Tampa International Airport Ticketing - Josh Gillin

Tampa International Airport is redoing its ticketing area for the first time since the 1970s. Read Shepherd speaks with the airport's Josh Gillin. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I'm read Shepherd, and this is beyond the news. For
the first time since Tampa International Airport opened, they are
completely redesigning their ticketing level on the second floor. Joining
us today as senior communications manager Josh Gillen, Josh, I
guess why don't we start first of all with having
you give us an idea of the project and what

(00:22):
the ticketing level will eventually look like.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Sure, well, you know, the ticketing level, which is the
second floor of our main terminal, has been in its
current form more or less since nineteen seventy one when
the airport opened, and so while we've done some updating
of finishes a couple of times over the years, the
way people have traveled has changed quite a bit. So
we are going to be renovating that entire level. Now.

(00:48):
When we say it's going to look different, I mean
the layout will be essentially the same. But one of
the things if you go there now, we have all
our ticket counters, and you may not see all the
offices that are behind the ticket counters, and the way
airlines work these days, you don't necessarily need that. We
have all our computers and check in kiosks, and you know,

(01:09):
self bag tagging stations and things like that. So what
we actually need is more room for more passengers, because
we have a lot more passengers than we used to
have fifty five years ago. So we are going to
be doing a couple of things. We will be expanding
into a consolidated office space, and we will move all

(01:30):
those offices outside from behind those counters into one single
space that all the different airlines will have their own
locations in. And then we are going to be inclosing
a part of that level, our old valet parking loop
and putting in more counters there. So you're going to
see a bigger, brighter, arier ticketing level that has more

(01:53):
locations for those check in kiosks and self service things,
and also still have for you to talk to a
ticketing agent and drop your bags onto the baggage claim
belts that are going to be behind the counters.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
So I guess the next question, Josh, is the impact
on travelers as the project is underway.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Right Well, the goal of our construction, we're in the
design phase now. We just did the contract for the
design phase of that, so we'll have a better look
at that here in a little while. But the way
that we are planning the construction is that first we're
going to enclose that space to add more counters, and
then we are going to start moving different airlines to

(02:36):
those different counters. So once they move, you will then
see construction in the place that has been vacated. So
while you will see construction which is supposed to start
sometime in twenty twenty seven, you won't actually be affected
by it because your airline will always have space when
you get to that level.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
I was just about to ask you as far as
the timetable of the project. You say it's going to
start in twenty twenty seven, how long do you think
the construction will take.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
We are currently scheduling out to have that construction done
near the end of twenty twenty nine. But as I said,
it's supposed to be planned in a way that you
will still be able to go and if you have
a particular airline that you like, they will always have
a counter and you can always go to it. We're
not going to be shoving anyone out of the way

(03:27):
or anything like that. We have a plan to make
sure that everybody will still have a similar amount of room, all.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Right, Josh Gillen, the senior communications manager at Tampa International Airport.
I'm Read Shepherd, and this is beyond the news.