GSP International

[jarvismj]

I definately don't see GSP as a equal to BWI, but what I do see is that if they went ahead and extended out Concourse A, they could very well land AirTran, and Jet Blue. One other option is to move the SkyTeam airlines all to Concourse B, Contiental, Delta, and Northwest. AirTran has this habit of making some cities "micro hubs" such as Newport News, VA or Akron, OH, with service to ATL, BOS, PHL, BWI, MCO, etc. JetBlue could actually run GSP - JFK service, eventually, I'd like to see GSP - LAX or Long Beach.

And I also wanted to comment on a post from several months ago: Some of you fly out of ATL or CLT in order to avoid the high fares at GSP. I've done all three airports, and it may be because I hate driving, but no one could ever make me drive to Douglas or Hartsfield ever again. My old employer thought that they would save $150 on a ticket by doing that, but after the rental car, and the premium fuel (payback) on the company card, they never pulled that crap with me again. All you honestly have to do is go to Delta.com and play with the site a little bit. I'm flying a friend round trip from Tampa to GSP for $182.00, and those are direct flights. The next ones were for $470+, and flying out of ATL was almost $600, so yeah, all you have to do is play with the websites, and be a little flexable. All this coming from a Platinum Medallion on Delta. I think that I know what I'm talking about

[jarvismj]

Here is my simple rendition of what I could see GSP doing as far as expansion. The Red area is current Concourse B, the Blue is expanded Concourse A. The light area is the current terminal, and the dark gray is the "sky center" or row of shops that connects A to B. I would have in mind a local type coffee shop, another book store, and two fast food shops, to be determined. I like the coziness of GSP, but the lack of modern airport amenities drives me up a wall. The sky center area will have shops on one side, so observation windows can be put in place over the garden area and providing a clear view of the foothills, and hopefully a Greenville skyline. Also, reconfigure the Baggage Claim for 4 belts, not the current two. Again, lump the ticket counters together for partnership agreements (ie: SkyTeam, and whatever United, USAir, and the other airlines use)

[gs3]

I definately don't see GSP as a equal to BWI, but what I do see is that if they went ahead and extended out Concourse A, they could very well land AirTran, and Jet Blue. One other option is to move the SkyTeam airlines all to Concourse B, Contiental, Delta, and Northwest. AirTran has this habit of making some cities "micro hubs" such as Newport News, VA or Akron, OH, with service to ATL, BOS, PHL, BWI, MCO, etc. JetBlue could actually run GSP - JFK service, eventually, I'd like to see GSP - LAX or Long Beach.

And I also wanted to comment on a post from several months ago: Some of you fly out of ATL or CLT in order to avoid the high fares at GSP. I've done all three airports, and it may be because I hate driving, but no one could ever make me drive to Douglas or Hartsfield ever again. My old employer thought that they would save $150 on a ticket by doing that, but after the rental car, and the premium fuel (payback) on the company card, they never pulled that crap with me again. All you honestly have to do is go to Delta.com and play with the site a little bit. I'm flying a friend round trip from Tampa to GSP for $182.00, and those are direct flights. The next ones were for $470+, and flying out of ATL was almost $600, so yeah, all you have to do is play with the websites, and be a little flexable. All this coming from a Platinum Medallion on Delta. I think that I know what I'm talking about

I'm a Platinum Medallion too and usually do OK out of GSP (as far as price). Where GSP gets me, is when I have a meeting suddenly pop up the next day and have to book the night before. Day before bookings at any airport are high, but at GSP, they seem to be astronomical. The other problem with day before booking is that most of the morning flights are filled, so I have very little choice.

[gs3]

Have any of you guys flown in to GSP recently at night? Just did last week, and all the trees along the access road from I-85 to the terminal are uplit with a cool blue-ish white (almost Xenon headlight) color. Looks fantastic!!! Along with all the new landscaping and stonework, it's an EXTREMELY good first impression for Greenville / Upstate.

