"New terminal opens at Logan for first time in 30 years"

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Smooth takeoff for Terminal A
By Keith Reed
The Boston (MA) Globe


Delta Air Lines landed in its new terminal at Logan International Airport
yesterday with little turbulence.

By 9 a.m., hundreds of passengers had checked in, cleared security, and
boarded dozens of flights on the terminal's opening day, and few expressed
any complaints. Travelers interviewed at the $400 million facility gushed
about its gleaming, expansive space, the new stores and restaurants, and
about how quickly they got past the security checkpoints.

If only the mailboxes were easier to find.

''We can't find a mailbox, and we can't find anyone who knows where a
mailbox is," said Paul Girouard of Boston, who sat holding a letter he had
hoped to mail before boarding his flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Girouard,
whose flight departed from the terminal's satellite building, had actually
passed mailboxes in the main building's lobby. An airport spokeswoman
offered to mail it for him.

Delta, Logan's number two airline, tore down the old Terminal A, formerly
home to defunct Eastern Airlines, three years ago. The new facility is
comprised of a main building, which handles Delta Shuttle and regional
flights, and a satellite for bigger jets and long-haul flights. A 602-foot
underground tunnel with a moving sidewalk connect the two.

All Delta, Song, and Delta Shuttle flights now use Terminal A, which houses
14 restaurants and 19 stores. It is the first all-new terminal at the
airport since 1975.

JetBlue Airways plans to begin renovating Delta's old Terminal C gates next
week as it gears up for a major expansion at Logan. JetBlue will take over
five gates by May, and an additional gate every six months until it reaches
11 by 2008.

In all, Logan has five terminals.

There were only minor glitches yesterday at Terminal A, which houses $12
million worth of new security technology and equipment. An automatic door at
the exit from the terminal's secure area wasn't working, so an airport
worker was stationed there to open it manually.

And some restaurants, including Lucky's Lounge, Wendy's, and Panda Express
in the main terminal and Summer Shack and Summer Shack Express won't open
for a few days.

Christine Brown, a Quincy woman flying on the Delta Shuttle to New York,
said she thought it took longer to get through the security line than in
Terminal B, where the shuttle flights departed until yesterday. The new
terminal has one central security checkpoint, with eight lines for all
passengers, as opposed to one dedicated line that shuttle passengers used to
have in the old terminal. Still, Brown said her wait was shorter than 10
minutes.

Another shuttle passenger, Bill Slade of Boxford, said he made it through
security faster than usual because he used a line for first-class passengers
-- even though he had a coach seat.

Richard W. Cordell, Delta's senior vice president for airport customer
service, said the carrier is increasingly allowing shuttle passengers to use
the first-class line. ''The shuttle travelers show up at the last minute for
their flights, so they need to get through security pretty quickly," he
said.

Business at the terminal's stores and eateries was brisk.

In the first five hours, fragrance retailer L'Occitane en Provence racked up
about 20 sales, said manager Joanna Graziano.


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