OT Portland International Airport makeover making progress

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Unfortunately the only gates I fly out of is D. Only change there is they took out the Starbucks!
 
I don't care about any of the upgrades, just make it quicker to get through TSA and not a 15 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim. This really seems like people worried about spending money in places it doesn't need to be spent.
 
I don't care about any of the upgrades, just make it quicker to get through TSA and not a 15 minute walk from the gate to baggage claim. This really seems like people worried about spending money in places it doesn't need to be spent.
100%. Sure seems like a huge waste. Dear airport operators: your airport will be considered the best if TSA is quick and the place has food options. The rest is just excess. The cool wood roof? No one cares. ESPECIALLY when visitors see the fancy roof then have to drive by tents and graffiti five miles later.
 
100%. Sure seems like a huge waste. Dear airport operators: your airport will be considered the best if TSA is quick and the place has food options. The rest is just excess. The cool wood roof? No one cares. ESPECIALLY when visitors see the fancy roof then have to drive by tents and graffiti five miles later.

I'm happy about the Tillamook market. A nice, aesthetic airport is important.
 
I have a bunch of really cool things to add to this thread but the Debbie Downers pretty much changed my mind from adding them.

Yes the Airport is too small and needs to be upgraded. Yes aesthetics are important. No it isn’t a waste of money. Yes it will make getting through and on your flight easier.
No Portland will not stop growing and needing more infrastructure. Yes this is a part of that.
 
It makes the experience of travel better. Portland is already a highly rated airport and a pleasant experience, much more than most.
Right. So why spend millions more. And yeah it’s nice but it’s not necessary. It’s a public cost and there’s zero return on it
 
Right. So why spend millions more. And yeah it’s nice but it’s not necessary. It’s a public cost and there’s zero return on it

There's a huge return on it.

Having a nice, modern and sustainable airport is a selling point for tourism and commerce. Plus local residents benefit from having an enjoyable travel experience. It feels good to be in a nice area.

They've also expanded terminals and modernized the airport. Brought in local vendors.
 
There's a huge return on it.

Having a nice, modern and sustainable airport is a selling point for tourism and commerce. Plus local residents benefit from having an enjoyable travel experience. It feels good to be in a nice area.

They've also expanded terminals and modernized the airport. Brought in local vendors.
Those are nice to haves. Not need to haves. Listen. When Oregon cleans up the trash and gets their public education out of the gutter I’m all for a pretty and fun airport with a cool wood ceiling.
 
There's a huge return on it.

Having a nice, modern and sustainable airport is a selling point for tourism and commerce. Plus local residents benefit from having an enjoyable travel experience. It feels good to be in a nice area.

They've also expanded terminals and modernized the airport. Brought in local vendors.
Also - I would (truly) love to see how Portland tourism is directly helped by their airport. Like someone goes to Hawaii because HNL is nice? Or NY and LaGuardia? Lol. Who the hell sits there deciding if they want to go to Cancun or San Diego or Cabo and ever once all time says well the airport in Cabo is the best of the three so let’s go there? None people.
 
Also - I would (truly) love to see how Portland tourism is directly helped by their airport. Like someone goes to Hawaii because HNL is nice? Or NY and LaGuardia? Lol. Who the hell sits there deciding if they want to go to Cancun or San Diego or Cabo and ever once all time says well the airport in Cabo is the best of the three so let’s go there? None people.

The airport is the first and last impression of a traveler of a destination.

It is an influence. I recently flew into Vancouver and they had a nice airport and left a strong positive impression. It would make me more likely to come back since it was clean and organized.

I would go to NYC more often if their airports didn't suck so bad and getting to and from there wasnt a total pain in the ass.

I fly into LAX monthly as I live here and it's horrible. Stuck in the 90s. It's the embodiment of your point of view (it's just a hub, who cares?). It's an ass backwards ghetto ass airport that they are finally trying to fix before the Olympics come to LA.

Cabo? The fact that the airport is 45 minutes from the main part of Cabo San Lucas has definitely influenced decisions not to go back.

Airport quality definitely plays a big part in the travel experience.
 
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Right! So let’s dump $1.7B into it!
Something happen to you at PDX in the bathroom or something? I've never seen somebody upset about an airport before? Actually this is the most thought I've ever put into airports in my life and I travel ALL YEAR LONG.
 
Something happen to you at PDX in the bathroom or something? I've never seen somebody upset about an airport before? Actually this is the most thought I've ever put into airports in my life and I travel ALL YEAR LONG.
I don’t lose sleep over it, no. But when the topic is brought up it annoys the shit out of me. The cost is estimated to be somewhere between $1.7-2B. For an airport that already wins awards and has been voted best airport in the country. Yet when you drive out of the airport it becomes not so pretty. So we are dumping a huge amount of money into the one thing that by all accounts is doing fine. It is dumb. And it is excess. We don’t need a one of a kind wood roof atrium thing. It has zero return. And people here think it’s worth it because it helps tourism. And I would bet any amount of money that it’s such a tiny tiny number of people who come here due to the fucking airport yet have no problem with the graffiti and tents. $2B while the streets are a mess with a homeless issue, our schools underperform, and kids don’t get a free hot lunch. It’s like having a home and the front yard is already great but once you walk in it’s a mess. Someone gives that homeowner money and they….redo the front yard and ignore the inside of the house.
 
