Interesting little thing on the USA Today website today, an article about those plastic shoe tubs that they use in America features the Prince Rupert airport of all places in the picture left and with an observation in the story, it seems that the author is impressed with our cleanliness and orderliness of colour coded sorting bins…
I have never had any issues with our little airport, security personnel are great, the place is clean and comfortable, the only thing myself and others don’t understand is the unloading of our luggage upon return to Rupert. Can someone tell me why we have to take it off the truck in the terminal and put it back on the truck before we get on the bus to the ferry? I understand a passenger may have brought their car over and need their luggage first, if that is the case, why wouldn’t theirs be loaded last? It’s a tough one to explain to confused first-timers here !!
Correct - they have the agent at digby and if your luggage did not make the plane they can deal with it rightaway. Probably way to costly to run a office in town.
There are a few little details which are quite confusing about the Prince Rupert airport, apart from the confounding and the downright patience-testing. The complete lack of plug outlets in the post-security area, the lack of restrooms in the post-security area, the luggage shuffle on and off the van (when an office could be shared in Prince Rupert between airlines). In fact the whole need whatsoever for a facility out there at all!
Costs and savings? Currently you need to “check in” for a 19:45 flight at 18:00 latest (almost 2 hours, when domestic flights require 1 hr and 30 mins for security / gate).
Let’s try:
18:45 - check-in closes in Prince Rupert, say at Atlin Terminal or the underused Northland Cruise Terminal; your luggage is weighed (and could be taken if they set this up). Check-in closes 1 hr before flight. Check in and then your lounge is onboard the Inside Passage.
18:50 - 19:05 - a passenger ferry to Digby that only needs 15 mins dock to dock (Inside Passage anyone?). Your luggage: either bonded and secured already for loading at the plane in a secured container or if this isn’t set up, carried like you already do now.
19:10 - 19:20 - a bus at Digby taking you to security checkpoint; your luggage is put in a van here if the other system is not set up, no re-checking in and no waiting, washrooms and power outlet equipped (maybe even doing security checks IN Prince Rupert so avoiding this altogether; Northland Terminal could be a good drop point for local communities and fishing lodge guests.
19:45 - then out and away.
One hour versus two hours
It would be nice for the time this would all take to be about the same as in every other airport in Northern BC; the fact one considers driving 90 mins down the highway to make it to Vancouver earlier than their local airport is frankly ridiculous.
[quote=“wankelrotaryengine”]There are a few little details which are quite confusing about the Prince Rupert airport, apart from the confounding and the downright patience-testing. The complete lack of plug outlets in the post-security area, the lack of restrooms in the post-security area, the luggage shuffle on and off the van (when an office could be shared in Prince Rupert between airlines). In fact the whole need whatsoever for a facility out there at all!
Costs and savings? Currently you need to “check in” for a 19:45 flight at 18:00 latest (almost 2 hours, when domestic flights require 1 hr and 30 mins for security / gate).
Let’s try:
18:45 - check-in closes in Prince Rupert, say at Atlin Terminal or the underused Northland Cruise Terminal; your luggage is weighed (and could be taken if they set this up). Check-in closes 1 hr before flight. Check in and then your lounge is onboard the Inside Passage.
18:50 - 19:05 - a passenger ferry to Digby that only needs 15 mins dock to dock (Inside Passage anyone?). Your luggage: either bonded and secured already for loading at the plane in a secured container or if this isn’t set up, carried like you already do now.
19:10 - 19:20 - a bus at Digby taking you to security checkpoint; your luggage is put in a van here if the other system is not set up, no re-checking in and no waiting, washrooms and power outlet equipped (maybe even doing security checks IN Prince Rupert so avoiding this altogether; Northland Terminal could be a good drop point for local communities and fishing lodge guests.
19:45 - then out and away.
One hour versus two hours
It would be nice for the time this would all take to be about the same as in every other airport in Northern BC; the fact one considers driving 90 mins down the highway to make it to Vancouver earlier than their local airport is frankly ridiculous.[/quote]
This system sounds interesting however:
Firstly:there is no way that a security check could be done on this side, security checks have to done when entering the airside (sterile) of an airport.
Secondly: we won’t live long enough to see any change except for a possible closure of the airport, as you might know it needs extensive renovations to bring it up to today’s standards in many regards.
I think the staff at both security and the airlines do an outstanding job considering what they all have to work with, the airport is something that we all just have to learn to deal with. Yesterday my bag did not make it up from Vancouver and i requested it be dropped off at my office today which it promptly was.