On Tuesday morning I flew out of Logan on Delta for the first time since Delta opened up their new Terminal, Terminal A. It received a lot of press because of the expense (around 400 mil, all funded by Delta) and how nice it is. From the Delta web site
"The 680,000 square-foot Terminal A is home to the full array of Delta?s domestic products, including Delta Connection, Delta Shuttle and Song, creating a seamless, more convenient travel experience for customers at Logan Airport. Terminal A opened to Delta customers on March 16, 2005, and has received rave reviews for its combination of amenities and aesthetics. From the soaring windows and open views to the convenient connections to parking facilities and Delta?s state-of-the-art technology including self-service kiosks, gate information display screens at every gate and Delta Direct phones, Terminal A provides an unparalleled level of comfort and convenience for travelers."
Couple of comments.
- First thing, there is nothing good about the ?parking? facilities. Logan in general is a disaster and for a low fee of $22 a day I get to park about 2 miles from my gate.
- While I agree the terminal is nice, let?s not go over board. Some people in the press act like it?s the next Disney World. For me, airports are a (hopefully) quick means to an end. They are a way station while I travel from a location to an airplane, to another location. I do not, ever, intend to spend more time in a terminal than I absolutely have to.
- My flight Tuesday morning was delayed for an hour, not a huge deal. Like most business travelers, I decided to pass the time working but didn?t want to kill my battery life because I like to work on the plane as well. So I had to hunt for an outlet to plug my laptop in to. I was sitting by the outlet with a colleague when my colleague got up to get some coffee. This ass-clown with 4 bags spotted the outlet, and walked by me, bumping one of his bags into my laptop and he didn?t even recognize he did it, let alone apologize. Then this a-hole plugged his laptop in even though it was clear there was another person sitting where he was going to sit, with laptop sitting on top of a bag, ostensibly waiting for its owner to come back and plug in. Technically there were other seats close by so I couldn?t tell him to get away, so when my colleague returned we had to share one outlet while this moron used the other one.
- The outlet thing brings up a fascinating detail that is always left out of airport terminals. Why can?t the airports realize that people need outlets at airports? There are usually no outlets that travelers can use to power laptops, recharge cell phones or watch movies on portable DVD players. There should be one outlet for every three seats in most waiting areas. It?s so simple and an easy amenity to provide that it baffles me I have never seen it. Maybe there is a cost in letting people use electricity, but it has to be minimal compared to how much convenience it will provide.
- The one thing that I really really loved about the new terminal was the full service Dunkin Donuts it had. Most airports, and most of the country, have a Starbucks. But as some of you know I do not like Starbucks. I?ll drink it, but I prefer Dunkin Donuts by a huge margin. So when I spotted it early Tuesday morning, and when the guy made my order ? Medium Hazelnut, Light and Sweet ? perfectly, I was happy. Well, content at least. Happy would have described me if I were still sleeping at home with a day off or something. Anyway, DD is a good thing. Someone can get a blue collar cup of coffee and an egg and cheese bagel instead of an overpriced pretentious cup of coffee that requires three years of Latin to order accompanied by a whole wheat grain soy muffin that tastes like soggy hay.
- Delta started construction on the project in May 2002 and completed it in March 2004. It?s actually pretty impressive and I wonder if the folks across the harbor working on the tunnel can take any lessons.
I like the terminal and since I fly Delta more than any other airline, am excited about the new facility. It has a large drop off and pick up area, plenty of space inside and the security area, while it doesn?t look any better than anything else I have seen and I foresee long lines, was quick and efficient when I went through on Tuesday. There is a large Borders book store, plenty of shops and restaurants and everything is shiny and new. So while I patiently wait for my delayed and oversold flights, I get to do it in a new terminal.
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