pcoll52

Hoping MODs will let this sit here for a few days, as cross-posted in Cities/Sacramento. New terminal at SMF affects all SWA flyers.

Report: Sacramento New Terminal B “Passenger Simulation Test”

I attended as a volunteer on the Simulation Test run on WED 21 Sep, 9am-noon. I offer my observations and Top Five Action Items.

My background: UA 100k several years, international traveler, Sacramento resident since 1984, memories of flying commercial since 3yrs old (DC-9), single engine license at 18 (now expired), former ASRS (Aviation Safety Reporting System) contractor. I want to see this work!

Summary: Terminal is in a state of construction chaos. Reminds me of opening a new restaurant with the carpet-layers going out the back door, while the kitchen is cooking appetizers in a half-baked kitchen, for the glitterati arriving at the front door (I was in the kitchen for that one). So many elements of “normal” travel were missing that this was not really a Passenger Sim Test as much as an unguided tour of a construction site.

Log: Checked in at 8:55, ~200 people in the Test (~50%) were airport employees. (This was obvious as non-employees had been told to wear white shirts, which we did; airport emp had badges.) Four groups assigned/categorized by the color of one’s paper; each group had an assortment of assignments by: airline, destination.

Airlines in this new Terminal B (not to be confused with the old/existing Term B) include: Southwest (75+ flights per day), AA, B6, Frontier, Hawaiian, Alaska/Horizon, AeroMex.

We received an in-briefing and were sent by color-code to buses outside at the rental car bus area. My assignment was: AA to Jackson MS. Now, AA does not fly nonstop to Jackson from SMF, so totally a test situation. All other assignments however were to NS destinations. (I tried to trade for Hawaiian to HNL, to no avail!)

Bus dropped us after circuitous route that landed on the new roadway into the new Term B. First sign we saw said: East this way, West that way. Made no sense to anyone in my earshot, the older ladies across from me especially vocal about ‘what does East mean’?

Bus circumnavigated the entire Term B. Does Driver not know where we are going, or does all traffic go entirely around? Not clear to me even after three hours there.

Dropped on the side that is ‘all airlines not Southwest’. No guide from there, just follow the instructions on the sheet. “Go to Counter Check, get bag from middle area, check bag at counter, get BP, head to Gate”.

My interjection: Four things I want as a traveler: a) check bag/get BP b) find restroom c) goto/find Gate d) access to cash (ATM) (and wireless).
Entry into building is striking --- but no signs telling me - the harried traveler - WHERE is MY Check-in Counter?? Four long banks of terminals w people, no bloody signs saying who/where is what airlines! (Actually for checkin/bagcheck I personally prefer the Skycaps out in front. They can BP me, check bags, know the late flights, best eating, etc. To me, they are the smiling face of welcome - None today!)

Now, right now, I need a bathroom, no signs! Small placket on wall about 100’ away indicates one, after I wander within 20’ of it.

I ask around for the AA counter/checkin desk and am directed to it. Oh, this is efficient and intuitive, yes? (The asking around part I mean.) AA checks my bag, I get no bag tag (not today sir) and get no BP (another ‘not today sir’).

Next step on sheet – APM. The APM (acronym not explained on sheet) is the Auto People Mover. Moves folks from landside to airside; common around the world. I find my way up the escalator (of the four elevators, none working) and down the aisle to the APM. (Especially if I have carryons, I am frustrated here – no signs – so not sure I am headed in the right direction.)

APM consists of two tracks, one small car each way. (Small means maybe 50 people each?) Think Tampa-minus-three-cars. Hmm. 75 SWA flights per day, plus six other airlines, most flights stacked up in the AM. This seems not sufficient. Maybe engineered for the “average” but not for the “surge”. Over the course of the event, I express concern to several individuals who all defer to engineering. I HOPE there is a backup plan – just in case.

Arrive airside. BEAUTIFUL! Good signs to gates and restrooms, airy space, lots power at seats, gate agent reports ‘fast free Wi-Fi’. Can’t find ATM (my “Access to cash” thing above), but do find (one) later – see below.

All the nice restaurants seem to be out here. Need BP to get here.

