Lots of news stories out this week about the official merger of Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines. And that gave Marie Force, Delta’s Archives Manager, an excuse to poke around the Northwest Airlines site for her regular Friday entry on the Delta blog.

She discovered that ‘Northwest’s many contributions range from the first closed-cabin plane for passengers (in 1926) to the first global airline alliance (with KLM).“  And she posted a link to Northwest’s timeline.

Tags: Airline history, Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines
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Traveling this weekend?

(Photo: courtesy Adam Blanchette)

Whatever city you’re in, there’s probably a museum offering free admission as part of Bank of America’s Museums on Us program.

During the first full weekend of each month, Bank of America ATM, credit and check cardholders get free access to 70 museums and cultural institutions in 28 cities across the country

One good choice this weekend: The Harvard Museum of Natural History, which has a Halloween-worthy tip sheet families can use to guide them through the galleries in search of scary creatures (snakes, bats, spiders, and more ) and a new Language of Color exhibition which explores how animal colors are produced, the ways in which color is perceived, and the diverse messages that animal colors can convey.

Photo: Paul Bratescu, animalexplorer.com (chameleon)

Tags: Free stuff
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Halloween is here and hopefully you have a bowl of candy at the ready for the Trick-or-Treaters. Before they start banging on the door, grab some of those mini Snickers bars and read some of the scary travel stories folks sent me for this week’s Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com.

Gregg Rottler, curator of Flights from Hell Web site, helped me choose the stories to publish, but there were loads we didn’t have room for.  And a couple I didn’t quite believe…

(Illustration by MSNBC’s Duane Hoffman)

Tags: Airports
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Heads up for rabbits.

OK, one big rabbit. One big, red rabbit.

According to the Mercury News, Sacramento county officials have just approved $767,000 to have artist Lawrence Argent make a 56 foot-long fiberglass rabbit for the new terminal at Sacramento International Airport.

“The rabbit, to be painted fire engine red, will look as if it’s jumping through the building’s four-story atrium toward the baggage claim area. It will be diving into a sculpted stone suitcase with a swirling liquid vortex on its surface.”

The big bunny is due to arrive in 2011, when the work on the new airport terminal is complete. For a preview though, you might check out some of Argent’s other big art works, including this 40-foot blue bear that peers into the Denver convention center.

Tags: Airport art, Sacramento International Airport
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The story about Choochy has been going around.

She’s the poodle that caused chaos and flight delays at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Saturday after escaping from her travel kennel while being unloaded from a flight.

The story had a happy ending: after police, firefighters, and other airport personnel chased her around airport grounds, Choochy was finally lured to safety with snacks.

How does a dog escape at the airport? I bet it happens more than we know.
Maybe the kennel got jostled and the door popped open. May the latch was faulty or not closed right. Maybe Choochy figured out how to open the door. Or maybe a well-meaning baggage handler opened the door to give Choochy a little water or a reassuring pat on the head – and the pooch vamoosed.

I’m sure we’ll hear more about Choochy’s travels, but in the meantime I want to pass along a tip I learned this summer while serving as courier for Joplin, a Canadian guide dog being adopted by a family in Seattle.
The kennel owner who sold me a replacement carrier for the one lost by the airlines attached a small pail filled with frozen water to the inside door of the kennel. “This way the dog can lick the melting ice and get something to drink. And this way, no one needs to open the kennel door to give the dog some water – and run the risk of having the dog escape.”

Tags: Boston Logan International Airport, Traveling with pets
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Raleigh-Durham International Airport’s new Terminal 2 has officially opened for business.

The terminal’s art and architecture reflects North Carolina’s Research Triangle Region and includes 26 restaurants and shops, including 2nd Edition Book Sellers, änders Natural Soap Co., 42nd St. Oyster Bar, Carolina Ale House and Brookwood Farms BBQ, and Taste! A Southern Season.

Here’s a link to more information about RDU’s new Terminal 2, including details about artwork such as  Lydia Rubio’s aluminum and steel ‘tree,’ titled Gate of Earth, that begins outside and appears to be growing into the terminal.

“The artwork considers feelings associated with leaving or returning home or traveling into the world. Traditional North Carolina symbols – trees and birds – are combined with the words of North Carolina writer Thomas Wolfe. ”

Can’t wait to see it!

Tags: Airport art, Raleigh-Durham International Airport
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According to a recent column in the Chicago Tribune, city aviation commissioner Richard Rodriguez wants O’Hare airport to be a hipper, happier, more happening place.

“Viewing the airports as more than a stopover, Rodriguez wants to increase travelers’ exposure to local culture so they return to Chicago, perhaps next time on vacation rather than on business.”

He’s thinking live music, more artwork, a few manicure shops, and perhaps a Thai restaurant, a Caribbean eatery, and someplace welcoming to vegetarian and vegan travelers.

Tags: Chicago O'Hare Airport, airport food
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The folks in the Origami Society of Toronto are a talented bunch. Check out these creations they’ve carefully folded and placed on display at the Toronto Pearson International Airport.

(Photos by Ross Reynolds; Origami by the members of the Origami Society of Toronto)

Tags: Airport art, Toronto Pearson International Airport
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The World Chess Championship is taking place in Bonn, Germany right now. Defending champion Viswanathan “Vishy” Anand (India) is playing former world champion Vladimir Kramnik (Russia) in a 12-game match for the title – and for 1.5 million Euros ($2.35 million U.S.) in prize funds.

Of course, chess fans are pretty excited about this. And so are the folks in Lubbock, Texas, which is the 2008 Co-Chess City of the Year (with Tulsa).

So it’s an appropriate move that the Lubbock-Preston Smith International Airport has installed giant chess sets and displays about chess in the east and west terminals.

This photo, from the Susan Polgar Chess and Information blog, gives you an idea of what these big chess sets look like.

I’ve seen giant chess sets set up in at least one mall and in a few recreation centers and parks. The oversized pieces create a great attraction or meeting spot and it’s always fun to see folks gathered around watching the ‘action.’  Given how long folks end up hanging around airports these days, it’s not unreasonable to think that they could squeeze in a game of chess.

But why stop there?  Wouldn’t it be great if airports had game corners or well-stocked emergency game closets so travelers could wait out delays playing Monopoly or, better yet, Twister?

(Courtesy: Hasbro)

Tags: Airport amenities, Lubbock-Preston Smith International Airport
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The Boeing machinist strike reached its 50th day on Saturday (October 25th).  While no airline customers are getting their airplanes, I did notice that travelers passing through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) can now get a wide variety of Boeing souvenirs in the airport gift shops.

Tags: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, airport shopping
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