New Terminal Eases Tension Along With Traffic Crunch

Gordon Anderson was one of a few extra workers Continental Airlines brought to John Wayne Airport on Wednesday to help handle the holiday crunch on what is traditionally the busiest travel day of the year.

But by mid-afternoon, Anderson, a retiree who volunteers his time for the airline’s ambassador service, was the only one standing in line, carrying a handful of luggage identification tags he expected to provide to frenzied travelers.

“You could roll a bowling ball down the middle of the terminal and not hit anybody,” Anderson said, looking across the terminal ticket counters. “It (passenger traffic) seems extremely light. We’ve rarely had a moment with more than four people waiting in line.”

Although more than 18,000 travelers were expected to pass through the airport Wednesday, Anderson and other airline employees said John Wayne’s cavernous new terminal created a less stressful and non-congested atmosphere in which thousands of holiday travelers were moved with little or no difficulties.

“This is not like the old place,” Anderson said of the former terminal, which stood dark Wednesday and served only as a staging area for cab traffic into the new terminal. “The old terminal was like a cracker box.”

Airport spokeswoman Courtney Wiercioch said there was a steady stream of traffic throughout the day but no major delays during both the morning and evening rush hours.

“We’re pretty pleased with the way we’ve handled our first major holiday,” Wiercioch said of the $63-million terminal, which opened in September. “It makes us feel good.”

She said the bigger building, expanded parking facilities and freeway ramps combined to ease the congestion that became a yearly tradition at the old terminal. She said traffic Wednesday could total as much as 18,500 passengers, compared to last year’s 17,463.

Wiercioch said the numbers of passengers will decrease steadily over the next few days and rise again Sunday, a busy holiday return day.

Randy Gassner, an operations supervisor for American Airlines, remembers holidays in the close quarters of the old terminal as a particularly stressful time.

“It was chaotic for us and the passengers,” Gassner said. “We feel more relaxed. It’s so spacious, you don’t even notice” the crowds and noise.

Fearing the maddening frustrations of traffic congestion, the actions of some travelers helped ease the rush during the day as some arrived hours before their takeoff times.

Marine Pfc. Dennis Pefley, 19, who arrived at 12:30 p.m. for his 4:20 p.m. flight, only had time to think about all the relatives and friends he wanted to see in his hometown of Missoula, Mont., before he ships out Monday for a tour of duty in the Persian Gulf.

“It’s going to be a long time before I see them again,” Pefley said of his family. “I wanted to get out here as quick as possible. I’d rather sit in an airport than back at the base (Camp Pendleton).

“I’m trying to plan out all the things I’m going to do,” he said. “I want to eat some real food.”

Tom White and his son, Brazos, said they arrived about 1 p.m. for a 5:30 p.m. flight to Dallas. The Whites, both residents of Paris, Tex., and in Orange County on a construction project, were clad in jeans, boots and cowboy hats. They said they have heard tales of California congestion.

“We were afraid of that traffic,” said Tom White, 46. “I didn’t want to wait till 3 p.m. to get on the freeway. But I was expecting it to be a lot more crowded.”

He said he was passing the time napping at the near-empty gate area, while his 26-year-old son had opted for the comfort of a nearby cocktail lounge.

“This is extremely nice,” Tom White said of the terminal. “There isn’t near as much loitering as there is in other airports. The people have been real polite and helpful.”

While things at the airport were operating relatively smoothly, local cab companies and shuttle services were flooded with calls for transportation to the airport. Some services arrived before dawn to make home pickups to avoid the rush-hour crunch and ensure timely departures.

“Some people were a little upset with us for picking them up at 5 a.m. for 7 a.m. departures,” said Fred McCuistion, local Yellow Cab manager. “Every year it gets a little worse.”

Although the cab company was attempting to handle routine service calls, McCuistion said many passengers reserved their rides to the airport days in advance.

“This year, people were trying to beat the airport traffic. People who didn’t plan were just out of luck,” he said.

By the early afternoon, McCuistion said 14 calls were stacked up, nine callers were on hold and waiting times averaged about 30 to 35 minutes.

Jim Watson, vice president of sales and marketing for Super Shuttle, said reservations for Wednesday travel was booked by Tuesday night.

By the evening rush hour, California Highway Patrol Officer Linda Burrus said congestion was bringing traffic to an expected standstill, but there were no major disruptions near the airport.

At the airport, Burrus said the larger terminal has helped traffic flow noticeably.