SkyHarbor Summer Travel Thread............ (Phoenix, Miami: apartment, maintenance, restaurants)

[dualforecast]

Air travel can generally become a nightmare in the Summer (as well as Christmas). I just left for the Summer, this week, and I wanted to share my experiences at SkyHarbor, and thought it would be a good idea to have a thread, where members can post with current news and conditions at the airport.

1) No signs indicating which airlines are at which terminal, like they have at every other airport I've been to. This was the first time I had been driven to PHX in years, I had been taking the Light Rail. Does anyone know off the top of their head where Sky West is located? I didn't either.

2) Once again, (last time was 2010) I had an agent telling me I couldn't go because I lacked a visa for China, even though I was only using the airport. First timers should be warned about this. It really seemed to make her crew-cut stand up, being able to deny me my trip that had been planned for four months.

3) I arrived at the TSA checkpoint in time to see a person identifying himself as an active member of the (US) military in a shouting match with a 65 yo lady from TSA. He finally said, "arrest me, or get out of my way." She got out of his way. It was disgraceful.

4) I went into the "club" of a major airline, because I had arrived the required two hours early. Rotten banana peel laying on the table two seats over from me, another 65 yo lady sitting behind the bar, reading her newspaper. It smelled pretty bad. Business attire is required, but there were people allowed in, who were in t-shirts, sweating like pigs. I would probably let that slide, since it was Phoenix.

5) Shortly after takeoff, the captain came on. Sensor light, time to go back to Phoenix. Passengers must arrive two hours early, what about the maintenance crew? Obviously we made it back safely. We were on our way to SFO, and about 1/4 of the passengers were connecting to long international flights...so tensions were mounting. We deplaned. People were crowding around the desk, more shouting matches, including one passenger, who wanted to bet that the plane wouldn't fly again that day. Back into the lounge I went. I had already been up for 6 hours, and had 32 more hours to go. So they checked the Buick, er I mean Canadair Jet, and it was a bad sensor, but I guess the pilot was able to get more flight hours that way.

6) As we were deplaning, a woman decided it would be a good time to see if her kid could walk on her own, it was really wonderful, I don't think the people behind her, who were late to China/Japan/etc. really thought so though, but that was just the rehersal, she got to do it again when we actually arrived at SFO two hours late.

Air China wasn't very good, but it was still a lot better than the airline that took me to SFO. Less obesity meant more room.

Do you really have to be a grandmother or refugee to work the lower skill positions at PHX? Is our airport authority talking out of both sides of their mouths? Choking business, instead of stimulating it. Is there some kind of back room deal between the Authority to keep the union jobs at horrible lax and windy, sfo, instead of getting some international flights out of Phoenix?

[observer53]

There always has been signage noting which airlines are at which terminals. I haven't been to the airport in a while, so I can't comment on what's there now.

I'm not sure what you are referring to in terms of "lower skilll positions" at the Phoenix airport.... most of your complaints seem to be about TSA and airline staff, and the SFO airport. I also don't think there's any grand conspiracy involvingthe Phoenix Aviation Department about keeping more international flights out of Phoenix. If you don't like SFO, go through LAX.

[AzScorpion12]

Originally Posted by dualforecast

Air travel can generally become a nightmare in the Summer (as well as Christmas). I just left for the Summer, this week, and I wanted to share my experiences at SkyHarbor, and thought it would be a good idea to have a thread, where members can post with current news and conditions at the airport.

1) No signs indicating which airlines are at which terminal, like they have at every other airport I've been to. This was the first time I had been driven to PHX in years, I had been taking the Light Rail. Does anyone know off the top of their head where Sky West is located? I didn't either.

There's signs all around the outside of the airport,just like other airports across the country. In my opinion Sky Harbor is actually one of the easiest to get around,inside and out. Even when the TSA lines are full,I've never waited more than 20 mins to get through them. Not sure about Sky West but the map below shows all other airlines and their terminals.

http://skyharbor.com/pdf/PHXAirportMap.pdf

[CodyW]

Originally Posted by observer53

There always has been signage noting which airlines are at which terminals. I haven't been to the airport in a while, so I can't comment on what's there now.

Not only that, but they JUST updated signage within the last year, at least when you approach from 44th street. I believe they updated the I-10 side, but I haven't been over there.

New signage is blue instead of the old brown signs. Even includes some fancy electronic signs giving various terminal/airline info.

[dualforecast]

LAX was mentioned in the same breadth as SFO....both horrible, with long delays and grouchy employees.

Lower skill jobs: everyone but the pilots, ATCs, and jet mechanics......The guy driving me is an ASU graduate. He said the same thing. So unless you approached from I-17 and I-10 recently, you should check it out.

Is it really necessary to push an apartment size trash dumpster down the middle of the corridor of a crowded airport in the middle of the day?

[austwin1]

I completely disagree with the original poster. Sky Harbor is one of the best airports I've been in regarding signage and I can say that after traveling around the world and throughout the USA for the past 30 years.

[Finger Laker]

yeah .... very clear signage ..... i went 17 to 10 on Friday ..... follow signs up to terminal and then you here the new terminal signs as well as directions to west economy, cell phone, etc.

if you didn't see signs it sounds like your driver ignored the sign to the terminal and ran into the area approaching T2

[liz451]

I agree, very clear signage. I'm sorry you had a bad experience but it seems like a fluke to me. I'm on a horrid travel schedule for work right now and have flown out of sky harbor 3 times in 3 weeks. Haven't had any issues and have breezed through security. Wish I could say the same about some of the airports I arrived at.

Actually flying out again tomorrow at noon so I'm sure it'll be jammed due to Memorial Day. I'm expecting big lines but unfortunately that's just part of air travel. It sucks but there will always be someone who decides to yell in an annoying situation rather than be patient and look forward to airport bar .

Also, travel has been MUCH improved at Sky Harbor with the addition of new, independent, tasty restaurants. Can't wait for the delux burger to open!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 2

[maggiekate]

I loved sky harbor airport however it was along time ago when I did think AZ was the best!
Yes, even over Logan where mostly I did see. The help were super and so nice, gift shops not as
the Miami airport wasting time to return to Boston.

[buckeyenative01]

I'll echo what others have said here, having been through a number of large airports (LAX, SFO, DEN, DFW, IAH, ATL, ORD), PHX is by far one of the most-convenient and easy-to-navigate airports in the United States.