Hello KCMO

Your airport is weird.

first of all, why are you in KCMO???

KCI is weird but it’s a diamond in the rough. it is ugly. it is unimpressive. there is literally no shopping and the food options are horrible. since there is nothing to do and nowhere to hang out, if you arrive early you’re basically sitting at your gate. however, i will defend our current airport at every opportunity beacuse:

long-term parking is offered by the airport and it’s really cheap. $6 a day, shuttles are convenient and they run constantly. i’ve never had a problem with parking at KCI, no matter the time of day—early morning, late night, etc. the shuttle operators are nice and i always feel safe.
you’ll never wait in a security line. the gates are grouped in fours and every group has it’s own line/TSA staff. i’ve waited in a line longer than two people only once; it was during peak travel hours, a southwest flight headed to vegas, and it was still only 15 people deep.
because of the way the airport is designed, your ride can drop off/pick up almost directly in front of your gate, and if you’re not checking in or checking bags you can make it from curb to gate in 5 minutes. this is not an exaggeration. i try to never be more than 30 minutes early for my flights.
if you’re the person dropping off/ picking up, you’re welcome to idle at the curb for as long as you want, provided you don’t leave your car. no “cell phone lot.” no waiting on the side of the highway for someone to text/call. no security guard/traffic police knocking on your window to tell you to move along.
this is kansas city, the people who live here are very helpful and almost friendly to a fault—this means that shuttle drivers, airport employees, airline employees, TSA employees, the staff at Husdson news stand, fellow passengers (for the most part)—they’re all really, really, really nice. whatever your deal is, if you’re lost, confused, in need of assistance, misplaced a cell phone, whatever, you will find someone who is more than happy to help you.
free wifi!

whether by accident or some subtle genius-level design, KCI airport has eliminated every variable that makes air travel stressful. i really think it’s as close to pre-9/11 travel that exists outside of private or teeny-tiny regional airports.

my ridiculously detailed rebuttal to an argument that wasn’t even posed; you can tell i’ve had this rant all ready to go for awhile! i’ll tell anyone who will listen: we don’t need some impressive Atlanta/Detriot type shopping mall/4-star dining/airport “experience.” please, keep KCI exactly the way it is!