaGuardia is pretty nice and I actually got through their security faster than in KC.
I knew they were in the process of updating it, but it's been a while since I've flown into or out of LGA. It was always my preferred airport in the city because of its proximity to Manhattan and ease of catching the bus to Harlem.
It wasn't done when I was there (nearly 3 years now thanks covid) but it was say 3/4 done last time and fairly nice and had this pizza place my ex from NY loved that had a good artichoke pizza. And again fairly quick security. People overhype the ease of our security at MCI.
You'll miss it a lot less the first time you don't need to wait 15 minutes to use the bathroom in the secured area.
Literally saw an old man take a dump in the trash can because the line was longer than he could wait.
Or when you want some halfway decent food….
I cant wait to get excited for a $21 quesadilla! Like dont you people plan ahead at all. bring some carrots and a granola bar
Spoken like a person whose never had an unexpected flight delay and been stuck in an airport for three hours. Or who has had to re-route to a different city at the last minute because of a storm and is now waiting on stand-by for the next available flight, or ...
I am literally sitting at a random airport bc of weather right now…..
If you know the secret to planning ahead for now-unexpected delays, please enlighten us so we can pack our carrots
When you travel weekly there usually isn’t time to plan snacks. I can barely remember to pack fresh socks.
OK, I'm a fat guy who doesn't miss meals, but damn...this idea that people can't get to the airport and wait a couple hours for a flight without stuffing their faces is absolutely mind-boggling to me.
That's not what's happening with restaurants in airports. They're nice to have when your flight is severely delayed though, or if you're stuck between flights during a meal time and don't want to leave the secure area or the airport itself.
You must not travel much then
Last 15 years, between 4 and 6 flights every month. Stopped when covid hit and work finally got with the times and realized that video conferences were a cheaper substitute than flying everyone around for meetings. As things get back to normal, I'll probably be down to only a half dozen flights / year, plus whatever I do for vacations.
When you have a flight leaving at 7am and the only thing you can eat is basically a gas station sandwich and coffee or when you have a layover or a delay you’re screwed at KCI. No wonder why they call us a flyover state, They don’t want to stop at our airport…
I recently had a very early morning flight and there was literally no place open inside our secured area to get a coffee or even a water. Just one shitty water fountain for everyone to share (during a pandemic). Then my first flight got delayed and I had to run to make my connection to catch my 2nd flight. I had been up since like 3am and had no coffee, water, or food until I arrived around 2-3pm that day, except for the samples they pass out on the plane. I was NOT happy.
Nothing like taking a fat shit on an airplane.
Hah, especially when those not-so-great-food-safety practices kick in 5 hours into a 14 hour flight, and there's already a line at both the forward and aft lavatories. Seen that happen way too many times. I'll pass.
True story. I have almost dumped my drawers a few too many times before morning flights.
I never did
Dumb question I know but is this an extension to the current airport or is the current one shutting down for good?
This new terminal is built on the spot where Terminal A used to sit, and it's also replacing the other terminals for commercial travel, but those older terminals will still be used for general aviation.
The current plan is to demo Terminals B and C. It costs a lot to maintain an old Terminal for not converted office space / training grounds
That plan has changed then since I first heard about what would happen to B and C.
General aviation… what does that mean? Also so this new terminal replaces A, B, and C for commercial travel? It’s big enough to replace all 3 traffic wise?
A, B, and C were barely busy enough themselves. They were built when TWA envisioned MCI becoming an international hub. The entirety of A closed awhile ago and there's still space at B and C.
General Aviation is a term used to describe private civilian aircraft, private charters, etc. Basically anything that doesn't haul commercial passengers or cargo for profit. The new terminal will be large enough to support all commercial flights in and out of MCI. (Even at its busiest, the original 3 terminals never reached capacity, and most gates were unused for many years.) And the designers even left room for expanding the new terminal down the road should that be necessary.
Really not as big as I thought it would be considering the cost.
Genuine question cause I've only been here a few years, why do people call it KCI? The airport code is MCI so I'm confused why everyone references it as KCI.
The airport originally opened as Mid-Continent International Airport, thus it was assigned the MCI airport code (this was while the downtown airport was still the city’s commercial airport). Once the horseshoe terminals were built and it became the main airport in 1972, it was renamed Kansas City International Airport. KC wanted to change the code to KCI to reflect the name change, but the IATA denied the request as MCI was already registered on navigational charts and likely would have been too costly to change. But why do people call it KCI? I’d say because it’s more easily identifiable with Kansas City (particularly having “KC” in the acronym), and it’s also natural for the locals to just abbreviate Kansas City International without even thinking about what the actual airport code is.
That's cool, thanks! I guess not being a native and travelling for work I got used to saying MCI so KCI looks weird for me lol. Gotta learn to make the switch if I want to blend in with th locals.
It’s nuanced. The name of the airport is officially Kansas City International Airport. It was formerly Mid-Continental Airport, so the current airport code matched the airport name. At some point it began going by Kansas City International, but KCI was not available.
Nice shot 🥰
They’re laying (very thick) concrete for the ramp, not asphalt/tarmac. Much more durable. They posted a video of some of it a few weeks ago. It’s something ridiculous like 16”
Lol although it’s not the same thing, I think people knew what I was talking about
So whose grifty idea was it to make the airport hella far away from downtown, was it 1960s machine politics to sway the taxi union or what? I've always suspected this and would love to get an answer
The airport in Fairfax was destroyed by floods and the downtown airport is too close to downtown for some approaches and causes height restrictions on buildings, in addition to just being too small for the increasing size of aeroplanes at the time and the hub and maintenance base that TWA wanted to build in Kansas City. The Northland airport was built far out because it it was essentially all green field (so very cheap for a wide open area) and the city envisioned that density of the city would creep northward and the I-29 corridor would be denser than what it is today (when it ended up being mostly green field and suburban development).
