Hollywood Burbank Airport has finally swapped its near-century-old terminal for a brand-new one. The $1.3 billion replacement building opened to the public on October 13 after a ribbon-cutting on October 5, and the project came in on time and on budget - a rarity for airport construction these days, as Burbank Mayor Tamala Takahashi pointed out at the ceremony.

The old terminal, at roughly 232,000 square feet, was cramped and seriously out of step with modern seismic, safety and FAA requirements. The new 355,000-square-foot building, designed by Corgan and CannonDesign, takes its cues from Hollywood glamour and Burbank's film-industry roots - think old-school oval makeup mirrors in the restrooms. Comedian and Burbank regular Jay Leno turned up to cut the ribbon too, joking that the airport should be called "not LAX."

Crucially for fans of the old place, one quirk survived: there are still no jet bridges. You'll keep walking out to the plane in the open air, a tradition that has long made BUR feel refreshingly low-key compared with LAX. Gate count stays at 14 as well, thanks to a development agreement decades in the making that allowed a safety-driven replacement but capped growth.

Inside, though, everything is new. The ticketing lobby has soaring ceilings and plenty of self-serve kiosks, replacing the old cramped, low-ceilinged lobbies. An eight-lane TSA checkpoint leads past "When We Reflect," a huge 30-by-40-foot steel mesh and mirrored artwork by Glenn Kaino - a nod to the Lockheed plant that once stood on this site, camouflaged during World War II with netting woven by incarcerated Japanese Americans, including members of Kaino's family. Outside, Cliff Garten's sculpture "The Two Electras" honours Amelia Earhart, who based her round-the-world attempt from this airport in 1937.

The single-concourse building spreads its 14 gates along one hall rather than the old split buildings, with more than a dozen dining options and half a dozen shops, many local. Every seat has a cup holder and power access, and restrooms are bigger, with family, nursing and adult changing facilities plus a pet relief area. Baggage claim is now one central area with three carousels.

Airlines are making the most of the upgrade. Southwest, the busiest carrier at BUR, can finally bring in its larger 175-seat Boeing 737 MAX 8s - previously restricted to smaller 137-seat 737-700s - which the airline says are quieter, cleaner and unlocking new routes, including more Burbank-Honolulu flights. The airport as a whole handles over 6.2 million passengers a year, with eight airlines flying to more than 30 destinations including New York, Chicago and Honolulu.

For travellers, the takeaway is simple: if you're heading to Los Angeles, Burbank just became an even better alternative to LAX. It's closer to studios, Griffith Park and the San Fernando Valley, and it now has modern facilities without losing its small-airport charm. Flights there are often easier too - shorter security lines, simpler pickups, no jet bridges to wait for. Just don't tell too many people; Jay Leno would prefer it stayed a secret.