AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[k1052]

Early mornings are consistently the worst and that's where most of these stories come from. The problems are kind of famous now so people head to AUS even earlier compounding the issue.

Also the facility's concessions are completely overwhelmed most of the time worse than anywhere else I've seen in the US. Another weird issue is they basically all close up around 7pm, which evidently was the case before the pandemic. Strange to get in during the evening and watch departing passengers wander around looking for dinner without success.

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by k1052

Also the facility's concessions are completely overwhelmed most of the time worse than anywhere else I've seen in the US. Another weird issue is they basically all close up around 7pm, which evidently was the case before the pandemic. Strange to get in during the evening and watch departing passengers wander around looking for dinner without success.

One of the many reasons I do not like our airport as it stands. I'm not sure if that's something standard across the board, but when I was headed to London late last year it was embarrassing trying to grab a snack and have almost nothing available. Keep Austin Weird amirite?

[k1052]

Originally Posted by ahealy

One of the many reasons I do not like our airport as it stands. I'm not sure if that's something standard across the board, but when I was headed to London late last year it was embarrassing trying to grab a snack and have almost nothing available. Keep Austin Weird amirite?

My previous home airport was ORD and most of the sit down places wound down around 8 IIRC but the fast food outlets generally open till 10 and a few even 24 hours. AUS tends more to operate like a small town airport instead of a regional one that's growing by leaps and bounds. But to a certain extent the same issue is present in much of the mentality here.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by k1052

My previous home airport was ORD and most of the sit down places wound down around 8 IIRC but the fast food outlets generally open till 10 and a few even 24 hours. AUS tends more to operate like a small town airport instead of a regional one that's growing by leaps and bounds. But to a certain extent the same issue is present in much of the mentality here.

Yep I've been able to get dinner at Nashville past 7-8pm.

[kingkirbythe....]

Austin's airport now wants people to arrive three or more hours before departure

https://www.kut.org/transportation/2...fore-departure

International departures .


Still struggling to keep up, Austin airport tells travelers to arrive 2.5 hours before flights

https://www.statesman.com/story/news...ts/9822334002/

Domestic departures.

[DoubleC]

Went up today for a bit. What’s with all the jets parked?

[LightChop]

Originally Posted by DoubleC

Went up today for a bit. What’s with all the jets parked?

Assuming you’re talking about the terminal ramp…

Most of them are planes that came in the night before but need to be towed off the gate to allow for others to use the gate. It’s a constant dance since every gate needs to be utilized to the max in the mornings. I noticed the Alaska redeye from SEA this morning ended up having to wait for a gate… at 5:00AM.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by LightChop

Assuming you’re talking about the terminal ramp…

Most of them are planes that came in the night before but need to be towed off the gate to allow for others to use the gate. It’s a constant dance since every gate needs to be utilized to the max in the mornings. I noticed the Alaska redeye from SEA this morning ended up having to wait for a gate… at 5:00AM.

Hopefully the bus gates coming online in the next couple years will alleviate some of that.

[DoubleC]

Originally Posted by LightChop

Assuming you’re talking about the terminal ramp…

Most of them are planes that came in the night before but need to be towed off the gate to allow for others to use the gate. It’s a constant dance since every gate needs to be utilized to the max in the mornings. I noticed the Alaska redeye from SEA this morning ended up having to wait for a gate… at 5:00AM.

Hahah, actually I meant all the private jets parked at all 3 of the FBOs. I figured it out though: it was some sort of “business leaders symposium”. Whatever that means. A lot of rich people! Looked as full as it is with COTA traffic..

[ATX2030]

KLM Becomes The Airline Sponsor Of Austin Football Club

https://simpleflying.com/klm-austin-...-club-sponsor/

BY
LUKAS SOUZA

Today, Austin FC announced that KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) is now an official club partner. Austin FC is the Austin Football Club (or soccer for the American readers) and recently joined the MLS (Major League Soccer), the first division of professional football in the United States.

...."At the launch of the route, KLM was flying to Austin three times per week. The AMS-AUS route was operated on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Due to strong demand, KLM announced today that it will be operating the route year-round. When the route was first announced in 2019, KLM planned to service the route on its Airbus A330-300 aircraft but it is now serviced on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner."

