ABIA Expansion Thread

[BrazilHorn 6586]

I highly recommend if you’re precheck getting Clear. If you’ve any status on Delta it’s damn near free. 

So worth it. 

I fly damn near weekly and it is a huge time saver. 

[Neonmoon 38129]

Why is Clear better than Precheck?

[The People’s Elbow 707]

4 hours ago, Neonmoon said:

Why is Clear better than Precheck?

If you have to ask, you should go with Precheck. 

[XYZ 2154]

Clear is basically “pay us money and you get to cut in front of the pre-check poors”.

[BrazilHorn 6586]

35 minutes ago, XYZ said:

Clear is basically “pay us money and you get to cut in front of the pre-check poors”.

This. If you combine the two you cut in front of precheck line as you’ve been “doubly vetted” by TSA and then Clear. 

Saves ton of time and if you travel a lot is well worth it. 

Clear is what TSA Pre was supposed to be before the airlines or TSA started randomly giving precheck to non- frequent fliers who hadn’t gone through interviews. 

[royiv 9244]

26 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

This. If you combine the two you cut in front of precheck line as you’ve been “doubly vetted” by TSA and then Clear. 

Saves ton of time and if you travel a lot is well worth it. 

Clear is what TSA Pre was supposed to be before the airlines or TSA started randomly giving precheck to non- frequent fliers who hadn’t gone through interviews. 

All of the above. Plus, you don’t have to fumble around with your ID.

[Guest Lobo]

Clear doesn't help you at Customs though, does it?  I have Global Entry and was told there was no need to fuss with Clear unless traveling to Orlando qualifies as "travel abroad" in my village.  

[Gucci_Suit 2642]

Clear is awesome and allows me to get from the curb to the Admirals Club in less than 5 minutes. You guys should most definitely not sign up for it. 

[royiv 9244]

10 hours ago, Lobo said:

Clear doesn't help you at Customs though, does it?  I have Global Entry and was told there was no need to fuss with Clear unless traveling to Orlando qualifies as "travel abroad" in my village.  

No, but no reason you can’t have both.

[Beau Vine 54205]

Had our first experience with the South Terminal this morning, as daughter had a 5:30am flight on Frontier.  

2nd-best part... Daughter: "I kind of wonder about flying out of a place whose signage uses the same font as Chuy's."

Best part... We literally pull up to the curb right in front, I get out and walk in and look around, and there's the TSA checkpoint 20 feet away with two people waiting to get through.

[Pasken 1309]

Hut’s Hamburgers is now open near gate 14.

 

The north facing gates ( 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11) in the new ABIA Eastern expansion will open at the end of February. Construction will continue on the individual concessions and restaurants. When the new gates open, the four long ass temporary jet bridges will be removed so apron improvements can be made and the final south facing jet bridges can be installed. 

 

[drt 638]

http://austintexas.gov/news/december-2018-passenger-cargo-traffic-austin-bergstrom

Quote

AUSTIN, TEXAS –The Austin airport had a record year in 2018, setting new annual passenger traffic record with 15.8 million passengers flying through the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. This surpasses the previous 2017 record-setting mark of 13.8 million travelers by nearly two million, with 1.9 million more passengers. Since 2010, this is the ninth consecutive year that the Austin airport has set a new annual passenger record.

Wooo, water is wet, etc.

[Biff Tannen 45661]

Who the fuck is coming in July?

[Guest Lobo]

Conventioneers And people coming to look at houses because they are moving here.  It's a correlating indicator of a city exploding in growth when you have high airport traffic in July.  

[hornbri 1391]

4 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Who the fuck is coming in July?

Also people from here, escaping the heat 

[Guest Lobo]

So we have non-stops to 3 Canadian cities now but nothing to McAllen or Midland?  Yeah, that checks out.  

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

Also people from here, escaping the heat 

I think it’s more this. Planes are full in July with vacationers.

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

3 hours ago, Lobo said:

So we have non-stops to 3 Canadian cities now but nothing to McAllen or Midland?  Yeah, that checks out.  

