I am flying out of the Indianapolis airport - Delta - to Atlanta.

I understand there is a new terminal. Is it just for international flights? will I be going to the same airport that I've gone to before or should I be researching how to get to the new area.

Debbie

traveler2005
see below for some new information:

http://www.indianapolisairport.com/passenger_info.aspx

I am really not sure about all the details and my computer is really slow tonight, but I think you can get the information from this site.

I will be using that terminal in December, had finally figured out all the ins and outs of the other one, now have to start over.

My FIL is flying from Indianapolis to San Francisco on AA for Christmas, leaving on the 21st, & he flys from the new airport. He said starting Nov 11, flights departed from the new airport.


Stu Dudley

>>I will be using that terminal in December>>

It's a new airport - not a new terminal at the old airport. They are close to each other, but not within walking distance - according to my wife.

There is a shuttle for those who left from the old airport (before 11/11), parked their car there, but are returning to the new airport.

Stu Dudley

Wow - I just posted this note and jokingly thought to myself that I'd look and see if there were any replies yet. There were!!

Thanks.

I've printed off the information and will try to figure it out. It sounds like I better figure out how to get to the new terminal.

So Stu - I take it there are different parking garages for the new airport? I was thinking to myself before I saw the newest note that if they were adjacent, they might be using the same parking decks.

Are they not using the old airport at all now?

Debbie

I live in San Francisco, but my FIL says that they are ready to tear down the old airport. If the new & old parking garages were adjacent, they would probably not need a shuttle to take you from one to another - so I assume you'll have to park in a new one.

A "terminal" is within an airport, and there are often multiple terminals in an airport. Here at SFO, we have an interational terminal, and about 3 domestic terminals - but only 1 airport.

Make a dry run out to the new airport & case the situation out.

BTW, it was in the low 70s here in the SF Bay Area today. My FIL said it got down in the teens last night in Naptown.

Go Purdue !!! (have they won a football game yet?).

Stu Dudley

The new airport is indeed open. It is the only airport with a single terminal for all commercial flights domestic and international.

The "Airport Expressway" is renamed the "Sam Jones Expressway" as it no longer goes to the airport. There is a new exit off of I-70 just west of I-465 that serves the new airport with new parking garages.

We had quite the luxury in Indy. You never knew there was construction going on for the new airport while at the old one.

It's the same airfield. Same runways. But brand new terminal between the two parallel runways on the southwest side of the airport. You go to the airport via a different route.

But I won't call it a "new airport" when the runways are the same ones as before.

Same thing with PIT in 1992. Totally new terminal, new roads, etc. But it's still the same airfield.

Thanks for the info. It is rather confusing. We noticed the name change from Airport Expressway in October, but weren't sure exactly the layout of the airport and where the new exit would be. I guess the reason for our confusion is that it hasn't been that long since many improvements were made at the old site. Seems kind of wasteful to me.

around - Thank you for the information about the new expressway. That was one of my worries - that I'd have trouble finding the right turn. We haven't been to Indy since June and my husband commented last night that he didn't think they'd built a new exit so he thought I'd probably take the same exit and it would wind around to the new airport. I'm glad to know in advance that this is not the case. I am going by myself this time and sometimes it is hard to figure out signage quickly enough when driving.

Stu - I wish that I could check it out in advance - but it is an hour and a half away and I am leaving soon. I don't think I want to drive all the way over there and back in advance.

I haven't been following Purdue in football. To tell you the truth, I don't know whether they won or lost when they played Illinois which is where I went. It's a great school - a lot of my husband's co-workers went there so he hears a lot of the mock rivalry (or maybe not so mock).

Back to the expressway. I am sure glad that someone had the foresight to rename the old Airport expressway to avoid that confusion.

around said: "There is a new exit off of I-70 just west of I-465 that serves the new airport with new parking garages."

I am coming from I-74 and normally turn south on I-465 to get to the airport. I assume that I will go the same way. I don't need to get onto I-70, do I??

Off to google maps to see if it is up-to-date and shows me. I have a GPS - but it is the cheaper model that doesn't update and so won't be any help. (I suppose I should spring for a newer one that does update.)

