Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[CLT2014]

Does anybody have any details on the placement of the new permanent airport overlook after the additional runway is built? The airport press release describes it as being "very close to Old Dowd Road." The temporary overlook is also basically right off Old Dowd and the view is a major downgrade to the old overlook as planes are largely airborne if taking off towards the overlook and you just see the bottom of them. For takeoffs away from the overlook, you are at a relatively far distance and the skyline view is downgraded. 

I totally get the runway takes precedence over an overlook location... just curious if the permanent one will have a view like the temporary location or more like the old location. 

https://cltairport.mediaroom.com/Old_Dowd_Road_Closure#assets_all

Edited January 14, 2023 by CLT2014

[CltFlyer]

Per the schedule update tonight,  

Charlotte to London Heathrow is going to 3 daily from April through October.  While I personally wish it could have been British Airways.  The 3rd daily flight is around 4 years in the making.  It was rumored to be imminent pre-covid.

With this addition.  In terms of numbers of flights.  CLT is now at Pre-Covid levels of Trans-Atlantic capacity.  This flight essentially "takes the place" of the flight to Barcelona AA flew pre-pandemic.

Edited January 15, 2023 by CltFlyer

[LKN704]

11 hours ago, CltFlyer said:

Per the schedule update tonight,  

Charlotte to London Heathrow is going to 3 daily from April through October.  While I personally wish it could have been British Airways.  The 3rd daily flight is around 4 years in the making.  It was rumored to be imminent pre-covid.

With this addition.  In terms of numbers of flights.  CLT is now at Pre-Covid levels of Trans-Atlantic capacity.  This flight essentially "takes the place" of the flight to Barcelona AA flew pre-pandemic.

Doesn't appear to be daily, but rather 5x weekly on an erratic schedule. 

It looks to be year-round, with the flight operating continuously through the end of the current schedule (9 December), but I wouldn't be surprised to see it be curtailed in the off-season.

The departure times are perfectly suited for local Charlotte traffic and perfect for avoiding jet lag. Assuming you don't have checked bags, show up to the airport at 10:15pm and quickly go through TSA, board the aircraft and instantly go to sleep and try to wake up about 2 hours before landing. Hit the ground running in London and then go to sleep around midnight London time. 

Departure times from London are awesome as well...you essentially have an entire day there. 

Edited January 15, 2023 by LKN704

[CltFlyer]

13 hours ago, LKN704 said:

Doesn't appear to be daily, but rather 5x weekly on an erratic schedule. 

It looks to be year-round, with the flight operating continuously through the end of the current schedule (9 December), but I wouldn't be surprised to see it be curtailed in the off-season.

The departure times are perfectly suited for local Charlotte traffic and perfect for avoiding jet lag. Assuming you don't have checked bags, show up to the airport at 10:15pm and quickly go through TSA, board the aircraft and instantly go to sleep and try to wake up about 2 hours before landing. Hit the ground running in London and then go to sleep around midnight London time. 

Departure times from London are awesome as well...you essentially have an entire day there. 

Ishrion (a trusted source for airline updates for those unfamiliar)  posted an update saying that it is officially 3 daily but not all the flights were uploaded for some reason.

It appears that the erratic schedule was a glitch of sorts.

 

[AltNative]

MJ in the tail number, that's pretty cool. Coincidence or...?

[CLT2014]

Goodbye to Phillips Famous Seafood in Concourse C, soon to be replaced with local restaurant The Waterman (currently in South End and Cornelius). It has been a positive that HMSHost has seeked out more local establishments to replace some outdated concepts at the airport.

https://charlotte.axios.com/318341/scoop-charlotte-neighborhood-seafood-spot-expands-to-the-airport/

Edited January 18, 2023 by CLT2014

[LKN704]

6 hours ago, CLT2014 said:

Goodbye to Phillips Famous Seafood in Concourse C, soon to be replaced with local restaurant The Waterman (currently in South End and Cornelius). It has been a positive that HMSHost has seeked out more local establishments to replace some outdated concepts at the airport.

https://charlotte.axios.com/318341/scoop-charlotte-neighborhood-seafood-spot-expands-to-the-airport/

Interesting. Phillips has been at the airport for going on what...25 years?  I remember for years they were really the only place you could get decent food at CLT. Obviously tastes differ, but I find the idea of someone chowing down on a greasy burger before being sealed in a pressurized metal tube with 200 strangers to be...repulsive. 