[Greenville]

No offense intended; however, there is NO comparison between BWI and GSP. The Baltimore MSA is much larger than that of Greenville. Plus...when you consider the HORRIBLE traffic that grips D.C. at times, I'm sure flyers gratefully avoid the commute down to Dulles or Reagan and stick to BWI.

No offense taken, RT. I was not equating GSP and BWI, or Greenville and Baltimore. I was merely making the point that IF a city (which is located close to two larger metros) grows, and demand to visit that city increases, the size of the airport will grow accordingly. Translation: if Greenville continues to grow, and demand to visit and be in Greenville rises, then GSP's growth will not be hampered by Atlanta and Charlotte close by.

I don't think Greenville will ever be a signifcant alternative for people flying into Atlanta or Charlotte.

[Greenville]

Have any of you guys flown in to GSP recently at night? Just did last week, and all the trees along the access road from I-85 to the terminal are uplit with a cool blue-ish white (almost Xenon headlight) color. Looks fantastic!!! Along with all the new landscaping and stonework, it's an EXTREMELY good first impression for Greenville / Upstate.

I love flying into Greenville at night! I haven't done so since the new lights you're talking about were installed, but I do think the city lights are impressive. Greenville looks bigger than I thought it would when you see all of the lights from above.

[Spartan]

GSP will likely become more popular as it becomes more iddifcult to get to Charlotte or Atlanta. Right now driving to one of the other airports is not so inconvenient that it is a hassle for big trips.

[jarvismj]

I don't if anyone other than gsupstate and I might have noticed, but airfares out of GSP are extremely high again. I can only pray that AirTran opens up service. I noticed it when booking a flight to Linux Expo in Boston at the begining of April..almost $500 for a round trip, yet out of CLT or ATL, or anywhere that AirTran serves, it's significanty lower. I love competition, but at least Delta still has full size airliners, not cigar tubes with wings serving GSP.

[gs3]

I don't if anyone other than gsupstate and I might have noticed, but airfares out of GSP are extremely high again. I can only pray that AirTran opens up service. I noticed it when booking a flight to Linux Expo in Boston at the begining of April..almost $500 for a round trip, yet out of CLT or ATL, or anywhere that AirTran serves, it's significanty lower. I love competition, but at least Delta still has full size airliners, not cigar tubes with wings serving GSP.

Funny you should say that.....I've noticed it and noticed it very much today as I was driving to Charlotte to catch my flight. I hear from a VERY reliable source that GSP is one of the tops on the list for JetBlue since they have acquired regional jets. JetBlue has been eyeing the GSP market in depth....to the point of a "focus city". Safe travels jarvisj3!

[jarvismj]

At least CLT has gotten better in the past few years, as opposed to what it used to be. I'm on my way up there now in about 20 minutes

Anyways, I did this a months back, kind of a what destinations would I like to see served from GSP in a few years. Here is the list. I've metaphorically expanded Concourse A in this design, and turned Concourse B into a commuter terminal, like Concourse C at CVG or the Gate 60 at MCO.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport

Air Canada

YYZ A19

AirTran

ATL A1

PHL A1

ORF A2

BOS A2

American Airlines

ORD A3

DFW A4

JFK A3

MIA A5

LAX A5

Continental

CLE A6

EWR A6

IAH A7

Delta

ATL A8

CVG A9,B1

MCO A9,B2

DCA B3

Jet Blue

IAD B4

JFK B4

Northwest Airlines

DTW A11

MEM A11

MSP A12

United Airlines

ORD A13

SFO A14

DEN A14

US Airways/America West

CLT A15

PHL A16

PHX A17

LAS A18

FLL A19

Edited February 6, 2006 by jarvisj3

[krazeeboi]

I don't if anyone other than gsupstate and I might have noticed, but airfares out of GSP are extremely high again. I can only pray that AirTran opens up service. I noticed it when booking a flight to Linux Expo in Boston at the begining of April..almost $500 for a round trip, yet out of CLT or ATL, or anywhere that AirTran serves, it's significanty lower. I love competition, but at least Delta still has full size airliners, not cigar tubes with wings serving GSP.

