Will Rogers World Airport

[Thomas Vu]

Sorry for the super late ask.

I'm flying out tomorrow, and coming back Wednesday. What's the parking strategy?

[Edmond Hausfrau]

i think you had to pay a dime to activate the turnstile to get up there. my folks would tell me that was the original control tower, which may or may not be true.

I used to play board games in high school in the observation tower, carpeted walls and rarely busy, in OKC at that time nothing else to do on a Friday night that didn't involve underage drinking or unplanned pregnancy. The observation tower was safe and perfect. And yes you could go to the gates, the metal detector was right next to the bar with all the ferns and the bartenders wore vests circa 1978. You could literally ask her to hold your sambuca, slide through the detector, and she'd give you the glass on the other side.
As a side issue, having to pay with cash in the turnstile was what kept it so empty and a quiet place to play. There's a lesson there for the streetcar.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Is there any chance OKC will have Clear once the expansion is fully open and operating?

Fair question. But I have never seen anyone else in the TSA precheck queue besides me?

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Prior to (I believe) the 1993 World Trade Center attack you could walk to the gate without even going through a metal detector. Literally no security screening; passengers and non-passengers alike. As a kid it was super exciting to go hang out at the gate to see someone off or to greet them coming out of the jetway. It was pretty routine to go have a meal with someone in one of the concourse restaurants before their flight, have a drink with them in one of the bars, etc.

Then there were metal detectors added in response to that first WTC attack. Anyone could still go to the gate to see someone off and/or greet them. If you could clear a metal detector, you were in.

Then of course 9/11 happened and all bets were off. Way more innocent (or perhaps naive) time.

I remember all this. I flew back from Europe in 1989 and there were metal detectors. I know because no one met me at the gate because my elderly grandmother couldn't get up from her wheelchair to walk through the detector, so they had to try to find a "respectful" way to search her. I remember thinking, huh, I guess we don't meet family at the gate anymore. And this was well before any WTC attacks, though post many hijacking attempts.

[kukblue1]

Sorry for the super late ask.

I'm flying out tomorrow, and coming back Wednesday. What's the parking strategy?

I drove around the loop yesterday to kill some time before work and the parking lot looked full. Lot 1 long term is closed and it looked like half of lot 2 was also closed. I think that might have to change soon looked pretty full to me. Of course there is the garage

[Anonymous.]

Parking at Will Rogers is actually super cheap right now. I believe with the pandemic, prices were lowered. You can park for just $7 per day (as of last week, anyways).

I used to uber/lyft, which would be about $40 round trip from where I live. However, the parking is so cheap that you can basically park for 4-5 days and still come out on top.

Note: This is parking in the uncovered lots that a shuttle picks you up and takes you to the terminal.

[Thomas Vu]

Parking at Will Rogers is actually super cheap right now. I believe with the pandemic, prices were lowered. You can park for just $7 per day (as of last week, anyways).

I used to uber/lyft, which would be about $40 round trip from where I live. However, the parking is so cheap that you can basically park for 4-5 days and still come out on top.

Note: This is parking in the uncovered lots that a shuttle picks you up and takes you to the terminal.

Yeah, I think that's defined as lot #2 which I believe is the route I'm taking. That and I come back so late anyway that I don't want to wait for rideshare to come pick me up.

[PoliSciGuy]

So I must've missed the earlier conversation about this, but we were back at WRWA for the first time since January 2020 and planned on grabbing food before flying, yet all the dining options in the main area by the security checkpoint are shuttered. What are the plans for filling those again? Really frustrating to have so few options to grab a quick bite before boarding.


e: \/\/ Ah, perfect, thank you!

[Pete]

So I must've missed the earlier conversation about this, but we were back at WRWA for the first time since January 2020 and planned on grabbing food before flying, yet all the dining options in the main area by the security checkpoint are shuttered. What are the plans for filling those again? Really frustrating to have so few options to grab a quick bite before boarding.

https://www.okctalk.com/content.php?...pen-in-airport

[Jesseda]

I drove around the loop yesterday to kill some time before work and the parking lot looked full. Lot 1 long term is closed and it looked like half of lot 2 was also closed. I think that might have to change soon looked pretty full to me. Of course there is the garage

All of Lot#2 is now open. Lot#1 is currently still employee only parking. If you have any questions or concerns on airport parking give us a call at 405-316-3250.

[Jesseda]

Lot #1 Shuttle parking officially reopened this morning! If you have any airport parking questions please call 1-405-316-3250

[kukblue1]

Lot #1 Shuttle parking officially reopened this morning! If you have any airport parking questions please call 1-405-316-3250

Just a quick question if you don't mind I saw the sign that said credit card only. Is there a machine out there to pay as you leave or do you have to do it in the terminal?

