Calgary International Airport - New Terminal, Runway, Control Tower

[Resolute 14]

This teaminal looks nice, but was clearly designed by a sociopath. Forcing people to wend their way through an effing duty free store - with no signs pointing the way out of it - and all the strugglers looking at whiskey bottles sucked at 6am. God help people rushing to catch their plane during busy times.

And by my count, there are exactly 60 seats in the lobby that serves gates 88-97. So again, when it's busy, 90% of passengers get to stand.

But it *looks* really nice. Also, a Spolumbos post security! Best breakfast here.

[Bigtime]

The having to go through duty free is nothing new, I remember doing it in Frankfurt to catch the Lufthansa flight back to YYC.

[Resolute 14]

You do it in Dublin as well. But a frequently copied bad idea is still a bad idea.

And walking around a bit, it's really only gates 87-97 that get the ghetto treatment. The rest of the E level is quite nice.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Drummer

2This area looked WAY better in the OLD terminal. Here you have no "cool" pictures of USA destinations and very low ceilings.

That's a real shame, I really liked those photos. It was a unique element of YYC that you really didn't see anywhere else (including in the US).

[Bigtime]

I really liked those photos too, it was fun to point them out to the kids and tell them about where each one was in the USA while you meandered through that line before customs. I remember seeing similar arriving in Dallas from overseas, their customs hall had massive pictures on the walls of pure Texas kind of stuff.

[Ruttiger]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Also, a Spolumbos post security! Best breakfast here.

Excellent - we'll be there at 7:30 tomorrow morning.

[Table 5]

Excellent, nothing like a transatlantic flight with a plane full of people who just ate a heavy meal of sausage.

[GirlySports]

Have to walk through duty free in vancouver too

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Have to walk through duty free in vancouver too

You walk by it, not through it in YVR.

[topfiverecords]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

The having to go through duty free is nothing new, I remember doing it in Frankfurt to catch the Lufthansa flight back to YYC.

Just watched a show on Frankfurt last night on Smithsonian and revenue there is 2/3 shopping, and 1/3 air travel.

[Zarley]

Walk through duty free is a standard feature in new airport design. I've never seen any issues with it and it actually results in sales 10-15% higher than the traditional type of stores.

[polak]

I'd rather walk through duty free than pay more for air fare.

[Bigtime]

According to someone over at SSP the duty free purchases for the KLM and Hainan (Beijing) flights the other day was up 600% over average.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

You walk by it, not through it in YVR.

i recall walking through one big store. was awhile ago though

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by polak

I'd rather walk through duty free than pay more for air fare.

If only it worked that way.

[Stealth22]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

According to someone over at SSP the duty free purchases for the KLM and Hainan (Beijing) flights the other day was up 600% over average.

That much? Damn...I can see why airports do it then, lol.

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by Drummer

This area looked WAY better in the OLD terminal. Here you have no "cool" pictures of USA destinations and very low ceilings.

From Facebook.

[Lubicon]

All I can picture in my mind now is Austin Powers doing that three point turn in a luggage cart....

[spetch]

I wondered what all those cords were for when I went through US Customs on Sunday (in the picture above). Coming back was very nice and spacious @ Canadian customs. I would like to come at a busier time to see how efficient it is though. Our plane was not full and we had to make a bathroom stop so by the time we got to customs it was empty. Baggage seemed a lot faster than before though which is another plus.

[topfiverecords]

They really need that many vehicles for the Link?