10 TIPS FOR USING NEW JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT

The new Thomas F. Riley Terminal opens today at John Wayne Airport. Maps of the facility are on B3. Here are 10 tips for travelers:

1. ARRIVE EARLY, preferably more than an hour before your scheduled departure. Everything is new and unfamiliar: the roadway, parking and baggage systems, not to mention the terminal itself.

2. DRIVE SLOWLY. The lettering on the directional signs is small, so allow time to digest the information. And parking location is everything.

3. PARK CAREFULLY. This may be one of the longest buildings you’ve been in. But you can limit your walking distance by knowing where to park and be dropped off. Know whether your airline is in the north or south end of the terminal. The two halves are labeled Terminal A (north) and Terminal B (south); each half serves different airlines. USAir and American--John Wayne’s two biggest carriers--are near the middle.

4. DEPARTURES are from the upper level. You can check baggage at the curb, then park.

5. ARRIVALS are on the lower level. If you are meeting someone, the best place to park is in the garage directly across the street from the baggage claim area.

6. YOU CAN PAY INSIDE for garage parking. But remember to take your parking ticket inside the terminal, where electronic machines, accompanied by bill changers, allow

prepayment, with a grace period for the trek to your car. This saves time when leaving the garages.

7. LONG-TERM PARKING is still available. To save money, you can use the long-term remote lot on Main Street, across the San Diego Freeway from the airport. Shuttles are available. The short-term, outdoor lot in front of the old Martin Terminal is closed.

8. RENT A BAGGAGE CART for $1.50 and save your back. They are in the baggage claim area; you get 25 cents back when you return the cart.

9. TO THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY. The route is still via MacArthur Boulevard in front of the terminal. A shortcut: Drivers heading for the northbound San Diego Freeway can avoid MacArthur Boulevard by taking the Campus Drive exit to the Corona del Mar Freeway south of the airport. Go north on that route to merge with the San Diego Freeway in Costa Mesa.

10. TO/FROM THE COSTA MESA FREEWAY. A new exit ramp opens Sunday to take southbound Costa Mesa Freeway traffic right into the terminal. And drivers departing the airport who wish to head north on the Costa Mesa Freeway can take a special airport ramp to it.