Speaking of nasty airport food, I remember the Cheers restaurant (used to be where that Mexican place is now) being nasty. 

[Temeteron]

44 minutes ago, LKN704 said:

Interesting. Phillips has been at the airport for going on what...25 years?  I remember for years they were really the only place you could get decent food at CLT. Obviously tastes differ, but I find the idea of someone chowing down on a greasy burger before being sealed in a pressurized metal tube with 200 strangers to be...repulsive. 

Speaking of nasty airport food, I remember the Cheers restaurant (used to be where that Mexican place is now) being nasty. 

We definitely need better options in CLT.  I can’t say we have the worst options but there are airports our size that have much better (Austin comes to mind).  I agree with you.  Why do we need 500 burger and chicken places I have no clue. 

[Reverie39]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:23 PM, Temeteron said:

We definitely need better options in CLT.  I can’t say we have the worst options but there are airports our size that have much better (Austin comes to mind).  I agree with you.  Why do we need 500 burger and chicken places I have no clue. 

Wdym, the Bojangles is enough. Ignore the constant 70 person line.

[CLT2014]

23 minutes ago, Reverie39 said:

Wdym, the Bojangles is enough. Ignore the constant 70 person line.

Funny enough, the Bojangles in Concourse B has a higher Google Reviews rating (3.8) than any restaurant at Austin Airport. The masses want their chicken LOL. 

[LKN704]

On 1/18/2023 at 2:23 PM, Temeteron said:

We definitely need better options in CLT.  I can’t say we have the worst options but there are airports our size that have much better (Austin comes to mind).  I agree with you.  Why do we need 500 burger and chicken places I have no clue. 

We have to remember that the travel profile of the vast majority folks that move through CLT are once (maybe twice) a year travelers that are simply connecting from their small/medium sized cities on their way to Florida or to visit family. 

A great deal of people find airports to be incredibly stressful (even more so for infrequent flyers) and in stressful situations will crave food that is comforting and familiar, hence the endless Cinnabons, Auntie Annes, Chicken, Burgers, etc. 

If you look at an airport like SFO, where the demographic profile of its passenger base is vastly different, the food options are on the other end of the spectrum...vegan places, healthy/green cuisine, pho/bahn mi places, etc. I looked on their website and there are 76 restaurants at SFO, only 3 of which are national fast food chains. Everything else is either an upper-scale sit down restaurant or a local/regional fast-casual place. 

A stressed out passenger with kids in tow from say Erie on their way to visit grandma in West Palm Beach isn't going to find CLT an appropriate place to try pho for the first time. 

[Temeteron]

3 hours ago, LKN704 said:

We have to remember that the travel profile of the vast majority folks that move through CLT are once (maybe twice) a year travelers that are simply connecting from their small/medium sized cities on their way to Florida or to visit family. 

A great deal of people find airports to be incredibly stressful (even more so for infrequent flyers) and in stressful situations will crave food that is comforting and familiar, hence the endless Cinnabons, Auntie Annes, Chicken, Burgers, etc. 

If you look at an airport like SFO, where the demographic profile of its passenger base is vastly different, the food options are on the other end of the spectrum...vegan places, healthy/green cuisine, pho/bahn mi places, etc. I looked on their website and there are 76 restaurants at SFO, only 3 of which are national fast food chains. Everything else is either an upper-scale sit down restaurant or a local/regional fast-casual place. 

