An Open Letter to RDU

Dear Raleigh-Durham International Airport:

I like you, but I don't love you. I sort of view you as the Mistress of airports. You're airport-sexy thanks to low airfares from Southwest. And I like you enough to keep you around for a while, even for non-Southwest flights. Your name even rolls off the tongue. RDU. A lot sexier than PTIA or Charlotte-Douglas. Eh.

But I can't commit to you because of your flaws. And there are lots of them. And the more I see them, the more I know you're not the one for me. For instance:

• You think more highly of yourself than others think of you. When I can find a cheaper flight to places like New York and Las Vegas from Greensboro, you're kidding yourself. And that's even including Southwest.
• And speaking of Southwest, they're your bread and butter. Treat them like it. If Southwest bolted for someplace else, you'd be nothing more than the PTIA of the state capitol. Provide Southwest passengers some love, like a covered walkway from the parking lot to the Southwest terminal without having to trek two miles with your luggage.
• For a "major" airport, you have no amenities. Pre-security checkpoint, you've got a chapel the size of a tack and a vending machine for flowers. That's it. Post-security checkpoint, I can either get a week-old turkey sandwich in plastic or a weak cup of coffee. Work on this. Pronto.
• Your customer service is pathetic. Here's the deal: If my car needs a jump, I should be able to find a security guard and have them juice the ol' girl. Nope. Gotta call AAA, which promptly comes and takes care of business. Then, thanks to your stupid ExitExpress program, I actually get charged more when exiting the airport because I was over the allotted time to exit the airport. Here's a hint: If someone has to get their car jumped, spare them the extra two bucks. They've been through enough.

You've got a lot going for you, RDU. I like you, might even be so bold as to say that I like you a lot. But like any mistress, you've got baggage. You want me to commit to you, but are you really better than PTIA? Without Southwest and the rapping flight attendant, I don't think so.