Airports

Category Archives for Airports.

Donald Trump Wants An Airport Named For Him

by Gary Leff on December 21, 2020

Dec 21 2020

President Trump is asking about what airport will be named for him once he leaves office. However he’s concerned that whatever airport is chosen, it needs to be nice enough. He didn’t accomplish the infrastructure investment he campaigned on, but worries that a dilapidated airport will bear his name.

Grover Norquist raised a ton of money for the ‘Reagan Legacy Project’ to have something named for Ronald Reagan in every state. Trump has reportedly hoped for an organized effort like that around renamings for him.

TSA Reports Man Concealed Box Cutters In A Shampoo Bottle. It Turned Out To Be Pot.

by Gary Leff on December 19, 2020

Dec 19 2020

The TSA took to social media to congratulate themselves for stopping a bad actor. Box cutters raise huge alarms because they were used to take control of aircraft on 9/11. Someone bringing those through a security checkpoint – concealed – raises huge flags. And TSA stopped the plot!

The TSA was forced to clarify that these weren’t box cutters after all, it was marijuana, and nobody tried to take it through a checkpoint since it was, in fact, found in a checked bag.

Get 6 Months Of CLEAR Membership Free (Including Free Family Members Added To Your Account)

by Gary Leff on December 16, 2020

Dec 16 2020

CLEAR takes your finger prints and retina scan and lets you access airport security checkpoints without ID, and some other venues as well. There’s usually no line to use CLEAR, so you skip the security wait. At busy airports and peak times it can be much better than using PreCheck.

The service is offered by a private company, and you pay for it. However through December 31 you can sign up with six months free.

Pittsburgh Airport Introduces On-Demand Covid-19 Testing Inside The Terminal

by Gary Leff on December 15, 2020

Dec 15 2020

I really like the Pittsburgh airport. There’s a Hyatt hotel on the grounds, and they pioneered allow people to go through security even when not traveling same day, something we lost in this country after 9/11. The program meant people could meet arriving passengers, shop and dine, and planespot.

Now they have something new to like: on-demand Covid-19 testing inside the terminal.

Passenger Forgets $339,000 Painting At Check-in, Airport Staff Throws It In Recycling

by Gary Leff on December 12, 2020

Dec 12 2020

This week the owner of the painting got it back. Lost items frequently stay lost which is a huge airline failure. Getting such a valuable item back seems so improbable that the story is now even confirmed at Snopes.com.

Woman Shows Up At The Airport, Proposes To A Man She Met Online 10 Days Ago

by Gary Leff on December 11, 2020

Dec 11 2020

Here’s a new twist on the age old marriage proposal in the skies. A woman who met ‘her soulmate’ online 10 days earlier showed up at the Las Vegas airport to propose to him.

Since meeting they had video chatted every night, but they had never met in person. This would be their first time seeing each other in person – and he doesn’t know she’s coming.

The Federal Government Considers What To Do About Washington National Airport’s Perimeter Restrictions

by Gary Leff on November 29, 2020

Nov 29 2020

On Tuesday the U.S. Government Accountability Office issued a report on the perimeter rule at Washington National airport. Limits are placed on the distance flights can operate from the airport in order to limit congestion and noise and to protect Dulles airport for longer haul traffic.

Why Did The Berlin Airport Take 23 Years To Build?

by Gary Leff on November 28, 2020

Nov 28 2020

After contracting disputes, the government walked away from private contracts to build the airport in 2003, and instead handed out 30-40 contracts to smaller companies and decided to oversee the project itself – which they lacked the expertise to do – instead of hiring an experienced design-build firm responsible for delivering on a budget. The airport didn’t just take 23 years, it came in at triple the cost too.

Chaos At Shanghai Pudong Airport As Cargo Workers Test Positive For Covid-19

by Gary Leff on November 23, 2020

Nov 23 2020

Knowing what kind of response to expect from the Chinese government, people react with chaos when news of fresh cases nearby breaks out. On Sunday night Shanghai Pudong airport “descended into chaos” after two cargo handlers there tested positive for Covid-19. Hundreds of flights were cancelled.

Authorities set up a testing site at the airport and ordered all airport cargo employees to be tested. Although passengers reportedly understood and feared that everyone was going to be tested and quarantined. That may have been the initial plan, scaled back as riots were feared.

The Worst Airport Gate In America Close To Being Shut Down

by Gary Leff on November 21, 2020

Nov 21 2020

The worst airport gate in American, Washington National’s gate 35X, is officially put to rest and will no longer cause misery to travelers.

With fewer flights, American Airlines 50 seat regional jet departures have been moved to the main terminal, instead of having to take an escalator down to a dark and dingy holding pen before being driven to bus gates.