As a New Yorker, I have the dubious honor of using LaGuardia as one of my home airports. There, I’ve experienced: massive lines at security, ground stops, a baggage claim area that appears to have been imported from Katmandu, and easily some of the worst airport food I’ve ever eaten. And yes, I’m counting layovers in Dayton and Belgrade.
So it’s no surprise that there are plans afoot for a complete teardown of the concourses in LaGuardia’s Central Terminal (though the Delta Terminal is no peach, either). According to the Wall Street Journal, the reconstruction would cost at least $1 billion dollars, and be finished probably around the same time as the Second Avenue subway line. Oh, and passengers would pay for it with “Facility Charges”. It’s a similar principle to paying for those dreadful airline sandwiches; you must pony up to dough in order to be maltreated. Remember, there won’t be more gates, since there are only two runways—just more space.
The real piece of information to take away from the article is that there’s a Todd English restaurant the Central Terminal Food Court. How that happened, we’ll never know, but maybe Joel Robouchon could consider opening an outpost at JFK?