New York's completely renovated LaGuardia Airport is nearly done after 7 years of construction — see inside the new B and C terminals, one being the world's best

New York's newly renovated LaGuardia Airport is winning over the hearts of travelers.

Delta Air Lines

In July 2022, the final two gates at the new Terminal B opened, and a section of the taxiway was completed.

Source: Metropolitan Airport News

This means the facility was completed after six years of construction, over 17 million hours of work, and 40,000 tons of steel used.

Source: Aviation Pros

And the hard work has not gone unnoticed. On Wednesday, aviation ranking website Skytrax named LaGuardia's Terminal B as the world's best new terminal for 2023.

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Source: Skytrax, The 20 best airports in the world according to passengers

It also became the first North American airport to earn Skytrax's coveted 5-star airport terminal rating — joining the ranks of terminal 3 at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport and terminal 2 at China's Guangzhou Baiyun Airport.

Source: Skytrax

The best new terminal result is based on global passenger surveys, while the 5-star achievement is based on a detailed audit of the product and "front-line customer experience."

Source: Skytrax, Meridiam

"Our goal at the Port Authority was to completely transform the customer experience at LaGuardia, from curb to gate, by building a brand-new, world-class airport," Executive Director of the Port Authority Rick Cotton said in a press release.

Source: Skytrax

Also under construction at LaGuardia is the new Terminal C, which houses Delta Air Lines' flights. The airline is funding the $4 billion project.

While Terminal B is complete, Terminal C still has at least a year's worth of work to do. Specifically, Delta is still working on gates 80-89 and 61-69, which are scheduled to open in 2024.

I toured Delta's brand new $4 billion Terminal C at New York's LaGuardia Airport and now I can't wait to fly out of it as a passenger

However, gates 70-79 opened on June 4, and gates 90-98 opened in 2019, so passengers are able to experience the new Terminal C.

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Source: Insider

I toured both terminals on two recent trips to see the new concourses, gates, shops, and restaurants — take a look.

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The new Terminal B, which also cost $4 billion, opened to passengers in June 2020.

LaGuardia Airport's newest concourse is fully open with a brand-new section for American Airlines, 4 more gates, and a premium lounge— see inside

The terminal is split into two concourses. Air Canada, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines will operate out of the Eastern Concourse, while Northeast Alliance partners American Airlines and JetBlue Airways will operate out of the Western Concourse.

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Source: LaGuardia Airport

Improvements include a new departures hall…

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…arrivals hall…

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…gates…

…a 3,000-car parking garage…

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Source: NY 1 News

…a 20,000-square-foot American Airlines Admirals Club…

…and two skybridges. The western skybridge was the second to open in January 2022.

Kevin P. Coughlin/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul

For a year and a half, American customers heading to the western concourse checked in at the headhouse but then had to walk to their gate via the 60-year-old Central Terminal Building, which was known for its low ceilings and dated infrastructure.

The trek was long and inconvenient for travelers, but the new 482-foot pedestrian bridge will more easily connect travelers to the gates in the western concourse.

LaGuardia Gateway Partners.

The terminal's eastern skybridge opened in June 2020. In total, the walkways connect check-in and baggage claim to 35 new gates.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

Aircraft will be able to taxi underneath both bridges, alleviating the congestion LaGuardia's old Terminal B was infamously known for. Southwest was the first to use the new taxiway in May 2021.

LaGuardia Gateway Partners

During my walkthrough of Terminal B, I found the check-in area spacious and modern. There were plenty of kiosks at each airline counter.

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After a quick check-in, I headed to security, which was easy to find because of the giant, illuminated sign.

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The checkpoint was split into two sections — one with lines for standard TSA and priority, and a second for TSA PreCheck and B-Fast, which is an expedited line that costs travelers $15.

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There were approximate wait times displayed above each line.

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From security, passengers will climb an escalator to access the concourses.

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To get to the gates, I first had to pass through a large shopping area called the Bowery Bay Shops…

…and a food court.

Restaurants include places like Wendy's, Green Leaf's, and Tony's + Benny's pizza shop.

The food court had a large fountain and plenty of sitting areas.

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Also in the food court is an informative departures board that told passengers if they should head to their gate or sit and relax — a feature I appreciated.

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The updated gate areas in both concourses were extremely spacious with 55-foot ceilings and plenty of seating. The new facility is a relief for travelers who had to fight for space in the old terminal.

