Halifax Stanfield International Airport Developments

[q12]

Originally Posted by Dmajackson

I managed to find the plan for the roadway upgrades currently underway at YHZ;


Source: Halifax Stanfield International Airport Authority

^So it looks like there will be at least one new overpass over Goudey Dr, and 3 lanes travelling in one direction for most of it.


Source: HSIA

[scooby074]

What a waste of money.

Dumps traffic right where its heaviest, by the timmies.

Why not address the dismal loading and unloading situation in front of the terminal, complete with its ready to pounce tow truck drivers.

I know there is a parking garage there, but why drop $$$ for a 5 minute pickup?

Anyways, traffic flows nicely after the parking pay station out to the TCH. This bypass, bypasses nothing that is causing delays.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by scooby074

What a waste of money.

Dumps traffic right where its heaviest, by the timmies.

Why not address the dismal loading and unloading situation in front of the terminal, complete with its ready to pounce tow truck drivers.

I know there is a parking garage there, but why drop $$$ for a 5 minute pickup?

Anyways, traffic flows nicely after the parking pay station out to the TCH. This bypass, bypasses nothing that is causing delays.

This is a symptom of an airport administration that is taking in too much money from passenger-supported "improvement fees" and doesn't know what to do with it.

I find all the awards this airport wins to be a total joke. I have never found this airport to be anything but a total PITA. Long walks, poorly-designed facilities, a lack of features to make the traveler's life easier... it is not a good airport.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by scooby074

I know there is a parking garage there, but why drop $$$ for a 5 minute pickup?

Because the drop-off and pickup areas have a limited amount of space? It's not a parking lot..

[scooby074]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

Because the drop-off and pickup areas have a limited amount of space? It's not a parking lot..

The front area of the airport is a disaster. I am talking about a quick pickup. You shouldnt have to go into the parkade for a sub 5minute stop either dropping off or picking up.

Cabbies have more "rights" than people picking up passengers. The other week I was chased out of a parking area outside the designated cab parking area (which is behind the auto gate). Its not marked as no parking or Taxi Stand. The airport security is out of control.

Yes yes... Terrorists. I know.

[scooby074]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

This is a symptom of an airport administration that is taking in too much money from passenger-supported "improvement fees" and doesn't know what to do with it.

I find all the awards this airport wins to be a total joke. I have never found this airport to be anything but a total PITA. Long walks, poorly-designed facilities, a lack of features to make the traveler's life easier... it is not a good airport.

I agree.

Those improvement fees got to go somewhere.

[hfx_chris]

Originally Posted by scooby074

The front area of the airport is a disaster. I am talking about a quick pickup. You shouldnt have to go into the parkade for a sub 5minute stop either dropping off or picking up.

And if everyone else stops for a "quick" 5 minute pickup then the entire area becomes a traffic jam.

[ns_kid]

Thanks for locating the images, dmaj. What disappoints me most of all about this plan is the lack of attention to the highway 102 interchange, which is an abysmal gateway to Halifax. Leaving the airport for the city, the soon-to-be upgraded Bell Blvd will still narrow to a single lane which looks likes it's going to dead-end you in the trees, before you are directed into a poorly-lit sharp turn into a narrow, guide-railed highway access ramp. This badly designed, third-world welcome to Halifax should have been upgraded years ago. I expect this is provincial TIR territory, outside the direct control of HSIA, but this would have been the time to attempt to partner with the province for improvements.

[q12]

Originally Posted by scooby074

The front area of the airport is a disaster. I am talking about a quick pickup. You shouldnt have to go into the parkade for a sub 5minute stop either dropping off or picking up.

Cabbies have more "rights" than people picking up passengers. The other week I was chased out of a parking area outside the designated cab parking area (which is behind the auto gate). Its not marked as no parking or Taxi Stand. The airport security is out of control.

The lower road next to the Alt Hotel (Silver Dart Dr) is for arrivals/pick-ups. I've been picked up many times there in front of the parkade/north tunnel entrance and there is always a line of cars with people sitting in them waiting to pick people up.

