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George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)


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Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design. Term A is the one that all the "other" non-Continental airlines and partners fly into for domestic (andCanada) flights. It will eventually get "guccied" up

Continental does not have the aircraft to even think about flying to Seoul from Houston at this time, sorry.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Watching you from 30,000 feet

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is the baggage claim area in terminal C going to get any kind of makeover? It still has the look of the previous incarnation and also needs a little work. I know baggage claims are never the most glamorous areas simply by the nature of its a disaster area, but with E and C both in there, the monitors that say who goes to which carousel are probably from the Atari era. Just think that visitors see the rest of the gates, think this place isn't that bad, then see the baggage claim area and think the place is a dump. Especially since it usually takes forever to get the bags out. I thought Newark's was a decent balance of the two, its obviously the same disaster logistically, but at least visually it wasn't as dumpy.

I know, this is where everyone says "that's why i don't ever check my bags"

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There is a great article in this month's "Airports" magazine about IAH and its post 9/11 boom and future expansion plans. While the magazine is pricey at $10USD it is a great 8 page read on IAH with some good photos.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Hermano bebe, que la vida es breve

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I think another terminal is in the long range plans, but it probably won't be for many years yet. I believe the next major step is to renovate Terminal B.

IAH is a visual hodgepodge, but I have to admit I have grown to like it. The layout, built terminal by terminal with different designs over the years, is one of the most inconsistent of major US airports that I have been through. It's complicated enough that natives who are familiar with it can take a certain pride in knowing how to get around.

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I think another terminal is in the long range plans, but it probably won't be for many years yet. I believe the next major step is to renovate Terminal B.

IAH is a visual hodgepodge, but I have to admit I have grown to like it. The layout, built terminal by terminal with different designs over the years, is one of the most inconsistent of major US airports that I have been through. It's complicated enough that natives who are familiar with it can take a certain pride in knowing how to get around.

Well A and B were designed and built pre-747. Google maps show that todays 757's and 767's dwarf the two terminals round concourse ends.

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I had no idea so many people paid attention to airports.

I like to spend as little time as possible in airports...

You'd be surprised :)

It's usually the first, last, and sometimes only thing you see when coming through a city. You can tell many times what a city or area is like just by checking out the interior design of an airport.

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You'd be surprised :)

It's usually the first, last, and sometimes only thing you see when coming through a city. You can tell many times what a city or area is like just by checking out the interior design of an airport.

Thank God we got rid of C and B terminals at Hobby!

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Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design. Term A is the one that all the "other" non-Continental airlines and partners fly into for domestic (andCanada) flights. It will eventually get "guccied" up

Continental does not have the aircraft to even think about flying to Seoul from Houston at this time, sorry.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Watching you from 30,000 feet

Terminal A's "banjos" were removed several years ago, new concourses were built and the whole terminal was remodeled.

The remaining banjoes are in Terminal B, the interior of which has also been completely remodeled.

The airport system is developing a 20-year master plan for the airfield and terminals at George Bush Intercontinental, in order to handle double the current traffic. The plan will remove the central terminal buildings of Terminals A, B, and C, build a new consolidated central terminal building and new concourses, and connect them all via an a new high-speed underground train (similar to Atlanta's I suppose). It will be done in phases as needed.

Go here to see more:

http://web.houstonairportsystem.org/iahmasterplan/frame.htm

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By aircraft, you mean by number (e.g. all of their 777's used up), right?

Fleetwise a B777 can make IAH-ICN (it can't do a IAH-HKG).

Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design. Term A is the one that all the "other" non-Continental airlines and partners fly into for domestic (andCanada) flights. It will eventually get "guccied" up

Continental does not have the aircraft to even think about flying to Seoul from Houston at this time, sorry.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Watching you from 30,000 feet

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is the baggage claim area in terminal C going to get any kind of makeover? It still has the look of the previous incarnation and also needs a little work. I know baggage claims are never the most glamorous areas simply by the nature of its a disaster area, but with E and C both in there, the monitors that say who goes to which carousel are probably from the Atari era. Just think that visitors see the rest of the gates, think this place isn't that bad, then see the baggage claim area and think the place is a dump. Especially since it usually takes forever to get the bags out. I thought Newark's was a decent balance of the two, its obviously the same disaster logistically, but at least visually it wasn't as dumpy.

I know, this is where everyone says "that's why i don't ever check my bags"

I don't think C baggage claim is part of the current renovation due to (among other things) the low ceiling.

Edited by travelguy_73
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Terminal A's "banjos" were removed several years ago, new concourses were built and the whole terminal was remodeled.

The remaining banjoes are in Terminal B, the interior of which has also been completely remodeled.