That's kind of puzzling considering the population base in the RGV.   Once upon a time a long time ago, SWA had a direct flight to Harlingen.

The thing I never understood growing up down there is why the region didn't pick Valley International in Harlingen and go with as the regional airport.   I think the whole region would have benefited with more flights and possibly airlines had they done this a long time ago.  

[Guest Lobo]

There is still that one non stop on SWA, otherwise the connections basically dare to just drive as opposed to the long way.  

We are talking with Via Air about saving up to get a gate at McAllen for more non stop Texas based service.  And really, it’s Midland that’s screaming out for a non stop flight to Austin.  Spoiler alert, Austin has hundreds of companies directly tied to the oil business.  And we are sick of going thru love field or driving.  Yes, some of those execs fly private but the rank and file fly commercial.  

[Pasken 1309]

Via Mikey at SSP

 

Few new gates open in a couple weeks, all gates by May, project complete in November. 

[CooterBrown 18002]

On 11/23/2018 at 8:30 AM, XYZ said:

Clear is basically “pay us money and you get to cut in front of the pre-check poors”.

Pulled a pro move this week.  I have pre-check and airline status.  Pre-Check had about 50 people in line.  The regular line had about a hundred.  The priority security line had zero.  I went to the priority line, got my ID checked and seeing I was Pre Check, the TSA agent then ushered me to the TSA Pre X-ray line ahead of the 50 people waiting in line to get their IDs checked.  

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

18 hours ago, Lobo said:

There is still that one non stop on SWA, otherwise the connections basically dare to just drive as opposed to the long way.  

We are talking with Via Air about saving up to get a gate at McAllen for more non stop Texas based service.  And really, it’s Midland that’s screaming out for a non stop flight to Austin.  Spoiler alert, Austin has hundreds of companies directly tied to the oil business.  And we are sick of going thru love field or driving.  Yes, some of those execs fly private but the rank and file fly commercial.  

It's puzzling why ABIA doesn't have more direct flights to and from the smaller regional airports in the state.  You are correct with all the oil field activity in Midland, it would be a no brainer for at least a once a day flight.   I wouldn't doubt if SWA and American have something to do with it.    Not so much holding it over the head of ABIA, but Midland.

[Longhorn94 2448]

as someone who flies Delta in and out of Austin every week, I am excited for the expansion and Sky club to open! 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Longhorn94

[Armybrat 40820]

Have they shortened that quarter mile jetway walk to get on the BA flight to London yet?

[Longhorn94 2448]

the signs inside that jetway are hilarious.

[Pasken 1309]

58 minutes ago, Armybrat said:

Have they shortened that quarter mile jetway walk to get on the BA flight to London yet?

They are getting rid of those long temp jetways in a few weeks when the 1st wave of new gates open. BA and whoever else uses those long jetways will move to the new gates 1-5. Then work will begin on building the permeant jetways where those temp ones were.

 

1 hour ago, Nueces River Rat said:

It's puzzling why ABIA doesn't have more direct flights to and from the smaller regional airports in the state.  You are correct with all the oil field activity in Midland, it would be a no brainer for at least a once a day flight.   I wouldn't doubt if SWA and American have something to do with it.    Not so much holding it over the head of ABIA, but Midland.

I'm not sure about Midland and other small cities but hopefully we'll see a wave of new flights once the new expansion opens. The gates are more than maxed out right now. Unfortunately, more flights will make demand at ticketing, security and baggage claim worse but they always need something to expand.

 

 

Edited February 7, 2019 by Pasken

[hornbri 1391]

2 hours ago, CooterBrown said:

Pulled a pro move this week.  I have pre-check and airline status.  Pre-Check had about 50 people in line.  The regular line had about a hundred.  The priority security line had zero.  I went to the priority line, got my ID checked and seeing I was Pre Check, the TSA agent then ushered me to the TSA Pre X-ray line ahead of the 50 people waiting in line to get their IDs checked.  

I do this almost every week in SJC on the way home. 

