Will Rogers World Airport

[shawnw]

Delta

[catch22]

Delta

The Airport Trust needs to be held accountable by City Council for such a crappy decision. The airline with the least amount of interest in OKC, and the weakest schedule of the major airlines gets the nicest gates in the airport. The bulk of their flight schedule is usually done by 2pm with a handful of flights in the evening.

[LakeEffect]

The Airport Trust needs to be held accountable by City Council for such a crappy decision. The airline with the least amount of interest in OKC, and the weakest schedule of the major airlines gets the nicest gates in the airport. The bulk of their flight schedule is usually done by 2pm with a handful of flights in the evening.

You're right... but also, as a Delta guy, I love it.

You have to wonder if Delta made some sort of quiet deal for the future? Texas/the SW is such a hole in Delta's network since they pulled hub/focus from DFW ages ago.

[Jeepnokc]

You're right... but also, as a Delta guy, I love it.

You have to wonder if Delta made some sort of quiet deal for the future? Texas/the SW is such a hole in Delta's network since they pulled hub/focus from DFW ages ago.

Then made things worse by dropping Memphis, Now you basically have to go to Atlanta and back for anywhere in Texas or gulf coast

[Anonymous.]

With the new gates/terminal area. Now parts of the old terminal can be closed for renovation. Right? Right guys?

Guys..?

[Pete]

^

Actually, a big part of the existing terminal is being renovated.

Besides all the additional restaurants and retail, one of the two current security areas (the one in the eastern section) is being converted into a big greeter lounge.

The rest of the terminal was just fully upgraded about 10 years ago.

[d-usa]

Delta just has a few gates, so it makes sense to put them at the end of one side of the terminal. It’s not about which gate is nicest I think, but more about keeping gates together. Then the airlines with more gates can be located together.

[DelCamino]

^^
You're exactly right. And more importanly, the success of the new concessions that are planned would be hindered if the heaviest utilized gates are placed in the new area, thereby limiting foot traffic to the rest of the terminal and past the majority of concessions.

[gopokes88]

The Airport Trust needs to be held accountable by City Council for such a crappy decision. The airline with the least amount of interest in OKC, and the weakest schedule of the major airlines gets the nicest gates in the airport. The bulk of their flight schedule is usually done by 2pm with a handful of flights in the evening.

Agreed. American should have been given the gates, they clearly have the deepest commitment to OKC right now. That new Alaska partnership is huge as well.

[BG918]

You're right... but also, as a Delta guy, I love it.

You have to wonder if Delta made some sort of quiet deal for the future? Texas/the SW is such a hole in Delta's network since they pulled hub/focus from DFW ages ago.

They are building up Austin as a focus city. I would bet there will be OKC-AUS flights that will allow for connections elsewhere. AUS is not as well-situated for connections as ATL and SLC though unless you’re going to Mexico.

SLC, MSP, DTW, ATL and eventually AUS is a decent lineup but still not as good as what AA and United offer

[d-usa]

Agreed. American should have been given the gates, they clearly have the deepest commitment to OKC right now. That new Alaska partnership is huge as well.

But what is the point of "getting" the new gates, if it just ends up spreading you across a larger area of the terminal? I think both AA and United will likely end up needing more gates, and that would just end up with a big long line of gates for one airline. Now I will freely admit that I am 100% not an airport expert, but I think it would make more sense to keep the airlines with more gates in the west most part of the terminal where they have gates on both sides. That would make it easier to consolidate operations by having all the planes near each other, it would make it easier to find your correct gate if the physical area is smaller, it would give passengers more room to spread out to seating for the other gates near there, and it would be less noise because you don't have all the foot traffic exiting the security checkpoint and restaurants nearby. I really think it's less of "who gets the shiny new gate" and more "what placement makes the most sense".

So I think it maybe a layout like this possibly:

[Pete]

There is a Phase II to the eastern terminal expansion, and if/when that happens then all the gates could accommodate American.

But as it is, only 4 gates are being added in this phase.

[Anonymous.]

So the new security checkpoint is [being] built here in this Phase 1 deal, yes? Jus trying to get bearings right from the renderings and what has been finished.

This will force all new departures to at least walk through the new terminal section.

[shawnw]

Yes

[shawnw]

So I think it maybe a layout like this possibly:

The gate to the far east is the international gate that can be closed off from the rest of the airport and has a hallway leading to the international holding room.

[Pete]

So the new security checkpoint is [being] built here in this Phase 1 deal, yes? Jus trying to get bearings right from the renderings and what has been finished.

This will force all new departures to at least walk through the new terminal section.

I did a little write-up and added some renderings which hopefully makes it easier to understand:

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...ars-completion

[shawnw]

Nice write up, glad I took so many pictures from seemingly innocuous places, adding those to the renderings really helps put it all together in my head.

[catch22]

Delta just has a few gates, so it makes sense to put them at the end of one side of the terminal. It’s not about which gate is nicest I think, but more about keeping gates together. Then the airlines with more gates can be located together.

It’s a significant public investment and it does not improve their access, as they are already on that end of the concourse.

They serve the fewest number of customers for a large airline and is an underutilization of said public investment.

[JDSooners]

So the new security checkpoint is [being] built here in this Phase 1 deal, yes? Jus trying to get bearings right from the renderings and what has been finished.

This will force all new departures to at least walk through the new terminal section.