Originally Posted by ns_kid

TLeaving the airport for the city, the soon-to-be upgraded Bell Blvd will still narrow to a single lane which looks likes it's going to dead-end you in the trees, before you are directed into a poorly-lit sharp turn into a narrow, guide-railed highway access ramp.

After Tim's the right lane will still exit north to Truro and the left will take you south to Halifax. It doesn't narrow, just splits the traffic. I agree more lighting there could help.

[q12]

Halifax airport first in North America to go all self-serve

Calgary expected to open similar self-serve terminal in 2015

CBC News Posted: Jul 21, 2014 7:08 PM AT


Source: CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scoti...h-america-to-go-all-self-serve-1.2713782

^Tried this already and it works great.

[Keith P.]

Originally Posted by q12

The lower road next to the Alt Hotel (Silver Dart Dr) is for arrivals/pick-ups. I've been picked up many times there in front of the parkade/north tunnel entrance and there is always a line of cars with people sitting in them waiting to pick people up.

The last time I arrived in YHZ I exited the arrivals level and was deposited at the north (Enfield?) end of the main level by the carousels. If I wanted to get to the tunnels I would have had to walk all the way to the center of the main building and take the escalators down. Is there another lower exit I am unaware of? If there is I must have missed any signage, which is a problem in itself.

[q12]

Originally Posted by Keith P.

The last time I arrived in YHZ I exited the arrivals level and was deposited at the north (Enfield?) end of the main level by the carousels. If I wanted to get to the tunnels I would have had to walk all the way to the center of the main building and take the escalators down. Is there another lower exit I am unaware of? If there is I must have missed any signage, which is a problem in itself.

Keith, there are 4 two sided elevators (also escalators and stairs) down to the North Tunnel opposite the luggage carousels and next to Starbucks.


Source: Airport-Technology.com


Source: HSIA

[bluenoser]

Originally Posted by hfx_chris

And if everyone else stops for a "quick" 5 minute pickup then the entire area becomes a traffic jam.

I wonder if there is a plan to implement a 'cell phone waiting area' (if there is one already, I haven't seen it). I think it works quite well at the Calgary airport, where you wait at a nearby parking lot for as long as you need, until the arriving passenger phones / texts that they're ready to go, so the pickup itself is very efficient.

Originally Posted by ns_kid

Thanks for locating the images, dmaj. What disappoints me most of all about this plan is the lack of attention to the highway 102 interchange, which is an abysmal gateway to Halifax. Leaving the airport for the city, the soon-to-be upgraded Bell Blvd will still narrow to a single lane which looks likes it's going to dead-end you in the trees, before you are directed into a poorly-lit sharp turn into a narrow, guide-railed highway access ramp. This badly designed, third-world welcome to Halifax should have been upgraded years ago. I expect this is provincial TIR territory, outside the direct control of HSIA, but this would have been the time to attempt to partner with the province for improvements.

I agree that whole area is a terrible welcome to Halifax. Way more lighting is needed and would go a long way, but I'm not sure what else could be done other than that?

I assume the remainder of Bell Blvd. will be upgraded (median, trees, etc.) in the next phase?

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by q12

^Tried this already and it works great.

I'm glad that you like "all self serve" q12, but for older individuals who are not completely computer literate, or for people with more complex travel arrangements, the self service model is a nightmare.

A couple of months ago my whole family flew out of Halifax Stanfield to London Heathrow for a two week trip to Europe. The whole process of typing in passport information for five individuals, as well as ticketing information x5 and printing off tags for multiple pieces of checked baggage I found to be very aggravating and annoying. If a friendly Air Canada clerk behind the counter had not come out to help us, I think we would still be there!!!

I agree that a self serve check-in kiosk might be useful if you are just flying to Toronto with carry on baggage only, but there should very definitely be a full service option for people who need (or want) it. I think this new system in place at Halifax Stanfield is a huge step backwards…….

One question you might be able to help me out with q12. The baggage tag that the machine spits out at you - are you supposed to affix it to the bag yourself, or do you take the tag with you to the baggage drop off point? I would prefer the latter option, just because it would be a professional placing the tag on your luggage which should mean that it gets affixed properly and in the right position, which should reduce the risk of lost luggage. Is this what you are supposed to do????

