Airports

Category Archives for Airports.

How Much Salary You Can Earn By Making Passengers and Airlines Miserable

by Gary Leff on August 24, 2018

Aug 24 2018

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is the government agency which manages Washington National and Dulles airports and has a role in construction of the metro Silver line to the airport and the Dulles Toll Road.

The airport authority has resisted making the new contract for its CEO public, arguing that they’re not funded with public dollars but by fees earned from running the airport. Of course the government gave them the airport, board members are appointed by government, and they receive substantial government funding for capital projects, and much of their operating revenue comes from ticket taxes.

TSA Says They’re Not Following Ordinary Americans. That’s Not True.

by Gary Leff on August 19, 2018

Aug 19 2018

A TSA official gave a deposition stating they do “not perform intelligence collection on passengers at airports.” So add giving false testimony to the litany of behaviors we let slide at TSA.

It’s Lights Out at Washington National Airport

by Gary Leff on August 15, 2018

Aug 15 2018

Developing. Washington’s National airport (DCA) is currently without power.

Watch: Geyser Spurts at New York JFK Baggage Claim

by Gary Leff on August 13, 2018

Aug 13 2018

New York JFK airport is a disaster. Governor Cuomo’s $10 billion plan won’t begin to fix it. The people who work there are bad enough but the physical plant itself is irredeemable.

Watch: TSA Agent Grab a Smoking Bag at Security Checkpoint

by Gary Leff on August 11, 2018

Aug 11 2018

On July 20 at the Savannah-Hilton Head airport the battery of an e-cigarette malfunctioned. TSA has just released video of the incident, because this happened, no one was hurt, and they didn’t even shut down the airport.

You can see the bag smoking once it’s gone through the x-ray. Initially the TSA screener saunters over, picks up the bag, and walks off. You can then see him on another camera speeding up.

This Delta Baggage Handler is Everything That’s Wrong With Air Travel

by Gary Leff on August 9, 2018

Aug 09 2018

It’s often been said that there are two kinds of luggage: carry on and lost. It turns out there’s a third kind.

Joshua Dwain Frith captured a Delta baggage handler on film Wednesday at New York JFK “recklessly tossing bags and a strollers… [h]e was assaulting those bags. But the stroller was attempted murder.”

Trend? People Request Wheelchair Assistance for Airport Priority When They’re Just Fine

by Gary Leff on August 5, 2018

Aug 05 2018

CBS ran a story on people using wheelchairs to get priority access at airports — even when they don’t need assistance. If you need assistance contact your airline in advance and they’ll arrange for a wheelchair.

There are three potential benefits I see to this strategy, all involve boarding the aircraft early.

Is Atlanta’s Airport the Most Corrupt in the Country?

by Gary Leff on August 4, 2018

Aug 04 2018

A couple of years ago Atlanta fired the General Manager of its airport. They didn’t provide much of a reason, and it seemed strange considering the success that the airport had.

The General Manager had plenty to say, though. He claimed he was fired for refusing to go along with corruption. Contracts were expected to be awarded to politically connected companies, not to the best companies or to those offering the best prices.

TSA Admits to Following Thousands of Americans, and Not One of Them Was a Threat

by Gary Leff on August 3, 2018

Aug 03 2018

At the beginning of the week we learned about a TSA program, “Quiet Skies” that follows passengers and notes their habits even though these passengers are on no threat list.

TSA acknowledges that this program hasn’t found a single actual threat. Not a single person being followed was determined to be worth any followup.

No, the TSA Isn’t Eliminating Security at Small Airports. Why Do You Ask?

by Gary Leff on August 2, 2018

Aug 02 2018

CNN is reporting on TSA documents for a proposal eliminating “passenger screening at more than 150 small and medium-sized airports across the US.”

The two things to know are (1) there are actually pretty good arguments for this, and (2) it isn’t being seriously discussed — as in considered for implementation — this is never going to happen.