Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I'm booked to TPA on NW. Nov 9th - 13th. So I'll leave from the old terminal and come back to the new one. Round trip price was $168 including tax. The flights will be on the CRJ-900. No way would I have done this on the CRJ-200. Using this equipment instead kept FL from getting the business.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

Tomorrow is the big day. Unlikely all my other trips this time I am looking forward to the return trip.

Site Admin

Joined: 17 Jun 2005
Posts: 949
Location: Carmel, IN

I'm jealous. I'm departing from the new terminal next Monday, but didn't have the opportunity to leave from the old and return to the new.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

I got back from my trip about 2 hours ago. Since the winds were out of the south we came around and landed from the north on runway 23L. From the time we turned off the runway until we pulled up to gate A14 was a total of 4 minutes. The taxi time would have been nearly 10 minutes longer had this been to the old terminal. It was funny watching everyone looking out the window in amazement at the new terminal.

It was great walking off the gate and seeing the terminal in use. The concourses weren't crowded at all. There wasn't a full load of planes so that is to be expected. But unfortunately that is where a design flaw becomes very apparent. While the civic plaza looks great visually it is honestly a bad idea. It creates a bottleneck. The airport wasn't really busy but there was so much blockage in the civic plaza. What is it going to be like the day before Thanksgiving? How bad is it going to be in 10 years? Because something looks great on paper and in a 3D model doesn't mean it is going to work in real life. The other big problem is significant glare near sunset. Walking towards the escalator to go down to baggage claim the glare was blinding.

There is also a flow problem out of the parking garage as you have basically a single lane merging right as something else is merging left. That area really needs to be reworked. I can see that area getting hit with a number of accidents. Other than that though the place is great.

Site Admin

Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Posts: 2316
Location: Indianapolis, IN

BTW the airport authority could help the civic plaza bottleneck a little by having a member of staff at each arrivals point from the two concourses where they can keep waiting family members back away from the small hall. Also get people moving away from the exit when they greet people. You work your way to the concourse exit and enter the plaza and you are blocked by people greeting family members. You can't get around very well because of all the tables and other obstructions. This seems to be true for most of the plaza. Too many people standing around in the limited walk space. The plaza is just far too small. There isn't enough room for all the plants, tables, chairs, etc to have people greeting arriving guests there. It just doesn't work well. Clearing out some of the tables and plants and opening up a big path from the concourse exit to the escalators would be a good idea. Yes it will limit the seating but that is what happens when you make a central greeting place a good 30 to 50% under sized.