The pleasant and the primitive

  Kevin Maney

  02/10/1992

  USA Today

  FINAL

  Page 03B

  (Copyright 1992)

  Most business travelers know what it's like to fly in and out of a tiny airport.

  You waft in on a propeller plane and walk from tarmac to terminal. Inside, you

  pick up your bags, take two steps to the car-rental desk, then walk right onto the

  rental lot.

  Pleasant. Easy.

  Just pray you don't miss your flight out. The next one may not leave for hours.

  And there's nothing to do but sit in the snack bar eating chili dogs.

  On this page, USA TODAY looks at six third-tier airports - two steps down from

  major city airports and smaller than facilities in places such as Des Moines - that

  are heavily used by business travelers.

  There are, of course, dozens of third-tier, business-travel airports. Some others

  are listed here.

  Third-tier airports can be a pain, such as when Harvey Wooding of West

  Point-Pepperell spent hours in the Fayetteville, Ark., airport because all of the

  day's limited flights out were booked.

  But they can also be a pleasant surprise. ``This is my first time here,'' John

  Stevens, a Detroit-based sales rep resentative , said as he stepped into the

  Bloomington, Ill., airport. ``This is quiet and comfortable. There is no running

  from one concourse to another.''

  Contributing: Robert Berry, Jonathan Lovitt , Jason Smith

  Burbank, Calif.: Cute

  Airport: Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport.

  Location: Burbank, Calif., next to Los Angeles.

  Number of gates: 15.

  Departures per day: 63.

  Passengers in 1991: 3.7 million.

  Major airlines: Alaska, American, America West, Delta, Southwest, United.

  Car rentals: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz, National.

  Taxis: Tough to find.

  Parking: Limited. On-site lot, $13/day; off-site, $7/day; valet, $15/day.

  Dining: Three bar-lounges, one buffet-restaurant; hot dogs, sandwiches, $3 to $6.

  Gift shops: Two, selling dancing cola cans, $19.95; Hollywood T-shirts, $14;

  reading material, candy; also, old-style barber shop - haircut, $12.

  Distractions: Noise-abatement booth, where travelers can watch readouts

  showing aircraft noise.

  Ambiance: Modernized art deco; lots of touches from its 1930 construction date,

  but new carpeting, fixtures, etc.

  Status: Further expansion stopped by community.

  Major businesses serving: Lockheed, Northrop, Warner Bros. studio, other major

  studios.

  Harrison, N.Y.: Decrepit

  Airport: Westchester County Airport.

  Location: Harrison, N.Y., 30 to 45 minutes from Manhattan.

  Number of gates: 4.

  Departures per day: 70.

  Passengers in 1991: 689,035.

  Major airlines: United, Northwest, Delta Connection, USAir Express.

  Car rentals: Avis, Hertz, National.

  Taxis: Must call for cab.

  Parking: Inadequate, often no spaces after 7 a.m.; $7.50/day; some metered

  spaces.

  Dining: Skytop diner and attached restaurant; bacon and eggs, $4.25; 9- inch

  pepperoni pizza, $5.75.

  Gift shops: None.

  Distractions: None.

  Ambiance: World War II field operation; no amenities, few seats, cramped

  quarters.

  Status: New terminal and parking garage approved, construction yet to begin.

  Planned completion in 1995, but major local opposition could still slow it down.

  Major businesses serving: IBM, PepsiCo, Texaco, Xerox, Reader's Digest,

  General Foods, Nestle.

  Bloomington, Ill.: Jammed

  Airport: Bloomington-Normal International Airport.

  Location: Bloomington, Ill., two-hour drive to Chicago.

  Number of gates: 1.

  Departures per day: 22.

  Passengers in 1991: 123,000.

  Major airlines: TransWorld Express, American Eagle, Skyway.

  Car rentals: Budget, National, Avis, Hertz, Thrifty.

  Taxis: Must call for cab.

  Parking: Adequate; no charge.