We mill around the gates, waiting the instructions for the PA to tell us, by Gate, when to convert to Arrival Passengers and go the luggage area.

After 20 mins we get verbal instructions that the PA is not working and to go to luggage. All eight gates get up at once and proceed.

The escalator to the luggage area is three floors straight-and-steep shot down. My spouse would cringe at this – does not like heights. Two people nearby to me expressed this opinion without my asking. Architect?

Baggage is a disaster. NO signs for airlines or flight #. The only signs indicate TWO sides to this operation – East and West. What does THAT mean to an air arrival-tired-desperate-overloaded person??

I finally ASK a radio-equipped person ‘where is this AA flight’s bags’. He says quite candidly, ‘system is broken, your bag is probably in the AeroMex group’. It was. Along with three other airlines’ bags. (Oh, London T-5 revisited??)

From bags to transportation is equally sad. The East-West signage thing does NOT direct travelers to what they need to know: a) pickup area b) parking garage c) parking shuttle d) other trans (taxis, etc). I picked a ‘shuttle’ side for the instructed Super Shuttle, but it turned out to be the
parking shuttle side. LOOOONG trek across airport w heavy bags to find SS. I am p….. .

Deposited comment sheet w assigned person and spoke w Dir Ops. I hope
this works!

My ATM economic theory. ATMs essentially print money, like the US Treasury. If an airport squeezes travelers and tries to charge $4 to get $100, few will take up the offer. Since most airports make an over-ride on every transaction, it is in their self-interest to provide MAXIMUM access to cash. This new situation fails on this count. The procurement effort to maximize dollars-per-ATM-footprint will negatively affect the total cash flow in the
airport. BAD for the airport, BAD for travelers.

Top Five To-dos:
• Skycaps – the smiling welcome!
• Signs at entrance for: where are airlines, restrooms
• Sufficient APM to airside and back
• Variety of ATM selection (access to cash – no fees please, currently $4 to Chase)
• Luggage and egress signs tailored to travelers, not airport geography

Happy Travels!
-PEC

InkUnderNails

I did not see anything wrong with the old terminal. Always found my flight going out and my luggage coming in. Free WiFi was pretty good, and I do not remember having to hold it because there were no restrooms. They did need more food options, but there is Cinnabon, which is almost food.

Or was this just an exercise to see how much money we can spend in a state capital that is already close to bankrupt?

Pardon my rant, really. But it was not broken.

And, they better not get rid of the fascinating stack-of-luggage art at the baggage claim.

danielonn

I like the San Jose Airport Terminal B. Its so easy to navigate and I like the ground level ticketing counters, ease of access to security upstairs, baggage claim easily accessible by car. Furthermore having it connected to the International Terminal and Terminal A allows for more restaurant options,easy connections for other passengers etc.

The signs are easy to follow and you know where the passenger needs to be picked up at the baggage claim etc.

dlaue

I swear.

The architects who design some of these airports must have NEVER flown in their lives.

Any time you have to board a bus, ride a train, ascend an escalator, or drag luggage over a non-smooth floor....you have a failed airport design. (SAN gets the prize for the worst access)

If your rental cars are not located in a covered parking area to which you can walk....you have a failed design (especially in Sacramento, where it gets to 100+ degrees regularly).

If you do not provide ample, soft, wide seating for passengers....you have a failed design (look to ABQ as your gold standard for seating).

If you overlook the opportunity to entertain your passengers with live music....you have a failed design. (look to PDX as your gold standard for entertainment)

If your food choices resemble the food court in a marginal mall....you have a failed design. (look to PDX, again, as the gold standard for food offerings)

If you do not offer free wi-fi access...you have a failed design. (Kudos to SMF for this. Razzberries to LAX where the only wi-fi is provided by pirates trying to hack into hard drives)

SMF has blown an opportunity to create a great airport.

Now it has just another silly design, which never contemplates customers lugging bags.

Too bad.

dlaue

My first time at the new Sacramento WN termnial. A few observations:

The main ticketing/baggage claim building is lovely and nearly library quiet. You do have to take escalators to get anywhere, but this does not seem to cause any problems.

There is no A list check-in/baggage check line anymore.

