OFFICIAL - New KCI Terminal

[normalthings]

If we spent one additional dollar on glass jetways when we are in the middle of building a cheap ass building I will not be happy.

Glass costs more upfront and o&m

[KCPowercat]

If we spent one additional dollar on glass jetways when we are in the middle of building a cheap ass building I will not be happy.

Really? You don't think this adds to the user experience?

For sure. I love them. Do I think it's where we should spend upgrade money? No way.

[normalthings]

If we spent one additional dollar on glass jetways when we are in the middle of building a cheap ass building I will not be happy.

Really? You don't think this adds to the user experience?

For sure. I love them. Do I think it's where we should spend upgrade money? No way.

It is very possible that the glass PBBs didnt cost enough extra that you could have put those funds into anything meaningful in the building.

The big piece of the building (volume, facade, etc) have been locked in since well before coronavirus. It is also possible that the glass PBB are only possible thanks to recent price drops.

[KCPowercat]

Scrap the cool roof, scrap the fountain, build the exterior out of boring precast beige panels, the lower level looks like a bunker with not a lot of natural light....but glass jetways?

I totally get the incremental cost of glass jetways isn't the scale of some of those other things but there has to be better places to put a little nicer stuff in.

[KCPowercat]

Really? You don't think this adds to the user experience?

For sure. I love them. Do I think it's where we should spend upgrade money? No way.

It is very possible that the glass PBBs didnt cost enough extra that you could have put those funds into anything meaningful in the building.

The big piece of the building (volume, facade, etc) have been locked in since well before coronavirus. It is also possible that the glass PBB are only possible thanks to recent price drops.

Agreed. I have to think there is somewhere else to spend the fun money though.

[Chris Stritzel]

I find the idea of a glass jetway to be cool. I haven't flown much at all, but when I have, I don't much like walking down the jetways with no windows that are so common place. At least with the glass ones, you'll be able to see the plane you are getting onto and feel like you're in a larger space while waiting to board.

[shinatoo]

First time a saw this. North courtyard design to reference the old terminals. Pretty cool.

https://www.airportprojects.net/histori ... dation.pdf

[grovester]

First time a saw this. North courtyard design to reference the old terminals. Pretty cool.

https://www.airportprojects.net/histori ... dation.pdf

This is great!

[moderne]

Sort of the twin towers 9/11 memorial in NYC but in miniature.

[KCPowercat]

I find the idea of a glass jetway to be cool. I haven't flown much at all, but when I have, I don't much like walking down the jetways with no windows that are so common place. At least with the glass ones, you'll be able to see the plane you are getting onto and feel like you're in a larger space while waiting to board.

I think they are awesome. They aren't first on my list of upgrades for the new terminal.

[GRID]

I find the idea of a glass jetway to be cool. I haven't flown much at all, but when I have, I don't much like walking down the jetways with no windows that are so common place. At least with the glass ones, you'll be able to see the plane you are getting onto and feel like you're in a larger space while waiting to board.

I think they are awesome. They aren't first on my list of upgrades for the new terminal.

There must be a reason they are not all that popular. Probably look like shit after a few years for example if they can't keep them clean. We all can't wait for that 12 second hike down the jetway to see what we have bee looking at for the previous hour just a little bit more.

I have come around on the airport. Yeah, it will be boring as hell from an architectural standpoint, but it will be an actual functioning airport terminal so you have that. Plus I'm holding out hope that the art installation is something special enough to offset some of "big box" airport terminal monotony. Seriously though, the new KCI reminds me of the old Hypermart at Banister Mall or any other box. They need to do something with the finishes and art to make it somewhat interesting.

[TheLastGentleman]

I’m pretty excited for the copper trim on everything. Those early renderings in all white were really drab

[normalthings]

I find the idea of a glass jetway to be cool. I haven't flown much at all, but when I have, I don't much like walking down the jetways with no windows that are so common place. At least with the glass ones, you'll be able to see the plane you are getting onto and feel like you're in a larger space while waiting to board.

I think they are awesome. They aren't first on my list of upgrades for the new terminal.

There must be a reason they are not all that popular. Probably look like shit after a few years for example if they can't keep them clean. We all can't wait for that 12 second hike down the jetway to see what we have bee looking at for the previous hour just a little bit more.

I have come around on the airport. Yeah, it will be boring as hell from an architectural standpoint, but it will be an actual functioning airport terminal so you have that. Plus I'm holding out hope that the art installation is something special enough to offset some of "big box" airport terminal monotony. Seriously though, the new KCI reminds me of the old Hypermart at Banister Mall or any other box. They need to do something with the finishes and art to make it somewhat interesting.

