Detroit, JFK, Raleigh, Indianapolis airports get new terminals

By Joe Brancatelli

When Detroit Metro opened its long-awaited North Terminal in the middle of September, it started a unique, two-month period of airport premieres. JetBlue Airways plans to open its Terminal 5 at its hub at New York/Kennedy on October 22. Raleigh-Durham will open Terminal 2 on October 26. It replaces the 20-year-old American Airlines Terminal, which has outlived its usefulness now that American no longer operates a hub in Raleigh. And on November 11, Indianapolis International will move the entire airport’s terminal operation to a new building nestled between its primary runways. The first to open, Detroit’s North Terminal, is designed for airlines that aren’t members of Skyteam, which are housed in the 6-year-old McNamara Terminal, home of Northwest Airlines. The city of Detroit will shutter and demolish the Smith and Berry terminals now that the new North Terminal has opened.

MONEY MATTERS

The battle over fees around the continent: An interesting battle over fees and surcharges has broken out in Canada. Air Canada has dropped its second-bag fee of $25. Air Canada also has announced that it would "incorporate" its $20-60 fuel surcharges into its base airfares for domestic and transborder U.S. flights. But WestJet has one-upped Air Canada’s move by dropping its fuel surcharges altogether. (WestJet has never had a second-bag fee.) … But what happens in Canada apparently stays in Canada because bag fees continue to rise in the United States. Effective November 1, Frontier Airlines will charge $15 for the first checked bag. Elite frequent flier program members are exempt, however. Meanwhile, United Airlines, which started the whole baggage-fee game back in February, has upped its charges again. Beginning November 10, United will charge $50 to check a second bag.

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Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers.

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