Grand Rapids Airport (GRR) News and Developments

[GRDadof3]

If you haven't been out to the airport in a while, the changes may surprise you. All the tall construction cranes are down, the GR Ford Airport signage is up on the parking garage and you can really get a feel for how it's all going to come together.

Thanks wingbert! I never get out that way.

[MJLO]

I was just out there yesterday it looks great!

[arcturus]

Construction is still kind of a mess plus the added construction on Patterson & 44th

[Raildudes dad]

Someone needs to tell the person doing the signage that white letters on green is the highway convention for directional signs and white on a red background signifies "Stop" or emergency. Also, don't cram 14 lines of words on one sign, the font is too small and a driver has just about stop to read the sign . The signing during the construction project has been atrocious and confusing.

[blueradon]

I just flew in to GRR last week and I have to say I am pretty impressed and I will feel a sense of pride for GRR when everything is finished and people flying into town will see the great work that has been done.

On another note - I am not sure if this is old news I didn't take time to look back, but I noticed this on GRR's website - GRR will now be starting non-stop flights to Ft Lauderdale on November 13 via Allegiant Air.

[mgreven]

On another note - I am not sure if this is old news I didn't take time to look back, but I noticed this on GRR's website - GRR will now be starting non-stop flights to Ft Lauderdale on November 13 via Allegiant Air.

Did anyone hear the commercial on the radio advertising these flights? These two guys are talking about all the people from Grand Rapids in South Florida and they say, "They're all here because of the great rates to fly Allegiant out of Grand Rapids!" Good so far.

The commercial ends with them saying, "Let's go fly up there and go to their beaches..." to which the other guys replies, "They're here because they don't have any beaches!"

Hmmmm..... Been to West Michigan ever?

(BTW, if they said, "It's too cold to go to their beaches, even in the summer this year." I would have agreed. ) =)

[Explorer55]

I visited Michigan this summer (early August). Maybe I picked the right week, but I thoroughly enjoyed my visits to the beaches in Grand Haven and Ludington. And the water temp was reasonably warm (once I jumped in and moved around a bit).

Anyway, the folks in South Florida need to be told about the beaches in Michigan and how the waters along them don't have any jellyfish, sharks, or "skates" (small stingrays, essentially) that hide just under the sand in the shallow water. I lived on Sanibel Island (near Ft. Meyers) for a year and learned more than I wanted about some of those critters.

[wingbert]

I visited Michigan this summer (early August). Maybe I picked the right week, but I thoroughly enjoyed my visits to the beaches in Grand Haven and Ludington. And the water temp was reasonably warm (once I jumped in and moved around a bit).

Anyway, the folks in South Florida need to be told about the beaches in Michigan and how the waters along them don't have any jellyfish, sharks, or "skates" (small stingrays, essentially) that hide just under the sand in the shallow water. I lived on Sanibel Island (near Ft. Meyers) for a year and learned more than I wanted about some of those critters.

...and don't forget, the water at our beaches is unsalted.

[arcturus]

Story today about the security bottleneck happening at the airport.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ind...hwest_airl.html

With all the millions they're spending on airport improvements it strikes me as silly that something like this wasn't anticipated nor nothing that can be done.

[jbr12]

But really... complaining about 20 minutes? Go to any major airport and you can EASILY spend an hour in line to get through security, especially for the early morning flights.

[OneSweetWorld]

But really... complaining about 20 minutes? Go to any major airport and you can EASILY spend an hour in line to get through security, especially for the early morning flights.

This reminds me of people who complain about traffic in Grand Rapids. If traffic is moving at 45 instead of 55, traffic was horrible. If a commute took 12 minutes instead of 10 minutes, traffic was horrible. West Michigan traffic is NOTHING compared to other cities, where 60-90 minute delays are common.

Just makes me laugh.

[FloridaSpartan]

yes, I take 95 between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami on a daily basis...very nasty.

[Prankster]

But really... complaining about 20 minutes? Go to any major airport and you can EASILY spend an hour in line to get through security, especially for the early morning flights.

