Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago (Post 8120854)

So what's the story with these three accelerated gates?

I know about the five AA gates opening soon, the 9 gates to start this year in Terminal 5 and apparently one gate that UA is adding (don't have any details on that other than seeing it in passing).

Where would these additional three be? Any news like that, even small, is exciting to me.

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago (Post 8120912)

Oh, hell, hopefully they can just add those in right now since they're still working on the building, or at least very quickly.

Originally Posted by emathias (Post 8119342)

This is a confusing sentence because it's not clear whether you're being sarcastic or whether you don't know what the phrase "second to none" means. "Second to none" meaning, of course, that the subject is the clear leader or winner, with no competitor even in partial consideration for first place.

Also, my understanding is that United is simply not using 747s at all anymore, in any market. Despite the fact that, in theory, the longest 747 can carry over 800 passengers in some configurations, in practice the 777 class is often configured with more seating than many 747s anyway, as well as more cargo room. But more importantly the operating costs of the 2-engine 777 class is significantly less than the four-engine 747 class something on the order of 1/3 of a cent per seat, per mile cheaper, which amounts to savings of about $6,000 for trans-Pacific flights carrying 450 passengers. I don't know how many trans-Pacific flights United offers daily, system-wide, but say they have 20 flights a day with 450 passengers counting all flights in either direction, with $6,000 per trip savings, over a year that amounts to savings of nearly $44 million. United listed their 747-400 plane with 374 seats while their 77W lists a capacity of 366 seats, a net loss of only 8 seats. Granted, the 77W doesn't have any true First Class seats, but one has to wonder how many First Class seats United was actually selling, versus using for upgrades. First Class seats, despite their huge trans-oceanic list price, can operate at a loss if they're mostly used as upgrades and not actually being sold at face value.

Originally Posted by nomarandlee (Post 8121051)

Game on!
Great news. Sounds like a small sacrifice on the city's part in order to get this thing done

Originally Posted by k1052 (Post 8121054)

Rahm certainly has the pedal to the metal on this thing. Unless something extraordinary happens it'll be approved later this month and hopefully aviation is ready to start moving.

There is a pretty amazing amount of work happening already with the central deicing pad/taxiways/hangers/conrac/L stinger/cargo terminal/runway demo + construction all ongoing right now.

Originally Posted by the urban politician (Post 8122096)

This is a huge deal, and just the construction alone will create a huge number of jobs. We’re talking 7-8 years of steady pay for a lot of people. That’s what I call a major injection of economic activity

Originally Posted by Kngkyle (Post 8120916)

It's not that simple because what currently sits where those 3 gates are to be built are all the communication lines for the airport. They have to be moved before construction can begin, which is why it wasn't part of the original 5 gate plan. Not a huge blocker, it will just take more time.

The city can work on the T5 expansion, these 3 gates, and the two satellite concourses simultaneously without disrupting existing operations. Once those are done probably around 2021-22 is when T2 can start coming down.

Originally Posted by MayorOfChicago (Post 8122468)

I believe I read they're going to finish the 9 gates at terminal 5 before they begin work on the two new terminals, sometime in 2020 maybe? I remember reading it and feeling a little let down that the new terminals won't start for at least a few years. I hope I'm wrong.

Originally Posted by k1052 (Post 8122578)

I don't see why they'd need to or want to wait. Both United and Delta have to get out of T2 before they can start demoing it and rebuilding which is going to take the longest of any project in the plan since it's the whole terminal not just the concourse.

Also the T5 expansion was supposed to have started construction already but I haven't seen any evidence of that.

Originally Posted by ardecila (Post 8124249)

I have not traveled through any airports with major terminal reconstruction like this, so I don't have any firsthand experience... How will it work logistically to take T2 out of commission for the 3-4 years (maybe more) that the reconstruction will take?

Understandably, T2 is the smallest of the existing terminals and therefore will cause the least disruption if it's taken out of service. But where do Delta, and United's regional flights, go once they no longer have a terminal? Can T5 accommodate Delta AND all international flights once the expansion there is complete? How does it affect security and customs screening to have domestic flights at an international terminal?