eXpect delaYs Travel Delay Blog

Kid's Airport Diversion Guide Updated

If you are a parent traveling with children, you are probably looking for ways to keep the kids occupied and entertained during your air travels, especially during long airport layovers or during flight delays. The people at cheapflights.com have published a useful guide for parents traveling by air with kids. It includes a brief section on tips for traveling with kids, such as using the new "Green Circle" airport security lanes, at select airports. (The TSA has recently instituted 3 different airport security screening lanes at select airports. Travelers can choose security lanes based on their experience and needs. The lanes are labeled similarly to ski slopes, green circle (for those that need extra time,the inexperienced traveler, or families), blue squares (intermediate), and black diamond (experienced travelers)). They also include specific diversions at many airports, both national and international.

Airports discussed include:

Domestic: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI), Boston Logan International (BOS), Charlotte Douglas International (CLT), Chicago O’Hare International (ORD), Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International (CVG), Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Miami International Airport (MIA), Minneapolis/St. Paul International (MSP), Milwaukee Mitchell International (MKE), Nashville International Airport (BNA), New York John F. Kennedy International (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Orlando International Airport (MCO), Portland International Airport (PDX), Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), San Francisco International (SFO), Seattle/Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

International: Calgary International Airport (YYC), Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Vancouver International Airport (YVR), London Heathrow Airport – London, England, Frankfurt International Airport – Frankfurt, Germany, Narita International Airport – Tokyo, Japan, Incheon International Airport – Seoul, Korea, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport – Paris, France, Hong Kong International Airport – Hong Kong, Singapore Changi Airport – Singapore.

Check out the full guide at: http://images.list.cheapflights.com/lm/kids_airport_diversion_guide.pdf

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TSA and Continental Airlines Expand Paperless Boarding Pass Program

Press Release
April 25, 2008

Boarding pass pilot extended to three new airports

WASHINGTON – The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Continental Airlines announced today plans to continue the rollout of the Paperless Boarding Pass pilot program to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Newark (N.J.) International Airport and Logan International Airport in Boston over the coming weeks. This innovative approach will allow passengers to receive boarding passes electronically on their cell phones or PDAs, which will then be scanned by TSA security officers at the checkpoint, eliminating the need for a paper boarding pass. Continental is the first U.S. carrier to test paperless boarding passes.

Each paperless boarding pass will display an encrypted two-dimensional bar code along with passenger and flight information that will identify the traveler. TSA travel document checkers will use hand-held scanners to validate the authenticity of the paperless boarding pass sent to Continental passengers. The new technology heightens the ability to detect fraudulent boarding passes while improving customer service and reducing paper use.

"The deployment of the paperless technology, with Continental Airlines, signifies TSA’s ongoing commitment to develop and execute new technologies within aviation while enhancing security," said Karen Burke, federal security director, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. "These paperless boarding pass pilots are a significant step towards ensuring that fraudulent boarding passes cannot be used to gain access to the sterile side of airports."

TSA created the concept of how to scan the paperless boarding passes and Continental Airlines developed an implementation plan that involved encrypting the paperless boarding pass to ensure authenticity. "We are pleased to take part in this pioneering concept that provides enhanced security and customer service to our passengers," said Mark Bergsrud, Continental Airlines senior vice president, Marketing Programs and Distribution. "Continental Airlines is committed to innovation and leveraging technology to the benefit of our customers."

The paperless boarding pass pilot is consistent with the global standard in the International Air Transport Association for bar coding of passenger boarding passes. This joint effort between Continental Airlines and TSA will enable the airline industry to look forward to a paperless check-in process.

The first paperless boarding pass pilot began in Houston in December of 2007, and is still ongoing. Since the initial launch, enhancements have been made to the paperless boarding pass to improve the readability of the bar code on a wider variety of mobile devices.

For more information regarding TSA, please visit our Web site at www.tsa.gov.

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Pittsburgh International Airport To Get TSA Self Select Security Screening Lanes

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will soon implement the TSA's self select security screening lanes. These lanes were designed to help expedite airport security screening for all travelers. Self-Select Lanes are comprised of a series of lanes designated by signage (modeled after ski slope ratings) that directs passengers based on their travel needs and knowledge – Expert (Black Diamond), for the business traveler who flies several times a month; Casual (Blue Square), for passengers that travel less frequently, but are familiar with the security process; and Family/Special Assistance (Green Circle), for passengers traveling with small children or strollers, elderly passengers and passengers who may need special assistance.

Well, here are a few of the more interesting stories on airports, security, airport dining and delays from the last week and a half. There's some more news about another airport adopting the self-select three lane security program (Houston), a new restaurant coming to Charlotte - Douglas International Airport (Chicken and Biscuts, anyone?), a delay in LA, expansion in AL, and some new dining and drinking establishements in Honolulu's airport.

