The results from our new airport terminal survey are in. KC’s mostly on the same page | Opinion

What do travelers who have passed through the new terminal at Kansas City International Airport have to say about the long-overdue upgrade? A lot, it turns out.

Last month, we published an (unscientific) online survey asking two simple questions: What do you like about the new KCI, and what would you change about it? We got hundreds of responses, and despite what we keep hearing about how everyone is constantly at one another’s throats these days, there was a shocking and frankly refreshing amount of agreement across the board.

And one word came up time after time: love.

“Love it!” is an answer we heard verbatim multiple times. “It’s a huge improvement, and we finally have an airport suited to our city’s stature.”

“I love the modern amenities,” said another. “Everything is up to date in Kansas City.”

“The modernness of it is so nice and was needed so badly,” read one reply, praising “the ease of dropping bags off, going through security and being connected to all gates and amenities in the terminal. The one-stop pickup and drop-off for parking buses, ride shares and family are way more economical. It’s also nice to have an airport whose design matches its needs and things aren’t entirely retrofitted or outdated.”

We heard from people who said they use the airport frequently. “It brings us into the modern age,” wrote one. “It’s very easy to navigate and it was thoughtfully designed. I travel for work at least once a week so I’ve been there a lot. It finally feels like other cities.“

The new terminal’s architectural design drew lots of compliments. The adjectives “bright,” “airy” and especially “open” came up time and again. “It is amazing — clean, bright and easy to use,” said one. ”I have TSA PreCheck, so getting through security was a breeze. The moving walkways made it a short and easy trip to get to my gate at the far end of the B concourse. The artwork is stunning and eye-catching. Parking in the attached garage was a breeze. Getting to my car was faster and easier than the old terminals.”

“I love how open it is — the high ceilings, expansive walkways and how it’s spaced out,” wrote another participant. “The glass jet bridges all make travel less stressful, and you don’t feel as much like cattle when boarding your plane. The inclusive bathrooms are also a fantastic touch.”

All-gender restrooms convenient, private

Our respondents cited the restrooms often, almost always positively. Many thanked designers for providing plenty of the amenities, and repeated answers to our survey praised the convenience and privacy of the all-gender stalls. While some people found them confusing, others noted that most of the restrooms in the terminal are gender-specific.

We think everybody could get behind this thoughtful reply: “I liked the fully enclosed stalls in the all-gender bathroom but wish they had been implemented in the women’s bathroom as well.” (The peekaboo restroom privacy stalls Americans have become accustomed to are bewildering to visitors from many other countries where people are offered more modesty.)

Flyers who arrived at KCI’s old horseshoe terminals hungry had few options, and the answers to our survey that referred to the new food options were almost unanimously positive. One person was excited about the “abundance of local restaurants,” and several others appreciated the Kansas City connection, too.

“I love the KC feel and smell of barbecue in the terminal,” said one. “So many choices and almost 100% local!” wrote another.

Longer concourse distances to walk

Did we hear criticisms? Of course. A few participants told us that, yes, it reminds them of other big metropolitan airport terminals — but maybe too much.

“The airport is great as compared to the previous airport,” went one reply, “but it now seems like it’s like every other airport — it doesn’t stand out from others.”

Probably the most common negative we heard has to be considered in context with the old terminals. There, passengers could have a very short distance to traverse if a car was waiting to pick them up right outside their arrival gate.

“Add trams,” read one response. “The walks are too long to the gates.”

“(Accessible) parking is a long walk from anywhere,” wrote another traveler. “It’s much more difficult for disabled passengers than it should be.”

We think complainers are forgetting that at the old KCI, you sometimes had to travel quite a distance from the ticketing counter to the gate entrances, or from the security exits to the baggage carousels. But overall, it’s true that you’re usually in for a bit more walking now.

Another objection we heard numerous times — that you’re no longer allowed to stop at the curb in your car waiting to pick up a passenger — just doesn’t hold water. Yes, we were used to the old terminals’ vast stretches of sidewalk that let dozens of cars line up and idle while they waited for planes to empty. That’s unworkable today.

“The people complaining about the pick-up lane setup have just never been to any other U.S. airport,” wrote one reader. “Ours is very efficient, just different.” We’ve seen firsthand that Kansas Citians are adapting to the new arrangement just fine.

Other nitpicks were individual and idiosyncratic: “Bathrooms need a ledge to put water bottles and other items.” “More coffee options. … I know it’s not local but just add a Starbucks.” “More vegetarian food options.” “Add a water feature to symbolize the city’s fountain culture.”

While there were a few grouches who said they dislike the redo, (“What would I change about it? Everything!”) the overall sentiment from our readers was clear: Kansas City knew it needed a new airport experience, and the terminal delivered.

One reply summed it all up succinctly: “It’s clean, modern and has beautiful local art. It’s an airport that makes me proud to live in KC.”