Debbie

Does this sound up-to-date? It sounds a little complicated - but maybe it's not as bad as it sounds.
Debbie

7. Take exit 73A to merge onto I-465 S/I-74 E
4.0 mi
8. Take exit 12B for Washington St/US-40 W
0.4 mi
9. Merge onto US-40/W Washington St
1.2 mi
10. Turn left at S Girls School Rd
0.2 mi
11. Turn right at N Perimeter Rd/N Service Rd
0.2 mi
12. Turn left at Service Rd
1.2 mi
13. Turn right at Midfield Service Rd
0.9 mi

Airport: Indianapolis Intl
Indiana

Google maps has a new (possibly just to me) function. For most of the turns, you can click on a little camera and see exactly what it looks like. That would be very helpful in the midst of trying to figure out a turn. Of course, I don't have Internet access in the car at this time, but maybe someday.

I was a little confused when I clicked one of the latter photos and saw that I was going to be turning into a rather deserted area with a fence across the road. Fortunately, I realized that it probably no longer looks this this. The photos probably date from when they were still building.

Debbie

I just flew out of the new terminal/airport this week. A couple of notes - you do stay on I-70 to a different exit to get to the new airport - don't get off at the "old" exit. You drive for what seems like forever on access roads to get to the airport - so allow yourself some extra time to get there - its not as easy "in and out" as the old terminal.

I don't think the directions posted by someone else are correct - if you are coming from I-74 - go ahead and get on 465 and then you will need to exit onto I-70 for a few miles before you get to exit 68 (which is the new airport exit)

The parking is a bit different too - the "ecomony" lots are in the same vicinity as the terminal instead of across the street. The garage is much larger and takes a little longer to navigate.

It is a beautiful facility but everything is a bit bigger - allow yourself some extra time. In the center of the terminal are some restaurants from Indy - Cafe Patachou and Giorgio's were the two that caught my eye! On the "A" side for the gates there is also 96th Street Steakburgers.

>>I haven't been following Purdue in football<<

I think that's in your favor.

Stu Dudley

If I am on 465 going south and want to get on 70 to the airport, will you I go east or west of 465?

Thanks for the information about the incorrect directions. I posted it and got it from google maps.

Maybe if I'm lucky there will be good signs. Sometimes I find it hard to read them and figure out what they mean before I actually get to the place where I have to make the decision on which way to go.

I usually allow 2 hours for check-in even in Indy, so should have time to spare. Maybe I should allow a bit more for getting lost on the highways.

Do you have a feel for how much economy parking is? We haven't parked there for a long time. Normally we drive to a friend's house in Indy, leave our car at their house and then they take us to the airport. This time, I am only going to be gone for two days and am getting back late. I thought it might be easier just to park there.

Stu - One year at Illinois, we happened to go to the best game of the season (for Illinois). It was a 0-0 tie against Northwestern which was not good in football in those days. With that as a comparison, I don't expect much. (G)

The exit to the "new" terminal is Exit 68 off I-70. It is west of the I-465 loop, heading towards St. Louis.

No matter what freeway you're coming into Indianapolis, you need to get on I-70 West, west of I-465, towards St. Louis.

Thanks for the highway information. I think it is a really good thing that I didn't depend on google maps. I don't know where it would have taken me - but I don't think it would have been to the new airport.

Debbie

The economy parking was $7 per day if memory serves me correctly. The garage is $16 per day.

A friend sent me this link. If you sign up for a newsletter on airport parking, you get a coupon for 1 day of free parking. (must park for 2 or more days and must be parked by 12/31)

http://crankyflier.com/2008/11/11/my...opens-tonight/

Debbie

I am back from the trip. I thought the highway was very well marked. I really appreciate the person that told me that the directions that I'd found on google maps were wrong and that I'd be getting off on I-70 on exit 68. That was helpful to know in advance.

I was also impressed that there were a lot of people available in the terminal who were friendly and helpful. I wonder if they were gearing up for Thanksgiving and that is why there seemed to be more than usual.

That said, when I was at the self check-in terminal to check on whether there might be better seats available, the people next to me said that they had trouble finding the airport. They missed boarding their flight. The Delta rep said that she could get them on another flight, but there'd be a $50 per person charge.

I also talked to a woman at work who was picking someone up at the airport this weekend. She said that recently some friends had had the same problem - trouble finding the new airport.

I think the moral is - it's better to be three hours early than 30 minutes late.

Debbie