Officials downplay airport delay
Full story at the DailyBreeze.com : http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/ci_8988677?source=rss

Los Angeles -- The bad news is that the Midfield Satellite Concourse at Los Angeles International Airport will not be built by January 2012, breaking a promise made just eight months ago by airport executives. The good news is that the airport will still be able to accommodate the Airbus A380 and other superjumbo jetliners by building more contact gates on the back side of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. "I think the Midfield Concourse will be done in late 2012 or early 2013 now, but we'll have those new gates built at the Bradley Terminal by January 2012," said Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice Hahn, who heads the council's Trade, Commerce and Tourism Committee. City and airport officials are painting the rosy picture as the Board of Airport Commissioners is set to consider on Monday a pair of architecture and engineering contracts totaling more than $80 million to design the new Midfield Concourse, along with a series of "enhancements" to the Bradley terminal. The Los Angeles City Council agreed in August to build the $1.3billion Midfield Concourse, which is expected to be equipped with eight to 10 new gates capable of handling super-sized airlines at LAX. Problems arose when airport officials failed to consider the complexity of taking on such a massive construction project while meeting a relatively short deadline, according to LAX sources familiar with the project.

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Airport expanding to meet influx of fliers
Full story at The Huntsville Times : http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/index.ssf?/base/news/1208683094235280.xml&coll=1

Huntsville AL -- Huntsville International Airport is in the midst of an ambitious $65 million terminal improvement plan, which includes upgrading the food and beverage areas and expanding the baggage claim and public waiting areas.Even though expansion plans were approved by the Huntsville/Madison County Airport Authority in 2004 - the year before the Base Realignment and Closure Commission decision to move several commands to Redstone Arsenal - the project should help out with the expected influx of new residents."We're expanding the facility to meet a normal 20-year growth pattern," yet still have the ability to expand for sudden growth if needed, said Rick Tucker, the airport's executive director. "Once the expansion is complete, we could easily handle 2 million passengers."

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Hobby Airport testing new security lanes
Full Story at ABC13 : http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/local&id=6093210

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Transportation Security Administration is beginning what it calls the self-select lane program at Hobby Airport. The self-select program divides security lanes into three categories, allowing travelers to select a lane that fits their pace and knowledge of the security rules. The blue lane is for those who are more casual travelers. This lane is for those who travel a couple of times a year and aren't positive on the TSA rules and may need a little more time. The green lane is for those who rarely travel and for families with small children. Hobby Airport is one of dozen airports across the county that is testing out the lane system.

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$20M going to improve airport eateries
Full Story at Honoluluadvertiser.com : http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080416/NEWS09/804160405

Honolulu, HI -- More than $20 million in restaurant improvements are arriving at Honolulu International Airport at a time of bankruptcies and other turbulence in the airline industry. Officials hope the upgrades encourage travelers to spend more time and money at the airport and leave with a better impression. First to begin serving meals was Dewar's Clubhouse Bar & Grille, which opened at the Central Concourse yesterday as part of improvements planned by food concessionaire HMSHost Corp. this year and next. HMSHost is offering options to travelers, from grabbing a frappuccino on the go, through sitting down for a pizza at California Pizza Kitchen ASAP to the restaurant ambience of Dewar's. In July, a Kona Brew Pub, which now has restaurants in Koko Marina and Kona, will open at the airport's main terminal, Yamamoto said. Sekiguchi knows some residents would like to see more food and drink options before the security checkpoints but he said that is a lower priority.

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Feds to require foreign travelers' fingerprints as they leave the U.S.
Full Story at the Seattle Times : http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2004365763_webfingerprints22.html

Airlines and cruise-ship operators must already provide the federal government with biographical information on international passengers before they leave the country. But this rule would require biometric information --- such as fingerprints --- to be collected and then transmitted within 24 hours of a visitor leaving the U.S. The majority of non-U.S. Over 10 years, officials estimate it will cost air and sea carriers about $2.7 billion to carry out the requirement, part of what's called the US-VISIT program.

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BOJANGLES’ LANDS FIRST AIRPORT LOCATION AT CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL
Full Story at http://www.bojangles.com/uploadedFiles/About_Us/news/Bojangles_CLT_Airport.pdf

Charlotte, NC -- Bojangles', the famous chicken and biscuits chain known for its unique Cajun flavor and made-from-scratch breakfast served all day, is soaring to new heights with the brand's first-ever airport location. We want to expand its reach and bring Bojangles' unique fare and high quality service to travelers who have never had the opportunity to experience it and also to those who have loved it for years," said Eric Newman, Executive Vice President of Development for Bojangles' Restaurants, Inc. "There is a sense of pride in opening the first Bojangles' airport restaurant in our hometown. A true destination restaurant that has a cult-like following among Charlotteans and throughout the Carolinas and elsewhere, Bojangles' attracts its loyal customers with its distinctive menu offerings. Bojangles' kitchens prepare all their proprietary menu items from scratch with its own special blend of seasonings giving the food its unique Bojangles' flavor.

Well, that's the news - until next time. Remember, if you eXpect delaYs, you can beat them!
Happy Travels!
-Gus