[q12]

My Crude drawing of the remainder portion of bell blvd. I'm not sure what there is to worry about its only 125m till the roadway splits @ the 102 ramps.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

One question you might be able to help me out with q12. The baggage tag that the machine spits out at you - are you supposed to affix it to the bag yourself, or do you take the tag with you to the baggage drop off point? I would prefer the latter option, just because it would be a professional placing the tag on your luggage which should mean that it gets affixed properly and in the right position, which should reduce the risk of lost luggage. Is this what you are supposed to do????

There is no longer the traditional baggage drop off point with an agent at a counter standing there to attach your baggage tags.

The first time I tried it an AC agent who was standing by the kiosks attached the tags for me. The idea is once you are familiar with the process you can do it all yourself and take it to one of the "talking baggage machines" shown here:


Source: CBC News

Note: There is NO agent at these new automated baggage machines normally. Those who are comfortable with the process can check their bags without talking to any humans till security.


Here is some interesting information (with cool diagrams and pictures) showing the baggage and check-in systems that I believe are now in place at Stanfield in both the U.S. Departures and Domestic/International Departures.
http://www.aci-na.org/sites/default/file...mittee_presentation_march_2013_final.pdf

[MonctonRad]

I may be showing my age, but I would much prefer dealing with a real live human being rather than a "talking baggage machine".

There will be many passengers who will have anxiety provoking experiences with this new paradigm instigated by the HSIAA.

- the elderly
- the computer illiterate
- those travelling with large families
- those going to international destinations requiring input of passport numbers
- foreign speaking travellers
- people with disabilities or limited intellectual capabilities
- infrequent travellers who don't travel enough to get used to the new system
- old farts like myself

If this is the new face of air travel in the country then I think I'll start taking the train…..

Just who in their right mind decided that there should be no alternative to this self serve model of air travel????

Removal of choice will only make the customer (passenger) angry, and this act by the airport authority shows unparralleled arrogance and elitism on their part. The technocrats in charge should be fired.

[q12]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I may be showing my age, but I would much prefer dealing with a real live human being rather than a "talking baggage machine".

There will be many passengers who will have anxiety provoking experiences with this new paradigm instigated by the HSIAA.

- the elderly
- the computer illiterate
- those travelling with large families
- those going to international destinations requiring input of passport numbers
- foreign speaking travellers
- people with disabilities or limited intellectual capabilities
- infrequent travellers who don't travel enough to get used to the new system
- old farts like myself

I believe there will always be agents there to assist those you mentioned above.

The biggest advantage will be eliminating the nightmarish long lines caused by the old check-in counter system. Those who know what they're doing can get their bags checked in quickly and those who need assistance can have an agent help them.

[MonctonRad]

I sincerely hope you're right on this q12, but I fear that staffing levels for agents to assist in the check in process will be inadequate, and will decrease with time as the new system gets more entrenched.

[JHikka]

Went through the automated baggage at Stanfield on Sunday. It's perfectly fine for someone my age (early 20s), but there were certainly older people that looked lost. I went in with my check in barcode on my phone and got my baggage tags and boarding pass, which can be done at any airport anywhere, which was followed by a ~20 person line for a single man who looked at your boarding pass and told you which automated baggage machine to go to. I had the option of using one of four for my flight (Air Canada, Halifax -> Ottawa). The line for this one guy got up to as high as ~40 people.

After passing him I went to the machine where I had to position my baggage perfectly in the centre of the belt. It scanned and measured the baggage before accepting. There were plenty of people who were having difficulty positioning their baggage on the belt (too large) or had to remove things (too heavy). They had scales at the automated check-in machines.

Overall it was really quick, but I really do enjoy having a counter for baggage. It makes me feel better knowing that if my baggage ends up on the wrong flight it isn't necessarily my fault.

Nothing particular to Halifax but I love being able to check-in on my phone before reaching the airport, followed by printing my baggage and boarding passes at the automated machines which almost never have lines. It's much easier than having to wait in the check-in lines.