Over the past year and a half i have probably spent the most time than others in the existing areas and the construction areas.

Its gonna suck to be an American, united or Alaska customer along with anyone else but delta, flying out of the airport, to go through TSA you have to go to the east side of the airport and walk back to your gate

I think delta is taking 3 of the 4 gates, 26, 28 and 30.
32 looks like it could be international, special use, military, stranded travelers gate as it looks like youre gonna have a large staging area on the baggage claim level available to just that gate, you could keep an airplanes worth of people downstairs they'd be isolated from the airport i dunno just my opinion

It looks like they have no plans to reopen Baggage Claim 1, directly under gates 22 and 24, at the start of construction they removed the baggage belt and put up construction walls, seems like they rebuilt a cinder block wall on 1 opening of the belt and the 2nd opening for the belt was a construction door, theyve since closed that opening up and it looks like that area is going to just be seating for awhile. the gc intends to give that area back to the airport soon, theyre redoing tile, and hopefully theyll lay carpet squares. I cant imagine losing a baggage claim when you're gaining gates.

Starbucks seems like the only eatery that is getting any attention, its the first thing youll see after you get through tsa.

TSA screening, this seems like an area youd give the most attention too, but the ceiling for that area is gonna be what keeps the project from opening, you cant install scanners lines etc until you have everything that goes above it.
Once its funtional they're removing everything in the entry in front of the southwest gates, and making it match the exit they have done by the current delta gates 22 and 24, im curious to know if theyll use the aux tsa area as an exit while they're converting the tsa to an exit. Its going to suck if youre walking back from the alaska gate 1.

I miss tuckers cinnabon and schlotzskys, the current food offering is really bad, 15 dollars for a hamburger or breakfast burrito is really bad, i really hope they give travellers better food offerings

[JDSooners]

So the new security checkpoint is [being] built here in this Phase 1 deal, yes? Jus trying to get bearings right from the renderings and what has been finished.

This will force all new departures to at least walk through the new terminal section.

Over the past year and a half i have probably spent the most time than others in the existing areas and the construction areas.

Its gonna suck to be an American, united or Alaska customer along with anyone else but delta, flying out of the airport, to go through TSA you have to go to the east side of the airport and walk back to your gate

I think delta is taking 3 of the 4 gates, 26, 28 and 30.
32 looks like it could be international, special use, military, stranded travelers gate as it looks like youre gonna have a large staging area on the baggage claim level available to just that gate, you could keep an airplanes worth of people downstairs they'd be isolated from the airport i dunno just my opinion

It looks like they have no plans to reopen Baggage Claim 1, directly under gates 22 and 24, at the start of construction they removed the baggage belt and put up construction walls, seems like they rebuilt a cinder block wall on 1 opening of the belt and the 2nd opening for the belt was a construction door, theyve since closed that opening up and it looks like that area is going to just be seating for awhile. the gc intends to give that area back to the airport soon, theyre redoing tile, and hopefully theyll lay carpet squares. I cant imagine losing a baggage claim when you're gaining gates.

Starbucks seems like the only eatery that is getting any attention, its the first thing youll see after you get through tsa.

TSA screening, this seems like an area youd give the most attention too, but the ceiling for that area is gonna be what keeps the project from opening, you cant install scanners lines etc until you have everything that goes above it.
Once its funtional they're removing everything in the entry in front of the southwest gates, and making it match the exit they have done by the current delta gates 22 and 24, im curious to know if theyll use the aux tsa area as an exit while they're converting the tsa to an exit. Its going to suck if youre walking back from the alaska gate 1.

I miss tuckers cinnabon and schlotzskys, the current food offering is really bad, 15 dollars for a hamburger or breakfast burrito is really bad, i really hope they give travellers better food offerings

[Snowman]

I cant imagine losing a baggage claim when you're gaining gates.

If some of the longer term plans that would allow up to around 35-40 plausible gates can happen, expanding the east concourse and adding a south one, which seems would not have much more if any expansion of the central terminal building. We would have to be way underutilizing the capacity of the current baggage area.

[catch22]

Baggage claim capacity could be increased with traditional carousel type bag claim units - The ones you see in larger airports instead of the looped flat plate system.

In Denver, United has 6 bag claim units which together handle an average claim volume of around 12,000 bags per day.

The airport can survive easily off of 6 provided they were the higher capacity carousels.

PDX uses the flat ones (however they are probably double or triple the running length) and they make due with 10 units (for an airport that handles 5 times the passenger volume of OKC)

[TheTravellers]

...
I miss tuckers cinnabon and schlotzskys, the current food offering is really bad, 15 dollars for a hamburger or breakfast burrito is really bad, i really hope they give travellers better food offerings

I'm with you on that one!

[Pete]

It wasn't that long ago that bag claim at WRWA consisted of just dumping the bags out in a small area that didn't rotate at all.

It was the worst system I have ever seen; people would climb all over each other.


BTW, at all these carousels they need to paint a line and have everyone stand behind it until they see their bag, then step forward. The current process of everyone crowding directly in front of the moving belt means you can't see your bag unless you elbow your way in.

[Martin]

^huh... must have been before my time as i don't recall ever seeing that. they've had carousels in baggage claim as far back as i can remember... sometime in the early to mid 80's... a time when anybody could just walk out to the terminal and there were banks of coin-operated tv's for people to sit and watch.

edit: found a pic!