A stressed out passenger with kids in tow from say Erie on their way to visit grandma in West Palm Beach isn't going to find CLT an appropriate place to try pho for the first time. 

I get it and you have a point but not all of us are basic and boring and want fried food.  Some of us want something healthy, International and different.  

[CltFlyer]

2 hours ago, Temeteron said:

I get it and you have a point but not all of us are basic and boring and want fried food.  Some of us want something healthy, International and different.  

Fwiw,  CLT is bringing in 2 new unannounced food options.  Side by Side in concourse C.  

Wow Bao- Which as the name implies focuses on Asian Steamed Buns, and Beatrix Market- which looks to be a grab and go concept with healthier options.

https://www.beatrixrestaurants.com/beatrix-market/streeterville/

https://wowbao.com/about/

 

 

[JacksonH]

On 1/21/2023 at 9:46 AM, Temeteron said:

I get it and you have a point but not all of us are basic and boring and want fried food.  Some of us want something healthy, International and different.  

Count me among those looking for healthy options.  And to LKN704, there is no requirement that fast food be unhealthy.  I fly between San Diego and Charlotte several times a year.  When I fly out of San Diego while I'm waiting to board, there is a food vendor in the concourse selling salmon sushi.  It takes two minutes to grab that meal and pay for it.  But when I'm in CLT going in the other direction I'm always looking for something similar but can never find it.  I don't have time for a sit-down meal nor do I want fat building, HDL cholesterol raising, artery-clogging fried food, but CLT seems to leave me with no other options.

[xapostrophe]

1 hour ago, JacksonH said:

Count me among those looking for healthy options.  And to LKN704, there is no requirement that fast food be unhealthy.  I fly between San Diego and Charlotte several times a year.  When I fly out of San Diego while I'm waiting to board, there is a food vendor in the concourse selling salmon sushi.  It takes two minutes to grab that meal and pay for it.  But when I'm in CLT going in the other direction I'm always looking for something similar but can never find it.  I don't have time for a sit-down meal nor do I want fat building, HDL cholesterol raising, artery-clogging fried food, but CLT seems to leave me with no other options.

There's a huge sushi place in the atrium and another one in d concourse.  Plenty of healthy options at the airport you are just blind.

[JacksonH]

2 hours ago, xapostrophe said:

There's a huge sushi place in the atrium and another one in d concourse.  Plenty of healthy options at the airport you are just blind.

With grab and go options, I hope.  Thanks for the tip.

[KJHburg]

34 minutes ago, JacksonH said:

With grab and go options, I hope.  Thanks for the tip.

Hissho Sushi a locally based company provides all the sushi there  right in the main atrium by the rocking chairs.   At the First Flight Bar. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g49022-d2519033-Reviews-First_in_Flight_Bar-Charlotte_North_Carolina.html   some Floridian gave the place 5 stars for the sushi! 

[CLT2014]

38 minutes ago, JacksonH said:

With grab and go options, I hope.  Thanks for the tip.

In addition to the Sushi options in the Atrium and Concourse D, you might like Summer House in Concourse B that is "California inspired" cuisine. Beatrix Market at the intersection of Concourse E and D has several healthy options. 1897 Market on the Atrium changes up their salad options frequently and has vegetarian sandwich options. I like the salmon salad there.

Panera Bread on A North has plenty of salads and NoDa on A North has a nice option with the Taproom salad if you ask them to hold the bacon. The grab and go options are decent too there.

 

[CLT2014]

4 hours ago, JacksonH said:

 When I fly out of San Diego while I'm waiting to board, there is a food vendor in the concourse selling salmon sushi.  It takes two minutes to grab that meal and pay for it.  But when I'm in CLT going in the other direction I'm always looking for something similar but can never find it.

Literally the most central restaurant in the entire airport is sushi with a grab and go counter facing the Atrium where 100,000 people walk through each day. Here's what it looks like so you can find it next time. There is also a sushi restaurant in Concourse D.

