An intuitive travel experience is one of the main goals of Sacramento International Airport’s new Terminal B, according to airport officials.

Made up of two buildings – a “land side” portion with ticket counters, and an “air side” portion with security and aircraft gates, connected by two trains – the new terminal is designed to be linear and make passing through the airport very easy, said airport spokeswoman Karen Doron.

The $1.03 billion facility will open Oct. 6.

One of the ease-of-use features in the waiting area at each gate is the seating arrangement. The familiar rows of seating common to many airport waiting areas are not the standard in the new facility. Terminal B seating is set up in pod formations, with pairs of chairs coming off of central mounting points, giving the waiting areas a more pleasant feel.

“Even though we might have less seats, there is more space for people, because all the seats we have will be used,” Doron said. “Usually, there is a lot of wasted space because people don’t want to sit next to strangers.”

Image by: Brandon Darnell

Another feature of many of the seat pods is their being geared toward easy use with technology.

Numerous seating areas provide an electrical outlet for each seat, allowing travelers to power their computers or charge other electronic devices such as cellphones and digital music players.

Wireless Internet is also free throughout the terminal, Doron said.

For those who want to relax before a flight, approximately 15 wooden rocking chairs are available.

Image by: Brandon Darnell

The elevated trains that move travelers between the "land side" and "air side" of the terminal are two fully automated ones operating on opposite schedules to minimize the time travelers must wait between entering the terminal and reaching the security checkpoint.

Unlike some airports, the trains come inside the building and unload passengers from one side, then open the doors on the opposite side to allow new passengers in.

“It’s not like the New York subway, where you have everyone entering and leaving through the same doors,” Doron said.

Image by: Brandon Darnell

Baggage carousels for domestic flights are on the ground floor of the “land side" portion of Terminal B. A single carousel for international arrivals is on the “air side" area, just past the ground-floor customs checkpoint.

Passengers purchasing tickets will be on the second floor, separate from the passengers picking up their baggage to help keep traffic flowing easily.

Image by: Brandon Darnell

The third floor, known as the transfer level, holds the trains connecting the buildings.

Two glass-enclosed elevators and several banks of escalators take passengers where they need to go. Glass walls and ceiling areas let in plenty of natural light and reduce the airport’s electricity usage.

Airline representatives interviewed Monday said they are happy with the new terminal and are excited to move their operations to it for flights, which start at 6 a.m. Oct. 6.

“It’s a beautiful place, and I know our employees are really excited,” said Katie McDonald, spokeswoman for Southwest Airlines. “I think it’s a testament to Sacramento to have such a beautiful facility.”

Emily Gaber, general manager for American Airlines in Sacramento, said she is also looking forward to moving into the new facility.

“Of course we’re very excited for our customers, because they’ve been using the terminal from the ’60s, and it’ll be nice to bring them into an updated center,” she said.

“Also, I love art,” she added. “I love going to museums, so the artwork in here is really exciting. I love the rabbit, and I love the mosaics.”

Giancarlo Mulinelli, regional sales director for AeroMexico, said the terminal provides all the facilities he wanted to see.

“We have a lot of expectations,” he said. “The Mexican market flies with a lot of bags, and just having these awesome facilities is very good for our customers. It’s very customer-service oriented, and it is a huge impact for both our airline and Sacramento.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.