Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[KJHburg]

I was also thinking of business travel to Israel they are big in biopharma which the Triangle has a lot of plus tech companies all over the state.  Plus the other personal and tourism traffic.  

what do yall think of Milan then?  would that work for CLT? 

[TCLT]

33 minutes ago, KJHburg said:

I was also thinking of business travel to Israel they are big in biopharma which the Triangle has a lot of plus tech companies all over the state.  Plus the other personal and tourism traffic.  

what do yall think of Milan then?  would that work for CLT? 

Milan travel is heavily skewed to/from New York and Miami. We won't see a CLT-MXP flight.

[tozmervo]

Not sure if I've seen this one shared: 

 

Edited December 12, 2019 by tozmervo
and now the kerning on "ALL GATES" is driving me crazy

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

18 hours ago, TCLT said:

Milan travel is heavily skewed to/from New York and Miami. We won't see a CLT-MXP flight.

And airlines like Emirates using it as a connection point.

[Midwoodian]

CLT gang, I need less than 500 EQMs to get platinum pro. That is one flight with the 500 minimum EQM per flight. Where is the best website to find the cheapest round trip flight from CLT.  Also, any other ideas to get the EQMs other than the buy program?

[kickazzz2000]

29 minutes ago, Midwoodian said:

CLT gang, I need less than 500 EQMs to get platinum pro. That is one flight with the 500 minimum EQM per flight. Where is the best website to find the cheapest round trip flight from CLT.  Also, any other ideas to get the EQMs other than the buy program?

I took a connection on purpose in PIT on the way back from dc yesterday to keep plat pro.  I’m done for the year

 

try google flights and use the map function

[Vitamin_N]

8 hours ago, kickazzz2000 said:

I took a connection on purpose in PIT on the way back from dc yesterday to keep plat pro.  I’m done for the year

 

try google flights and use the map function

Specifically, click on "explore destinations" and then slide the maximum price down until you only have a handful of destinations on the map.

Edited December 13, 2019 by Vitamin_N

[LKN704]

12 hours ago, kickazzz2000 said:

I took a connection on purpose in PIT on the way back from dc yesterday to keep plat pro.  I’m done for the year

Literally did the same the other week via PIT. Always sad to travel to/from/through PIT. While the terminal has really aged, 20 years ago it was probably the nicest facility in the US and a pleasure to use. 

[xapostrophe]

5 hours ago, LKN704 said:

Literally did the same the other week via PIT. Always sad to travel to/from/through PIT. While the terminal has really aged, 20 years ago it was probably the nicest facility in the US and a pleasure to use. 

I grew up in pit.   It was a great airport.  It was exciting as a kid to have such a busy new airport in my back yard.

[Miesian Corners]

On 12/9/2019 at 3:00 PM, xapostrophe said:

they are?   i was just there like 2 days ago.  plenty of food inside security in the AA concourses.  

The majority of concessions are in the terminal. 

[xapostrophe]

2 hours ago, Miesian Corners said:

The majority of concessions are in the terminal. 

Do you find the 3-5 food options per pier to be not enough?

I'm no phx fan boy. The walk from end to end is way long.  But I don't find the good options to be lacking there.

 

E con CLT has 5 real food options maybe 6 if you include the bagel joint for 50 Gates.  That's lacking.  The new food court helps immensely Imo.

[Miesian Corners]

14 hours ago, xapostrophe said:

Do you find the 3-5 food options per pier to be not enough?

I'm no phx fan boy. The walk from end to end is way long.  But I don't find the good options to be lacking there.

 

E con CLT has 5 real food options maybe 6 if you include the bagel joint for 50 Gates.  That's lacking.  The new food court helps immensely Imo.

That's my point: the PHX food court is OUTSIDE security. Great for local passengers, lousy for connecting ones. 

[15895]

1 hour ago, Miesian Corners said:

That's my point: the PHX food court is OUTSIDE security. Great for local passengers, lousy for connecting ones. 

That’s what I love about DCA. There’s so many good options outside of security. Some days I lll go out there just for food lol (I like to watch the planes. The food isn’t particularly worth a trip itself) 

[tozmervo]

I guess I'm the exact opposite. When I get to the airport I like to get on through security and not be worried with that hassle anymore.

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

4 hours ago, Miesian Corners said:

That's my point: the PHX food court is OUTSIDE security. Great for local passengers, lousy for connecting ones. 

Try the new Delta terminal. I think it maybe the best terminal in the country. 

[LKN704]

4 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

That’s what I love about DCA. There’s so many good options outside of security. Some days I lll go out there just for food lol (I like to watch the planes. The food isn’t particularly worth a trip itself) 

I love Terminal B/C at DCA. The architecture is amazing and the Metro access is awesome. Just the other day I was coming back from a Christmas festival in Old Town Alexandria and the Metro was having its moments and I had to use the facilities, so I hopped off at DCA, used the men's room, and got back on. 

I have Clear and TSA Pre, and DCA is great because unless I am checking bags, I just show up at the airport roughly 25 minutes before departure. From where I live in NoMa, I can be at the airport in 25 minutes, so its fantastic being able to leave my house only roughly an hour before departure, Metro there, and then literally walk on the plane. 

That said, I really don't like the lack of concessions near the gate area. When I was flying back to CLT for Thanksgiving, my flight was delayed and I was in the mood for a drink. Each of the bars in Terminal C had a line to get in. I think the baggage claim wait times are horrendously long as well. 

