Will Rogers World Airport

[bombermwc]

Agreed bluedog. And for the scope of changes 9/11 caused, i feel like WRWA has done a pretty good job of making it not feel like the changes were slapped on at the end (like they were). Places like San Diego or New Orleans still have multiple check points because some areas are disconnected from one another and require a second screening just to change planes. Places like John Wayne are so spread out that you can be the only one at a security checkpoint at certain times of day....but they staff them all because it's such a long walk between them.

WRWA is a mid-sized airport (i would call places like Pensacola/Lawton/Mobile small...you know the 6 gaters), and some of the growing pains of being between the small fries and the big boys and add some difficulties. Just be thankful we never turned into a hub! You think you complain now....oh boy. The speed of WRWA is often lost on people because we take it for granted. In Houston, i would have to wait almost an hour to get bags from an international flight to the carousel. Add that to the next hour it takes to get through customs and then through security. Yeah, it's annoying that at WRWA you have to wait for what seems to be a long time, but i would say that most of the public feel that way because we think, "heck, it's just WRWA and there aren't any other flights coming in, surely they can get the bags here quickly...come on". But would you feel the same way if you were at say, SEA-TAC or DFW?...or the nightmare that is O'Hare?

[Jeepnokc]

Agreed bluedog. And for the scope of changes 9/11 caused, i feel like WRWA has done a pretty good job of making it not feel like the changes were slapped on at the end (like they were). Places like San Diego or New Orleans still have multiple check points because some areas are disconnected from one another and require a second screening just to change planes. Places like John Wayne are so spread out that you can be the only one at a security checkpoint at certain times of day....but they staff them all because it's such a long walk between them.

WRWA is a mid-sized airport (i would call places like Pensacola/Lawton/Mobile small...you know the 6 gaters), and some of the growing pains of being between the small fries and the big boys and add some difficulties. Just be thankful we never turned into a hub! You think you complain now....oh boy. The speed of WRWA is often lost on people because we take it for granted. In Houston, i would have to wait almost an hour to get bags from an international flight to the carousel. Add that to the next hour it takes to get through customs and then through security. Yeah, it's annoying that at WRWA you have to wait for what seems to be a long time, but i would say that most of the public feel that way because we think, "heck, it's just WRWA and there aren't any other flights coming in, surely they can get the bags here quickly...come on". But would you feel the same way if you were at say, SEA-TAC or DFW?...or the nightmare that is O'Hare?

Sometimes I think people (including me) forget or don't understand that compared to a lot of places, we are pretty fortunate with the flights and airlines we have. I would definitely like more options. I flew through Daytona Beach couple of weeks ago and it appeared that they only have two airlines that serve them and six to eight gates.

[Just the facts]

I flew through Daytona Beach couple of weeks ago and it appeared that they only have two airlines that serve them and six to eight gates.

Keep in mind though that within a about an hour drive of Daytona Beach is Orlando International, Sanford International, Melbourne International, and Jacksonville International. Tampa International is only 2 hours away. Plus, Frontier Airlines now flies into North Florida Regional Airport (St Augustine). That is a lot of competition for passengers.

[catch22]

Will OKC get Alaska Airlines anytime soon? That's my big direct flight gap, atm.

Outside the range of their CRJ700's and they don't seem interested in sending a plane here even though all of their major repair and overhaul is done here in OKC.

With the heating up competition from Delta in the Seattle market, it would not surprise me to eventually see a nonstop from either DL or AS. They have to find opportunities that are untapped as competition grows.

[adaniel]

Sometimes I think people (including me) forget or don't understand that compared to a lot of places, we are pretty fortunate with the flights and airlines we have. I would definitely like more options. I flew through Daytona Beach couple of weeks ago and it appeared that they only have two airlines that serve them and six to eight gates.

While there is always room for improvement, I agree. The airline industry kinda "is what it is" at this point, so there will simply be certain routes that will be hard for OKC to obtain. At the same time, the airport is largely in line with what someone would expect for a market of our size, which is limited by the rather sparse popuation outside the immediate OKC area and a massive internation hub just three hours south.

I for one always enjoyed flying out of OKC and never felt like it was a pain to get anywhere, at least domestically. OKC could use some free Wi-Fi and the restaraunts were a bit sparse, but you'd be surprised how many people from out of state LOVE Sonic, so take it FWIW. Its interesting that someone compared us to TUL. While they have a nice facility, there was recently an article in the Tulsa World about how bad their service has slipped compared to OKC. So sometimes the grass isn't always greener.

[BG918]

It's been a very long time since I've been in TUL. I haven't seen any of the renovation work first hand, but some of the pictures look nice. Especially considering the limited construction that was done in the old low-ceiling structure.

One thing I do like at TUL is the line around baggage claim....at least I think that's where I saw it. A good 4-5 feet away from the carousel. Said something like Stand here until you see your bag! I've even had problems at WRWA having to stand sideways in order to get my bag. Very frustrating. I would LOVE to see that put in at WRWA and they don't even have to wait for construction to do that one!.

I fly into and out of both OKC and TUL frequently. Both are great airports for their size, better than most of our peer cities IMO.

OKC is better in the concourses with the high ceilings, lots of glass and really wide hall. TUL used to have low celings and was outdated until this latest remodel which finishes next year. The ceilings have been raised and skylights added but I still think they should have rebuilt the concourse from the ground up like OKC did and have higher ceilings and more importantly increase the width, since it gets crowded at certain gates when an aircraft is boarding.

TUL has the better centralized security checkpoint and baggage claims though with high ceilings and much more room than in OKC. Both are lacking in good food options but I do like the sit down TGIF and Camille's for sandwiches at TUL, plus Starbucks though I like the Coffee Bean and Schlotsky's at OKC. The ticketing area is nicer at OKC though TUL does have a mid century modern feel in that area that is unique.

