LOS ANGELES | LAX Modernization Plan

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

^I LOVE it, Westsidelife!

L.A. now has a global gateway worthy of its status.

Not even close. That terminal represents about 5% of the airport. It's still a dump.

[Quixote]

I just happen to like this picture.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/9076060...ePwiDT-ePxeGz/

[JRinSoCal]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

Not even close. That terminal represents about 5% of the airport. It's still a dump.

Yes, but aren't most American airports?

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

Not even close. That terminal represents about 5% of the airport. It's still a dump.

I was speaking specifically on the TBIT, which is your new front door to the world. I find it to be absolutely beautiful, especially considering what it was previously.

As far as the other terminals (which are domestic), I can only speak to 4 and 5. I am much more familiar with 5, and I don't find it to be a dump at all. It needs a little freshening up and updating, which is happening now.

Don't be so hard on LAX, StethJeff. There are several other supposed "Gateway" airports across the country that are nothing special at all. One on the East Coast in particular comes to mind, and is nothing more than bolted together "trailers" acting as a major hub.

[Illithid Dude]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

Not even close. That terminal represents about 5% of the airport. It's still a dump.

Though the rest is also getting spruced up, slowly. In a couple years, LAX will actually be a good airport.

[LAX_Alex]

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

i have a flight out of TBIT in a little less than a week. really stoked to see these new updates. for far too long, flying from LAX has been at best ho-hum, and at worst dreadful.

The new Tom Bradley terminal will be open for passenger in August. There are only three gates that are being use right now, gate 130, 132 and 134. The terminal is not officially open yet

[phoenixboi08]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I was speaking specifically on the TBIT, which is your new front door to the world. I find it to be absolutely beautiful, especially considering what it was previously.

As far as the other terminals (which are domestic), I can only speak to 4 and 5. I am much more familiar with 5, and I don't find it to be a dump at all. It needs a little freshening up and updating, which is happening now.

Don't be so hard on LAX, StethJeff. There are several other supposed "Gateway" airports across the country that are nothing special at all. One on the East Coast in particular comes to mind, and is nothing more than bolted together "trailers" acting as a major hub.

Hey, I like JFK

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by phoenixboi08

Hey, I like JFK

LOL! I was thinking of an airport a little south of there, in suburban Virginia.

[N830MH]

Originally Posted by phoenixboi08

Hey, I like JFK

And ATL & LAS as well. I am really like ATL new terminal F and it's so beautiful. I was connecting the flight to ZRH via ATL last 3 months ago.

[jg6544]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

Not even close. That terminal represents about 5% of the airport. It's still a dump.

Bingo!

[plinko]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

As far as the other terminals (which are domestic), I can only speak to 4 and 5. I am much more familiar with 5, and I don't find it to be a dump at all. It needs a little freshening up and updating, which is happening now.

They are? Because I've flown internationally from Terminals 2,3,4,5 and 6.

Just saying that TBIT isn't necessarily the only international gateway into LAX. By any means. And while Terminal 4 is quite nice (it was totally re-done by Corgan a few years ago), the remainder of the 'domestic' terminals are pretty much dumps. T5 might be nice when it's completed, but for the past 2-3 years it's been a total pain to use.

I'd be curious to see how much international traffic uses TBIT vs. the other terminals. I'd bet it's about 50/50.

[Ragnar]

Originally Posted by plinko

They are? Because I've flown internationally from Terminals 2,3,4,5 and 6.

Just saying that TBIT isn't necessarily the only international gateway into LAX. By any means. And while Terminal 4 is quite nice (it was totally re-done by Corgan a few years ago), the remainder of the 'domestic' terminals are pretty much dumps. T5 might be nice when it's completed, but for the past 2-3 years it's been a total pain to use.

I'd be curious to see how much international traffic uses TBIT vs. the other terminals. I'd bet it's about 50/50.

You'd be almost exactly right:

2012 International Passengers
TBIT: 8.6 million
Terminal 2: 4.6 million
Terminal 7: 1.1 million
Terminal 6: 950k
Terminal 5: 650K
All others: 1.2 million
TOTAL: 17.2 million

http://www.lawa.org/uploadedfiles/LA.../tcom-1212.pdf

Of course, once TBIT fully opens, some airlines such as Air New Zealand will be moving there from other terminals, so TBIT's share of int'l passengers will go up. This will likely come at the expense mostly of Terminal 2, which is pretty dumpy.

[plinko]

^What's interesting about those numbers is that American flies International from T4 and Alaska and Westjet fly international from T3, but as I recall, incoming customs for those terminals is under TBIT, so the numbers are likely included there. It's been 5 or 6 years since I've been in either of those so I can't remember exactly.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by plinko

They are? Because I've flown internationally from Terminals 2,3,4,5 and 6.

Just saying that TBIT isn't necessarily the only international gateway into LAX. By any means. And while Terminal 4 is quite nice (it was totally re-done by Corgan a few years ago), the remainder of the 'domestic' terminals are pretty much dumps. T5 might be nice when it's completed, but for the past 2-3 years it's been a total pain to use.

I'd be curious to see how much international traffic uses TBIT vs. the other terminals. I'd bet it's about 50/50.

I stand corrected, plinko. I had absolutely no idea! I was under the impression all arriving international flights had to use TBIT. I really appreciate knowing this, as I send a LOT of people through LAX - but they all depart to the South Pacific from TBIT on an airline that only uses that terminal.

This is good to know, as some of these people are coming in from other countries to connect to these flights. Thanks!

[StethJeff]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

I was speaking specifically on the TBIT, which is your new front door to the world. I find it to be absolutely beautiful, especially considering what it was previously.

As far as the other terminals (which are domestic), I can only speak to 4 and 5. I am much more familiar with 5, and I don't find it to be a dump at all. It needs a little freshening up and updating, which is happening now.

Don't be so hard on LAX, StethJeff. There are several other supposed "Gateway" airports across the country that are nothing special at all. One on the East Coast in particular comes to mind, and is nothing more than bolted together "trailers" acting as a major hub.

That new section of TBIT still only represents a small fraction of the entire terminal. It's still surrounded by absolute shit on basically three sides. Someone would need to highlight, copy, and paste that building about two dozen times across the airport before LAX becomes anything worth celebrating. Theme Building is a gem and the light columns are sweet, the rest amounts to one of the worst airports I've ever been to.

[Quixote]

Originally Posted by StethJeff

That new section of TBIT still only represents a small fraction of the entire terminal. It's still surrounded by absolute shit on basically three sides. Someone would need to highlight, copy, and paste that building about two dozen times across the airport before LAX becomes anything worth celebrating. Theme Building is a gem and the light columns are sweet, the rest amounts to one of the worst airports I've ever been to.

No thanks, I'd prefer some different (better) designs.

Anyone ever been through BCN's T1? That's what a light, airy, and cosmopolitan terminal looks like. Bradley West looks very "North American."


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2536/...34d339f379.jpg

[LosAngelesSportsFan]

that look nice, but its not anything special, at least from the picture

[Quixote]

^ It's amazing in person. The TBIT design feels very heavy with all the beams and the exposed concrete. Less is more.

[Rail Claimore]

The only major US airport terminals I've been in that look like they came straight out of Asia are the McNamara Terminal at DTW and Terminal D at DFW. I think the new Bradley terminal, while not as big, will most likely match those.

[Quixote]

^ Toronto Pearson's T3 (I was there 2 weeks ago) has the sort of simple, clean, cosmopolitan look that I'm referring to. I don't think DFW or DTW have that look.

The retail and concessions are what make the new TBIT worth celebrating. Architecturally, it's like the airport version of a suburban shopping mall.