My "I was escorted out of the airport by the police" story
Aug 8, 2011, 1:44 pm
#61
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The people who designed PIT were definitely morons. The whole thing is pretty useless as an O/D airport. It's only efficient when it's mostly hub traffic. They thought the hub would last forever I guess.... 
But, there is a tram between ALL airside operations. This includes international. I suppose they could attempt something like reconfigure something in the closed E gates to international arrival, but those were commuter plane gates with no jet bridges. Plus, they've already reconfigured some of this to an alternate security checkpoint (I've never used it, so I don't know how much space it takes there). And technically, even coming down from that area is STILL sterile.
There's no practical way to reconfigure this, short of a bus ride directly from the plane to someplace landside.
Someone brought up MCO. Interesting because last time I was there in Sept 2010 I got caught up in it. They seem to have a solution, at least at some times of day. They appeared to ensure that everyone got on one tram, and then when the tram arrived they had some sort of portable collapsable wall that blocked everyone from staying in the sterile area and going towards another tram. Perhaps this policy has changed since then, but I was directly caught up in it. (We had gone to a different set of gates to see someone else off, then were coming back to get the proper tram to our own gate. This operation prevented us from doing so. The TSA guys were at least a little helpful as we just played it like we went the wrong way and coughed up a fast pass of some kind that allowed us to go through the employee line for shorter wait. But we still had to go through again.)
But, there is a tram between ALL airside operations. This includes international. I suppose they could attempt something like reconfigure something in the closed E gates to international arrival, but those were commuter plane gates with no jet bridges. Plus, they've already reconfigured some of this to an alternate security checkpoint (I've never used it, so I don't know how much space it takes there). And technically, even coming down from that area is STILL sterile.
There's no practical way to reconfigure this, short of a bus ride directly from the plane to someplace landside.
Someone brought up MCO. Interesting because last time I was there in Sept 2010 I got caught up in it. They seem to have a solution, at least at some times of day. They appeared to ensure that everyone got on one tram, and then when the tram arrived they had some sort of portable collapsable wall that blocked everyone from staying in the sterile area and going towards another tram. Perhaps this policy has changed since then, but I was directly caught up in it. (We had gone to a different set of gates to see someone else off, then were coming back to get the proper tram to our own gate. This operation prevented us from doing so. The TSA guys were at least a little helpful as we just played it like we went the wrong way and coughed up a fast pass of some kind that allowed us to go through the employee line for shorter wait. But we still had to go through again.)
Aug 8, 2011, 1:46 pm
#62
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Someone brought up MCO. Interesting because last time I was there in Sept 2010 I got caught up in it. They seem to have a solution, at least at some times of day. They appeared to ensure that everyone got on one tram, and then when the tram arrived they had some sort of portable collapsable wall that blocked everyone from staying in the sterile area and going towards another tram. Perhaps this policy has changed since then, but I was directly caught up in it. (We had gone to a different set of gates to see someone else off, then were coming back to get the proper tram to our own gate. This operation prevented us from doing so. The TSA guys were at least a little helpful as we just played it like we went the wrong way and coughed up a fast pass of some kind that allowed us to go through the employee line for shorter wait. But we still had to go through again.)
Aug 8, 2011, 7:47 pm
#63
Join Date: Jan 2011
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4. The CDG-PIT route is being made a seasonal route now, as far as I know. But in the summer months it does provide an option to avoid TSA re-screening to get to an airport with no other TATL direct flights. This is the only reason I can think of that one would intentionally route through CDG 
Aug 8, 2011, 7:59 pm
#64
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Aug 8, 2011, 9:49 pm
#65
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Architecturally PDX should have this problem since it's customs area is at the end of a concourse all of which is sterile. They opted for a pretty low tech solution that works fine. They run a bus shuttle from the customs area to the main terminal - runs only when the few inbound internationals arrive and avoids forcing locals through the sterile area (which you can get to via a checkpoint if you are connecting).
Aug 8, 2011, 10:11 pm
#66
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Architecturally PDX should have this problem since it's customs area is at the end of a concourse all of which is sterile. They opted for a pretty low tech solution that works fine. They run a bus shuttle from the customs area to the main terminal - runs only when the few inbound internationals arrive and avoids forcing locals through the sterile area (which you can get to via a checkpoint if you are connecting).