I totally agree with your statement. But keep in mind, GR is a medium sized regional airport, not a major hub like Detroit or Chicago is. The volume going through our airport is a lot less than theirs.

[arcturus]

^^^ Agreed, apples to oranges. Put an tenth of Midway's traffic here and watch the meltdown.

Guess the old 'you should see how bad it is elsewhere' argument is alive and well, offering convenient justification to let things get worse. For once I'd love to see this mindset replaced with an actual desire to maintain a higher standard and not as a foregone conclusion to mediocrity for the sake of 'progress'.

[GRDadof3]

^^^ Agreed, apples to oranges. Put an tenth of Midway's traffic here and watch the meltdown.

Guess the old 'you should see how bad it is elsewhere' argument is alive and well, offering convenient justification to let things get worse. For once I'd love to see this mindset replaced with an actual desire to maintain a higher standard and not as a foregone conclusion to mediocrity for the sake of 'progress'.

Nicely put.

[LA Dave]

Nicely put.

You folks should be stuck at LAX on a Friday morning at Terminal 1. The security line goes outside the building.

[GRDadof3]

You folks should be stuck at LAX on a Friday morning at Terminal 1. The security line goes outside the building.

I know, but arcturus' point is that you can always point to a place where service/convenience is worse. But does that make it OK to accept mediocrity? Or even worse, accept poor service?

[downtownGRguy]

I agree that GRR's busy factor is way less then other airports, but with one of the highest average airfares in the country shouldn't we have some benefit?

What I have always liked about GRR is the ability to get in and out quickly. The shuttles for parking lately have slowed things down, but I am looking forward to the ramp being done. I hope they can get the security screening process back to a quick process.

Before the shuttle parking, I used to be able to leave my house (10 mins to the airport) 60 minutes before my flight, and have plenty of time. Of course that is without checking bags. From downtown I would need 10 more minutes, so 70 total.

This extra hour can be a pretty big deal if you are in GRR for meetings all day, and flying out in the evening.

Edited October 19, 2009 by downtownGRguy

[GRDadof3]

An impressive photo gallery of the new parking ramp on the Press' website:

http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/2009/11/ford_airport_parking_ramp_1.html

This picture, and the way the roof ends abruptly, makes me wonder if they have plans to tie it into a hypothetical new terminal:

http://photos.mlive.com/grandrapidspress/2009/11/ford_airport_parking_ramp_3.html

[Floyd Z]

An impressive photo gallery of the new parking ramp on the Press' website:

http://photos.mlive....ing_ramp_1.html

This picture, and the way the roof ends abruptly, makes me wonder if they have plans to tie it into a hypothetical new terminal:

http://photos.mlive....ing_ramp_3.html

WOW! looks awesome!

[GRDadof3]

GFIA wants AirTran:

http://fwix.com/share/28_47ce17f058

[arcturus]

The automobile is alive and well thank you very much.

"If a low cost carrier is looking at coming into Grand Rapids they'll say: 'We will attract X number of customers, do you have a place for them to park?'" Schedlbauer says. "'No' is not the appropriate answer because they want to know their customers are taken care of."

http://www.rapidgrowthmedia.com/devnews/airport0917.aspx

[fotoman311]

The automobile is alive and well thank you very much.

"If a low cost carrier is looking at coming into Grand Rapids they'll say: 'We will attract X number of customers, do you have a place for them to park?'" Schedlbauer says. "'No' is not the appropriate answer because they want to know their customers are taken care of."

http://www.rapidgrow...irport0917.aspx

It's particularly alive at an airport not served by convenient public transit.

[joeDowntown]

Dick DeVos to hold press conference about initiative to expand air service out of GRR:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/dick_devos_to_hold_press_confe.html

[GRDadof3]

Dick DeVos to hold press conference about initiative to expand air service out of GRR:

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2010/01/dick_devos_to_hold_press_confe.html

Excited to hear what he has in mind.