Tag Archives: airport

Travel Tidbits: Pet Airport and Airport Pet Peeves

PET AIRPORT On our last trip to Hawaii my animal loving 3-year-old was delighted to find that she was sharing an airplane with a friendly Terrier. She had a blast playing with the pup in the security line, but couldn’t figure out why the doggy wasn’t going to be sitting next to her during the flight. Well, I just learned that if one company has its way there will be fewer furry distractions in the security line at the Denver International Airport. According to city officials, a boarding facility for dogs, cats and other pets is in the planning stages … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits: Sleeping In Style… At Airports and Hot, Hot Hotels

SLEEPING IN STYLE Typically, when someone mentions that he or she “slept at the airport” I deduce that a flight delay or cancellation forced him or her to seek refuge on the nearest bench in a cold terminal. But, I may have to change my vision of what sleeping at an airport really entails. According to directors at the San Francisco Airport, later this year travelers will be able to snooze in style—-for a fee. Airport officials just announced they have approved a new retailer that plans to sell time slots in “napping chairs.” Weary travelers will no doubt be … Continue reading →

Relief For Airline Passengers With Prosthetics

Anyone who has flown since 9/11 has experienced the lengthy security lines at airports throughout the country. I’m guilty of having done my share of complaining about having to stand in line with a toddler and having to strip down to a single layer of clothes in order to pass through the X-ray machine without setting off the alarms. I often have to remind myself that my inconvenience is nothing compared to what passengers with casts, braces or prosthetic limbs are made to endure just so they can make it to their flights on time. I can’t imagine how relieved … Continue reading →

Sunday Travel Funnies— “Don’t Worry, It’s ONLY A Safety Problem.”

How would you like to hear that upon boarding your flight and seeing nearly half the seats on your plane roped off? It’s no joke. According to news sources, the pilot of a Spanish air carrier told “nervous passengers” on his flight not to worry when they asked why all but three of the 32 rows on one side of the plane were taped off. A Spanish newspaper reports that the captain addressed the situation on the plane’s intercom system by reportedly saying: “We will not be able to use that part of the plane because we have a safety … Continue reading →

“Mommy, There’s A Dinosaur In The Airport!”

In the first four months of 2007, my 3-year-old daughter has flown more than 21,000 miles. We have spent more hours in Chicago’s O’Hare airport than I care to remember (though the experiences are rather hard to forget). At this point my daughter knows her way around Terminal One better than some of the custodians… and certainly better than most business travelers. These days she knows if we fly United Airlines she will be reunited with her friend “Brachy.” They’re pals now, but it wasn’t always this way. In fact, the first time she laid eyes on “Brachy” she wanted … Continue reading →

ShoeScanners and Toddlers

Recently, I’ve done alot of bragging about what a wonderful little traveler my toddler daughter is… well, now it’s confession time. There is a part of flying that she absolutely dreads—-removing her shoes at airport security. I’m not exactly sure what causes her such distress (on our recent trip to Hawaii she screamed each time we had to deposit her shoes into the plastic bin and watch them travel through the X-ray machine). We don’t wear shoes in our home—maybe that’s it. Whatever the reason, she had an absolute fit in three different airports. I’m sure the TSA agents there … Continue reading →

Grandma Puts Baby Through Airport X-Ray Machine

It’s not exactly how you want to start off your holiday travels—taking your baby to the hospital. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what one woman had to do after she mistakenly put her 1-month-old grandson through an X-ray machine at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this week. According to police, a shocked security worker noticed the shape of a child on the carry-on baggage-screening monitor and immediately pulled him out. The infant was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where doctors determined he did not receive a dangerous dose of radiation. Airport officials are calling the incident “an innocent mistake by an … Continue reading →

Airports—The Good Old Days

Do you remember the pre-9/11 days when you could meet your party at their gate to exchange warm embraces rather than at the luggage carousel where you’re lucky if you get in a quick peck on the cheek before getting rammed in the back by an overloaded duffel bag? It seems many air travelers long for those days of yore and their public outcries may now be getting a response. The Transportation Security Administration recently announced that it is in the process of testing an “experimental procedure,” which allows non-fliers past airport security checkpoints for the first time in at … Continue reading →

Holiday Travel: 10 Ways To Save Time At The Airport

Continuing with our ongoing “Holiday Travel” series let’s talk airports… specifically long lines at the airport and how to avoid them. I too will be standing in line at various airports this holiday season—with a 2-year-old! So believe me I am desperately trying to find as many ways possible to lessen our time in line. Here are a few tips that I have come up with (perhaps, if more travelers were to heed them it would create a domino effect and consequently the line would move faster): 1. Check your flight status from your home phone or computer before you … Continue reading →

Travel Tidbits For Food Lovers, Pet Lovers and Sheet Lovers

FREE FOOD FOR NEAT FREAKS Apparently no good deed will go un-rewarded at one of the nation’s busiest airports. According to airport management, if you’re spotted picking up and throwing away trash at Cleveland’s Hopkins International Airport, you could win a discount on your next purchase at an airport establishment. The airport’s new incentive program begins early next year to reward fliers and visitors who help keep the airport tidy. A local newspaper is reporting that airport employees will be handing out coupons for discounts on food and other items to anyone spotted pitching in. The program is part of … Continue reading →