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Earlier this month, Wendy Slaughter, her four young kids and her pregnant sister were scheduled to fly on Southwest Airlines from Detroit to Seattle via Phoenix.

They got as far as Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. That’s where airport police met the flight and informed Slaughter that Southwest had deemed her family’s onboard behavior too disruptive to fly. Citing concern for the children, other passengers and the flight crew, the airline refused to let the family board their connecting flight.

Find out why they got booted and get tips on how to avoid getting booted in my Well-Mannered Traveler column posted this week on MSNBC.com.

(Column illustration by the very talented Duane Hoffman, MSNBC.com)

Categories: Etiquette, Kids
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750 tons of sand will soon be trucked into the Munich Airport Center forum for a volleyball tournament.

From August 1 through the 17^th, the Munich Airport Center Forum will host “Rio on Tour,” which will feature professionals and amateurs “digging, volleying and smashing on three courts.”

(Photo courtesy Munich Airport)

For the first three days, volleyball professionals from the “smart beach tour” will be showing spectators how it’s done. Then there’s a week-long tournament for company-sponsored teams, followed by a Family Day (August 10^th) when players from the “Rote Raben”, the reigning champions of the German women’s volleyball league will teach visitors the finer points of the art of volleyball.

To close out the Airport Beach Season, from August 15-17, the top volleyball teams in Bavaria will face-off for a three-day tournament for the state championship.

Sounds like a great use for airport facilities. And it’s free! For more information see:www.airport-beach.de.

Categories: Sports
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Garrett Popcorn Shops, well-known and much loved around Chicago for more than 50 years now, has opened its first airport location at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.

This first branch is in Terminal 3, near Gate H1. Another branch should pop up soon in Terminal 1, between Gates B9 and B10.

In addition to the cheese-flavored air-popped popcorn, friends tell me the popcorn shop makes macadamia -nut and caramel crisp popcorn.

Better yet – the airport shops will be selling the popcorn by the bag and by the one or two gallon tin!

Photo courtesy Garrett Popcorn Shops

Categories: Food
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In an effort to replace the revenue they used to get from airlines, some airports have found they can earn cash from slot machines, t-shirts, oil rigs and acres of hay.

In my article about this for Portfolio.com, I also found two airports where the naming rights are up for sale.

Categories: Economy
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You may still be recovering from last weekend, but the folks at Germany’s Munich Airport are already planning next weekend’s activities.

On July 19^th and 20^th, the covered, open-air Munich Airport Center Forum is hosting openairport, “the first rock and pop festival ever to be staged at a major European airport.” Admission will be free and the music will include everything from hip-hop and funk to ska and reggae.

Here’s a link for more details and information about the bands.

Maybe this is what US airports can do with all those big open terminal spaces if the airlines keep cutting back on flights.

Photo courtesy Munich Airport

Categories: Music
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