The people mover cars are very crowded. The sherrif deputy posted near the entrance to the train said that they have been crowded all day and, "this is not even Thanksgiving." Could prove to be a real weak spot in the design. There are two trains each carrying 60 passengers on a short ride to the gate building. I did not see any way to make the trip on foot.

The security area is improved from Terminal A....and, thank heavens, no full body scanner equipment.

The gate area is quite congested in the Southwest wing. I think there are fewer seats at each gate than in the old terminal, but many of the seats do have a power outlet. No place to set your laptop, however, except on your lap. The old "bar seating" laptop desks are gone. It is more congested than the old terminal.

Southwest is having problem with its gate scanner system, so boarding is taking a long time today. No doubt this will be repaired soon.

Great local favorite restaurants coming soon---Dos Coyotes (mexican food) and Jack's Uban Eats (salads, sandwiches).

Nice smooth flooring with no seams, very good on roller bags.

Lots of room for expansion---spare gates and spare check-in counters galore.

All in all, a good B+.

El Cochinito

Yesterday afternoon I arrived SMF from LAX on a United Express flight. Felt kind of out of place landing on runway 16L on a UA flight then pulling up to the "A" terminal (old SW terminal). Our flight arrived at gate A17, on the previous day it was one of the Southwest gates.

This was the first day of the "new" SMF. United has taken over all of the old Southwest gates in terminal "A"; Continental, US Air and Delta are on the other wing in the "A" terminal.

The A terminal was virtually empty mid-afternoon. I don't think there were any UA flights scheduled to depart. I have never seen the "A" terminal so empty mid-day. I don't know if the businesses in there are going to be able to survive now that the bulk of SMF's passengers and arrival/departures have moved to the new "B" terminal.

All the Southwest signage and queue markers were gone from terminal "A". Most new signage was posted. In the ticketing lobby everything has been switched over; no sign that WN was ever there. In Baggage Claim the famous baggage cart sculptures are still there. The new airlines in the terminal have their baggage offices in place.

I took a walk over to the new Terminal "B"; it is accessable by sky bridge from the parking garage at garage level 5.

Not a whole lot to add to the previous posts about the new terminal. My first thought was, "This cost $1 Billion? Why?" I also wonder about the capacity of the people mover during rush hour. And what's going to happen when that thing eventually breaks? There is no tunnel between landside and airside. Guess they'll have to bus people back and forth. I like the big wooden rocking chairs overlooking the field. Liked the spacious feeling of the new terminal building; thought the bid red rabbit sculpture hanging from the ceiling was weird. Appears to be plenty of room for expansion, both landside and airside, to bring in another airline or two.

El Cochinito

If you are referring to the old Southwest terminal (terminal A) you are correct. But that's not why the new terminal was built. It was built to replace the old terminal B. Old terminal B opened in 1967 and was the original SMF terminal building. Southwest vacated this building when Terminal A opened up. And as SMF's biggest carrier they got first dibs on the brand new terminal.

Old terminal B long outgrew its usefulness and capability. Lots of memories for me in that building, but good riddence. It was time for it to go.

JDiver

I have posted fairly extensive information on Sacramento International Airport / KSMF / SMF, both the Terminal A (ex-Southwest) and the new Terminal B (new Southwest terminal and gates B-12 through B-23 in: Sacramento International Airport / SMF - the definitive thread.

Given about 55% of SMF's flight activity is generated by WN, fully half of the Terminal B is dedicated to WN, and I do suspect WN flyers will be pretty happy with the offerings in the new terminal. The "snowflake" seating has both powered USB and 110 VAC outlets for power, and the WiFi is free; there are some decent restaurants, including Esquire Grill (props for maintaining downtown prices, and offering delivery to gates by iPhone app.)

The Terminal A was not broken, as El Cochinito says - the old Terminal B was very much so, a veritable pit for AA, AS, CO, AM, B6, UA, etc. users. Years ago, they began planning - Terminal A was built first, Terminal B later (they came in on time and under budget for such an ambitious project, planned while traffic was increasing annually and we were in a boom time- $1.08B instead of budgeted $1.27B.

I also have misgivings about the Bombardier People Mover, but they do have the option to gang two cars in tandem and add doors with faily minimal difficulty. I gotta "LUV" the art at SMF...