[Ghost of LL 15531]

2 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

It's puzzling why ABIA doesn't have more direct flights to and from the smaller regional airports in the state.  You are correct with all the oil field activity in Midland, it would be a no brainer for at least a once a day flight.   I wouldn't doubt if SWA and American have something to do with it.    Not so much holding it over the head of ABIA, but Midland.

It's no mystery.  There aren't enough gates.  Southwest--i.e., the most likely airline to operate flights from AUS to MAF or HRL or AMA--fully utilizes its gates with flights to places like LAX and MDW.  It's not going to reduce its frequencies to Washington or Las Vegas so that it can fly to Amarillo.

The reason you have plenty of American Eagle flights from DFW to College Station is because DFW has about twenty thousand gates.  AUS doesn't have that.

[Guest Lobo]

I agreed until we found room for a gate for Buffalo 

[Ghost of LL 15531]

Well, how else are you going to shuffle off?  I mean, we're the Live Music Capital of the World.  

[Gardner Barnes 1562]

Pulled a pro move this week.  I have pre-check and airline status.  Pre-Check had about 50 people in line.  The regular line had about a hundred.  The priority security line had zero.  I went to the priority line, got my ID checked and seeing I was Pre Check, the TSA agent then ushered me to the TSA Pre X-ray line ahead of the 50 people waiting in line to get their IDs checked.  

I typically do this every time.

[Guest Lobo]

So 60% of the time it works, every time?

 

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

15 hours ago, Pasken said:

They are getting rid of those long temp jetways in a few weeks when the 1st wave of new gates open. BA and whoever else uses those long jetways will move to the new gates 1-5. Then work will begin on building the permeant jetways where those temp ones were.

 

I'm not sure about Midland and other small cities but hopefully we'll see a wave of new flights once the new expansion opens. The gates are more than maxed out right now. Unfortunately, more flights will make demand at ticketing, security and baggage claim worse but they always need something to expand.

 

 

I think ABIA would be ripe to become a hub for a Texas based airline with business model similar to Via Air which has been discussed on this thread or Via Air themselves expanding their foot print here.   We are talking about a company that uses smaller regional jets or turboprops  like Via Air that can serve the Midland, Corpus, McAllen, Laredo, etc who don't have a direct flight to and from Austin on a daily basis or a few times a week.   Heck I'm to the point now when I go up to Austin from Corpus I wish I could fly because of the headache known as I-35 between  SA and Austin, especially when I'm on a tight schedule.   And the fix for that issue is not anywhere close to becoming  reality.   

I'm hopeful however that won't be an issue soon as we are looking to move up to Austin metro/Hill Country area sometime in the next few years.   I hope ABIA will be able to retain and expand on the international offerings by then and retain Lufthansa and BA.  Those two right there make travel to Europe less time consuming and costly.    Hopefully they can land an Asia based carrier  like EVA Air  (Taiwan)  or ANA (Japan) with the expansion down the road. 

[MFEU93MK9S8IW6K6FV0X 95]

8 minutes ago, Nueces River Rat said:

"Heck I'm to the point now when I go up to Austin from Corpus I wish I could fly because of the headache known as I-35 between  SA and Austin, especially when I'm on a tight schedule.   And the fix for that issue is not anywhere close to becoming  reality.  "

The country road option is far superior to the I-35 option for corpus to ATX, IMO.

[CooterBrown 18002]

I think ABIA would be ripe to become a hub for a Texas based airline with business model similar to Via Air which has been discussed on this thread or Via Air themselves expanding their foot print here.   We are talking about a company that uses smaller regional jets or turboprops  like Via Air that can serve the Midland, Corpus, McAllen, Laredo, etc who don't have a direct flight to and from Austin on a daily basis or a few times a week.  

There was one a few years ago that connected the major cities along with Victoria, Midland, etc. Looks like it’s out of business. I only know this because I saw Victoria on the arrival board once and looked it up.

[VolenteHawk 495]

18 minutes ago, MFEU93MK9S8IW6K6FV0X said:

The country road option is far superior to the I-35 option for corpus to ATX, IMO.