Sushi in Atrium 

Sushi in Concourse D (between Gate D2 and D3).

[xapostrophe]

I'll add on as well, Rhino market in A is good too.  they make some really good salads.  The spinach bacon is my go to.   They also sell a tub of their chicken salad and tuna salad (14oz I think)   I grab one of these pretty often for lunch.   The Vino Volo used to have decent options, but I haven't eaten there in years now.   Looking forward to Bao Wow.  There is one in DCA and it is always my go to there.  Pricey though.   In E con Brioche has meh salads.    I used to like a salad (can't recall the name) from Whiskey River.    I love the recent efforts for food in CLT.  I realllllllly want them to step it up and open an Amelie's.  What a HUGE hit that would be for locals and travellers.

[Temeteron]

15 minutes ago, xapostrophe said:

I'll add on as well, Rhino market in A is good too.  they make some really good salads.  The spinach bacon is my go to.   They also sell a tub of their chicken salad and tuna salad (14oz I think)   I grab one of these pretty often for lunch.   The Vino Volo used to have decent options, but I haven't eaten there in years now.   Looking forward to Bao Wow.  There is one in DCA and it is always my go to there.  Pricey though.   In E con Brioche has meh salads.    I used to like a salad (can't recall the name) from Whiskey River.    I love the recent efforts for food in CLT.  I realllllllly want them to step it up and open an Amelie's.  What a HUGE hit that would be for locals and travellers.

I love Rhino Marker but unfortunately their menu at the airport is not even a quarter of the menu at its other locations

[JacksonH]

On 1/22/2023 at 5:14 PM, CLT2014 said:

Sushi in Atrium 

 

 

Don't know how I've missed seeing that, unless I've gone past on the other side of it.

[InSouthPark]

11 hours ago, JacksonH said:

Don't know how I've missed seeing that, unless I've gone past on the other side of it.

It's right where the rocking chairs are on the main atrium. You could technically go around it but more than likely, it was just very busy with people standing around.  That is probably the highest traffic point in the entire airport (and also where the rocking chairs are and actually views out the windows on the other side). 

[JacksonH]

5 hours ago, InSouthPark said:

It's right where the rocking chairs are on the main atrium. You could technically go around it but more than likely, it was just very busy with people standing around.  That is probably the highest traffic point in the entire airport (and also where the rocking chairs are and actually views out the windows on the other side). 

I was just checking a map and confirming my suspicion that this is the very place that I  have literally walked *behind* while passing through the Atrium to get to Brookwood Farms BBQ.  I've done it a couple times, having no idea I was passing by a sushi restaurant.

[KJHburg]

CLT had 95% of its record year that happened back in 2019.    This is far better than many airports of course.

from the Biz Journal 

""Charlotte Douglas International Airport ended 2022 just short of setting another record for passenger traffic in 2022 as the travel industry continues to rebound from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Airport officials said today that about 47.7 million people started, ended or connected flights at CLT last year, up 10% from 43 million passengers in 2021. That's about 4.9% off from the 50.2 million passengers served at CLT in 2019, the first full year prior to the pandemic and the last time that the airport set a passenger record.

“Our numbers are definitely headed in the right direction,” said CLT’s CEO, Haley Gentry, in a press release. “Throughout the pandemic we’ve outperformed national trends, and we’re showing no signs of slowing down in 2023. The hub continues growing as more and more passengers are eager and ready to return to the skies."

The airport said it expects for travel to fully return to pre-pandemic levels this year. It had previously forecast 2024 for the full recovery.

The airport's figures show that international travel rose 73% over the year at Charlotte Douglas as more Covid-related restrictions were lifted last year. That includes the Biden administration's move over the summer to drop its testing requirement for international travelers entering or returning to the U.S. CLT saw 1.7 million international passengers in 2022, compared to 1 million in 2021.""

https://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2023/01/24/clt-airport-passenger-traffic-2022-covid-pandemic.html