[Jesseda]

Just a quick question if you don't mind I saw the sign that said credit card only. Is there a machine out there to pay as you leave or do you have to do it in the terminal?

yes lot#1 and lot#3 are currently credit card only. You can pay for your fee with your parking ticket in the airport when you return at any of the Parking kiosk pay stations located in baggage on the east side of baggage and west side of baggage located next to the exit doors. Also you can pay at the exit pay station in the parking lot itself located at the drive thru exit of both parking lots.

[Celebrator]

yes lot#1 and lot#3 are currently credit card only. You can pay for your fee with your parking ticket in the airport when you return at any of the Parking kiosk pay stations located in baggage on the east side of baggage and west side of baggage located next to the exit doors. Also you can pay at the exit pay station in the parking lot itself located at the drive thru exit of both parking lots.

But how can you take the ticket with you to pay at the indoor kiosk if you're supposed to leave it visible on the dash? Or is that not the procedure anymore?

[PoliSciGuy]

Don’t leave it on the dash, the sun will wear away the writing if it’s left there too long, as I discovered one time.

[catch22]

Most parking tickets I have received in the last 5 or 6 years all around the country have specifically stated to not leave on dash. I used to leave them on dash as proof of admittance, but really it doesn’t make much sense logically because you can’t leave the lot without paying anyway. Most lots have a minimum fee for lost tickets. So they are going to get paid either way. Many operators also track license plates upon entry, or drive the lot overnight scanning them with a camera reader. No real need to ever leave a ticket.

[Jesseda]

But how can you take the ticket with you to pay at the indoor kiosk if you're supposed to leave it visible on the dash? Or is that not the procedure anymore?

the only thing you leave on dash is if you are parked in reserved premium parking and you have a reservation slip you place that slip on your dash. If you have any questions please contact Will Rogers Parking at 405-316-3250.

[Jesseda]

Thank you for helping inform others about this. There is signs currently being created to inform customers at the entrances of the ticket machines to not leave the tickets exposed to sunlight on the car dash. If you ever have any Airport parking questions on concerns please call 405-316-3250 they are there 24/7 to answer any and all of your parking questions or concerns

[Celebrator]

^Thanks all! Have to form a new habit!

[Pete]

Freddy's is taking a spot in the food court.

Wasn't this space last occupied by Tucker's?

[no1cub17]

Fair question. But I have never seen anyone else in the TSA precheck queue besides me?

Haha, this is one of my favorite things about flying out of OKC! Literally no one other than us has precheck. It's shocking to see 200+ people in the regular line and at the same time have the precheck lane all to ourselves. We've probably saved hundreds of hours here just by having precheck.

[whatitis]

Haha, this is one of my favorite things about flying out of OKC! Literally no one other than us has precheck. It's shocking to see 200+ people in the regular line and at the same time have the precheck lane all to ourselves. We've probably saved hundreds of hours here just by having precheck.

I have precheck but don't fly out of OKC often. But the line is short almost everywhere we use it.

[brianinok]

Haha, this is one of my favorite things about flying out of OKC! Literally no one other than us has precheck. It's shocking to see 200+ people in the regular line and at the same time have the precheck lane all to ourselves. We've probably saved hundreds of hours here just by having precheck.

We have pre-check but pre-Covid there were a few times the pre-check line had ~25-35 people in it. It was always better than the regular line. I still think Clear would be good to have, especially since we pay for it. Might as well be able to use it more places...

Just for comparison, Birmingham (AL) airport has Clear, and in 2019 they only had 3.09 million travelers, while OKC had 4.42 million. Surely an airport 43% larger than Clear's smallest airport could lure them?

[LakeEffect]

We have pre-check but pre-Covid there were a few times the pre-check line had ~25-35 people in it. It was always better than the regular line. I still think Clear would be good to have, especially since we pay for it. Might as well be able to use it more places...

Just for comparison, Birmingham (AL) airport has Clear, and in 2019 they only had 3.09 million travelers, while OKC had 4.42 million. Surely an airport 43% larger than Clear's smallest airport could lure them?

Birmingham has some special business travel circumstances that might have pushed that Clear addition? They have (or had) a Delta 767 to Frankfurt for a while because of Mercedes Benz...

[HOT ROD]

Love that Freddy's is coming to WRWA. Nice to have a nice option with a full(er) menu (I like their product better than most similar concepts).

They're from Wichita so fairly close to being local ala Sonic. Good on them