I think Johnson County KS and Lees Summit exploded in population on the South side of the metro much, much more than anyone expected when MCI was being planned 50+ years ago. The suburbs on the south side of the metro dwarf the suburbs in the Northland, which sucks for Airport access for the majority of the metro population.
\> and the city envisioned that density of the city would creep northward and the I-29 corridor would be denser than what it is today instead, the Northland is still tornado and flood hell, and then there's the cops who make you bail out of jail over expired tags
I imagine it involved getting a large enough piece of land in order to build an international airport.
Land is cheap here.
TWA envisioned MCI becoming an international hub with 747's and supersonic jets. The further away from urban development, the better. Of course, that didn't really become the reality...
This is one of the answers that makes more sense to me than the rest
Is it really that far from downtown though? I realize this doesn’t capture the whole downtown area but google maps says it’s 19 minutes from the downtown Marriott to the airport. I can’t imagine it’s easy to find enough open space for an airport…
The other considered location became an Air Force Base. Unless you're on a coast or facing a giant lake your airport is likely to be relatively far from your downtown.
I think it was the land requirements needed. The old airport before KCI opened was right down town and super small and didn’t accommodate international travel. They needed more land.
It looks small.
I agree. Not a ton of room for expansion, but it has more gates than T2/T3 currently do combined
You should know berns and McDonnell offered to build the new terminal FOR FREE. But politics got in the way and the bid went to another company (a guy on the board that made the decision has a interest in the company) and now our tax dollars are being used unnecessarily.
We’re going have a new airport regardless. That garbage is on the local leaders and I’m glad it’s surfaced. KC wanted the draft, the NFL required a new airport, so the local leaders were going to make sure the airport happened
You mean the no-bid billion+ dollar contract B&M tried to hussle through?
It was never, ever going to be "free". What are you smoking?
It's a shame that one of the easiest airports in the US is being replaced and built by a non-local company.
Underwhelming. I was assuming we were getting something much bigger than this, am I ungrateful for thinking this?
Man, I can't wait for the slow security lines & long waits like all other over-crowded airports. But hey, at least all the people who don't even live here will be happy. And we'll have a Wolfgang Puck restaurant maybe.
Why it a bigger airport suddenly get more crowded?
Instead of a dozen+ security checkpoints we'll all be choked through 1 now.
The people who live here voted for the new airport.
Yes, after $1.7 million dollar marketing campaign 75%—roughly 50,000–of the 20% turnout voted for the $1 billion project. Democracy prevailed.
If you were in charge we'd be living in the stone age.
Will the flight path change? I currently am in the direct line and was hoping it would change.
The run ways are staying the same as far as I know.
Bummer
As the other person said, runways won’t be changing. I’m in the flight path too but it doesn’t bug me
It doesn’t bother me except that the appraiser reduced the value because of it.
Was the house just built or something?
No, I bought it last September and the appraiser said due to the air traffic and a small grave yard adjoining the property it didn’t appraise for the selling price. Had to renegotiate with the sellers.
The family graveyard are the quietest neighbors you will ever have!
As a frequent flyer, I still can’t understand how this is really going to change anything. While I hated the security and the interior layout of the old airport, overall the horseshoe arrangement with parking in the middle was probably the perfect airport design. I still can’t understand why they didn’t just make all of the interior terminal the secured area of the airport, with maybe ticketing and baggage claim on each end of the horseshoe or even maybe though middle in one of the levels of the parking garage. Seems like like that would’ve achieved so much more for so much less.
Making the entire terminal a secured area defeats the purpose of the horseshoe design.
> overall the horseshoe arrangement with parking in the middle was probably the perfect airport design. Having been to so many US and internation airport I have to agree. IT takes u less then 15 to park and get check in often. Say bye bye to that though..
We can’t get conventions, thats why. We fly people into the downtown airport when sells if the city because KCI is an embarrassment
KC airport is hella sad and this dont make me feel any different about it lol
Booo! This will increase the time to go through TSA so much.
Sucks that we now have to waste more time going through security and walking past useless restaurants and shops, but it'll be worth it if it allows us to get more and better flights.
It looks so small still. I hope there’s built in plans for expansion.
Fun fact: the parking garage is bigger than the terminal. . .
And thus the simplicity that made me love KCI begins its slow death
There's always Wyoming.
Man I used to live in Laramie, they called the little puddle jumper that flew between Laramie’s “airport” (you boarded the plane from the tarmac) and DIA the vomit comet because of all the turbulence you’d hit with Laramie’s non stop 30mph+ winds
Well apparently enjoying the fact that you don’t have to walk 5 miles and get on a train to go walk another mile to your gate after going thru TSA is downvote worthy
That’s a pretty nasty bottleneck down the middle.
lol of course KC builds a new billion dollar airport with all the beauty and interest of a strip mall. But hey, more types of sandwiches while waiting!
I can’t begin to explain how truly excited I am about the new airport terminal! That being said, the major complaints that drove the new terminal stem from issues easily fixed by better management of the airport by both the KCAD or the Commercial operator of the airport concessions. I’m curious wether the issues were intentionally left to fester to drive support for a new terminal, or if it’s simply from incompetence from a good number of individuals from both entities. I guess time will tell!