Glass PBBs are common overseas. They cost more upfront and more to maintain but are otherwise pretty nice. The trophy airports of the world pretty much all use glass PBBs.

US regulations had blocked them until maybe 5 or 10 years ago. We are one of the first “big city” terminals designed and constructed since they were legalized. Many smaller cities (including Witchita) have them and love them

[WoodDraw]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the airlines think now? I assume there is no way they get on board now.

I wonder if they still see it as something that had to be done or are like fuck that was bad timing.

[normalthings]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the airlines think now? I assume there is no way they get on board now.

I wonder if they still see it as something that had to be done or are like fuck that was bad timing.

Pittsburgh Terminal Modernization Project was derailed and they were maybe just a year or two behind us. The airlines signed agreements with KCI years ago so they are obligated to be on board.

The longer we waited, the less we were going to get. The 2000s central terminal plan proposed something like 60-70 gates. Late 2010s was 39 as we know. A delay of a year or so would have gotten us a 20-30 gate terminal.

[WoodDraw]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the airlines think now? I assume there is no way they get on board now.

I wonder if they still see it as something that had to be done or are like fuck that was bad timing.

Pittsburgh Terminal Modernization Project was derailed and they were maybe just a year or two behind us. The airlines signed agreements with KCI years ago so they are obligated to be on board.

The longer we waited, the less we were going to get. The 2000s central terminal plan proposed something like 60-70 gates. Late 2010s was 39 as we know. A delay of a year or so would have gotten us a 20-30 gate terminal.

That’s what I was thinking. I know they’re stuck now.

Just wondering if they regret asking for more gates or moving ahead at all.

I think 39 with some expansion capability is about right for us. I can’t imagine 60-70 but I don’t know what induced demand looks like in this industry.

Really lucky we got this done when we did, even if it t took longer than we wanted.

[normalthings]

Out of curiosity, does anyone know what the airlines think now? I assume there is no way they get on board now.

I wonder if they still see it as something that had to be done or are like fuck that was bad timing.

Pittsburgh Terminal Modernization Project was derailed and they were maybe just a year or two behind us. The airlines signed agreements with KCI years ago so they are obligated to be on board.

The longer we waited, the less we were going to get. The 2000s central terminal plan proposed something like 60-70 gates. Late 2010s was 39 as we know. A delay of a year or so would have gotten us a 20-30 gate terminal.

That’s what I was thinking. I know they’re stuck now.

Just wondering if they regret asking for more gates or moving ahead at all.

I think 39 with some expansion capability is about right for us. I can’t imagine 60-70 but I don’t know what induced demand looks like in this industry.

Really lucky we got this done when we did, even if it t took longer than we wanted.

We probably would be a SWA hub today if we had built the central terminal in the 2000s. Basically what STL has become and is becoming is what we would have experienced here.

[KCPowercat]

I think they are awesome. They aren't first on my list of upgrades for the new terminal.

There must be a reason they are not all that popular. Probably look like shit after a few years for example if they can't keep them clean. We all can't wait for that 12 second hike down the jetway to see what we have bee looking at for the previous hour just a little bit more.

I have come around on the airport. Yeah, it will be boring as hell from an architectural standpoint, but it will be an actual functioning airport terminal so you have that. Plus I'm holding out hope that the art installation is something special enough to offset some of "big box" airport terminal monotony. Seriously though, the new KCI reminds me of the old Hypermart at Banister Mall or any other box. They need to do something with the finishes and art to make it somewhat interesting.

Glass PBBs are common overseas. They cost more upfront and more to maintain but are otherwise pretty nice. The trophy airports of the world pretty much all use glass PBBs.

US regulations had blocked them until maybe 5 or 10 years ago. We are one of the first “big city” terminals designed and constructed since they were legalized. Many smaller cities (including Witchita) have them and love them

Who "loves them"? Is anybody really surveying customers on how much they liked the last 50 steps before the plane?

I think they are super sexy and cool but this can't be adding points to customer service.

[KCPowercat]

At least we aren't bottem dollaring everything. That makes me happy.

[beautyfromashes]

I think they are awesome. They aren't first on my list of upgrades for the new terminal.

Out of curiosity, if the terminal is coming in under budget but all major construction had already been planned and in process, what additional items would you have implemented instead of these glass walkways late in the process? What were you wanting instead?