Someone else will know much more than I on this but:
That I did not know, that's good to know that it's a possibility then. I think it would alleviate some of T2's TSA and vehicular traffic issues. Especially when regular flyers start learning when it's best to use which terminal.
They are currently adding more lanes to the security in T2. Traffic, like you mention, is really bad at times. I don't see that changing. I don't really know what they could do. I guess if they reopen D then you could exit through the main terminal, which has less traffic. That said, a lot of the new passengers are connecting so that shouldn't add a bunch to the pickoff/dropoff.aprice wrote: ↑Mar 28, 2018
Sorry for the naive question here, I hardly fly Southwest, much less fly at all. But can Terminal 2 TSA handle that much expansion? I realize they're already halfway there but I've heard T2 TSA can get bad at times. I know that T2 vehicular traffic is already a disaster at times.
Side note: I've only flown Southwest once, my plane landed in STL at 8:00 am on a Monday morning. It was crowded but in a good way. A great sight to see.
I am curious about this as well. I guess it wouldn't matter which side they check in on (as long as they don't mind a really long walk to E4), but if they would do this, would they then use baggage claim in T1 for some flights and T2 for others? That would be really confusing. I don't think in the past when they had 2 terminals feeding C/D/E that any airlines had desks in both, it was one or the other. But I might be 100% off on this.aprice wrote: ↑Mar 28, 2018Someone else will know much more than I on this but:
From my understanding, Southwest likes having the Terminal mostly to themselves. I doubt Southwest would want to put a desk in T1. I guess carry-on passengers with online check-in could go to T1 TSA. Plus there's a certain amount of staffing unpredictability letting passengers choose which TSA checkpoint they go through. What other airports have 2 terminals feeding into one concourse?
Wouldn't we assume (after assuming the rest of D is opening rumor is true) that the currently closed off portion of D would reopen as D? Then, all flights that deplane at a D gate go to T1 and all that deplane at E gates to go T2, right? Doesn't seem overly confusing. Maybe just a demarcation line in the actual airport between E/D to show which way to get your bags. Have the flight attendants make an announcement before the doors open and then have signage at each baggage area. ORD is fully connected (T1-T3), yet have 3 separate baggage claim areas.
I would guess Southwest will want all their gates to be E gates. I would also guess having a E gate right next to a D gate when you are flying the same airline would be confusing since it isn't actually a different concourse. If you want to put another airline in D then start them from the C end and keep the D numbers for those and have them get their luggage in T1. If there is going to be a cutoff line I think it should be between airlines and not in the middle of the same airlines gates.ricke002 wrote: ↑Mar 28, 2018Wouldn't we assume (after assuming the rest of D is opening rumor is true) that the currently closed off portion of D would reopen as D? Then, all flights that deplane at a D gate go to T1 and all that deplane at E gates to go T2, right? Doesn't seem overly confusing. Maybe just a demarcation line in the actual airport between E/D to show which way to get your bags. Have the flight attendants make an announcement before the doors open and then have signage at each baggage area. ORD is fully connected (T1-T3), yet have 3 separate baggage claim areas.
I have done a sprint (hungover, in sandals) from E to C14 (ish) and that is a long friggin way (especially under the circumstances)aprice wrote: ↑Mar 28, 2018I too am not overly familiar with ORD but from looking at Google Earth, very small walkways connect the terminals and they really don't look like they're on the TSA secure side.
As for the walk from T1 to Gate E4, it would be 0.84 mile walk from the eastern edge or the T1 domes to Gate E4. Which might sound like a poorly laid out airport to some but sounds like bragging rights to me. Speaking of which, when are we getting our fancy clothing stores like European airports have? A Zara would kill it in T2.
After the mediocrity I've come to expect in this town, I just wouldn't be surprised if they turn all of D into E and don't even connect it to T1. But again, I really hope I'm wrong. Plus I'd love to see the T1 Domes getting some more love and attention.
I think everyone is over thinking this. It can be done. It has been done.symphonicpoet wrote: ↑Mar 29, 2018I believe the ORD terminal connections from T1-T3 are all airside, but T1 to T2 is a small corridor. T2 to T3 is a pretty impressive looking feature I mean to photograph the next time I'm there, as it's a rather classic piece of mid-century modernism. I've made a goodly number of connections at ORD, but I've never originated or terminated there, so I'm not sure how domestic baggage claim works. That said, United is in both T1 and T2. (O'Hare is very much their baby.) I'd guess they deal with baggage by sending it to the claim in whatever terminal you arrived at, since they're pretty obviously separate and they're at least signed to direct you to their own landisides. Southwest could do the same, but as jshank said . . . they might not. With the D concourse it's kind of arbitrary what terminal it belongs to anyway. (All a matter of the somewhat organic growth of the facility, I suppose.)
I think the problem might be that not all parties agree on where we should go. All of the problems that you describe seem to me to be side effects of Southwest being in a terminal that's too small for what they're doing now, but they reputedly don't want to move. I think the airport pretty much is right sized now. What with B mothballed in a very creative way and D sitting dormant, but maybe not for long.dredger wrote: ↑Mar 30, 2018What is disappointing in my mind is that no one in the region is asking what they want for an airport ten years from now, twenty years or several decades from now? or do you maintain the status quo/leftover configuration from TWA days and keep the undersized T2 baggage area w undersized drop off/pickup, limited short term parking and underwhelming metrolink stations as is?