Aug 9, 2011, 7:15 am
#67
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Reading my thoughts about PIT again, I suppose it could also be a bus ride from the international arrival area to landside. That would be even simpler, not having to move the arrival area at all. Just needs a door and way to access outside. Perhaps we should suggest this to the airport authority. I mean, has to be the vast majority of people on the few international flights now are terminating at PIT not connecting. There's no need to have a security checkpoint there at all; just send them ALL on a bus and if they're actually connecting, they can re-clear through the main checkpoint. I've never been in the arrival area though so don't know how reasonable it would be to have the proper passage to keep people out of the sterile area. Doesn't seem like it would be too hard though, just need some buses. But then again, the airport would have to pay for buses and the staff for them, while I'm guessing they don't have to pay for the TSA. Plus the TSA would probably object to this for some reason....
BTW, I agree the true problem is with the screening itself. This didn't used to be a big deal, hence the design of that airport in the late 80s (opened 1992). The whole thing was made with the idea that anyone could go out airside as well (hence all the stores out there, still called AirMall but a mere shadow of what was once out there). I fault the designers of PIT for making the thing somewhat inconvenient as a O/D airport in order to have it more efficient as a hub (it could easily have been good for both, I'm sure). But it's hard to fault them for not foreseeing big stupid changes in security policy.
BTW, I agree the true problem is with the screening itself. This didn't used to be a big deal, hence the design of that airport in the late 80s (opened 1992). The whole thing was made with the idea that anyone could go out airside as well (hence all the stores out there, still called AirMall but a mere shadow of what was once out there). I fault the designers of PIT for making the thing somewhat inconvenient as a O/D airport in order to have it more efficient as a hub (it could easily have been good for both, I'm sure). But it's hard to fault them for not foreseeing big stupid changes in security policy.
Aug 9, 2011, 8:12 am
#68
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That's an easy one. The pax collects his checked luggage, clears customs, inserts his duty-free items into said checked luggage, redeposits the checked luggage, clears security, exits the airport, recollects his checked luggage, and goes home.
Aug 9, 2011, 8:23 am
#69
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Aug 9, 2011, 9:04 am
#70
Join Date: Apr 2007
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Nevertheless, transiting AMS is nowhere near as painful as transiting any first port of entry into the US; you don't have to reclaim your checked bags, only to turn around and recheck them and then go through redundant screening because you momentarily claimed your check bags.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
Aug 9, 2011, 9:24 am
#71
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Rechecks the luggage for what flight?
Aug 9, 2011, 9:30 am
#72
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Redeposits the luggage. As I understand it (never having entered the USA through any of these badly-designed airports) pax are required to claim their luggage to clear customs and then put it back into the baggage system, after which it pops out landside in the normal domestic carousel.
Aug 9, 2011, 9:33 am
#73
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Redeposits the luggage. As I understand it (never having entered the USA through any of these badly-designed airports) pax are required to claim their luggage to clear customs and then put it back into the baggage system, after which it pops out landside in the normal domestic carousel.
Cheers,
GenevaFlyer
Aug 9, 2011, 11:49 am
#74
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Last time we went through this in MCO, they actually misplaced one of the carts transporting the luggage between airside and landside, and we waited SIXTY (yes, sixty) minutes for our bags to arrive on the landside carousel.
Aug 9, 2011, 7:38 pm
#75
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Depending on the airport configuration, you may be 'rechecking' the luggage after customs for a continuing flight or you may be 'rechecking' the luggage to be delivered to the 'normal', accessible-to-the-public baggage claim area.
I think it's changed now, but it used to be this way in SEA. You didn't have to re-clear TSA if SEA was your final destination, but you did have to pick up checked bags from the pre-Customs carousel (the only place in the airport with free baggage carts), clear Customs, re-'check' the bags, and pick up the bags at the 'regular' baggage carousels. PIA.
I think it's changed now, but it used to be this way in SEA. You didn't have to re-clear TSA if SEA was your final destination, but you did have to pick up checked bags from the pre-Customs carousel (the only place in the airport with free baggage carts), clear Customs, re-'check' the bags, and pick up the bags at the 'regular' baggage carousels. PIA.