As for flights I believe the only ones offered from OKC and not TUL are LAX (AA/United), SFO (United), BWI (Southwest), while TUL has MIA (AA). OKC has a third DEN option in Frontier which is awesome for me as that's my usual destination and fares are lower at OKC than TUL because of the competition.

[OUman]

I just took a look at the Tulsa airport website. Very organized, and up-to-date compared to ours. Also of note is the passenger traffic counts are gaining quite a bit over last year's counts (March traffic was up 8.3% and the latest figures are showing big improvements too). Good for them!

[tfvc.org]

I lived in St Pete for 9 years and I had a Moe's Southwest Grill right across the street. I have seen that the Airport has one, but the few times I have been in it the last couple years I haven't found it yet. Is it still there? Where?

[bluedogok]

Sometimes I think people (including me) forget or don't understand that compared to a lot of places, we are pretty fortunate with the flights and airlines we have. I would definitely like more options. I flew through Daytona Beach couple of weeks ago and it appeared that they only have two airlines that serve them and six to eight gates.

My wife flies to Midland (MAF) to visit family, she has two options from Denver, Southwest and United. The Southwest flights go through Houston Hobby, Dallas Love (and OKC or Tulsa for the time being) or Las Vegas, those flights run between 300 and 400, United has a direct flight but it is 1,100.

Those smaller airports are a challenge to plan and get to for job site visits, we are doing a new six gate terminal building for Minot, North Dakota, upgrading from two gates. My company also did the New Orleans airport (before I went to work for them) but that has been a mess of a project for a lot of different reasons.

[Mel]

The chow is better at WRWA now than when Sky Chef ran that cafeteria style joint back in the day. Haven't had my green beans weighed since.

[no1cub17]

Again, just my opinion. But I really do hold OKC high on my list of small airports. I absolutely miss flying out of there all the time rather than SEA-TAC.

Fair enough - well in that case, you could just move back you know And you're right I probably overstated how much I liked TUL "better" - now that I think of it, most of which was the elliptical bag claim - which AA bungled up anyway. OKC is much more open and airy, and it was a hot day but it was hotter than hell inside TUL. I don't remember it being uncomfortably Changi-like hot inside WRWA before.

And in response to another post: doubt that'd we'd see AS start OKC - would be one heck of a bold move, and they have to keep fending off the DL onslaught somehow - but would be amazing! I wonder if there's any oil/gas demand from OKC to Alaska? Not my field though so I'd have no idea.

[Plutonic Panda]

The chow is better at WRWA now than when Sky Chef ran that cafeteria style joint back in the day. Haven't had my green beans weighed since.

I put noon put lands on tonight and danced with a cowboy boot

[Plutonic Panda]

On a regular basis and I will be looking for a while back and forth between a good time to time and money on the other hand is a good example of a new one of the first basis pink join I know about the it. I will destroy a monkey a before the night is over

[ljbab728]

i put noon put lands on tonight and danced with a cowboy boot

huh?

[ljbab728]

On a regular basis and I will be looking for a while back and forth between a good time to time and money on the other hand is a good example of a new one of the first basis pink join I know about the it. I will destroy a monkey a before the night is over

I think you need some sleep, plupan.

[Plutonic Panda]

huh?

It's part of the shimi man

[ljbab728]

It's part of the shimi man

Please see post number 143.

[adaniel]

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

[Just the facts]

I think we just discovered a new game called 'What Was PluPan Trying to Say'.

I'll admit, I'm stumped.

[bombermwc]

One thing i'd like to see at WRWA is a better greeting area. We actually lost that with the remodel because of the 9/11 changes. There aren't large crowds, but if there's much of one at all, it starts to become a difficult crowd to get through. I'd also like to see an expanded escalator bay at the gate exit...but i dont really know how that would get squeezed in give the space constraints.

If we had wiped the old terminal completely out, we would have been free to do a lot of things differently. But it also would have taken twice as long to do the renovation and what a nightmare it would have been while it happened. I still look at it and think we got a heck of a deal out of the renovation. A MILLION times better than the old building....but of course, always room for improvement. Hearing firsthand how much of a mess the actual underbelly operations are, i wish we could get some major cash down there to help that out. Trouble for that is that if people can't see it, it makes them feel like they paid for nothing....typical infrastructure pains in fund raising. Maybe it will take longer cut-offs and longer delays for bags before the complaints pile up for something to be done?

Did i see that baggage claim was something that will be gutted or am i nuts?

[ChargerAg]

Random question but most mornings that i fly out of OKC there is a black guy driving around on a segway. Sometimes he is outside security and sometime in but I can't ever figure out what he does. Anybody have any clue?

[catch22]

Random question but most mornings that i fly out of OKC there is a black guy driving around on a segway. Sometimes he is outside security and sometime in but I can't ever figure out what he does. Anybody have any clue?

That's Reggie. Airport maintenance. He has a ton of jobs around the airport as equipment breaks on the TSA equipment upstairs and downstairs every morning, and jetbridges always seem to break on a weekly basis. He is a good troubleshooter and can usually resolve most issues on the fly.

[Dubya61]

On a regular basis and I will be looking for a while back and forth between a good time to time and money on the other hand is a good example of a new one of the first basis pink join I know about the it. I will destroy a monkey a before the night is over

Thank goodness I caged up all my monkeys last night!

[Mel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnlQGXsF78

[catch22]

Here's by far my favorite design feature of the west concourse:



The rain spouts from the roof run next to the support columns, and then just dump the water on the covered sidewalks underneath the concourse. Kind of defeats the purpose of making a small lip on the perimeter of the concourse to make the walkway covered, if it just dumps all the water on the walkway.