George Nemeth · Someone at ERC has something to say

May 21st, 2008

Usually, the byline on these posts is Pat Perry, but given the commentary, I could see why it goes up anonymously:

Holy cow, I forgot that someone is still thinking that is a good idea. We can’t even welcome travelers here well. If I was a visitor and had a few hour layover in Cleveland it would affirm all the negative press about our region. Something needs to change their fast…every day conditions that the airport remain the same and business as ususal transpires we are taking another step backwards.

What’s it going to take to make an investment in that plot of land with landing strips? Changing the name from Hopkins to CLE with a slick marketing campaign is not going to do the trick. Doesn’t look like that has worked too well either as J.D. Powers and Associates still refers to the airport using the old name…

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Category: Cleveland, Marketing

5 Responses to “Someone at ERC has something to say”

  1. lilatovcocktail Says:
    May 21st, 2008 at 12:42 pm

    The airport is bad in so many, many ways.

    I am closely related to a person who was 2nd in command at the airport under “Iron Mike” White’s regime, during which time they made a lot of changes to Hopkins (some of which were later investigated by the FBI … but that’s another story).

    Anyway, during that time, there was lots of discussion of improving the airports “signage” to make it easier to navigate. Although changes were made, Hopkins remains the most poorly marked and laid-out airport I’ve ever seen. I get confused, and I’ve been in it hundreds of times. And the post 9/11 security changes made it worse.

    There should be an arrival and departure board listing ALL flights and a”you are here” maps at every single doorway (upstairs and in baggage claim) showing which airlines fly in and out of which concourses. Nothing like walking all the way down to Concourse D to find out that the flight you’re waiting for was at the last minute rerouted to Concourse A.

    Same thing for the baggage area. There should be a central board at the end of the arrival escalators that sends you directly to the right carousel for your light. Walking up and down and up and down looking for your flight is a drag and a time waster.

  2. Rick Bohan Says:
    May 22nd, 2008 at 6:47 am

    I get to a number of airports and CLE isn’t among the best but it’s not appreciably worse than most I get to. I think it’s pretty easy to get around in; there are four distinct concourses; why is that hard? Houston, Dallas, Chicago O’ Hare are much harder to navigate. And the airlines aren’t mixed across concourses as they seem to be at other airports.

    I’ve never had a change from D to A and, while not impossible, it seems unlikely that Continental (the only airline at D) would not have another gate available closer than A. In any case, the same sort of thing happens in Atlanta, Houston, Chicago. And, if planes are re-routed to different gates, why is that the airport’s fault?

    Restrooms aren’t great but no worse than I run into at other airports. Same with food facilities.

    The baggage area is no harder to navigate than those of other airports.

    The one complaint I do have is the lack of food outlets outside of security.

  3. Ben Keeler Says:
    May 22nd, 2008 at 3:01 pm

    Has anyone noticed in one of the terminals - I think B - there are ads on the wall that have literally been there 15 years…one with Katie Couric and one with Daisy Fuentes.

    Rick, you are right, there are almost no options to eat before you go through security.

  4. BP Beckley Says:
    May 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    Well, obviously people are different, but I wouldn’t want to take the time to eat before I go through security, because I have absolutely no idea how long it’s going to take to get through security. I’d rather do my discretionary things on the inside, and as close to my gate as possible.

  5. Ben Keeler Says:
    May 23rd, 2008 at 9:49 pm

    Yeah but some people that are there arent flying and they have no way to eat.