Transfer between Terminals E and B at BOS?
 

I hope this is the right place to ask this question, if not please accept my apologies.

Is there a way of going between Terminals B and E at Boston while staying airside, i.e. without leaving and then re entering security?

Many thanks in advance for any insights you may have!

No. I'm afraid not.

Terminal B is a separate building, not connected to any of the other terminals, except by bus on the street afaik. Because of the airport layout, with one-way roads that make a loop, I think the bus goes from Terminal E out of the airport to the blue line T (subway) station, and then returns to enter the airport roads again, stopping at Terminal A and then continuing on to Terminal B (which actually has two sides, each separate from the other).

Easier and usually faster to hike through the central parking garage.

'Hike' being the operative word !

(Slight side note...the AA and US sides of Terminal B are now connected: http://www.massport.com/news-room/ne...ctor-april-30/)

Are there any airside interterminal connections at BOS anymore? I don't think there are now that United has consolidated into one place and doesn't need to operate the shuttle.

I just picked someone up from terminal B on Tuesday and if such a connection is in place, it was not obvious/visible. Is it underground?

Both sides are connected. United has moved into the space between the old terminals. They built a number of gates. From Massport's site:


https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3916/...968f20be_z.jpg

This is not accurate. All of the terminals at BOS are connected by internal walkways, but they are all landside.

Also, during most times, the bus that connects the terminals (Bus 11) does not stop at the subway, so it would go from E to A to B. During off-peak times, Bus 55 operates, which does stop at the subway station.

Finally, as noted above, the two sides of Terminal B are now connected, both landside and airside.

As I alluded to above, you can walk among any of the terminals, and to the Hilton, via the central parking structure and connected Habitrail tubes but that is not much help to the OP who wanted to go E --> B airside.

Habitrail tubes about describes them ( but hamsters/gerbils probably get better treatment in general :-). And better have a lot of stamina, a lot of time, and very little luggage.
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From the diagram above, I must have driven right past the new pedestrian connector at Terminal B, and not noticed.

It's not really visible from the roadway as you go around the horn at the top of B.

I suppose you could fly out on US and back on WN (or vice versa), connecting in another city where the two share the same terminal airside area. :D

Any international flight* on any airline that uses Terminal B will return you to Terminal E because that's where the customs and immigration folks hang out. Got a couple of days for the transfer?

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*Other than those that go to airports with U.S. pre-clearance. Those are all in Canada, Ireland, the Atlantic/Caribbean and the Middle East.

Yes, but customs & immigration exits landside rather than airside.

It's a very easy walk. Probably about 20 minutes at a relatively leisurely pace. So if you have the time and can handle your luggage either on your own or using a cart, it's not a big deal. Maybe it's just me, but I don't think a 20-minute walk (with no hills) takes "a lot of stamina."

This is what I ended up doing.

Many thanks for all the helpful responses.

Having never flown Southwest before the US/WN connection option sounded interesting but had to be discarded for lack of time! ;)

So just assume that every flyer is just like you? Same age, gender, and fitness level? Sorry you don't seem to have any empathy. Shoving a cart full of luggage or pulling a large bag with another on top for 20 minutes does indeed take stamina for some and is not the usual expectation of airport travel these days.

I'm not getting into the argument of whether it's reasonable, but if you look at some of the busiest airports - JFK, LAX, ATL, etc, and see some of the inter-terminal walks required (or even just the hikes to the shuttle), I will suggest that it is the expectation from the airport's perspective.

I don't like doing it, though. I carried a car seat on my back from the A garage to the AS checkin counter at BOS and I did not like the walk through the hamster tubes one bit. I have since acquired wheels for said seat.

Not sure why you're being so argumentative. A 20-minute walk is a 20-minute walk. For me, and I think (hope) for a lot of other people, that doesn't require a lot of stamina. You're right that for others it does. So maybe they should choose a different option. Should we argue about it some more?

Oh please. Blumie simply said if you can handle your luggage the walk isn't a big deal and that for him/her a 20 minute walk on flat surfaces is not a big deal. For some people walking to their mailbox takes great stamina. That doesn't mean that every distance walk needs to be described as potentially strenuous.

Nothing in the post suggests that he/she thinks everyone is just like them and that he has no empathy.

And lots of airports require lengthy walks, especially if parking lots are concerned.

With great respect, this is not about empathy, it's about reality, and preparing for it. In fact such long walks are the usual expectation of airport travel these days. You routinely walk a half mile or more between alighting from ground transportation and the door of your aircraft. A 20-minute walk, landside, airside, or combined, is not unusual.

Sorry to bump the thread which is a few months old, but I have a quick question after reading it. I am doing a US (B) to BA (E) connection next year. I get the bit that there is no airside route, but is it quicker to us the internal landside walkways and walk via C to get to E, or walk through the central parking garage, or to get one of the shuttle buses (probably 11)? Thanks.

Quickest transit: probably a tossup between waiting for the landside inter-terminal shuttle bus and hiking through the central garage -- the former option obviously easier. The longest option would be the terminal tour B-->C-->E. While B and C are reasonably close, C and E are a fair distance apart.

Many thanks BearX220 ^

That's exactly what I wanted to know, I couldn't really tell from the terminal maps how long a walk the B->C->E walk really was. Looks like the bus or the parking garage then.

From the US side of Terminal B, I think the best routing is to walk to Terminal A, then it's a straight shot through the parking garage to Terminal E. I would always do this over the bus since I'm too impatient to wait for the bus and know my way well. If you're not familiar with the route though, the bus might be a better bet (and likely will be quicker).

Thanks for the advice Blumie.

I've never walked from B to C, but the walk from C (baggage claim level) to E is about 10 minutes at an average pace. Almost all inside through the old Terminal D area and well marked.

I measured it out in Google Maps - looks like going from B/US side to A, then across the garage walkways, versus crossing the B garage to the B-AA side, then going through terminal C to E both work out to about 3500' (give or take some added distance going up and down between levels or to find doors).

Thanks octr202. I think I will make a decision nearer the time, but I quite fancy a brisk walk rather than being on a bus after a flight from PHX and before getting on another long flight to LHR.

Looks like I'm in luck. Flying SW and would like to use the AF lounge (via PP/LC). They are both in E according to massport.com. Is that accurate?

There are two sides to Terminal E, a domestic side and an international side. My guess is that you can't cross between the two and will not be able to access the AF lounge. Besides, if you're flying WN, you should enjoy the full WN experience, including an over crowded gate area with minimal amenities.

And that is why I always ask here. You just never know...

I prefer to mix and match to my advantage.

Once airside, both sides of E are accessible. You could go past security at either of the two TSA checkpoints. The asker can access the AF lounge, assuming it is open.

Even back when it was Terminal D (at least during the Airtran days), you could get over to terminal E inside security. That was certainly an asset as the old D area was horrible to wait in (no idea what it's like now).

I stand corrected.

Hey!

I used to run the gift shop in Terminal D.




OK, it *was* a terrible terminal.

Hi all!

reviving the thread. I hope that is alright!

Today I am flying out of Boston for the first time from B (UA). Since my appointment probably ends early, I have three hours to kill and my thought was to use the AF Lounge in Terminal E.

Is it still the case that there is no airside connect between E and B?

As a side-question: Does anyone know if access to the terminal E is possible with a boarding pass for B?

Thanks a lot!

Stefan

They are physically separate buildings, no connection.

They say they are working on one, but it is at least many months away

They are not connected airside but, save for one street you need to cross outside, they are connected landside. You should be able to clear security at Terminal E with your Terminal B boarding pass, though in my experience the AF Lounge is not worth it.