Calgary International Airport - New Terminal, Runway, Control Tower

[jar_e]

Put me in the not really impressed category. it was nice, clean, modern. Disappointed after 10 years this was the end result. Missing a few key elements/functionality and its far from world class or putting Calgary on the map. I'm sure it'll get better but the whole call to gate system won't work. That's a massive culture change for people and with so few airports doing it, especially in NA, I imagine it will continue to be a cluster.

[GGG]

Call to gate is fantastic.

It's like traffic circles. The long term retraining of people will pay dividends. Went through customs and security in a half hour combined.

Quite happy with the new terminal

[Bigtime]

Picked up a friend arriving from PVR on Thursday. Showed up a little earlier to check out the new terminal. Check-in hall is bloody impressive, but I'd like to see how it handles the crowds for that early morning rush (I was there at 4pm) of US departures.

The arrivals area was nice, but at the same time just felt a little cold and sterile. Now it wasn't very busy with only a couple of flights arriving at that time, so I wonder if it feels different when there is a good crowd there waiting for passengers.

As for yet another anecdote for the Call to Gate system, Councillor Brian Pincott flew out yesterday and there were a few tweets from him about how there were not enough seats at the gate. It was pointed out to him how the call to gate thing works, but if a member of City Council that was briefed on this project multiple times forgets the idea than the battle is far from over with the general public.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by jar_e

I'm sure it'll get better but the whole call to gate system won't work. That's a massive culture change for people and with so few airports doing it, especially in NA, I imagine it will continue to be a cluster.

I don't get this defeatist attitude with Call to Gate. As European travellers have managed the transition to Call to Gate, are they simply more intelligent than their Canadian counterparts? As Canadian travellers have managed to make it back to Canada using Call to Gate at Heathrow and Schiphol, I don't think that's the case.

[browna]

Call to gate is perfectly fine and more efficient and people will have to adapt.

However, to make it work properly, the airlines have to be consistent as to the timing of the gate crew arriving there and how quickly they can load the plane.

Times we've done this in Europe have been a mixed bag; gate is announced, people make their way over, and then waiting there for 5-10 minutes until airline staff show up.

The next time, there is staff there waiting for the first people to get there, and then people see that and stress out as think that they're late because there's no line.

So people get there early and complain about waiting with not enough seats. Or, take their time the next time and then are late because the crew has loaded others on (less likely).

That said, the European call to gate where we've been is about a 10-20 minute announcement window before boarding. YYC I just read it appears the assignment is to be 60 minutes, which is too much time and just gets people even more ancy to see that gate assignment and "not be late so let's get to the gate a bit early". Plus, usually on international and US flights, with as much (or more) carry on baggage as they possibly can carry so once they get to the gate (early) they're not lugging that all back into the main hall, which causes a crowded gate.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by browna

YYC I just read it appears the assignment is to be 60 minutes

YYC has lost control of the situation. Air Canada and Jazz are still posting 2 hours before scheduled push. Several are posting at 45-50 minutes, including Sunwing. WestJet posting at 75 min. AC just does whatever they want and YYC will back down from them.

[djsFlames]

Boy, tough crowd in here.

Sounds like it was a struggle.

15 minute walks and not being able to sit 20 paces from the gates. The horror..

[Resolute 14]

I guess we can't all be as superior as you are, djs.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Boy, tough crowd in here.

Sounds like it was a struggle.

15 minute walks and not being able to sit 20 paces from the gates. The horror..

I guess you could say it was the https://twitter.com/airportstruggle

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Boy, tough crowd in here.

Sounds like it was a struggle.

15 minute walks and not being able to sit 20 paces from the gates. The horror..

So discussing the pros and cons, in an attempt to find more efficient systems is nothing more than being a whiner?

[Addick]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I guess you could say it was the https://twitter.com/airportstruggle

Thanks for that, the tweet about the guy drop kicking his phone was hilarious!

[Madman]

I for one appreciate the call to gate because I can sit anywhere I want or stroll around and still clearly hear all the announcements I need.

