I was on one of the first flights out of the new billion dollar Burbank Airport, heres what I saw

They have reached a higher elevation.Burbank is looking a little more like Beverly Hills these days.The airport’s shiny new terminal opened Tuesday with a surprise for the LA jet set: high-end Gucci handbags on display just past security, near Gate 7.The luxury goods, retailing for anywhere from $1,500 to $4,000, sat behind glass as curious early-morning travelers took in the unexpected sight.“I never thought I’d see Gucci in the Burbank Airport, you used to just hope for a decent cup of coffee.

I’m not in the market for Gucci, but if I ever am it’s good to know it’s an option,” said Andy Orbeck, a woman who was flying to Bend, Oregon.I was aboard one of the first flights out of the new billion-dollar terminal Tuesday morning, and I’ll admit I was expecting the worst.Losing my old, but favorite, LA airport weighed on me.Any Angeleno knows that despite its 1950s smell — like grandma’s old carpet — the old terminal, which lived to 100, had a lot going for it.

Close parking, two-door tarmac loading and unloading, and a no-hassle TSA experience made getting in and out a breeze.It was a far cry from LAX.Would the new terminal ruin all that? Would a shiny new building blow up Burbank’s status as LA’s best-kept airport secret?Thankfully, the answer is a hard no.I pulled into the new parking structure at 6:30 a.m.

for an 8 a.m.boarding, found plenty of spaces at $49 a day and was at my gate by 6:50 a.m.

Not bad.Security was a breeze, too.I made it through TSA PreCheck in less than five minutes, with plenty of officers on hand and walk-through metal detectors keeping things moving.Inside, the terminal felt spacious, with none of the cramped hallways and low ceilings that defined the old digs.

It looks like there will be plenty of places to grab a bite, too — eventually.I saw a Poquito Mas, something called Spring Chicken, and a Boarder Grill.Unfortunately none of these restaurants were open yet, some still under construction, making the dash...