[ahealy]

Originally Posted by ATX2030

KLM Becomes The Airline Sponsor Of Austin Football Club

https://simpleflying.com/klm-austin-...-club-sponsor/

BY
LUKAS SOUZA

Today, Austin FC announced that KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) is now an official club partner. Austin FC is the Austin Football Club (or soccer for the American readers) and recently joined the MLS (Major League Soccer), the first division of professional football in the United States.

...."At the launch of the route, KLM was flying to Austin three times per week. The AMS-AUS route was operated on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. Due to strong demand, KLM announced today that it will be operating the route year-round. When the route was first announced in 2019, KLM planned to service the route on its Airbus A330-300 aircraft but it is now serviced on the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner."

Helllll yes!

[k1052]

Originally Posted by freerover

Hopefully the bus gates coming online in the next couple years will alleviate some of that.

Wait till people get a taste of this. Bus gates are the worst.

[enragedcamel]

Originally Posted by k1052

Wait till people get a taste of this. Bus gates are the worst.

They are fine. Most world-class airports have them.

[DoubleC]

Originally Posted by enragedcamel

They are fine. Most world-class airports have them.

Eeyup. Actually you’d be surprised how many people are somewhat happy to “get off the plane directly to the ramp”. Having “never done this before”. Can’t say that’s always the case.

[k1052]

Originally Posted by DoubleC

Eeyup. Actually you’d be surprised how many people are somewhat happy to “get off the plane directly to the ramp”. Having “never done this before”. Can’t say that’s always the case.

I have boarded from the ramp many many times which I have no problem with. Have had to use 35X at DCA however which is what this is going to turn into and that is miserable. Oh well not my problem soon anyway.

[StoOgE]

Hard stands are used in every major airport on earth. I hate them, they are annoying when you are travelling with a kiddo or carry-ons.

But they allow you to run a *lot* more flights without having to expand airports as much.

[LightChop]

I’m not a huge fan of hardstands but a great example of one that works would be in SLC. They are well signed and staffed, have a relatively large waiting area and use proper flat floor buses. Also an effort is made to shelter passengers from the elements as much as possible.

The problem is that there are a lot more examples in the US and North America of how not to do it.. DCA as mentioned, and also LGA and JFK (Terminal 4). The ones they use in NYC are just regular city buses so they don’t even have proper room for bags or wheelchairs. The rear 1/3 of the buses have a raised floor so most people with bags don’t use those seats.

Special mention to Toronto Gate A6 which I call the dungeon. To get to it you go through awkwardly narrow corridors and turns, then you’re met with only one escalator going down (you need to take an elevator to go back up and access concessions). Its waiting area is barely suitable for one 76 seat RJ but in reality services about 3-5 flights simultaneously.

Generally these kind of band-aid operations tend to cut corners in the customer experience and last longer than they were originally planned to operate.

[ATX2030]

ABIA attempts 'unusual' use of eminent domain to force out South Terminal operator

https://www.kut.org/transportation/2...giant-frontier

By Nathan Bernier
Published May 23, 2022 at 5:01 AM CDT

Ask anyone stuck on an airplane waiting for a gate at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) if the Barbara Jordan Terminal is big enough, and you'll hear something like this:

"It's mind-boggling to me that Bergstrom has not grown as it's needed to. It's embarrassing," said Jon Lamb, a Florida resident who last month was stuck on an American Airlines plane after landing because no gates were available. "I was angry that now I'm going to miss an important customer call."

Officials who run the city-owned airport want to fix this problem by building more gates. A big plan in the works would add a new concourse by 2028 with at least 10 gates and the ability to expand to 40. The concourse would be connected to the Barbara Jordan Terminal by an underground pedestrian tunnel.

But there's one big obstacle: The South Terminal where ultra-low-cost airlines Allegiant and Frontier operate would have to be demolished.

[ILUVSAT]

Wait...wasn't Virgin Atlantic's first flight to Austin this past Wednesday???

[ATCZERO]

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT

Wait...wasn't Virgin Atlantic's first flight to Austin this past Wednesday???

Yep. I talked to them on Friday but didn't get to see the airplane.