GSP's prices don't seem to be extremely high, but they are usually higher than the rates at Charlotte-Douglas.

[Spartan]

I think you have to consider more than just the price. You might may alittle more, but you don't have to drive an hour-hour an a half to Charlotte (how much does that gas cost?), and deal with all of that mess. Just zip into GSP and get on the plane. Its no major hassle, and its very convenient. It takes about 20 minutes to get there from both Greenville and Spartanburg.

[goodbye]

Less than twenty minutes from most of Greenville. I have family in Powdersville (West of Greenville, in Anderson County) and you can easily get to GSP in 20 minutes from there. Remember that Greenville's eastern suburbs come right up to the airport, while Spartanburg's western 'burbs are still miles away. This makes GSP very convenient for everyone living around Greenville for sure.

[Spartan]

Certainly- I meant 20 mins from most places in both cities.

[jarvismj]

I do add in the wear and tear, not to mention the fuel costs too. With as often as I fly, sometimes it's better to go to CLT, or ATL. I'd take GSP any day though, with being able to walk to the Delta counter, and they know me by name, that's first class service.

[jarvismj]

While browsing the net tonight, I found an overhead of TF Green Airport in Providence, RI that I think would be a good model for GSP to follow.

[gs3]

While browsing the net tonight, I found an overhead of TF Green Airport in Providence, RI that I think would be a good model for GSP to follow.

Great photo jarvisj3! Neat to see how similar the Providence terminal layout is to GSP. Two linear concourses, one slightly longer, landside terminal in the middle. Very similar! I think GSP should have a post security walkway connection between A and B concourses. Looks like Providence does.

[Spartan]

This may have been stated somewhere before, but GSP's plans are to build a second runway at somepoint (probably 10 years out) south of the main concourse. I ahven't figured out how that will work just yet though....

[goodbye]

All you have to do is look at and read the PDF of the master-plan on the website. It shows everything that will happen over the next several years (except exactly what will go into the parcels surrounding the airport). It really is a very good read.

[jarvismj]

The PDF files are great, but I just don't see that expotential expansion happening anytime in the near future, even in 25 years. Maybe adding a few gates on the end of A and placing some post security retail will help alleviate the boredom of GSP.

[g-man430]

According to an advertisement for GSP I saw in this week's Greenville Journal, they are going to add more restaurants and retail this year at the airport.

[jarvismj]

Starbucks is coming I've heard from friends who work there. I just don't agree with having them put out the independently owned stands up in the concourses.

[Spartan]

Considering how the Upstate is growing, I think that its proactive expansion will serve it well. If they never did anything you'd be complaining about the congestion and how irritating it is to go there.

[RestedTraveler]

Starbucks is coming I've heard from friends who work there. I just don't agree with having them put out the independently owned stands up in the concourses.

I've never tried the coffee from the independently owned vendors; however, I'd probably grab something from Starbucks for sure though. So, they're likely targeting people like me.

The problem I see is that there's very little to offer past the security checkpoint other than the one kiosk-type-thing that never seems to be open when I'm sitting and waiting to catch my flight, and I usually am not wanting to bother with grabbing coffee and taking it through the checkpoint. Maybe these new retail and restaurant offerings will be out by the gates? That's probably too much to ask for.

[Greenville]

I've never tried the coffee from the independently owned vendors; however, I'd probably grab something from Starbucks for sure though. So, they're likely targeting people like me.

The problem I see is that there's very little to offer past the security checkpoint other than the one kiosk-type-thing that never seems to be open when I'm sitting and waiting to catch my flight, and I usually am not wanting to bother with grabbing coffee and taking it through the checkpoint. Maybe these new retail and restaurant offerings will be out by the gates? That's probably too much to ask for.

I know what you mean about the one free-standing coffee/muffin/juice bar beyond security never being open! There have been several instances during the day when I want to grab something but they are closed. It seems that they are open strange hours. They are missing out on a lot of business not being open!

One thing I hope GSP does is has plenty of restaurants and retail beyond security. It is stupid to have it all before security.