I agree Lambert doesn't need a massive new terminal on the other side of the runways but the lack of a vision to reorganize the gates, right size and look at expanding short term parking & even a hotel is not encouraging for the long term. The luxury of having concourse D in that it gives a great option of being able to accommodate Southwest traffic growth in short term while pursuing a long term vision of how to consolidate gates, improve access from having A, B, C, D, E and T2 gates to maybe one linear concourse for T1 and rebuild part of T2 to provide more baggage space, expanded international presence if need be & better ingress/egress & more parking on the curb side.
I am pretty sure it is supposed to be year round. Not sure on the frequencies in winter though.eee123 wrote: ↑Apr 04, 2018Is WOW serving St. Louis in the winter, or is that TBA depending on how they do in the warmer months?
On their site, you can book flights from Chicago-Iceland for next winter, but that doesn't appear possible here (or the other smaller midwestern cities I checked). Our calendar only goes through October.
You are preaching to the choir. Why isn't the Airport Director aware of the short-term parking fiasco at Terminal 2? I would pay twice what they are asking if I could get a space. I've learned to take my wife with me if I want to meet someone at the exit from security. Last week I got to Terminal 2 arrivals around noon, and they closed the garage as usual because it was full. So I let my wife off so I could drive to the cell lot.dabeags wrote: ↑Apr 05, 2018The #1 thing that the airport could do to improve my satisfaction is improve the terminal parking situation. Whether that be raising the rates at T2 garage so that you could reasonably expect to get a spot when showing up for the mid morning bank of flights, or opening up concourse D so that I could park in T1s garage and walk. I'd much rather have a 5-10 minute walk over to T1 then wait and ride parking shuttles.
Also, any word about Wingtips joining Priority Pass? I have stuck my head in there from time to time and it doesn't appear to be very busy so I can't imagine they are currently profitable.
Why not just tell them when you are making the arrangements, "Call me when you have picked up your bag and head to the far end of the pickup area. I will be there in a couple of minutes." That's what the cell phone lot is for. Why would you even try to meet them inside the airport?gary kreie wrote: ↑Apr 05, 2018But imagine if your friend flies in from another city and you have pre-agreed to meet them at the exit from security. But if you are by yourself and the short term lot is full, your only real option is to go to the cell phone lot, and then try to call after they land to let them know why you aren't there. You tell them to go down and get their luggage and call again to have you come pick them up. Then they try to look into cars going by on the lower level drive to try to find which car is yours.
That’s a pretty cold welcome for, say, your new in-laws on their first trip to St Louis. So you would say get rid of all short term parking since it is not needed for pickup or drop off, and it certainly is not intended for overnight parking. How about this — tow cars away that have been there over 3 hours. They are not there for arriving or departing passenger rendezvous. So why are they there?Black02AltimaSE wrote:Why not just tell them when you are making the arrangements, "Call me when you have picked up your bag and head to the far end of the pickup area. I will be there in a couple of minutes." That's what the cell phone lot is for. Why would you even try to meet them inside the airport?gary kreie wrote: ↑Apr 05, 2018But imagine if your friend flies in from another city and you have pre-agreed to meet them at the exit from security. But if you are by yourself and the short term lot is full, your only real option is to go to the cell phone lot, and then try to call after they land to let them know why you aren't there. You tell them to go down and get their luggage and call again to have you come pick them up. Then they try to look into cars going by on the lower level drive to try to find which car is yours.
Whoa, relax a bit. Your first example was "your friend flies in from another city" and now it's "your new in-laws on their first trip to St. Louis." All I was saying was, your scenario could be dealt with very simply. One phone call and about 5 minutes spent waiting by your friend from out of town. There are situations where short term parking is preferable and/or necessary. Picking up my old college roommate would not be one of them and, if I were to use a spot for that purpose, I would be contributing to the problem.gary kreie wrote: ↑Apr 05, 2018That’s a pretty cold welcome for, say, your new in-laws on their first trip to St Louis. So you would say get rid of all short term parking since it is not needed for pickup or drop off, and it certainly is not intended for overnight parking. How about this — tow cars away that have been there over 3 hours. They are not there for arriving or departing passenger rendezvous. So why are they there?Black02AltimaSE wrote:Why not just tell them when you are making the arrangements, "Call me when you have picked up your bag and head to the far end of the pickup area. I will be there in a couple of minutes." That's what the cell phone lot is for. Why would you even try to meet them inside the airport?gary kreie wrote: ↑Apr 05, 2018But imagine if your friend flies in from another city and you have pre-agreed to meet them at the exit from security. But if you are by yourself and the short term lot is full, your only real option is to go to the cell phone lot, and then try to call after they land to let them know why you aren't there. You tell them to go down and get their luggage and call again to have you come pick them up. Then they try to look into cars going by on the lower level drive to try to find which car is yours.
