Learning to love Dallas Love Field

It's been just over a week since the lifting of the Wright Amendment, the 34-year-old federal law that gave Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport time to grow by, among other things, limiting the ability of air carriers to offer long-haul flights from nearby Dallas Love Field.

But on Monday, Oct. 13, when most limitations from the amendment expired, Love Field was in party mode, kicking up its boots to celebrate the launch of a bevy of new Love Field-based routes for Southwest Airlines and Virgin America and showing off fresh amenities in the new $519 million terminal.

As part of the celebration, Southwest launched service to seven new destinations on Oct. 13 (DEN, Chicago Midway, BWI, DCA, Las Vegas, LAX and Orlando). Eight more new routes will be rolled out on Nov. 2. SFO and Oakland get Southwest service from Love Field on Jan. 6, 2015.

Virgin America shifted its Dallas service from DFW over to Love Field on Oct. 13 as well and now has three daily non-stop flights from DAL to Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA), LAX and SFO. On Oct. 28, the airline will add four daily non-stop flights from DAL to LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and plans to add a fourth daily flight from DAL to DCA, SFO and LAX in April 2015.

And United Airlines, now operating seven flights daily between Houston and Love Field, will increase that schedule to 12 flights each way beginning on Jan. 7, 2015.

All that new service means a lot more passengers -- perhaps more than 6 million a year, airport officials say, up from about 4.2 million -- will be getting on planes at Love Field, many for the first time. So I toured the terminal shortly before and on the day after the grand re-boot to explore the facilities and experience the airport's customer service. Here are some highlights of that visit.

Shopping and dining

A few more outlets may still be added, but there are currently more than 20 food, beverage and retail outlets at Love Field, including a good number that are decidedly Dallas and/or Texas-themed.

The most popular dining spots during my visits were Cantina Laredo, Cool River Café, Sky Canyon, Jason's Deli and Dickey's Barbecue Pit. Starbucks is located post-security, but the Dunkin Donuts in the pre-security, living-room-like "Love Landing" area is drawing crowds as well, perhaps because it is staffed by a crew that delivers generous free compliments with each cup of coffee.

I spotted barrels of colorful stick ponies for sale in a least four Love Field retail outlets, and with shops such as Billy Bob's Texas, The Cowboy Store – Texas Famous Boots and Fair Park, Texas – the upscale gift shop named for the area of Dallas that's home to the State Fair of Texas – there's plenty of opportunity to take home locally themed souvenirs.

Amenities

There's a large, fenced pet relief area outside the airport and, inside, free Wi-Fi (although just for 30 minutes) and plenty of power outlets for charging gadgets. Love Field has a dedicated gallery space for changing exhibitions, a bright, welcoming play area for kids, a nursing room for mothers and, for everyone, the Moss Lee Love Garden, located pre-security just outside the ticket lobby. The calming, non-smoking outdoor space features seven, 12-foot cast-bronze trees and a bronze camp stool monogrammed with the initials "MLL," which stands for Captain Moss Lee Love, the airport's namesake. The bronze work is part of Sherry Owen's artwork, titled Back in a Moment, and on the stool she has placed bronze gloves, a WWI flight coat, a helmet and goggles that are so realistic that some travelers have called security to report left-behind items.

More art

The art collection at Love Field includes four pieces that were installed at the airport before the recent overhaul and 15 new works, a majority of which were made by artists living in Dallas. You can get an online preview or pick up an art map at an airport information booth and take a self-guided tour.

Highlights of the airport's original collection include the 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture Texas Ranger of 1960 by Waldine Tauch that stands in the airport's main lobby, the original Love Field entrance sign from 1958, and the terrazzo world map designed by Luighi "Tony" Flabiano that covers the floor in front of the security checkpoint.

New works include Sky, by Brower Hatcher and Marly Rogers, a circular hanging sculpture with approximately 3,000 whimsical flying objects ranging from biplanes to birds, bees, and clouds embedded in its fiberglass rods, and North Texas Sunrise, by Dixie Friend Gay, a 60-foot mosaic wall in the main lobby that portrays a North Texas landscape.

The people

Maybe it was the excitement of the expansion, or maybe it's just the way they are, but the people working at Dallas Love Field seem to be truly enthusiastic and friendly.

Noticing me hesitate for just a second after hopping off the bus from the DART rail station, two TSA employees on their way to work stopped their conversation and insisted on walking with me to the correct ticket counter. Post-security, the gentleman making fresh popcorn at one of the snack shops found it sad that not all airports had this tasty treat which, "with a cold Diet Coke makes everything just right." And in urging a late passenger to hurry and make his flight, a Southwest gate agent got on the public address system to say "We love you, but we may have to leave you behind."

Travelers, have you flown through Love Field recently? Share your impressions in the comments section.