AUSTIN | ABIA Updates

[Armybrat]

Texas Jeff posted this on Surly….

Last night was my first time picking up at ABIA post-COVID. What an experience...

My wife's flight was two hours delayed, so I pulled into the cell phone lot at fifteen minutes 'till midnight. The place was packed. I was lucky to find a parking spot. The cell phone lot has bloomed into a gas station, a convenience store, and a Whataburger with a drive through. The gas pumps were packed and the Whataburger drive through was backed up into the main lot, blocking traffic. Who decides to head out to the airport for some midnight burgers?

Five minutes after I parked, an 18-wheeler pulled into the cell phone lot and completely screwed up the traffic. WTF? I had questions for the driver like why are you picking someone up at the airport in a giant truck, but a small mob of blocked in drivers convinced the dude to leave, which he did once the Whataburger drive-through line gave him a chance.

Got a text from my wife 30 minutes after she had landed saying that she had her bag and was waiting at post E. I texted "Is it crowded where you are?" and she replied "It is more crowded elsewhere." which is information but not exactly what I wanted to know. I replied "OMW".

I started the car, weaved around the Whataburger drive through, drove around the gas pumps, tried to exit the cell phone lot and hit standstill traffic before I could even get onto the loop around the terminal. It's fifteen minutes after midnight and the airport is gridlocked. Why?

I called my wife and use my best Puddy voice and said "Babe, you gotta get upstairs to Departures. If you don't we will need to find a place for breakfast on the way home." I waited two minutes, which was easy to do because my traffic lane was not moving. I changed lanes to Departures and had two completely empty lanes to choose from and a mostly empty curbside area to pick up my wife.

If you head to the airport, beware the cell phone lot and the Arrivals area. Picking up at Departures can save you about an hour. However, if you need midnight Whataburger, a tank of gas and a bag of Fritos, they are ready to serve.