Yeah, these people have never been waiting on a flight that got delayed because of a thunderstorm or any other flight delay scenario? They always get on time flights?
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So why is this just seasonal? (and this is not directed at @RaleighFollower just building off his post). Vancouver and Calgary both, June-Oct. Do they not think anyone from here will want to go ski? Are they just aiming this at summer travelers? It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I am glad to see it happening and maybe there will be enough demand to make them think about year round service.
I’m guessing it’s this. I think several of our newer flights have started with lower frequency and seasonal availability.
But I agree, they should also be thinking of the people from Vancouver than want to fly here for the November Christmas Parade, not to mention our sometimes open ice rink at Red Hat.
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Come on dude, seriously? Have you ever sat in one of those terrible airport chairs at the gate for a flight that was delayed or for a flight that you got there a bit too early for? Some people do travel a lot. And just saying it would bring the airport up a notch or two. Just my two cents and I do use the Delta lounge quite frequently.
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another terminal is not in the plans for the next 15-20 years at RDU. The planning process for something like that has already figured out the expansion plan to add gates to T1 and T2 there. What you’re proposing takes decades of planning by professional consultants to airports like RDU, and while a 3rd terminal was one of their ideas, it was discarded for higher-ranked expansion alternatives. It would be SUPER EXPENSIVE for one, requiring all the customs processing to be moved. Don’t think it’ll ever be a reality, nor do i think it’s necessary with all the capacity improvements coming.
I would not be surprised to see a bank-run “third party” lounge (Amex Centurion, Capital One, others) in T2 in the next 5 years once expansion happens. RDU is on the small side for an airport with those type of lounges, but who ever thought we’d get a nonstop to Vancouver the same week we got one to Calgary? So you never know! We are rare in that we have clubs for all three globla airline alliances (OneWorld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam) while NOT being a club.
Interested to see what Delta does soon, as they just last week announced internally they are making RDU a permanent flight attendant base after it being a “temporary base” during 2024. They are doing that with their other test bases too. So they are definitely up to something here, too.
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More international flight news - Avelo Airlines is adding Montego Bay and Punta Cana flights next year.
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I got an American card a few years ago in anticipation of some international travel the last couple years. American has been trying to renovate their lounges to compete with some of the premium credit cards and Delta. Recently been in both DC and Denver and the American lounges there are beautiful. The one in Raleigh is a closet comparatively. Haven’t been in the Delta one here, but it doesn’t look much larger than the AA option.
Have seen the AA and Delta lounges both doing a one-in, one-out policy at RDU a couple of times in the last year.
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Was there ever an announcement about what happened to the Bahamas flight?
I’m not sure, I haven’t heard anything.
When I first moved here, I was interested when I learned that Bermuda is really close to North Carolina. I thought, here’s a chance to go visit somewhere because it’s so close, and will not take a long flight. Then I found out that there was no way to get there that was even remotely feasible from a time or economic standpoint. This is a very interesting possibility now that we can go there for a couple hundred bucks and about 90 minutes in the air. This seems like a fun long weekend trip.
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https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2024/10/18/rdu-flights-bahamas-cancun-orlando-jetblue.html
" Bahamasair suspends RDU flights amid U.S. carrier fee dispute."
So lobbyist for US airlines trying to squash competition.
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Amazing, I remember a time where I took 3 flights to go to Vancouver for work RDU-CLT-PHX-YVR with US airways. 10 years ago
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I’ve been down there 4 times for long weekends and it’s truly a wonderful island. Stunning beaches, super safe, easy to get around on a moped or by ferry, really friendly locals.
Just keep in mind that it looks like a tropical island but it isn’t. The temperatures and time when it’s warm will be about the same as here if you aim to enjoy the beaches.
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From the N&O: the RDU airport authority kicked off their plans to extend and reorganize John Brantley Blvd., the main road loop around the terminals. The general idea was already proposed and approved in the Vision 2040 plan, but this will actually look into the environmental impacts of doing that construction. The airport wants this study to contribute towards:
- Extending John Brantley Blvd. north, which would:
- Make room for the future Consolidated Rental Car Facility (CONRAC)
- Separate traffic for terminals 1, 2, and International Dr, unblocking the congestion that often happens near Terminal 2
- Moving utility lines to support the CONRAC and other future airport developments
- Fully closing off the road to the now-used, historic part of Terminal 1
This map shows where the new roads (purple) and utility lines (blue) would happen, with the general project area outlined in orange:
Note that the airport doesn’t need to go through NEPA or its NC-specific counterpart (which are one of the biggest, lengthiest pitfalls for most transit and highway expansion projects), but the airport is still doing its own due diligence on the pros and cons of building this roadway expansion. Here’s more information about this feedback-listening session from the article:
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Very nice - that Terminal 2 chokepoint is pretty obnoxious for a midsize airport. Nice to see it’s getting fixed.
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CONRAC is a dumb acronym for Consolidated Rental Car Facility. 
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Agreed, but it looks like that terminology’s here to stay 
Charlotte sought after operators to run one, and many other airports across America have them, too, under that specific name. There’s even a company called “Conrac Solutions” whose sole job is to operate the thing they’re named for.