The airport system is developing a 20-year master plan for the airfield and terminals at George Bush Intercontinental, in order to handle double the current traffic. The plan will remove the central terminal buildings of Terminals A, B, and C, build a new consolidated central terminal building and new concourses, and connect them all via an a new high-speed underground train (similar to Atlanta's I suppose). It will be done in phases as needed.

Go here to see more:

http://web.houstonairportsystem.org/iahmasterplan/frame.htm

allow me to clarify 19514- I mean Terminal A's servicing below ground is still in the banjo configuration, which is due to be dug up and reworked over the next ~two years. Terminal B's above ground rings will be fixed per the plan as linked and discussed in this month's airports magazine. Terminal B has been reworked to link in to the Continental bag system now. I will be flying into B tomorrow will have to ask a friend who is a manager there if B's underground works have been linked to As yet.

iwill throw in another plug for this month's "Airports" magazine (Barnes and Noble normally has it) which has a good Houston IAH article from pages 62-70

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Watching you from 30,000 feet

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and Continental is the first domestic airline to place an order for 787's, we'll have to wait and see how many will fly out of houston.

Every CO aircraft type flies through Houston, and the 787 shouldn't be any different. Now if we were speaking about the Airbus A380, or even a 747, then that would be different!

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What does that mean?

When A was refurbed the serving docks that link underground were not all updated. It is projected another 4 million will complete A's transformation from Banjos, and 13 mil for B.

Every CO aircraft type flies through Houston, and the 787 shouldn't be any different. Now if we were speaking about the Airbus A380, or even a 747, then that would be different!

True though the Wingleted 757s are normally only based at Neward EWR, with some MX stops at IAH from time to time. CO will not order the 747 anytime soon, but they have optioned their ectra 777 to add int'l expansion.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Veni, Vidi, Bibi

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When A was refurbed the serving docks that link underground were not all updated. It is projected another 4 million will complete A's transformation from Banjos, and 13 mil for B.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Veni, Vidi, Bibi

I'm sorrry if I'm being obtuse, but I still don't know what that means. What is underground? and why would it be banjo-shaped? ;-)

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THe servicing network of hte airport is partially "buried", as Terminal A was partially reconstructed, funds were diverted away from rearranging all of Terminal A's ops. It is quite a sight, I have toured the entire ops side of IAH on several occasions. American Airlines has been quite vocal in getting A up to full interline service. As for top side as noted above, all the banjos airport wide will be gone by 2010-2012.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, No Honey I don't want to meet your parents

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THe servicing network of hte airport is partially "buried", as Terminal A was partially reconstructed, funds were diverted away from rearranging all of Terminal A's ops. It is quite a sight, I have toured the entire ops side of IAH on several occasions. American Airlines has been quite vocal in getting A up to full interline service. As for top side as noted above, all the banjos airport wide will be gone by 2010-2012.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, No Honey I don't want to meet your parents

I still don't get it. Surely you can explain it better than that. What "ops" are still buried in the banjo configuration?

Edited by Houston19514
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well I don't know what else to say. Maybe you could think of it like a house having a basement. You move the house, the basement doesn't move unless you dig a new one. If your water heater was in your old basement you need to hook it up to the new location before it works, the same with the baggage loaders, belts, and servicing that was (and still is) in the old config under terminal A. The good news is, even though you don't get it, it will be fixed soon enough, allowing A (along with the new terminal link connection) to be fully integrated with the others terminals. The "banjos" were not suited for hub ops of todays airlines and will go the way of the dodo.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Yankee Air Pirate

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yes CE, "Banjos" were a nickname given to the spoke and circle design of early terminals. THey are not popular these days with modern "hub and spoke" airlines (like Continental) they do not allow for easy transfer of equipment, cargo, baggage and people. Houston's terminals are being redesigned as part of the master plan. You can look online for diagrams or in various aviation publicaitons over the last few years, to include the current "Airports" magazine, and FI from October of 05.

H19- OPs is a common aviation term for anything going on at the airside of the terminal, sorry you aren't as familar with such terms they are common in aviation. You cannot understand how the terminal contains more than the building above ground??? If you don't get it sorry, just be happy it is all going to be fixed and allow IAH to be "uber" functional!

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Oklahoma- a native word for trailer park

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well I don't know what else to say. Maybe you could think of it like a house having a basement. You move the house, the basement doesn't move unless you dig a new one. If your water heater was in your old basement you need to hook it up to the new location before it works, the same with the baggage loaders, belts, and servicing that was (and still is) in the old config under terminal A. The good news is, even though you don't get it, it will be fixed soon enough, allowing A (along with the new terminal link connection) to be fully integrated with the others terminals. The "banjos" were not suited for hub ops of todays airlines and will go the way of the dodo.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Yankee Air Pirate

Well, now you've finally told me something... (I understand the concept of a basement; it's just that your previous responses told me nothing about what you believe is in these banjo-shaped basements.) So you're saying the baggage is still run from the airfield into the terminal on underground systems beneath where the "banjos" used to be?

