Jim Rosica
Tallahassee International Airport begins modernization efforts Wednesday to “make flying in and out of TLH easier and more customer friendly,” according to a news release.
But frequent flyers say the terminal’s not the problem when it comes to their air travel: It’s the airlines, specifically the customer service and cost of flights.
That complaint, however, has been heard almost as long as the airport has been in existence. The current terminal opened in December 1989.
The bottom line: Tallahassee just doesn’t have the traffic. Total passenger count was 706,574 last year, according to city records. To compare, Jacksonville International, about 175 miles to the east, had 5,230,988.
The city of Tallahassee’s “Terminal Modernization Project” starts with demolition in the baggage claim area. The front lobby will later be reconfigured up to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) checkpoint, according to the city’s news release.
“The project will include a new baggage claim system, ticket counters for airlines and rental car agencies, safety screening machines, a new TSA screening room and some aesthetic upgrades, including new terrazzo flooring and LCD monitors,” it said.
The airport was upgraded from “regional” to “international” in June to allow cargo flights and eventually passenger traffic.
“This is a step toward our overall goal of improving our airport,” City Commissioner Scott Maddox said. “We are committed to enhancing the Tallahassee air travel experience, from our terminal improvements to adding more flights and lower fares.”
That last part is what many locals think the city should focus on first.
The terminal upgrade is “a bit of a puzzle because if any airport is easy to use, it’s the Tallahassee airport,” said Susannah Lyle, assistant director of public information at The Florida Bar. It’s “easy to park, easy to enter the facility, TSA lines are usually not that long.”
But, she added, “You can’t always get flights to where you want to go at reasonable prices. That’s the issue, not the facility itself.”
Ana Goni-Lessan, a Tallahassee native now in Texas, returns often to visit friends and family.
“Tickets to fly in and out of Tallahassee always seem to be about $100 to $150 more expensive than Jacksonville or even Valdosta,” she said.
Amy Farrington says she flies through TLH “all the time.”
“It is a crap shoot if I actually take the return flight or keep the rental car so that I actually get home on the day I expect to,” said Farrington, director of certification for the Florida Certification Board. She also bemoans having to “go through Atlanta to get anywhere in Florida.”
But Morgan McCord, communications director for Florida TaxWatch, prefers using TLH to other airports, such as Jacksonville’s.
“I wish there were more direct destinations, but it’s a reflection of demand,” she said. “It’s unusual that my flights either to or from Tallahassee are full. You can’t blame the airlines for not adding new flights if they won’t make any money.
“As for the airport itself, it does the job,” she said. “Plenty of seating, a place to grab snacks and drinks if needed and it’s a breeze to get through security: I’m not wasting 45 minutes sitting in a terminal waiting to board.
“Also, no restrictions on Uber at TLH (looking at you, MCO [Orlando International Airport]), which makes it easy to get to and from the airport.”
The entire project is expected to last until October 2016, the release said, and will cost $10.5 million, paid for by the Florida Department of Transportation, the TSA and local funding.
