Fredd

That's our impression too. We've kept our little secret for years now to always board the last car of the train, leaning on the back ledge when available, and thus stopping closest to the RCC in N Terminal and the Main Terminal exit. We may have to learn some new tricks.

dmodemd

Hey! That's my spot!

I would imagine that UA is looking to piggy back a club with CO but this talk of it being tiny worries me they may think it is sufficient :S

mkrecek

No, it's my spot and my secret! Too funny. I always take that end spot to for the same reason. But also when getting to SEA so I get ahead of everyone else to get out.

BH62

It's getting kind of crowded back here. Do we have a quorum?

vt2k

And here I thought I was an original thinker! :-p My friends all look at me funny when I force them to board the last train with me. I'm not sure they quite "get it".

I also board the last car when leaving the N terminal going to baggage claim for the sole reason I walk faster than most people and don't want to be stuck behind others as they stand on the escalator. I rarely check bags, so I want to get up the escalator ASAP and onto LINK.

CO doesn't have many flights / day. Perhaps CO + US could move into the N terminal (along with LH?) and kick out AS? That could turn the N terminal into the *A terminal and that could be cool, provided there's some good remodeling done to make it not look so 1960s...

mersk862

CO Club is extremely tiny. Last I remember, they don't even have bathrooms in there. It's large enough to handle CO's small-ish ops there - add in UA and it'll be standing room only.

I tend to doubt this would happen. If anything, the most likely scenario is Alaska taking over the entire north half of the airport (C, D, N) and UA moving to A. All told, UA/AC has around 45 daily flights, including 15 E-120s and 4 Dash 8s.

Currently, there are 11 gates on B, 3 of which are vacant. It would be possible to move AirTran, Midwest/Frontier and Virgin America to B and give each of them one gate. Put Hawaiian into A5/A6 (can handle 767s, currently Frontier/Midwest's gate), keep AA at A7-A9, and then UA gets A10-A14 (5 gates), 2 of which can handle 777s. This would likely be the least minimally invasive move for all involved; only downside is it's a haul to the end of A there. Facilities-wise though, it's light years beyond the N terminal.

formeraa

If you read the much earlier posts on this thread, AS apparently just wants C and N. The general thought was for the A concourse to become the *A concourse (hey, that would make a good advertisement). Put UA at the very end of A and the RCC would be in the old DL location. Put CO where AA currently is (AA moves to the D concourse) and the old AC would become the PC. US basically stays where it is now.

Move AirTran, Frontier/Midwest, Hawaiian, and Virgin America to the B concourse, utilizing empty gates and the old CO gates, or to remaining gates on the D concourse that AA doesn't need.

formeraa

In light of the UA/CO merger, does anything change about where AS is going at SEA? I could certainly see a combined UA/CO beefing up service out of SEA and re-claiming all of the N gates for a combined operations. Add US to the mix and they would fill the N terminal as a *A terminal.

On the other hand, one could make an argument to move to the A gates as well. The catchy "*A on the A concourse" could be put in place. Of course, all the other current A concourse tenants would have to be moved to B and/or D in this scenario (assuming AS would take over N).

bmvaughn

DL is planning to beef up the S satellite. I don't see even a combined UA/CO/US even with growth using all of the N satellite... unless they add SEA-GUM and SEA-HKG and maybe a 2nd SEA-NRT.

seacarl

It seems likely that UA/CO will up on the A concourse. It is a shame because that is furthest from Link light rail, and it is a long long walk to get to the far A gates. There is space to put a club either where the Delta club was or where AA's Admirals club was. I think there is plenty of room in A for UA/CO, US and AA. There are widebody capable gates on A. I think there are currently some SW gates but they can move to gates that CO vacates on B. The current Presidents Club on B is tiny.

The N complex would be great, and I think it the location is more convenient, but I expect that the Port and Alaska will want them to move to A instead.

SEA1K4EVR

I doubt the merger will result in UA getting back the whole N terminal. The Seattle Times reported this morning that currently UA is the #4 carrier at SEA with 2.19 million annual passengers, and CO is #8 with 1.35 million. Combined, they will still rank as #4 just behind #3 Southwest. AS is #1, DL is #2.

There are too many gates at N for the new combined UA to occupy them all. IMO, they're gonna move to A.

vt2k

Look at the bright side if UA+CO moves to the A gates: better food selections in the main terminal, not to mention Vino Vollo for those late night departures for when the RCC (PC?) is closed.

Hopefully the RCC (PC?) will take CO's stance and have it open until their last flight departs each day.

crenshaw

If the A Concourse is where UA/CO end up, I, for one, will not miss riding that silly train. I don't mind a long walk.

nardwaur

that's a bummer. in talking to the GS agent in their little secret closet there, they said the only reason they still have that GS lounge is because it's in a spot the rest of the airport doesn't really want, but it's $300/sqft per month and UA corporate looks at it every year as a cost savings. if they move elsewhere i imagine the sole remaining GS lounge will go as well.

bmvaughn

Ohhh a hidden GS lounge?