  Dining: Arnie's Hangar; steak, eggs, $6.95; burger, $2.95.

  Gift shops: One closet-size shop; sells stuffed toys, herbal tea, candy, reading

  material.

  Distractions: Displays of local products.

  Ambiance: Somebody's giant living room; warm, clean, simple but crammed into

  close quarters and often crowded.

  Status: Renovated in 1988; expanding passenger waiting area and adding a

  runway by 1993.

  Major businesses serving: Mitsubishi/Diamond Star plant, State Farm

  headquarters, Beer Nuts headquarters, Nestle-Beich, Eureka, University of

  Illinois.

  Ontario, Calif.: Worn

  Airport: Ontario International Airport.

  Location: Ontario, Calif., an hour east of Los Angeles.

  Number of gates: 21.

  Departures per day: 150.

  Passengers in 1991: 5.8 million.

  Major airlines: Northwest, American, United, TWA, Delta, Southwest, America

  West, Continental, Alaska.

  Car rentals: Hertz, Avis, National, Dollar, Budget.

  Taxis: Plentiful.

  Parking: Plentiful; short-term, $8/day; Lot A long-term, $3/day.

  Dining: Two snack bars, hot dog, $2.59, beer, $3.50; one buffet- restaurant,

  grilled chicken breast, $4.99.

  Gift shops: One, selling stuffed animals, $9.99 to $16.99; Dodgers T- shirts,

  $16.99; reading material; candy.

  Distractions: Displays of drawings by local schoolchildren.

  Ambiance: Big-city bus station; moves 100% more passengers than was built to

  handle; often dirty, crowded, smoky, busy with construction.

  Status: Plans to build new terminal by mid-'90s but still not under way; building

  new taxiway.

  Major businesses serving: Major warehouse district; BMW, Toys R Us, L.A.

  Gear, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay.

  Greensboro, N.C.: Roomy

  Airport: Piedmont Triad International Airport.

  Location: Between Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C.

  Number of gates: 16.

  Departures per day: 65.

  Passengers in 1991: 1.7 million.

  Major airlines: USAir, Delta, United, American, Continental.

  Car rentals: Hertz, Avis, National, Budget, Alamo, Dollar, Triangle.

  Taxis: Can hail at terminal.

  Parking: Ample; outside lot, $3.50/day; garage, $4.50/day.

  Dining: Four outlets managed by Marriott; sausage biscuits, $1.70; fried chicken,

  $5.75.

  Gift shops: One shop, one newsstand. Sells: Old Mill of Guilford Grits; Duke,

  North Carolina, etc. T-shirts, $9.99; Charlotte Hornets key chain, $5.99.

  Distractions: Video games and basketball-shooting machine.

  Ambiance: Underused health club; modern, clean, blues and grays, rarely seems

  crowded even during rush times.

  Status: Completed in 1982, new terminal was overbuilt to accommodate growth.

  Major businesses serving: RJR Nabisco, Wachovia Bank & Trust, cigarette

  maker Lorillard Inc., furniture makers in High Point, N.C.

  CUTLINE:BURBANK-GLENDALE-PASADENA: Community stopped further

  expansion of the airport. CUTLINE:WHALE WATCHING: Passengers at

  Burbank, Calif., board a Southwest Airlines plane painted to look like Shamu the

  Sea World whale. CUTLINE:BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL: Clean, crowded.

  CUTLINE:ONTARIO INTERNATIONAL: Feels like a big-city bus station.

  CUTLINE:PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL: North Carolina airport

  rarely seems crowded, even during busiest times.

  GRAPHICS;b/w,Marcy E. Mullins, USA TODAY (5 Maps - California,New

  York State,Illinois,North Carolina);PHOTOS;b/w,Robert Brown, USA TODAY

  (2);PHOTO;b/w,AP;PHOTO;b/w,Mark Terrill,AP;PHOTO;b/w,Tom

  Copeland,AP