Last Wednesday, September 9th, Hollywood Burbank Airport opened its still-unfinished terminal to the public for one afternoon, not for a flight, but for a rehearsal. It was the airport's Second Advanced Trial, and for a few hours, ordinary Burbank residents became someone else entirely.
Attendees were split into three or four groups of roughly 40 people and handed a new identity for the day. My persona was Allyson Felix. Around me, other trial participants were quietly becoming Tina Fey, Lang Lang, Emily Blunt, and Tom Hanks, googling their assigned names in the parking garage and doing their best to lean into the role.
The exercise itself was built around three scenarios, each one designed to stress test a different piece of the passenger experience. Scenario one sent us through departing passenger check-in with Alaska Airlines, complete with a confirmation code, a flight number, and a fictional destination. Scenario two moved us through the TSA security screening checkpoint. Scenario three had us queue up at our assigned gate and get a boarding pass scanned, though no one was actually boarding a plane or stepping onto the tarmac. A fourth scenario, for a different set of participants, walked through the arrival experience, from deboarding through the automated exit lanes to finding a car in the new parking garage and exiting through the signage back to daylight.
A Hall Built for Daylight
What stood out most was the space itself. Check-in unfolds in a vast, light-filled hall, the kind of room that makes you want to slow down rather than rush through it. Luggage check was simple, with printable tags available right at the kiosks, and the curbside drop-off looked like it will be effortless once the terminal is finished.
The TSA staff on hand were friendly and unhurried, and there is clearly enough room built into the checkpoint to handle a serious volume of travelers without the usual bottleneck.
A Lobby Still Taking Shape
The main lobby is still very much under construction, with space being carved out for a large open eating and bar area. Past security, oversized monitors line both sides of the corridor, tracking arrivals and departures, and the ceiling overhead is hung with striking suspended art installations.
Gates, Seating, and a Local Name Among the Shops
Beyond that, the gates themselves are simply laid out and easy to navigate, with terminal seating that felt genuinely plentiful and spacious rather than crammed in as an afterthought.
The trial also offered a preview of what will greet travelers once the terminal is fully open. The new concourse will house 14 food and beverage spots alongside a refreshed lineup of travel retail, mixing recognizable Southern California names with a few national favorites. Guy Fieri's Flavortown, Border Grill, Jet Tila's Asian Table, and Poquito Más will sit alongside Starbucks and Jones Coffee Roasters, while retail will include InMotion, Mac & Jo Malone, and The Arts District Market. It is especially exciting to see a local name like Tansy included among the shops, a small but meaningful sign that the new terminal intends to stay rooted in the community it serves.
Coming Home to Three Carousels
Baggage claim, still new and clearly built with growth in mind, is outfitted with three large carousels.
Light on Both Sides
Architecturally, the terminal leans into light. It pours in from both sides of the building, and the effect carries through nearly every space we walked, from check-in to the gates.
The new terminal officially opens its doors on October 13th, just weeks from now. If the Second Advanced Trial was any indication, Hollywood Burbank Airport is ready to make its entrance.
