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The lowdown on Logan
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March 6, 1998: 1:45 p.m. ET
Boston's international airport offers a relatively painless travel experience
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NEW YORK (BizTravel.com) - Neither sleek nor jazzy in appearance, Boston's Logan International Airport looks somewhat outdated compared with its newer, streamlined counterparts.
However, as the nation's 16th-busiest airport, Logan nonetheless is well maintained and easy to navigate, and its proximity to downtown Boston makes it easier to get to and from.
Except, of course, during peak travel times -- but that's a given for true airport veterans.
Here's a look at Logan facilities and services:
The ground transport problem
Located in East Boston just three miles from downtown, Logan is separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor.
Therein lies the transportation problem, as highway access between the airport and downtown Boston is limited to underwater tunnels. As a result, during rush hour, tunnel traffic can slow to a near standstill, putting downtown Boston a long hour's ride away rather than the 10 to 15 minutes the trip takes when traffic is moving more smoothly.
Though tunnel traffic has improved considerably since the December 1995 opening of Boston's third harbor tunnel to commercial traffic, variations in traffic conditions still mean that a cab from Logan to downtown Boston can cost anywhere from $7 to $25. Cabs are readily available at taxi stands outside each of Logan's five terminals at any hour of the day.
Prices charged by private car and limousine services range widely. For example, one company charges $36.05 for the trip downtown, another charges $70. Travelers should inquire whether prices include taxes, tolls and gratuities.
A cheaper option is to take one of the two van services that charge $7.50 per person for the trip downtown. During weekday rush hour (from about 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.) many travelers choose to bypass the roadways altogether.
Public transportation
One choice is the T, Boston's public transportation network. Though the T does not provide a seamless connection from Logan, it is relatively easy and quick. Free shuttle buses circulate regularly from Logan's terminals to the nearest T subway station just a few minutes away. Blue Line trains leave the airport station every 8 to 12 minutes, taking passengers the short, four-stop trip to centrally-located Government Center.
The fare is 85 cents, and the T operates from 5:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. A faster option for those heading to the financial district is to take one of the water shuttles or water taxi services across Boston Harbor, or take one of the free shuttle buses available at airport terminals.
One service, the Airport Water Shuttle, travels from the Logan dock to Rowes Wharf in the financial district, operating every 15 minutes or every 30 minutes, depending on the day of the week and time of day. Travel time is approximately seven minutes and the one-way fare is $8.
The Harbor Express operates to Long Wharf and to the Quincy Shipyard, a 30-minute ride away on the South Shore. The one-way fare is $10. City Water Taxi, a seasonal on-call water taxi service, takes passengers from Logan to points throughout Boston Harbor for $10.
For travelers with business in suburban Boston, non-stop Logan Express buses provide inexpensive and frequent service daily from terminals to Braintree, Framingham and Woburn. Other bus lines operate to points south, west and north in New England.
To move among the five terminals at Logan, passengers can take one of the free shuttle buses that travel the airport's circular roadway. The trip around the airport takes only a few minutes, short enough that some passengers choose to walk, though not all terminals are linked by enclosed walkways.
One small tedium of taking the shuttle and express buses is that Logan's road layout forces pedestrians to cross over one or more lanes of traffic to reach bus stops. For travelers with disabilities, Logan has one van that provides free service between terminals.
Parking
A central parking garage is fairly convenient to all five terminals and there is additional long-term and short-term parking closer at hand at several terminals. Logan provides one hour of free parking, after which rates go to $10 for one to six hours, $20 daily and $70 for seven days.
During peak travel periods, Logan's on-site parking isn't always adequate, forcing travelers to use satellite lots linked by free shuttle buses that leave every 10 minutes. Though the cost is lower at these lots ($15 daily and $50 for seven days), using them can add another 45 minutes to an hour to travel time.
Travelers who find themselves locked out of their cars or encounter a dead battery or flat tire can get free help by using one of the emergency call boxes in the garage and parking lots.
Terminal conveniences
The facilities at Logan's terminals are standard fare, and travelers can expect few positive or negative surprises. All but Terminal D -- used only by Alitalia and charter operators -- offer usual passenger facilities such as automated teller machines, luggage lockers, car rental service desks and U.S. Postal Service mail boxes.
Shoe shine and repair is available at several terminals and there is a hair and nail salon in Terminal C, which is also where the country's first airport chapel, Logan's sizable Our Lady of the Airways, is located. Baybank Boston operates a full-service branch in Terminal D.
Currency exchange booths, Travelers Aid desks and hotel reservation kiosks are available at two terminals. There's even a dental office in Terminal B, though its patients are mostly airport employees. The Logan International Health Center provides emergency care and travel immunizations.
The future beckons
Logan plans to spend $1 billion on modernization over the next few years. Construction will begin shortly on additional parking garages that will be connected by moving walkways to two terminals. The new garages will improve parking and at last connect Terminal A to the rest of Logan by the projected completion date of August 1998.
Possibly within the next year, work will begin on a total overhaul of the international gateways, customs and immigrations areas in Terminal E, nearly doubling their size and adding an additional roadway by 2002. 
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