Hollywood Burbank Airport — Local services in Burbank

Easy, like Sunday morning, as always. I missed my flight Sunday morning because I arrived only 13 minutes before departure. The American Airlines staff were very accommodating & gave me a confirmed ticket on same Flight Monday morning. This time I arrived 25 minutes before but lost the paper boarding passes the Sunday staff gave me for Monday so I had to go to counter. She reprinted my passes and said "run, you have 5 minutes"... I have TSA Pre check but ended up having to take my shoes belt & jacket off & forgot about the small bottle water I have for my service dog. This prompted them to swab his paws & something came up (wouldn't say what) but how stupid to swab a dog's paws that has been walking barefoot outside & around airport. Of course something comes up. TSA then decides since they can't identify the source they will need to pour water out and to wait while she emptied it. 3 mins later she comes back with bottle hands, it me, and my dog & I started a leisurely stroll down to A8 which happens to be near the end of terminal. I wasn't concerned because the flight has closed, so no go for me & Sure my seat had been given to standby passengers. As we rounded the corner and got a clear view of A8, I see I long line of people waiting to board. I reach into my pocket only to realize that I had left my boarding passes at security with all the extra security I endured today. I went to gate counter And the nice lady looked me up , ensured me I still had a seat, albeit a middle seat, with my 20lb Boston terrier male dog, who is my trained psychiatric service dog. I don't want anyone to know he is a service dog so I don't put patches on his apparel labeling him as people are even more cruel when they see the "Service Dog" patch. The airline doesn't care. Today my middle seat was between A man & his Wife who thought they were much more important than in reality. As I pointed to my middle seat and asked him nicely to allow me to get to my seat with a Heavy backpack & holding the 20.lb dog . As I slide the backpack under the seat & reach for my dog. He says to his wife loudly,, ' they are not allowed to put someone with a dog between us without asking us first! ". He kept moving his legs dramatically to the left, away from me and a little into isle & making that snarled face look like he was " appalled " by my dog. I asked both of them if they would change seats me so they could talk to each other without talking across me. Both declined and continued so I asked them to please refrain from including me in their conversation which was all a bunch of BS about how wealthy they are & name-dropping to each other & it was all so fake. He kept sweeping his pants and picking his shirt like there was dog hair on him. There wasn't. I kept making the "psst" noise for every word they spoke to each other & finally they gave up. Arrived in Dallas in one piece & as everyone is trying to get in overheads to get their stuff, my dog had a silent but noxious fart. The smell was gross & everyone was covering their nose. The snobby man turned around & said "you need to take him to the vet, even if you can't afford it, about the gas". To which I replied, loudly " sir, quit blaming my dog... I wasn't going to say anything but you are the stinky one... I heard you fart ... I'm standing right behind you. Everyone was laughing... Right at the time it was our turn to go ... Nothing he could say. His face was as red as an apple. American airlines did a great job, they don't choose...

(posted Summer 2024) So I've been hearing about this brilliant travel hack to use BUR airport instead of LAX if possible for several years now and finally recently finally had the chance to fly out and back from this historic and absolute gem of an airport. It was easy and lovely and way better than expected (+++). from drop-off to check in through security screening, BUR is night and day different in vibe and service and efficiency compared to our city's beloved yet consistently poorly rated LAX.. ironically exactly where I was stuck when originally posting this review and am stuck at again today. standing in line for the Nth time after running, standing, sweating all around the over crowded terminal 6 and will likely be here for several more hours until my re/booked Alaskan Air flight arrives. I'm missing day 1 of family reunion but not going anywhere and that sucks is mostly what I'm thinking.. and honestly wondering why they don't just rename LAX to what it generally feels like there.. how about SUX? I do sometimes think SUX would be way more on brand and realistic while also lowering the expectation bar. just call it something that better captures the essence of what it really feels like? not just lately as well, I'm talking post and pre pandemic and much earlier it was the norm. have you been to LAXit? more like cost you an Xtra 45-60 min (if ur lucky) either taking the shuttle or walking there.. either way, better git in line. addendum today trying FlyAway bus is more like let's wave at yet another full ass Flyaway bus to Union Station flying by in front of us 👋 like a big ass bus that thought it could fly. quietly also wondering what's up with the iconic yet non-operating concerete building facility in the center of this whole operation? I heard is was a restaurant space sometime in the previous century but it's kinda calming eye of the storm in a massively massive airport / full-on Construction zone around these seven terminals. I would like to think that LAX can somehow someday again regain it's glory. it I've also heard there were seven levels of hell in Dante's Inferno but idk. In summary, If LAX is on one side of the airport experience spectrum, hassle-free Burbank is pretty much way at the opposite end. It is a much less fussier and fun peek into what regular U.S. airports used to feel like. So if you prefer getting on and off again w/o feeling sweaty and violated.. but sorry, I digress! BUT now the secret is out now and BUR is my new travel BAE. please tell only cool people about this...

HOLLYWOOD BURBANK AIRPORT (BUR), according to legend, is the dark, foggy, airfield where Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) concludes the 1942 wartime drama "Casablanca" by telling Captain Louis Renault, (Claude Rains) "Louie, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship." (It wasn't. The African airfield set was nine miles west at Van Nuys Airport.)

You see, during World War II, BUR was camouflaged to appear, from the air, as a movie studio, and nearby Warner Brothers Studio was painted to appear as an airfield.

Also known as, "Bob Hope Airport" BUR has a small town ambiance.

Famous for not having Jet Bridges,* BUR passengers walk directly from the departure gate, a short distance across the tarmac, up a steep, hairpin ramp, boarding the plane.

Deplaning requires walking down the same ramp, across the tarmac, into the airport. This can be difficult with carry-on luggage. Wheelchairs are moved by airline employees.

Luggage is delivered from a couple of turntables, outside the gate area, across from the parking structure. United/Delta luggage is picked up from a conveyor belt located near their terminal's front entrance.

BUR displays an interesting collection of movie and aviation memorabilia throughout the airport.

If you are near the San Fernando Valley, and your schedule matches its limited flights, BUR is a time saver. If I may quote Rick, "This will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

There are two drop-offs with luggage check-in, the main and the United/Delta terminals. They're about hundred feet apart.

Two sit-down restaurants and several kiosks, most with seating, serve a variety of foods and drinks.

Wheechair accessible bathrooms, pet relief stations, and very expensive parking are available. There are several less expensive parking lots off airport property, that are served by free shuttles.

Pick-ups by Uber/Lyft and other services are on a traffic island directly in front of the United/Delta terminal.

Bus and train services are available to downtown Los Angeles and LAX.

The "Jet Bridge" is a moveable tunnel that leads from the boarding area to the plane. There are no steps to climb, you stay out of the weather, and is usually...