What To Expect From McCarran's Soon-To-Open Terminal 3

Where: 5757 Wayne Newton Boulevard [map], 89119

May 23, 2012 at 2:50 PM | by 702Becca | Comments (2)

In just over a month, a lot of Vegas visitors will have to relearn McCarran International Airport as the long-awaited Terminal 3 (T3 for the cool kids) finally makes its debut. If you fly Southwest, you're safe. But, if you often find yourself on international flights to Vegas or tend to visit via United, JetBlue or Frontier, we're talking to you. Here's your guide to what to expect when you first step out onto T3:

The Stats:

McCarran's new Terminal 3 will add 14 new gates, including seven from international carriers. A whooping $2.4 billion to construct, T3 will welcome its first jets on June 27. Impress friends and fellow passengers ~~who haven't passed out while awaiting their flights~~ with such "fun" facts as: T3 will offer nearly 300 slots! Will feature eight miles of baggage conveyors! And, will be filled with natural light thanks to 15,538 square feet of skylights! (Actually, we take back mocking that last bit. We dig natural light.)

The Airlines:

Domestic carriers assigned to T3 will include Alaska Airlines, Frontier, JetBlue, Sun Country, Virgin America, Hawaiian Airlines, and United. International airlines will include AeroMexico, Air Berlin, Air Canada, ArkeFly, British Airways, Condor, Copa, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines, Sunwing, Thomas Cook, Virgin Atlantic Airways, VivaAerobus, Volaris, WestJet and XL Airways France.

The Technology:

Travelers can expect to find self-boarding podiums at the gate, do-it-yourself kiosks for baggage tags and free WiFi throughout T3 when it opens.

The Eats:

We were a bit crushed to learn that T3 won't offer any trendy celebrity dining destinations, but it will still feature nine other spots to sate travel hunger pains. Dewar's Clubhouse Bar & Grill, La Tapenade Mediterranean Cafe, The Village Pub, and Vegas ChopHouse are all pretty self-explanatory and are all listed on the "unique dining" end of the spectrum. For grab and go, there will be Burger King, Carl's Jr., Pei Wei Asian Diner, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and, of course, Starbucks.

The Shopping:

Don't look for anything out of the box here. The usual touristy airport shops will reign in T3, from Vegas Special Tees to Welcome to Las Vegas. Other places to browse will include Hudson News and Gifts, World of Sports and Nuance Duty Free.

The Art:

Look up from juggling that baggage and smart phone every once and awhile to appreciate the public art that will surround you in T3, from the whimsy of Mirare, two airplanes comprised of thousands of butterfly sculptures, to the already buzzed about Folies in Flight, celebrating the Las Vegas showgirl (shown above). We're also in love with the children's art that will be found throughout T3 as well.

T3 will open on June 27. An open house will be held on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for those of you who can't wait to inhale that new airport scent.

(PHOTOS: McCarran International Airport on Facebook)

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