Airports

Category Archives for Airports.

The New BWI Airport Concessions Contract Bid May Have Been Rigged

by Gary Leff on November 18, 2022

Nov 18 2022

Baltimore Washington International Airport plans to drop the company running its concessions – restaurants and shops – in favor of a brand new company headed by a former state governor’s Chief of Staff, who will turn the actual work over to HMSHost. And the bidding process sure looks like it was rigged.

The Maryland Aviation Administration has selected New Market Development Joint Venture, LLC to replace Fraport which has managed concessions at BWI for 18 years. The company, owned by a former chief of staff to former Gov. Parris Glendening, has only existed for one year.

TSA Had One Job. Twenty One Years Later, It Failed.

by Gary Leff on November 13, 2022

Nov 13 2022

9/11 hijackers used boxcutters. TSA was created to stop future 9/11s. They search wheelchair-bound grandmothers, steal from passengers, and light billions of dollars on fire each year – all while admitting in court that they see zero active threats to defend against.

But when passengers actually bring boxcutters to the checkpoint? Yeah, they got through and a Frontier Airlines flight had to divert after one was being used by an unruly passenger.

Fact Of The Day: Las Vegas Airport Slot Machines Have Generated $1 Billion

by Gary Leff on November 12, 2022

Nov 12 2022

There are 1,430 slot machines in the Las Vegas airport. Those slot machines have generated $1 billion in revenue.

New Driverless ‘Remote Control’ Cars Being Tested At Pittsburgh Airport

by Gary Leff on November 10, 2022

Nov 10 2022

Not only don’t we have flying cars, we don’t really have full self-driving ones either. Eventually my daughter’s children will ask me, “Grandpa, is it true you used to drive cars yourself? How did you manage to avoid getting in accidents all the time?” The truth is we didn’t!

It feels like the babiest step imaginable in this process, but driverless ‘remote control’ cars are now being tested at the Pittsburgh airport.

Passengers Suffer Miserable Airport Food While Politicians Take Cash From Vendors

by Gary Leff on November 5, 2022

Nov 05 2022

Airport concessions companies suck. Most of the restaurants you think you’re eating at aren’t actually run by the people you think they are. The brands are licensed by airport concessions companies like OTG, Delaware North, and HMSHost. When a brand wants to do something that’s actually good they even advise against it.

Yet St. Louis is about to demand another decade of mediocrity in a long-term no-bid deal with major political donors.

Raccoon At Philadelphia Airport Steals Candy While Passengers Wait At Retail Shop’s Self-Checkout

by Gary Leff on October 27, 2022

Oct 27 2022

Employees at Philadelphia’s airport refer to the place as Filthadelphia. Birds are known to roam freely there.

It’s still surprising to just see a raccoon pop up at an OTG retail shop and help themselves to a snack while passengers are buying food at the self-checkout. Yet that’s just what happened last week.

Austin Airport Shows Why You Should Never Do Business With The City Of Austin

by Gary Leff on October 24, 2022

Oct 24 2022

Austin airport is experiencing record passenger growth, and the terminal needs to grow along with it. So the city’s solution is to use eminent domain to acquire property they already own, by cancelling a lease that they themselves signed. It’s a strange use of the government takings power, which underscores that the city never keeps its word and anyone investing $12 million dollars in a city project does so at their own risk.

Denmark’s Second Largest Airport, Home Town Of Lego, Has A Shocking Way To Showcase Size

by Gary Leff on October 22, 2022

Oct 22 2022

Many of you have never heard of Billund Airport, but it’s the second largest in Denmark. They want you to know that they’re much bigger than you’d think, and they have a way of showing it that may inspire fear, anxiety, and in some of us… envy.

Detroit’s Second Airport Will Be Resurrected With $100 Million In Taxpayer Cash

by Gary Leff on October 13, 2022

Oct 13 2022

When we allocate ‘money for infrastructure’ we do stupid things with it, like giving $100 million to a zombie airport near Detroit that hasn’t had commercial service in 20 years. The plan is to create “a state-of-the-art airport” according to Detroit officials. Of course Detroit already has a state-of-the-art airport.

Two Comedians Sue After Being Racially Profiled By Police At An Atlanta Airport Jet Bridge

by Gary Leff on October 12, 2022

Oct 12 2022

Two comedians are suing over being searched for drugs at the Atlanta airport while boarding their flights. The stops and searches lack probably cause, and are generally based on racial profiling (duh). Over a 9 month period, police stopped 402 passengers at the jet bridge in Atlanta. 68% of those were minorities. Fewer than 1% – just 3 – yielded ‘drug seizures’ like THC gummies and six prescription pills.