Hurry up on that new KCI terminal
Barb ShellyArrived at Kansas City International Airport in plenty of time to catch flight scheduled for a little before noon. Caught the blue bus almost immediately in long-term parking.
So far, so good.
Hopped off shuttle at Terminal C. Went inside and checked flight monitor. Flight to Newark delayed by an hour and a half.
Not good, but not awful.
Decided to grab a bite to eat, instead of waiting to get to Newark as planned. Ambled up to sandwich kiosk. Ordered the chicken pesto panini.
Sorry, the server said. Out of bread. At 11:45 a.m.? Server displayed a plastic-wrapped panini that looked like it had been around since yesterday. I declined. Husband negotiated for a bagel concoction. Kiosk also out of tomatoes.
Went off in search of other options. Deemed it too early for the Kansas City Brew Pub, by far the most appealing choice. Settled for a pasta dish from Starbucks.
Found a row of empty chairs in poorly lit terminal recess. Observed the unnatural quiet, the only sound being that of toilets flushing in a men’s room up the way.
“This is embarrassing,” I said.
“It is,” my husband agreed.
People, it is time. Kansas City has to have a modern airport terminal.
I know, I know. We love our three-terminal airport. The convenience. The manageable security lines. The hop, skip and jump from the gate to the luggage carrousels.
KCI works great when it works. It is possible, if all goes well, to waltz through security and onto your plane without ever fighting a crowd or waiting in a line.
But if there is a glitch, a delayed flight, getting stuck in the Kansas City airport is a wretched experience.
“Kansas Citians for the most part don’t want a change,” said Joe McBride, the city’s aviation spokesman. “Then they have a delay, and people start to get what out-of-towners are saying.”
And what are they saying? Comments on Twitter offer a glimpse:
“I have a new least favorite airport. Congrats, Kansas City!”
“Wayne airport (Detroit) actually is a decent one to be stuck in. Could be worse, you could be stuck in Kansas City.
“Dang! Flight delayed! Like really delayed at the worst airport in America! Kansas City, MO! Humph!”
Passengers stuck at KCI must either bide their time in claustrophobic gate areas with limited food options and rest room availability, or leave and face the prospect of returning through security checkpoints.
And it’s not like the airport has much to offer outside of security. Terminal B, with the Southwest Airlines connections, has some interesting restaurant choices and is adding some more. But Terminal C is a virtual wasteland and Terminal A isn’t much better. All three terminals have a dearth of shopping and an atmosphere ranging from sterile to dismal.
But so what, right? Why should we care what out-of-towners think? We love KCI.
Fellow Kansas Citians, it is not all about us.
We’re in a dogfight for jobs here. Believe me, we do not want some corporate executive waiting out a prolonged flight delay in Terminal C.
Aviation director Mark VanLoh has cited multiple other reasons for why a KCI needs a new, single terminal.
The airlines demand it; they are dropping flights and routes from KCI because the configuration of the terminals doesn’t work for them. Multiple security checkpoints require KCI to have hundreds more screeners than much larger airports. The aviation department spends too much on upkeep of underused terminal space.
Last week, VanLoh proposed that Kansas City could save time and money by building a new terminal at the site of the current Terminal A. If all went well, a sparkling new terminal with all the modern conveniences could be up and running within five years, he said. It would be paid for with aviation and passenger fees, not city tax dollars.
Go for it, by all means. The sooner the better.
As for my husband and I, we proceeded to Newark, only to be delayed for 24 hours before boarding an overseas flight. It was a grueling experience, with only one bright side.
We told each other more than once: “At least we’re not stuck in KCI.”
To reach Barbara Shelly, call 816-234-4594 or send email to bshelly@kcstar.com. Follow her on Twitter at bshelly.
Kent Mueller
11 months agoHmmm, let’s see now. We can’t seem to find the $2 billion dollars needed to fix our woeful, unhealthy sewer system. Ahhh, but we can find $1.5 to $2.0 billion to build a new airport terminal so we can decrease the number of negative tweets. It has always come down to priorities, and it still does. Yes, I know the terminal would be built with money from aviation and passenger fees. But if there is that kind of money sitting around waiting to be spent, hasn’t anyone thought the we might decrease the level of those fees paid by the flying public? What a novel thought.
Greg Lemke
11 months agoThis is for Kent. Stop and engage brain before you engage commenting. A new terminal is critical to our economic survival. KC has always been and always will be the arm pit of America as long as we continue to think like Kent. You want those ‘fees’ returned to you? Why? So you can buy a better coffin. You would have us take a death kneel. Increasing economic activity is the only way to stop digging our own graves. A new terminal would generate thousands of new jobs over the years with increased flights to KC and could create new supporting economies that would in turn pay taxes to help repair your sewers WITHOUT increasing your taxes. Stop crying about every proposed idea and start thinking of the possibilities that exist. There are always going to be plenty of reasons to stay on the sidelines, but you can’t win from there!
Kent Mueller
11 months agoThis is for Greg. A new terminal would generate thousands of new jobs? Really? Please tell us about those jobs. What jobs. Working for whom? Average pay? Thousands? Please tell us about the thousands of jobs. You must know about them since you said they would happen.
Supporting economies from increased flights resulting from a new terminal? And those supporting economies would pay taxes that would pay for the sewers WITHOUT (your emphasis) increasing taxes? Please describe these supporting economies and their tax structure that will pay for the sewer system. You have that spreadsheet? You must. If not, why would you say that? Oh, it sounded good to you, huh. Greg….I call bs.
Steve Alleman
Kansas City
11 months agoThanks, Greg. And thanks even to Kay. It’s a wonder she can get an internet connection that deep in the bubble, but she’s always good for a cheap laugh.
Steven Fetter
66223
11 months agoAirports are like Dante’s levels of hell. The best airports have poor food but at least it is expensive and then spiral down from there. If I never buy another $18 pair of reading glasses again to replace those forgotten at home to, I will rejoice. And I would image only the fabled 1% would ever shop at the other stores that line the concourse.
For me, the airport that offers the best amenities are those that allow a quick in-quick out service to and from the plane to your car. And nowhere does it better the KCI.