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Sorry those of us in the business know the jargon I guess LOL

Yes some of the baggage is run from the old loaders into the central system, which has not been completely refurbed yet, also several of the tug paths run from the old points in the A terminal banjos. Some of the money was redirected to the new 17/35 runway but it is now funded to complete the refurb. Ditto all of B and the full above ground terminal link connection (not to mention the old people mover refurb that will be done). You can kind of see it if you fly out of hte AA gates, you will see tugs drive "out" after servicing the aricraft airside. All of it should be finished "soon" thus getting A up to snuff, even though it si a forgotten terminal in relation to the other Continental babies and INternational ones.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, You better Belize it

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Sorry those of us in the business know the jargon I guess LOL

Yes some of the baggage is run from the old loaders into the central system, which has not been completely refurbed yet, also several of the tug paths run from the old points in the A terminal banjos. Some of the money was redirected to the new 17/35 runway but it is now funded to complete the refurb. Ditto all of B and the full above ground terminal link connection (not to mention the old people mover refurb that will be done). You can kind of see it if you fly out of hte AA gates, you will see tugs drive "out" after servicing the aricraft airside. All of it should be finished "soon" thus getting A up to snuff, even though it si a forgotten terminal in relation to the other Continental babies and INternational ones.

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, You better Belize it

You tell a good story, but I'm calling BS on this one. For starters, the inbound and outbound baggage belts were moved to the new bridges when the new north and south concourses were built. For another, the "basements" were never basements underneath the banjos and were never in the banjo configuration. They were merely tunnels (one to each of the north and south sides I believe). Virtually nothing of the original banjo configuration remains at Terminal A.

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Terminal A is the last one that is to be redone into "banks" of gates from teh current "banjo" design. Term A is the one that all the "other" non-Continental airlines and partners fly into for domestic (andCanada) flights. It will eventually get "guccied" up

Huh? The city started a major renovation of that facility around 1997. During this time the southwest pod (or "banjo") was demolished and construction started on a new, modern south concourse. This concourse opened in 1999, and shortly after the old southeast pod was demolished. Construction then moved to the north side of the facility, and the new north concourse opened there around 2001/2002. The entire ticket counter area and baggage claim areas have also been fully renovated and modernized. It's not as nice as Terminal E, but it's not bad at all. There's very little of the original design still evident in the facility.

Now Terminal B, on the other hand, is largely in its original configuration, with modifications made to accomodate the above-ground TerminaLink people mover (opened in 1999), a single security screening point, and additional gates. The original gate pods have about twice the number of gates as they used to, because Continental Express's ERJs don't require as much space as the larger jets the terminal was designed for. This does present a problem, though, as the gate areas tend to get very crowded and the restrooms are totally inadequate for the number of passengers the terminal is now handling. Unfortunately I have to deal with Terminal B about five or six times a month.

Terminal C's renovation is nearing completion in the gate areas. Only two areas are under construction -- the south concourse gates along the walkway between C and E, and the gates in the same area between C and D in the north concourse. This renovation has added new restrooms, expanded seating areas (they've actually slightly expanded the building's footprint in a few areas) and a more modern appearance that compliments the style of Terminal E. This is a project being coordinated by Continental, not the City of Houston. Now if only Continental could get the right to manage the concession contracts for Terminals B and C also, because they obviously do a much better job with that than the City does.

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You tell a good story, but I'm calling BS on this one. For starters, the inbound and outbound baggage belts were moved to the new bridges when the new north and south concourses were built. For another, the "basements" were never basements underneath the banjos and were never in the banjo configuration. They were merely tunnels (one to each of the north and south sides I believe). Virtually nothing of the original banjo configuration remains at Terminal A.

Well Kid, I really could care less if you call BS or not-facts are facts.

Just for "shits and grins" as someone like you might say, I went down into the bowels of Term A Saturday after flying into IAH and meeting with some execs at Cotinental. DId a little tour and one full underground compartment is left and half of the other (one is partially in use due to diverted funds-mainly AA's). Construction was stopped due to some rain, but should be finished and linked into the new system as noted above.

You basically show you have no idea how any airside of an airport works. The fact you did not even know what ops means tells me that. Sorry kiddo. I am just curious as too why it bugs you? Do you have airport issues?

This is a project being coordinated by Continental, not the City of Houston. Now if only Continental could get the right to manage the concession contracts for Terminals B and C also, because they obviously do a much better job with that than the City does.

COntinental will not get those anytime soon. Terminal B's landside refurb is actually ahead of schedule (something rare in Aviation construction). edit /link

Ciao, and Hook 'em Horns,

Capt-AWACS, Seven Continents Down, None to Go

Edited by CaptAWACS
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