Why is DEN airport so … nice?
 

At least the B gates.

Gone through it several times but first time on a 3-hour layover here.

There are regular padded chairs, lounge chairs, workstations… everywhere! Outlets are also abundant!

And it seems like the layout of the gate is even conducive for queuing up for boarding.

Is it because it is just relatively new, with more modern design? Or some entity poured a lot more money into it?

I don't think you'll find many who like DEN (or DIA as the locals call it).

It's generally viewed as a public works disaster - from the distant location, to the failed bag delivery system, the trains which constantly break down, and what are generally the worst security lines of any major US airport. Not to mention the extraordinarily long walks from one end of Terminal B to the other.

Isn't DEN a.k.a. DIA the newest (or at least new build, not new terminal) major airport in the U.S.?

Thousands of flights in and out of DIA, no complaints from me. The distance thing is a non issue as well, as the alternative would be a bottle neck Stapleton if it was still around.

Well, you're right... I've never seen it from the side of a passenger originating from DEN.

But as a transit hub, it is not as cramped and dingy as elsewhere in the USA.

Probably better then to avoid transiting at IAH, ORD, EWR and IAD. Oh, wait, universal challenge for UA flyers. Nevermind... ;)

David

Since I don't live in metro Denver (I'm north west of there) I actually prefer the location to somewhere nearer downtown because traffic isn't as bad and parking costs less.

The reliability of the trains is, indeed, terrible. It wouldn't be so bad if there was an alternative to the trains for concourses B and C such as a pedestrian tunnel for passengers but there isn't. It seems that the designers of the airport simply didn't think about what would happen when the trains broke down. Although the "buses on stilts" things at IAD look to me like something from a third world airport 40 years ago, at least when one breaks down, the entire airport doesn't fall apart.

The overcrowding at the B lounges has been bad for a while and presumably will continue to be at least until the construction ends.

For an airport in the middle of nowhere, it's surprising how far away all the hotels are that don't cost $400+ a night.

You're right, it's not so bad as a transit point (assuming you don't have to change terminals or walk one end of B to the other). But it's really bad for O/D traffic.

The European analog would be Brandenburg, which also has some nice interior spaces but is otherwise an utter disaster.

I would say (being in Denver), I would almost all our USA flights are non-stop, so a little walk for a non-stop flight is worth it.

The concourses originally felt more cramped, but the airport spent a lot of money to make the concourse gate areas a lot more airy.

This blog post shows kind of a before/after picture of the changes... https://bylandandsea.me/2021/06/big-...t-concourse-b/

I don't travel nearly as much as most of the people on FT, but I've never had issues with the train, and security has been a breeze. I can usually get off the parking lot shuttle bus and be at my gate within 10-20 minutes--depending how far down the concourse I need to walk.

I've never flown to DIA with Denver as my origin or destination. So I have no experience with that part of the airport. I did gain some experience with the old Stapleton as an O/D pax.

There are rumors that the reason why there are no tunnels that a passenger can walk to the farther concourses is because the entire area is riddled with tunnels from some type of secret military base. And somehow the Blucifer statue is a part of that.

https://history.denverlibrary.org/ne...iracy-theories

IMHO the only significant annoyance with DEN is car rental - shuttles often require waiting, long drives and with a rental car i am usually on the wrong side of town no matter where in the area i need to be :)... i never had issues with security delays or trains or weather; there are plenty of lounges, a variety of decent food and drinks and the place feels very open airy and pleasant by airport standards. It is definitely one of my favorites among large airports in US.

Your wish is my command

Denver International Airport (DIA) is developing a new $1.2 billion+ Consolidated Rental Car Facility (ConRAC) to unify all on-site rental brands under one roof and eliminate current, spread-out surface lots. The project, featuring a new transit system connecting to the terminal, is slated to begin construction in late 2025, with completion aimed for roughly 2028, designed to accommodate 120+ million annual passengers

https://www.flydenver.com/about-den/...ucture/conrac/

These things are typically boondoggles for the airport authority, the landowner who sells it the land, and the construction companies that inevitably run many years and many millions of dollars over budget.

The customers wind up paying for it all through hefty facility and transportation fees which will no doubt shortly be added to all DEN rentals, years before the facility ever opens. Some of the facilities do wind up being an improvement over the prior set-up (e.g., SFO), some not so much (e.g., SAN).

PHX and OGG are a huge improvement from previous versions.