United, Alaska among airlines moving terminals in Phoenix
Travelers flying through Phoenix Sky Harbor next week best take note of what terminal their flight departs from as the airport relocates five airlines to Terminal 3 ahead of the closing of Terminal 2.
Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Boutique Air, Contour Airlines and United Airlines will relocate to Terminal 3 between Monday, Feb. 3, and Thursday, Feb. 6, according to the Phoenix airport (PHX). Boutique moves on Monday, United on Tuesday, Alaska and Contour on Wednesday, and Air Canada on Thursday.
All but one of the carriers, plus Hawaiian Airlines, will operate from the rebuilt North Concourse, which has 10 gates. Boutique will operate from the South Concourse that opened a year ago.
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One notable change for United travelers: the airline will not have a lounge in Terminal 3, at least not initially. Its United Club in Terminal 2 will close when it moves, with a new 5,400 square-foot lounge in Terminal 3 not due to open for several months, United spokesman Jonathan Guerin told TPG.
The American Express Centurion Lounge that opened at Sky Harbor earlier this month is in Terminal 4 and not accessible inside security to passengers on flights departing Terminal 3.
Phoenix handled a record 46.3 million passengers in 2019, a 3% year-over-year increase, according to airport data. The airport is a hub for American Airlines, and a large base for Southwest Airlines -- both of which operate from Terminal 4 at Sky Harbor.
Phoenix was the 13th-busiest airport in the U.S. by passenger boardings in 2018, according to Department of Transportation rankings.
Related: Amex's Phoenix Centurion Lounge is now open
Terminal 2 will close when the relocations to Terminal 3 are complete, and is expected to be demolished. Terminal 2 — the oldest among the airport's three passenger terminals — opened in 1962 with a mid-century modern aesthetic.
Terminal 2 has been home to numerous carriers of the years. Past tenants include American and Trans World Airlines (TWA) in the 1970s, and former Republic Airlines' short-lived Phoenix hub in the 1980s.
Terminal 3 opened in 1979. It was home to America West Airlines' hub, the forerunner to American's hub today, until Terminal 4 opened in 1990.
Updated with comment from United on plans for a new United Club in Terminal 3.
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