I don't understand people's necessity to sit 10 feet from the gate or be the first one to stand waiting for the boarding call even though they are last to board most times. (It always puzzles me to see people frantically stand up and form a pre-line line when the first class boarding is announced)

Are people really that scared they'll miss the flight? Or do they forget we all have seat assignments and we'll all get on.

[Fuzz]

The problem these days is if you have a carry on, you risk not having space for it if you wait to long.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Madman

I for one appreciate the call to gate because I can sit anywhere I want or stroll around and still clearly hear all the announcements I need.

I don't understand people's necessity to sit 10 feet from the gate or be the first one to stand waiting for the boarding call even though they are last to board most times. (It always puzzles me to see people frantically stand up and form a pre-line line when the first class boarding is announced)

Are people really that scared they'll miss the flight? Or do they forget we all have seat assignments and we'll all get on.

A lot of flights I board early so I don't risk have my carry on checked. I see tons of bags getting gate checked these days.

[TheAlpineOracle]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The problem these days is if you have a carry on, you risk not having space for it if you wait to long.

You nailed it. You have all these cheap bastards hovering around a gate with their ridiculously oversized carrying to make sure they are on first and can get their bag on that should have been required to be checked.


I absolutely hate flying. Scares me to death, but I soldier on. Being one of the last people on the plane really helped my anxiety because I didn't have to Sit there for 20 minutes being bumped into before the plane took
Off. I can't do that anymore though because if I do, there won't even be room for my tiny book bag that has a medical device in it I don't want to be separated from.

Airlines really need to start enforcing their carry on rules and demanding oversized carrying be checked and paid for.

[Ace]

I really wish the airlines changed carry on to one personal item, and then charge me the $25 for a carry on bag. (Leave checked bags free) That would have made the travel experience way better, no more mad dash to get in the plane.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Boy, tough crowd in here.

Sounds like it was a struggle.

15 minute walks and not being able to sit 20 paces from the gates. The horror..

You don't get it. I personally don't care, because I fully understand the concept of call to gate. However, there's pictures of mothers sitting on the floor with their babies, and tons of people sitting on the floor... not exactly good PR. Surely some portion of these people would rather be on chairs.

It's not a matter of it being a "struggle", but a simple disconnect where people don't understand the concept of CTG which is completely understandable as it's the first major Canadian or American implementation, and the airport has to fix that disconnect. People are reiterating that CTG works fine in Europe and that's fine and dandy and an indicator that everything will eventually be fine, but as of now YYC has some work to do.

Not everybody has been to yyc.com to read about the concept of CTG and where they're supposed to be, so you have to look at it from the perspective of a typical flyer who still has a boarding pass in their hand with a gate number on it.

[FireGilbert]

I was confused by the call to gate the first time I saw it in Singapore. It didn't take me long to figure it out though since the gates are physically closed until the announcement. Also, it wasn't upsetting not being able to go to the gate early since there were lots of things to see and do.

I'm not sure about the new layout at YYC but if they are not going to close off access to the gates or offer anything exciting to do while waiting then people will go to the gates.

[Amethyst]

There are a few problems with call to gate.

It's a new concept here and the vast majority of travellers haven't heard anything about it until they get there. There also aren't that many things to do in the "general" area.

The airlines are posting their gates too soon. I knew about the system and when I flew this weekend and they posted the gate number over an hour ahead of time, it made me start thinking I should move over there, especially since I didn't know where the gates were yet. If you want to call me to the gate, call me when I'm supposed to go, not an hour early!

Finally, if the system works in Europe, that's great, but it's also combined with other things - namely enforcing carry-on limits. I think most people who are lining up early, are doing so because they know most passengers will try to carry on everything they own and the airline won't enforce the limits, so those getting on last will be out of luck.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by browna

However, to make it work properly, the airlines have to be consistent as to the timing of the gate crew arriving there and how quickly they can load the plane.

Yup, this is a key issue at the new terminal.