I don’t lose sleep over it, no. But when the topic is brought up it annoys the shit out of me. The cost is estimated to be somewhere between $1.7-2B. For an airport that already wins awards and has been voted best airport in the country. Yet when you drive out of the airport it becomes not so pretty. So we are dumping a huge amount of money into the one thing that by all accounts is doing fine. It is dumb. And it is excess. We don’t need a one of a kind wood roof atrium thing. It has zero return. And people here think it’s worth it because it helps tourism. And I would bet any amount of money that it’s such a tiny tiny number of people who come here due to the fucking airport yet have no problem with the graffiti and tents. $2B while the streets are a mess with a homeless issue, our schools underperform, and kids don’t get a free hot lunch. It’s like having a home and the front yard is already great but once you walk in it’s a mess. Someone gives that homeowner money and they….redo the front yard and ignore the inside of the house.

I’m for it overall, but i get your point.
Reminds me of the ones who buy a kick ass car and trick it out and then drive their dates home to their trashed trailer they call home.
I think though the one thing you aren't touching on is Portland seems to be building the airport as a potential business destination where people traveling for meeting and such may not need to go downtown. As the airport grows more hotels have been and will continue to pop up near there and these will largely have business travelers as clients. Not tourists.
For these people the image of the airport and its immediate surroundings may be all they see before they head back out.
 
Something happen to you at PDX in the bathroom or something? I've never seen somebody upset about an airport before? Actually this is the most thought I've ever put into airports in my life and I travel ALL YEAR LONG.
lol...I don't know, Im a retired million miler and there are some airports I tried to avoid because they were dumps.
 
I don’t lose sleep over it, no. But when the topic is brought up it annoys the shit out of me. The cost is estimated to be somewhere between $1.7-2B. For an airport that already wins awards and has been voted best airport in the country. Yet when you drive out of the airport it becomes not so pretty. So we are dumping a huge amount of money into the one thing that by all accounts is doing fine. It is dumb. And it is excess. We don’t need a one of a kind wood roof atrium thing. It has zero return. And people here think it’s worth it because it helps tourism. And I would bet any amount of money that it’s such a tiny tiny number of people who come here due to the fucking airport yet have no problem with the graffiti and tents. $2B while the streets are a mess with a homeless issue, our schools underperform, and kids don’t get a free hot lunch. It’s like having a home and the front yard is already great but once you walk in it’s a mess. Someone gives that homeowner money and they….redo the front yard and ignore the inside of the house.

It isn't the city's money to do with what they will. Expecting the Port of Portland to spend money cleaning up downtown isn't much more realistic than me expecting you to buy me a new car.

barfo
 
I agree that Portland should clean up the trash, but it's gonna be hard to get FAA or TSA funds to do that.

PDX Next is funded with a $2 billion investment. You may wonder who’s picking up that check. The answer is simple: It’s not local taxpayers, as some folks may assume. The vast majority of these upgrades are paid for by airport tenants, including the airlines, Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration.

This is a regional investment as much as for the city of Portland. I'm for it. The more the materials come from the state the better, in my opinion.
 
I don’t lose sleep over it, no. But when the topic is brought up it annoys the shit out of me. The cost is estimated to be somewhere between $1.7-2B. For an airport that already wins awards and has been voted best airport in the country. Yet when you drive out of the airport it becomes not so pretty. So we are dumping a huge amount of money into the one thing that by all accounts is doing fine. It is dumb. And it is excess. We don’t need a one of a kind wood roof atrium thing. It has zero return. And people here think it’s worth it because it helps tourism. And I would bet any amount of money that it’s such a tiny tiny number of people who come here due to the fucking airport yet have no problem with the graffiti and tents. $2B while the streets are a mess with a homeless issue, our schools underperform, and kids don’t get a free hot lunch. It’s like having a home and the front yard is already great but once you walk in it’s a mess. Someone gives that homeowner money and they….redo the front yard and ignore the inside of the house.
I understand you concern....but it's just like the military and other big businesses....Different budgets for different departments. Wish it weren't true.
 
lol...I don't know, Im a retired million miler and there are some airports I tried to avoid because they were dumps.
I don't have that luxury They point and say we need you to work HERE....Thats where I go FAMS!
 
Maybe give it a little more thought?
People are working building this. A LOT of people.
The airport NEEDS these extra terminals. Yes more are planned. As the city and hopefully the state continue to grow they need to stay in front of this. Not working to catch up.

The wood roof with steel and Iron structure was not only the most cost effective but the process to placing it is absolutely remarkable.

Yes I know what it entails.

The income the people are making building this creates more money. Again A LOT of money. Then there are the jobs for the people that will be working in the new terminals.

If you want to clean up the city you need money to do that. This is a no brainer.

like I said I could go on here. When you know you know.
 
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