Passengers traveling through may notice the unique lighting fixtures, artwork, and concessions in the terminal, which are intended to replicate a hotel, rather than an airport.

The carpeted floors also help keep the noise level down, making the experience more peaceful for travelers.

Several restaurants and shops are located throughout the concourse, like Bar Veloce, Sweetleaf Coffee, Gotham News, and The Scoop, which will use Amazon's "Just Walk Out" technology that allows shoppers to check out via cameras rather than cashiers.

Whole Foods opens first store with Amazon's 'Just Walk Out' technology that allows shoppers to skip the register altogether

Terminal C also proved to be impressive. Delta has invested thousands of work hours over five years, resulting in a nice, modern new facility.

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The terminal opened on June 4 and is the project's "biggest milestone" because it marks the completion of 80% of the facility, Ryan Marzullo, Delta's managing director of design and construction, told media at the opening.

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Like Terminal B, Delta has a new departures hall…

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…arrivals hall…

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…security checkpoint…

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…and gates.

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The carrier also opened a brand new 30,000-square-foot SkyClub lounge, which has seating for up to 600 people and a nice view of the airfield.

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See inside the new 30,000-square-foot Sky Club lounge Delta is opening at LaGuardia, which seats 600 and will have an outdoor 'sky deck'

Passengers will start their journey in the departures hall, which features 49 self-service kiosks...

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...nice, modern bathrooms...

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…and a long 228-foot screen above 36 check-in counters that will display things like TSA wait times and SkyClub capacity.

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There is also a separate check-in area for Sky Priority passengers.

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According to Marzullo, the space was designed with the New Yorker in mind, meaning Delta focused on speed and efficiency.

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Specifically, he said the roadway outside the terminal has been split into two lanes to increase curb space and decrease traffic…

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…while the check-in area has been designed as a "transient space" without much decor because LaGuardia is a main business hub for Delta, and those passengers do not typically check luggage.

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While the space was designed to be less extravagant, there are marble walls and several beautiful murals created by local artists throughout the facility.

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To get to security, travelers will take the escalator up to the third level. Here, there is a giant digital art installation created by ESI Design, an NBBJ Studio.

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According to a Delta spokesperson, the scene on the screen, which features things like waterfalls and mountains, changes when a delta flight takes off. The new image will be the destination of that flight.

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Snaking security lines filled the large space during my recent trip. Several illuminated signs designate where each passenger should go, like Clear, TSA PreCheck, disabled, and the regular line.

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Fortunately, I have TSA PreCheck so I was through in about five minutes. According to Delta, there are 11 lanes open, but the checkpoint has 16 total available for use.

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Once you exit security, passengers will turn either left or right. Left is for gates 61-79…

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…and right is for gates 80-98. Passengers will walk anywhere from five to 12 minutes from the security checkpoint to their gate.

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A total of 37 gates will be open when the terminal is complete, and Terminal C and D will be consolidated into one huge 1.3-million-square-foot facility.

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There are several places for travelers to eat on both sides of the terminal.

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On the side with gates 60-70, passengers will find both quick-service and sit-down restaurants, like Bubby's, CIBO Express, and Essex Burger...

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…as well as Starbucks. According to Mazullo, there are four Starbucks throughout the new Terminal C, but no Dunkin' Donuts, which is unfortunate for New Englanders.

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I enjoyed a burger and fries from Bubby's. While the meal was tasty, it was expensive at $21.99, so I'll probably just rely on snacks next time.

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On the side with gates 80-98 are restaurants and shops like Flatiron Tavern, Juicepress, and Fiorello Market.

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When descending into the gate areas, passengers will see a large Delta logo.

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At the bottom of the escalator on the righthand side of the terminal, passengers will either head straight for gates 90-98 or left for gates 80-89.

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There is a long passageway to get to the 80s gates, which are under construction but still open for use.

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The space is clearly not as nice as the updated terminal, but still has some concessions, like quick-service market Bisoux.

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Touring the 90s gates, it was easy to see the upgrades to the seats and space. There was more than enough room for everyone in the boarding area...

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...and the seats had power ports.

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Meanwhile, the bathrooms were modern and had mosaic artwork representing New York City — complimenting the art in the departures hall restrooms.

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When exiting the terminal, passengers will find five new carousels at bag claim that will disperse luggage within 20 minutes of arrival, according to the airline.

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