Tag Archives: airport

Holiday Travel: Tips For a Smooth Flight

A year ago this week I was on a flight to Hawaii to spend Christmas with my family. (We actually flew out on December 23rd.) I prepped, planned and packed like a pro, but the brutal reality of flying during one the busiest travel weeks of the year is that you are at the mercy of the airline… and the nation’s air-travel system. If you are planning to take flight this week (or anytime between now and January 6th) you run a good chance of being delayed, missing a connection, or otherwise experiencing some type of travel inconvenience. While there … Continue reading →

Last-Minute Gifts for Those Fighting the “Black Bag War”

A couple of years ago I wrote a blog entitled “Black Bag War.” It was an ode to the millions of airline passengers forced to huddle around luggage carousels and decipher which of the hundreds of rotating black suitcases rightfully belonged to them. In the 20 months or so since I wrote that piece luggage manufacturers have expanded their color palettes and now offer a wide variety of products in funky styles and colors. Now you can buy a wardrobe of luggage to fit your particular lifestyle and mix and match as needed. What’s more, if you are still searching … Continue reading →

More Gift Ideas For Frequent Travelers

Have you wrapped up the perfect gift for the frequent flyer in your life? Have you even found the perfect gift for the weary traveler in your life? If you answered no to the latter question then you are in luck—-there’s still time to find great presents for all those frequent travelers on your list. This is a continuation of the gift options I listed in a previous blog. Airline Gift Certificates. You might not be able to afford to buy your favorite flyer a round-trip ticket to Hawaii, but you can help contribute to one via a gift certificate. … Continue reading →

Why It’s a Good Time of the Year to Be Flying with Kids

No, I haven’t lost my mind. It’s true; the busy holiday season is typically when I suggest to parents with young children to avoid crowded airports at all costs, but that was before one airport started to give away free food with proof of a pint-sized traveling companion. Dallas/Fort Worth Airport is hoping that free food and entertainment for kids will help make the hectic holiday travel season a bit brighter. To that end, the airport is offering a two-day “Kids Eat Free” promotion. Here are the details: From noon to 2 p.m. on December 20-21, airport employees will distribute … Continue reading →

Digital Boarding Passes—Yea or Nay?

If you are arriving into or departing from Houston’s Bush International Airport on Continental Airlines anytime in the next three months you will likely be a part of an experiment that could help redefine boarding procedures. Continental along with the Transportation Security Administration is testing a new program that allows passengers to board flights using just a cellphone or personal-digital assistant (PDA) such as a BlackBerry instead of a traditional paper boarding pass. The system is activated when the airline sends a special bar code (basically a jumble of squares and rectangles) to a passenger’s cellphone or PDA. The unique … Continue reading →

Land of the Confiscated Items

In previous blogs I’ve written about where lost pieces of airline luggage go when they are separated (sometimes permanently) from their owners. But, have you ever wondered where all those prohibited carry-on items go to rest after airport security screeners confiscate them? Would you believe New Hampshire? A good portion of the “suspicious items” collected at New England airports get sent to a warehouse in New Hampshire. Everything from baseball bats, screwdrivers and wrenches to rocks, razor blades and pocketknives. More than two tons of abandoned items have been collected in the last 10 months. According to the Transportation Security … Continue reading →

Airport Perks

No airline passenger enjoys being delayed regardless of what airport he or she is sentenced to do time in. However, there are some airports in the United States where conquering boredom is a bit easier than others. Take a look: SAN DIEGO San Diego International is getting passengers jazzed up about flying into or out of its facility by continuing its popular Terminal Jazz Performance concerts. The mini music fests are free and accessible to ticketed passengers and have been a proven hit among travelers since the program’s inception more than a year ago. The airport’s 2008 season will kick … Continue reading →

Seattle Airport Going Secular

If you happen to be flying in or out of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport this holiday season don’t expect to see the same festive decorations as last year. After last year’s brouhaha over Christmas trees placed in its main terminal–—an incident that set off a debate between religious leaders–—airport administrators are going secular. Forget about Santa Claus, sparkly trees and menorahs, the new decorations that travelers will pass by this holiday season include a set of 18 concrete-and-cardboard birch trees sitting on a bed of synthetic snow. Ho, ho, ho. But, wait there’s more. According to airport officials, the display … Continue reading →

Infamous Minneapolis Airport Bathroom Getting Make Over

In a previous blog I described how a single restroom in the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was fast becoming one of the Twin Cities’ most popular tourist attractions. Thanks to Senator Larry Craig, the infamous airport men’s room where his recent arrest took place is now getting new stall dividers that stop just shy of the floor. It’s an addition airport officials say makes the stalls less inviting for inappropriate liaisons. Currently, the dividers leave enough space so a person could easily duck under them. Back in June an undercover police officer said Craig allegedly used the open space under … Continue reading →

Eliminating Long Waits At Airport Security Screening Areas

What would life be like if we couldn’t call ahead and reserve a table at our favorite restaurant? And what would golfers do if they didn’t have the option of making a tee time? The scene at eateries and golf courses would likely resemble the chaos of airport security screening areas. Frustrated individuals made to wait in endless lines taking their ire out on the people next to them. But, what if airline passengers were able to reserve a time to go through airport security checkpoints? Don’t choke laughing. The Transportation Security Administration recently announced it is exploring whether such … Continue reading →