Curious - Any airports other than IAD have "moon buggies"?
Jun 27, 2005, 8:17 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2002
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MEX has them - and they come from the same time era as the IAD ones. I guess they thought they were the future back then.... 
Some of them are even the same make/model. However (since gate space is a rare commodity in MEX, especially during the mid-day flight bank) the moon buggies are used to board/disembark at the aircraft door directly. They then take you to the terminal, gate 19 for international, and some other gate for domestic. Looks like they're there to stay, too, at least until they build the new terminal.
Some of them are even the same make/model. However (since gate space is a rare commodity in MEX, especially during the mid-day flight bank) the moon buggies are used to board/disembark at the aircraft door directly. They then take you to the terminal, gate 19 for international, and some other gate for domestic. Looks like they're there to stay, too, at least until they build the new terminal.
Jun 27, 2005, 8:21 am
#5
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Mirabel in Montreal (YMX) used to have them.
No passenger service out of there anymore though, just cargo.
No passenger service out of there anymore though, just cargo.
Jun 27, 2005, 8:24 am
#6
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Originally Posted by chtiet
No moon buggies at PHL for at least 2 yrs now.
I used them once to embark on a B767 to AMS. You're right though: that was over 2 years ago.
Jun 27, 2005, 8:28 am
#8
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When IAD opened they were called mobile lounges. In the main (and at that time the only) terminal each flight had a gate where you entered the lounge. When everyone was on board the lounge, it went directly to the plane where everyone boarded directly from the lounge. At the time it was a very new idea.
Jun 27, 2005, 8:36 am
#9
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BWI had one or two, at least a few years back, but only for special situations. Here's a link to a story about the ill-fated AA rescue - a people mover, sent to get people off a disabled AA plane (tire problems) out in the back 40, catches fire. That was also about the same time as the fire-prone propane buses to the economy parking lot, if I remember - not much rest for the airport fire squad.
Jun 27, 2005, 9:03 am
#10
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Hmmm...the things you learn on this board...I never knew.
My husband and I highly admire the salesperson who sold them this system. IMHO, one of the most talented salespeople in the history of time. ^
My husband and I highly admire the salesperson who sold them this system. IMHO, one of the most talented salespeople in the history of time. ^
Jun 27, 2005, 9:11 am
#11
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Originally Posted by last2board
When IAD opened they were called mobile lounges. In the main (and at that time the only) terminal each flight had a gate where you entered the lounge. When everyone was on board the lounge, it went directly to the plane where everyone boarded directly from the lounge. At the time it was a very new idea.
I read a couple of years ago that IAD was decommissioning theirs, though they seem to have new ones in use there now, so maybe it was just an older fleet that was being scrapped. And hearing that they're in use at MEX makes me wonder if the older IAD ones got sent there rather than the junk yard. Regardless, the article about the decommissioning made me fantasize about buying one of them at a scrap price and driving it to work. Then I'd have something to say to Hummer drivers about who's King of the Road!
Jun 27, 2005, 10:32 am
#12
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Originally Posted by flygirl555
My husband and I highly admire the salesperson who sold them this system. IMHO, one of the most talented salespeople in the history of time. ^
The "moon buggies" were better than walking across the tarmac, and not as noisome when they took you directly to your plane. Of course their time has been passed by.
Jun 27, 2005, 11:11 am
#13
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In fact BD (and maybe other airlines too??) still use the IAD moon buggies to take pax directly from the gate area to the plane. I was told by the purser on my BD IAD-MAN flight that the buggies only do 2 runs between the terminal and the plane: the first one to door 2 of the A330 plane, the second run (with the J, premium Y pax and late-commers) to door 1. If any pax miss the last buggy to the plane they are stuck in IAD and have to take the next day flight.
Jun 27, 2005, 1:16 pm
#15
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Originally Posted by cj001f
Less talented than the person who convinced Eisenhower to select that location in 1958. Dulles was a long, long way from anywhere when it opened in 1962, and airtravel was a far, far different beast. Heck it was a long way from anywhere into the 80's.
As far as Dulles seems, the new airports that have opened in the past few years are even farther - KIX, ICN, KUL, etc. And let's not talk about NRT
But in the US, I don't think any other airport is farther from its namesake's downtown than Washington-Dulles is (DEN comes close).