New York’s LaGuardia unveils new $3.9 billion Delta terminal

Is it really possible for fliers to have a smoother and maybe even enjoyable experience at New York’s LaGuardia Airport?

After all, the infamous Queens airport, with its threadbare atmosphere, constant delays, never-ending construction and all-round inefficiency, is a place travelers have come to dread.

“It’s a nightmare airport,” says Julie Banning, an NYC-based luxury travel adviser with Embark. She flies through LaGuardia for work and also books flights for her clients through it — when she has no other options. “Delays are almost a given, and there is a lot of traffic getting in and out,” Banning adds.

A better journey through LGA? Yes, you read that right

Delta Air Lines want passengers to believe that the answer is “yes, a better journey is possible” and says its new concourse, opening Tuesday, October 29, is only the start of the overhaul happening at LaGuardia.

The concourse, more than two years in the making, is the first phase of Delta’s new $3.9 billion terminal at the airport. What began in August 2017 is slated to be finished by 2026, according to Ryan Marzullo, the airline’s managing director of corporate real-estate in New York. In all, says Marzullo, the project includes four concourses and a Headhouse, the central part of the terminal where passengers check in and go through security.

Delta’s new LaGuardia concourse is a long time coming, according to Larry Studdiford, the founder of Studdiford Technical Solutions, an airport security and baggage systems consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia. “I’m encouraged to see the old terminals finally being replaced at LaGuardia. It’s time to upgrade the facilities with amenities and operational technologies that meet the demands of record growth in passenger numbers,” he says.

Views, amenities and long-awaited basics

Delta is spending around $3.3 billion for the redesign while the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey is pitching in a significant chunk of change too — about $600 million. The terminal is only one part of an $8 billion renovation that’s pushing the entire airport closer to Grand Central Parkway. Delta is just one phase of the renovation and not the first one either. That designation belongs to United’s new concourse B; it opened in December 2018.

“Essentially, what we’re doing is tearing down the existing Terminal C and D in different parts at different times and building one new modern terminal,” says Marzullo.

The first concourse — all 105,000 square feet of it — will be unveiled October 29 with a press conference and ribbon cutting to be attended by New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Delta CEO Ed Bastian and Port Authority executive director Rick Cotton.

The seven-gate concourse sits on the water on the eastern side of LaGuardia and boasts dramatic views of both Flushing Bay and Citi Field, home to the New York Mets.

“From a customer perspective, I think the setting and views have the most impact,” says Marzullo.

But the new concourse has more amenities than pretty panoramas: There’s a nursing room, for one, and a relief room for dogs, an increasingly popular travel companion.

In addition, all of the seats at the spacious gate areas are equipped with an electrical outlet, a practically essential item for the modern traveler. A given at most major airports around the world, for LGA, it’s a noteworthy advancement.

And, let’s not forget about the dining. Delta has teamed with the airport hospitality group OTG, its current partner in Terminal C and D, on five concepts including beloved New York cult brands Birch Coffee, H&H Bagels and Juice Press.

What’s more: Chef Mark Iacano of Brooklyn’s legendary pizza joint Lucali, consulted on Rossi Pizzeria, a Neopolitan-style pizza spot. New Yorkers not keen on waiting hours to get a table at Lucali can queue up at Rossi for a similar taste and decidedly less hassle.

Chefs Jess Shadbolt and Clare de Boer of Soho’s King Restaurant consulted on Flatiron Tavern & Provisions’ menu of burgers, fish and chops, further upping the airport dining game.

Taxi!

Beyond the obvious and long-overdue features, the new concourse includes a less flashy, but no less game-changing upgrade: A dual taxi line. This feature will reduce taxi wait times, which previously could stretch close to an hour.

Larger gates — another, less obvious feature — will be able to accommodate bigger planes. No more taxi-ing around waiting for an available gate to accommodate your aircraft once your flight has landed.

“We’ve had scenarios where a flight gets in early or on time, but there was no available gate where a plane of its size could park,” says Marzullo. “This would cause delays, but now, we can be more efficient.”

Delta operates more flights out of its LaGuardia hub than it does from John F. Kennedy International Airport, roughly 275 peak-day departures. The shiny new terminal may make LGA a more desirable option for travelers choosing between the two.