I fly about 2-3 times a month. In STL, I’ve seen little difference…and they’re still way understaffed for peak travel times.

I fly in and out of Lambert 1-2 times a month, generally via concourses A, B and E. Because I tend to take 6 a.m. outbound flights and return after 9 p.m. on most trips, I don’t really have a lot of expectations regarding my airport experience. So long as I can get a fresh cup of coffee before boarding I am fine. Concourses A and E don’t seem to be any more or less crowded than other airports. Concourse B, by virtue of the fact that it hosts only one mainliner gate, is downright spacious and accomodating for its passenger loads.

I’ve been traveling through STL since the early 70’s and have witnessed most of its major changes. I can remember plugging my ears tight in the pre-jetway (and pre-noise abatement) days, walking on to the tarmac and up the stairs into a TWA 727 while a half dozen other jets idled noisily nearby. I remember marveling at the fancy new passenger lounges (compared to their basement predecessors) in the now, largely vacant, Concourses C and D. I remember the original East Terminal and the dual jetway system Southwest used to use to simultaneously empty and refill its mustard-colored planes, and then its glorified shack of a replacement which stood in until the present day East Terminal was completed. I’ve seen the place go from a dinosaur to a model of 70’s sleek minimalism, to a bustling hub to a virutal ghost town at times.

I think it’s pretty clear that STL’s fate is consigned to that of being a “spoke” operation. Without a true anchor airline (one that occupies 30+ gates and has high-occupancy aircraft), I think Lambert needs to focus less on high end retail and dining and more on passenger convenience and accommodation - i.e. more spacious and comfortable seating, better and more plentiful access to electrical power sources and a decent variety of airside refreshment options. Unlike some major, high traffic hub airports, I don’t think Lambert needs to be distinguishing itself with all kinds of attractions or retail options other than perhaps a place where a business traveler can pick up an emergency shirt, tie, blouse, etc. (i.e. Lambert’s Brooks Brothers shop). A few well placed Starbucks (although Mayorga Coffee would be welcome), some well-stocked newsstands, and a nice variety of airside dining options (with clean, plentiful seating) should satisfy most of the airport’s present clientele. I am still trying to figure out why the airport authority is once again trying to revive the western end of the landside terminal’s upper level as a signature dining area. In this post-9/11 world, I fail to see how it makes more sense to put a lot of dining options in front of security rather than after the checkpoints. Most people with whom I travel want to get through security as quickly as possible and then worry about grabbing a bite to eat. Trying to take a meal through security simply clogs the line for everyone else behind you - assuming they’ll let you through with it in the first place. I believe the folks responsible for Lambert’s planning and development should be doing everything possible to make the landside experience quick, efficient and pleasant and focus most of their renovation and development on the airside accomodations and amenities. They should also focus on doing something to brighten up the main terminal’s baggage claim and rental car area. Although I usually stick to carry-on only, I still have to traverse that area to get to the parking shuttle. I’m pretty sure the last major redesign of that area was sometime around 1982 and it clearly shows.

I agree that the interior corridors need some spiffing up - new carpeting, brighter colors. I would also like to see more done with free wireless access. Right now, there’s a fee and it’s not worth paying if you want to login and logout quickly between flights. And quick refreshments and more choices - I’d be up for that, too. I don’t do a lot of ‘fine dining’ at the airport. Thanks for the post, H.

I think they should find a way to get more flights going in and out of Lambert. That’d be sweet. I like airplanes.

Having been in and out of dozens of airports over the last 2 years, Lamberts is by far one of the worst. Seating is ALWAYS an issue no matter were you are in the airport, dining options are scarce, and baggage claim is a joke. Usually the post one claim area on the arrival board and the bags show up on another without any new posting. They rarely post the flight numbers on the board over the claim area and it takes forever for baggage to begin arriving. We had almost a 45 minute wait on baggage last Saturday evening with no place to sit, thus my very tired kids were curled up on the floor. The airport wasn’t even busy at the time either

I just moved here and had never flown to or through Lambert prior to that, so my comments are from a perspective vastly different than H’s. That said, I think that analysis is right on the money. I see two big problems at Lambert now:

1) Security lines at peak times. Unfortunately, it’s something that TSA needs to address and Lambert cannot. I don’t think the upcoming cuts are really going to affect the problem much, as most of those flights (with a couple of notable exceptions like American to Orange County and some of the Airtran Florida flights) are less-than-full flights on regional aircraft. Some infrastructure investment might help, but TSA frequently understaffs the checkpoints, especially C/D.

2) Food options. The concessions at Lambert are, to put it bluntly, pathetic, and as has already been pointed out, nobody really eats outside of security anymore. I think it would be great to get a more local feel to the restaurants at the airport–there’s a Schlafly bar in the airport already, but Companion (for sandwiches and the like) and Kaldi’s for coffee would be two additions I’d love to see.

It’s an absolute pipe dream because it would cost a ton, but it would be amazing to see Lambert tear down Concourse B and replace it with a large, central security checkpoint and food court (a la Chicago Midway). I don’t think it will ever happen, but it would make for an amazing passenger experience.

Do not eat at the Chili’s in Lambert–my husband and I were there and they had a horrible mice infestation. There were like 6 behind the bar. When the bartender noticed that we spotted them, she shrugged it off like it was no big deal. When we told the manager, he didn’t care either. Then the bartender got nasty with us about wanting to leave before we got our food. It was just a horrible way to start a vacation we were so excited about.

I’ve flown into many airports, and I have to say that Lambert is the worst. Not only is it unattractive inside and out, it’s impossible to find your way around. The signage is horrible — it’s nearly impossible to get to a parking garage. And is is just me, or does the ceiling in the baggage pick-up area look like it belongs in a 1980s music video?

I travel from New Orleans to St. Louis and back every other week for business, sometimes catching a connecting flight in Houston or Dallas, and without more flights and more traffic through Lambert, I don’t see how it will ever improve. The cost to make Lambert comparable Chicago-Midway would be so high, the airport would not do it. Also, they could easily take some of the empty gates and convert them to restaurant space or at least spread out the flights more, the C Concourse has 25+ gates and only uses about 1/2. The only thing down that way right now is a Bud bar and a TCBY.

The place is a pit. Only the East Terminal is tolerable. Definitely one of the worst airports in a major American city. After taking nearly 200 flights in and out of there in the last 4 years I can say this with some authority.