Portland International Airport makeover making progress
With the exception of the new consolidated car rental center, Oregon’s Portland International Airport (PDX) looks pretty much the same from the outside.
However, step into the lobby these days and it’s clear that something's up.
The terminal lobby is a construction zone. The finished ceiling is gone. And so is the pre-security strip of local retail shops.
Giant signs made to look like sticky notes acknowledge the disruption and offer clues about what’s going on with the multiyear $2 billion PDX Next remodel project in progress. There’s even a tub of foam earplugs that anyone can dip into in case the noise gets too loud.
The key project piece to come is a curved 9-acre "forest-to-frame" terminal roof made entirely of Douglas fir harvested from family, tribal and other local, sustainably managed forests in Oregon and Washington.
Close attention was made to which wood came from where. So, when the giant roof is finally installed it will include “sourced from” signs for various sections.
Building and installing the giant roof is a creative challenge being solved like a puzzle.
Over the past year, crews constructed the roof off-site, on the ground just northwest of the airport. Now they are disassembling what they built into 20 giant football field-size sections dubbed "cassettes." They'll move them — very, very slowly and very, very carefully — one by one, across the airfield at night and into position atop giant Y-shaped steel columns.
The first piece of the new roof was moved into place over the course of four days during the final week of August. The other 19 cassettes should be in place by the end of this year. Airport officials say interior work will occur throughout 2023 and visitors and travelers should be able to walk under and enjoy the roof and its skylights by mid-2024.
Meanwhile, inside the airport: Cool new things
The roof isn’t the only new feature at PDX. Much of the indoor space is being updated as well.
So far, as part of the project, Concourse B has been totally remodeled and Concourse E has been extended, bringing more space, more power plugs, better light, more art and new bars, restaurants and shops.
Concourse A was demolished. Now a new bigger and much brighter Concourse B has 10 gates servicing flights for Alaska Airlines’ regional airline, Horizon Air.
This concourse has floor-to-ceiling windows, live plants, lots of wood paneling, fresh art and great views of the airfield. Local roaster Good Coffee serves creative caffeinated brews and pastries. And a branch of the popular Screen Door restaurant, serving up Southern fried chicken and waffles, opened at the end of August.
The six-gate extension of Concourse E, serving Southwest Airlines flights, officially opened during the pandemic and offers high ceilings, more art and fresh new shops and dining.
Of note is the Tillamook Market, the first brick-and-mortar outpost Oregon’s famous Tillamook Creamery has opened beyond its home base in Tillamook, 85 miles west. The menu includes grilled cheese sandwiches, fresh Tillamook ice cream and the company’s famous cheese curds, with plenty of to-go cheeses and other items.
At the end of the concourse, there’s a wonderful wall of windows that offers a bank of comfortable seating and views of Mount Hood.
Adjacent is the new Juliett bar, honoring women in aviation. Many of the cocktails and craft beers here have aviation-inspired names.
There’s also an education wall of large portraits by Sara Radovanovitch featuring four notable female aviators: Bessie Coleman, the first African American female pilot; Berta Moraleda, the first woman aviator in Cuba; Mildred “Micky” Axton, the first woman to pilot a B-29; and Portland-born Hazel Ah Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to join WASP (Women Airforce Service Pilots) during World War II.
For those missing the "good old days" when taking a foot-forward selfie with the iconic PDX carpet was a thing, PDX plans to recreate that pattern in a small section of the new, much larger terminal lobby.
In the meantime, there’s a patch of the original carpet installed in the “secret listening room” in the back corner of the Tender Loving Empire shop on Concourse E, near Gate E5.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.