The Saarinen TWA terminal is, unfortunately, a triumph of design over function. I am not sure how much of this though is the architect or the client - compare this to Saarinen's other big terminal project just a year or two later - Dulles. I think TWA was really looking to make a design statement. The World Port, started later but finished earlier, showed a lot more innovation in planning, although the TWA terminal may have benefited a bit from lessons learned (enclosed mobile jet ways versus solid bridges for example).