User name....checks....out?

I’m flying to Orlando today. How’s garage parking, still turrible?

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

1 hour ago, CooterBrown said:

 

There was one a few years ago that connected the major cities along with Victoria, Midland, etc. Looks like it’s out of business. I only know this because I saw Victoria on the arrival board once and looked it up.

 

Victoria Regional has an outfit called Boutique Air which has daily flights to DFW and IAH. 

https://www.boutiqueair.com/p/schedule#vct

 

Boutique's niche appears to be the small to medium size market airports which need direct flights to major airports like ATL, DEN, DFW, IAH.  

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

1 hour ago, MFEU93MK9S8IW6K6FV0X said:

The country road option is far superior to the I-35 option for corpus to ATX, IMO.

When time is not an issue and I don't know why I don't take the route more often now, US 183 starting at Refugio and going through Cuero, Gonzalez, Luling, Lockhart, is not a bad option.  A few years ago when the Eagle Ford was in overdrive, I gave up on those back roads to get to places like Austin for the simple fact they were dangerous as heck with 18 wheeler/oil field  traffic and the roads needing major work thanks to that traffic.  Besides if I'm traveling to Austin with my wife, she almost  always demands a pit stop at the outlets in San Marcos.  I guess I'm in the habit now going up I-35.  Really it's not so much leaving Austin.  It's getting into the city that's a royal pain in the ass from the south.    

[Pasken 1309]

Map with all the new Eats 

 

 

 

[ztejas 43411]

People aren't going to understand how artsy Austin is. I'd rather see something like this:

[Longhorn Al 440]

Interesting post from ATCZERO on SSP:

Quote

Some very interesting news on good authority:

By August, Delta will be up to 60 additional flights per day. No idea what routes or aircraft.

Amsterdam and Paris are both still in the works for 2020.

Both Frontier and Delta are interested in having a hanger here.

Work is scheduled to start on moving taxiways G and H to allow future work on the south terminal concourse.

Airlines have expressed an interest, to the city of Austin, in helping fund future expansion.

 

[phdhorn 6224]

Oh boy, 60 more rude encounters with gate agents and flight attendants!

[Bobby_Batronic 1994]

On 2/8/2019 at 8:50 AM, Nueces River Rat said:

Victoria Regional has an outfit called Boutique Air which has daily flights to DFW and IAH. 

https://www.boutiqueair.com/p/schedule#vct

 

Boutique's niche appears to be the small to medium size market airports which need direct flights to major airports like ATL, DEN, DFW, IAH.  

Their niche is usually essential or service. 

[RexWilson 1345]

A McDonald's would make so much money in this airport. 

[Chet Steadman 940]

I’ve always found it odd for a city which has a long history of poor management and little to no foresight, ABIA typically appears to be very well operated.  

Edited February 17, 2019 by Chet Steadman

[VolenteHawk 495]

28 minutes ago, RexWilson said:

A McDonald's would make so much money in this airport. 

Not weird enough. Go to Saxon/Hut’s/whatever it’s called now.

 

[Handcruser 2805]

Victoria Regional has an outfit called Boutique Air which has daily flights to DFW and IAH. 
https://www.boutiqueair.com/p/schedule#vct
 
Boutique's niche appears to be the small to medium size market airports which need direct flights to major airports like ATL, DEN, DFW, IAH.  

Yeah tried to use them a few weeks ago and they didn’t have any tires for the plane.

They are a joke. Ruined my whole trip to lambeau field.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Beau Vine 54205]

I live about exactly in between ABIA and SAT, so I always check both when I need to fly.  I'm starting to see SAT flights be consistently cheaper now, which sucks.

[Armybrat 40820]

What’s this I hear about SWA starting flights between San Francisco and Hawaii?

[Nueces River Rat 5537]

What’s this I hear about SWA starting flights between San Francisco and Hawaii?

Yep. SWA just completed the so called test flight to Honolulu which is required before the FAA grants clearance. I think SWA will fly from other airports on the west coast to Hawaii as well at the start.