IAD is also nice in my book. I don't understand the stigma is carries and why people hate flying to/from there. One of my best friends here has live in NoVa all his life and has only flown out of IAD once...crazy. The 5A bus from Rosslyn is really quick and cheap, and again I really like the architecture of the main terminal building and Concourses A/B. There is never a line for TSA Pre/Clear, plus you get your choice of 3 Priority Pass lounges if you have a credit card with that benefit. It's always cool to see all of the international carriers lined up as well. When I flew back in from CLT for Thanksgiving, Ethiopian/South Africa/Qatar/Egypt Air/Korean Air/ANA all seemed to be boarding simultaneously and the tails were so beautifully lined up.

On the other hand, I hate BWI. Can't stand it. Some parts of the terminal are nice, but the part AA uses is a dump. I hate the MARC train and then the shuttle to the terminal, and I don't like how the concourses aren't all connected post security. It kinda reminds me of a nicer version of the Central Terminal Building at LGA. I am flying out of there next week to go to CLT and I am already regretting the trip there.

[kickazzz2000]

1 hour ago, LKN704 said:

I love Terminal B/C at DCA. The architecture is amazing and the Metro access is awesome. Just the other day I was coming back from a Christmas festival in Old Town Alexandria and the Metro was having its moments and I had to use the facilities, so I hopped off at DCA, used the men's room, and got back on. 

I have Clear and TSA Pre, and DCA is great because unless I am checking bags, I just show up at the airport roughly 25 minutes before departure. From where I live in NoMa, I can be at the airport in 25 minutes, so its fantastic being able to leave my house only roughly an hour before departure, Metro there, and then literally walk on the plane. 

That said, I really don't like the lack of concessions near the gate area. When I was flying back to CLT for Thanksgiving, my flight was delayed and I was in the mood for a drink. Each of the bars in Terminal C had a line to get in. I think the baggage claim wait times are horrendously long as well. 

IAD is also nice in my book. I don't understand the stigma is carries and why people hate flying to/from there. One of my best friends here has live in NoVa all his life and has only flown out of IAD once...crazy. The 5A bus from Rosslyn is really quick and cheap, and again I really like the architecture of the main terminal building and Concourses A/B. There is never a line for TSA Pre/Clear, plus you get your choice of 3 Priority Pass lounges if you have a credit card with that benefit. It's always cool to see all of the international carriers lined up as well. When I flew back in from CLT for Thanksgiving, Ethiopian/South Africa/Qatar/Egypt Air/Korean Air/ANA all seemed to be boarding simultaneously and the tails were so beautifully lined up.

On the other hand, I hate BWI. Can't stand it. Some parts of the terminal are nice, but the part AA uses is a dump. I hate the MARC train and then the shuttle to the terminal, and I don't like how the concourses aren't all connected post security. It kinda reminds me of a nicer version of the Central Terminal Building at LGA. I am flying out of there next week to go to CLT and I am already regretting the trip there.

BWI is the Gatwick of DC

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

3 minutes ago, kickazzz2000 said:

BWI is the Gatwick of DC

Worse... Dulles is the Gatwick lol.

 

[LKN704]

1 hour ago, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

Worse... Dulles is the Gatwick lol.

 

No way! BWI is where all the leisure carriers are, like in Gatwick. Travel time from Downtown DC is faster to Dulles than it is to BWI, not including the traffic on the BWI Parkway.

[CLT2014]

5 hours ago, LKN704 said:

IAD is also nice in my book. I don't understand the stigma is carries and why people hate flying to/from there. One of my best friends here has live in NoVa all his life and has only flown out of IAD once...crazy. The 5A bus from Rosslyn is really quick and cheap, and again I really like the architecture of the main terminal building and Concourses A/B. 

A/B at Dulles are fine, but the reputation comes from Concourse C/D and the United gates that carry the vast majority (68%) of the airport's passengers. If you are flying one of the niche airlines out of A/B you are fine, but the UA part is pretty depressing and what most people experience. You can't escape very easily either without taking the train or the bus.

Edited December 15, 2019 by CLT2014

[Miesian Corners]

11 hours ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

That’s what I love about DCA. There’s so many good options outside of security. Some days I lll go out there just for food lol (I like to watch the planes. The food isn’t particularly worth a trip itself) 

That's going away. DCA has two new giant TSA security buildings under construction. When completed, the hall below ticketing will be secured so all concourses can be accessed after passing through TSA screening.

[Miesian Corners]

Some renderings from Gresham Smith, the design firm making CLT far more hip than it's ever been. Scroll to the bottom of the page: https://www.greshamsmith.com/project/charlotte-douglas-international-airport-clt/

[Mgelbach]

I’ve got a potentially dumb question for you smart people much more versed in flights than I do. I was at the airport overlook today and all the jets lined up took off facing away from the overlook.

Are there specific days or times of the day where this is reversed and the planes start to pull up in from of the overlook?

[allthingsplanes]

58 minutes ago, Mgelbach said:

I’ve got a potentially dumb question for you smart people much more versed in flights than I do. I was at the airport overlook today and all the jets lined up took off facing away from the overlook.

Are there specific days or times of the day where this is reversed and the planes start to pull up in from of the overlook?

That is weather dependent.  Or I should say wind.  A south wind - they were going the direction you saw.  Go there on a day when the wind is from the north and they’ll come the other way.

I prefer the way you saw them.  Going the other way they mostly stay farther away.

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

On 12/14/2019 at 7:36 PM, LKN704 said:

No way! BWI is where all the leisure carriers are, like in Gatwick. Travel time from Downtown DC is faster to Dulles than it is to BWI, not including the traffic on the BWI Parkway.

Gatwick isn't as bad as BWI. Luton is the real leisure/ discount airline airport and its a freezing cold aluminum (al-U-mini-um) dump. BWI= Luton.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/09/luton-named-worst-large-uk-airport-for-the-fourth-year-running/