Burbank Airport's Front Door Moved. Here's the New Way In.

"The taxi off was a little different. Instead of turning right, you turn left," Southwest Airlines pilot Mike Petros told the Los Angeles Times after landing from Sacramento at 7:31 a.m. on October 13, the first morning of Hollywood Burbank Airport's replacement terminal. He had told his passengers before takeoff that they were flying to a new terminal, so anyone picking them up should know. A lot of people on the ground still didn't. Airport staff spent the morning sending travelers from the idle old terminal over to the new one.

The new building is larger, cleaner and better equipped. For anyone who lives in Burbank or the foothills and treats BUR as the home airport, though, the bigger change is where it sits. The airport kept the same number of gates and the same number of parking spaces. It moved the entrance to a different corner of the property, so the route you had memorized now ends at a closed door.

The same airport by the numbers that count

The new terminal covers 355,000 square feet and replaces a 232,000-square-foot building, but it serves the same airport. That airport handles about 6.5 million passengers a year.

Once you're inside, the changes make the trip easier. There are more screening lanes, the walk to the gate is shorter, and you no longer wait for bags outside. Every change that can trip you up comes before you reach the building. Gate count and parking supply stayed flat, so the airport's capacity barely changed. The point of the project was to rebuild the airport's layout, and the reason is in the plan voters approved. In 2016, Burbank voters passed Measure B with 70% of the vote. It allowed the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority to build a new terminal "located further from runways," along with a new parking garage, ticketing lobby, baggage screening system and TSA checkpoint, according to the Daily News.

The drive in now ends at Winona

The new terminal is in the northeast part of the airport, north of the old one. Its entrance is at Hollywood Way and Winona Avenue, and the old passenger entrance off Thornton Avenue is retired. On opening morning, the Burbank Leader saw passengers get dropped at the old Thornton Avenue entrance and then directed to the new terminal. The Times spoke with one departing traveler who found out about the switch from his Uber driver on the way to the airport.

For a driver, the fix is to aim for Hollywood Way and Winona from the beginning. Coming down from La Crescenta or Sun Valley, people often head for the old approach out of habit, and that habit now takes you to the wrong corner. Before the opening, the airport asked travelers to allow extra time for curbside drop-off and pickup during the transition. On opening day it repeated the request for the next several days. If you're picking up a relative for Thanksgiving, give the new curb some extra time on your first visit.

The parking structure came with the terminal. It has about 2,000 spaces and 310 electric vehicle charging ports, plus a new valet operation. The total parking supply did not grow, so the new garage is where cars park now. It didn't add space. On its parking page, the airport says anyone who parked at the old terminal before October 13 and came back on or after that date has 30 days from October 13 to collect the car from the parking structure or valet center. That window ends around November 12. If a car has been sitting there since early October, it's time to get it.

Rideshare moved as well. The airport's ridesharing page puts pickup at the ground-transportation island in front of the parking structure's main entrance. If you rent a car, you still take a shuttle to the consolidated rental-car facility across Hollywood Way.

Two train stations, two different last legs

BUR is one of the few airports in the region where you can reach a flight by rail without much effort, and the terminal's move changed both rail connections. The airport has two stations, and the step from the platform to the terminal now works differently at each one.

With the terminal now on the north side, the Antelope Valley Line station is close enough to walk. Metrolink's airport page estimates about half a mile via Cohasset Street. Travelers who come in on the Ventura County Line or the Surfliner have one more step, which is the shuttle from the Regional Intermodal Transportation Center.

Before you count on that shuttle for an early flight, check the hours. Metrolink's directions for trips starting October 13 list airport shuttles running from 4:45 a.m. to 1 a.m. The airport's own buses and trains page shows shorter hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the South station and 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. for the North station. For a 6 a.m. departure or a late arrival, it's worth confirming the current schedule the day before.

What's planned past security

Once you're through the eight screening lanes, the food lineup will look familiar to anyone who lives in the area. The airport has announced Guy Fieri's Flavortown, Spring Chicken, Diane's Farm Table and Diane's Italian Market, Jones Coffee, Perry's Joint, Poquito Mas, West Coast Smash Burgers, Massis Kabob, Starbucks, Border Grill, Jet Tila's Asian Table, Santa Canela bakery, and a bar called Pete's Pub. The Times reported that the dining areas look out on the runways and the Verdugo Mountains.

Those restaurants weren't all ready at the start. On opening day, most of the terminal's six retail stores were open, but none of its 13 food concessions were fully operating. Two eateries offered grab-and-go food, and an airport spokesperson said more options would open later that day and over the following week. The airport's restaurants and shopping directory lists the full lineup, with some names styled a little differently, such as Farm Table Bistro and Spring Kitchen. Several were still marked "Coming Soon" in late October. Until the full lineup is open, it makes sense to eat before you leave home or check the directory on the morning of your flight.

The power outlets have changed too. The Times noted that every seat has access to power, and that most of the charging stations are now USB-C ports rather than standard USB. If your phone cable has a standard USB plug, bring an adapter or a wall charger.

The old terminal is coming down

The building most of us flew out of for years won't be reused. The last flight from the old terminal was a JetBlue departure to New York at 9:30 p.m. the night before the new terminal opened. Overnight, crews moved aircraft, ground equipment and TSA equipment to the new side. According to the Daily News, the airport expects to demolish the old terminal within 12 months and extend the taxiways on that ground. CBS Los Angeles reported that, according to airport officials, the original 1930 building sits too close to the runway and poses safety hazards. The Thornton Avenue entrance will keep pointing to a building that's slated for removal, so the corner many drivers still head for won't be there much longer.

The new terminal cost $1.3 billion. It was paid for with federal airport improvement grants, passenger facility charges, Airport Authority funds and general airport revenue bonds. According to the airport, none of the money came from state or county funds or from the cities of Burbank, Glendale or Pasadena. The project's own site, elevatebur.com, has more on the build.

On opening day, a traveler from Florida told the Times that before the change, "this was the easiest airport." For people who live a few miles away, it can be easy again. Head for Hollywood Way and Winona, meet your rideshare at the island in front of the garage, and if you take the Antelope Valley Line, walk the half mile up Cohasset.

I drive between the foothills and Hollywood Way often, and I'm still getting used to the new approach myself. If you've found a better route to the Winona entrance from La Crescenta, Sunland or Shadow Hills, or you have questions about getting around Burbank as you think about where you want to live, I'd be glad to compare notes. Reach me through Ed Dorini. Let's Connect.