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.
Why? Would anyone not fly in or out of an airport because of aesthetics? If there is no other option? No.
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
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.
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.
