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They have reached a higher elevation.
Burbank is looking a little more like Beverly Hills these days. The airport’s shiny new terminal opened Tuesday with a surprise for the LA jet set: high-end Gucci handbags on display just past security, near Gate 7.
The luxury goods, retailing for anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000, sat behind glass as curious early-morning travelers took in the unexpected sight.
“I never thought I’d see Gucci in the Burbank Airport, you used to just hope for a decent cup of coffee. I’m not in the market for Gucci, but if I ever am it’s good to know it’s an option,” said Andy Orbeck, a woman who was flying to Bend, Oregon.
I was aboard one of the first flights out of the new billion-dollar terminal Tuesday morning, and I’ll admit I was expecting the worst. Losing my old, but favorite, LA airport weighed on me.
Any Angeleno knows that despite its 1950s smell — like grandma’s old carpet — the old terminal, which lived to 100, had a lot going for it. Close parking, two-door tarmac loading and unloading, and a no-hassle TSA experience made getting in and out a breeze. It was a far cry from LAX.
Would the new terminal ruin all that? Would a shiny new building blow up Burbank’s status as LA’s best-kept airport secret?
Thankfully, the answer is a hard no.
I pulled into the new parking structure at 6:30 a.m. for an 8 a.m. boarding, found plenty of spaces at $49 a day and was at my gate by 6:50 a.m. Not bad.
Security was a breeze, too. I made it through TSA PreCheck in less than five minutes, with plenty of officers on hand and walk-through metal detectors keeping things moving.
Inside, the terminal felt spacious, with none of the cramped hallways and low ceilings that defined the old digs. It looks like there will be plenty of places to grab a bite, too — eventually.
I saw a Poquito Mas, something called Spring Chicken, and a Boarder Grill. Unfortunately none of these restaurants were open yet, some still under construction, making the dash for a breakfast burrito impossible.
The terminal also appears to be lounge-free for now, meaning no VIP hideaway with complimentary food and drinks — something the old airport could have desperately used.
And although the airport features fancy digital arrival and departure screens, a lot of them didn’t seem to work.
Southwest Airlines ground crew spent most of the morning telling passengers that they were at the wrong gate for their flights to Phoenix, Oakland, and Las Vegas, despite the screens saying they were at the right one.
“Sorry, they aren’t working right, please refer to the Southwest App,” one frustrated employee directed passengers.
My own Oakland flight was delayed after the crew showed up late, having trouble locating the plane. At least airport greeters were handing out free coffee.
And I could always browse Gucci bags to kill time.
But as I went outside to board the jet and watched the plane leave the runway, I looked from my middle seat over Universal Studios and Sherman Oaks and smiled.
The new Burbank Hollywood Airport had some opening-day hiccups, but the things that made the old terminal great were still there: easy access, quick security and a relatively painless trip to the skies.
Looks like this little airport will keep delivering for years to come.
Please, just don’t tell anyone.