From the Republic of Vanuatu comes word that Richard Branson has launched “Virgin Volacanic” in order to take travelers to the center of the earth

“Using patented carbon-carbon materials pioneered for deep space exploration, Virgin is proud to announce a revolutionary new vehicle, VVS1, which will be capable of plunging three people into the molten lava core of an active volcano.”

First up (or should I say down) is Etna – Sicily, Italy, followed by:
• Stromboli – Aeolian Islands
• Yasur – Republic of Vanuatu
• Ambrym – Republic of Vanuatu
• Tinakula – Solomon Islands

The first trips are scheduled for 2015. More details here.

Also, we have news from WestJet about a kids-free flying experience:

Details of Kargo Kids, including booking information and a simple, easy-to-understand demonstration video, is available on the WestJet website

Air New Zealand announced “STRAIGHTUP Fares” for those willing to fly while standing in the aisle holding onto a hand bar.

And Spirit Airlines, ever the prankster, announced $9 (each way) flights to the moon.

File under: wish I was there to see this.

Through Monday, March 26, 2012, Air New Zealand is hosting an in-flight golf putting contest on flights between Auckland and Queenstown.

It’s a promotion to mark the airline’s airline’s sponsorship of the NZ PGA Pro-Am Championship and passengers enter by filling out an entry form at the departure gate lounge. Those whose names are drawn are invited to participate in the on-board putting contest. It looks like everyone will win something, but the overall winner will get plane tickets, a hotel stay, VIP passes to the NZ PGA Pro-Am Championship and Callaway golf clubs.

What’s next? In-flight bowling?

Clinton National Airport? It could happen

The folks who run Little Rock National Airport, in Little Rock, Arkansas (LIT) have big plans for upgrading and expanding the airport.

And with those plans comes a new name: the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport.

The Federal Aviation Administration will have to sign off on the new moniker, but at its March 20th meeting, airport commissioners cited the many contributions President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have made to Arkansas through more than three decades of service to the state and to the nation as the reason for voting to rename the airport.

“Hillary and I are humbled by the Little Rock Airport Commission’s decision this morning,” said President Bill Clinton in a statement. “We are grateful for this honor and for all that the people of Arkansas have done for us. And we look forward to many happy landings at the airport in the years ahead.”

While commissioners plan on changing the airport’s name, they’re going to keep the name of the airfield – Adams Field – intact. That names honors Captain George Geyer Adams, 154th Observation Squadron, Arkansas National Guard, a former city council member and airport advocate who was killed in the line of duty on Sept. 4, 1937.
This is, of course, not the first airport to be named for a former president. Others include;

• Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport (SPI) in Springfield, Ill.

• New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK)

• The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) in Grand Rapids, Mich.

• Washington, D.C.’s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

• George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) in Houston, Texas

Cute, right? And it’s only Part 1!

Frontier Airlines, which has pictures of critters on more than 60 of its airplanes, is adding one more.

Eighteen animals – including Doris the Chicken, Melvin the Turtle and Doug the Dung Beetle – are in the running and the winner will the animal (or insect) that receives the most votes.

“Auditions” are on now through April 7 at FrontierAirlines.com. Voting on the three finalists will take place April 9-15.  The winner will be announced at the end of April.

Voting is fun, but also rewarding:

Anyone who votes for their favorite ‘spokesanimal’ will receive an email with a discount offer on future Frontier travel and be entered to win up to $2,500 in Frontier Fly Bucks. On its Facebook page, the airline is also giving away prizes that include the new iPad, Kindle Fire and (more) Frontier Fly Bucks.

The ballot includes:

Doris the Chicken
Vladimir the Bat
Tina the Grebe
Doug the Dung Beetle
Enrique the Tree Frog
Polly the Parrot
Paula the Pig
Ralph the Ram
Alivina the Owl
Samson the Sloth
Melvin the Turtle
Chloe the Chipmunk
Cammie the Cow
Joanne the Giraffe
Fred the Walrus
Duke the Arctic Dog
Will & Hill the Prairie Dogs
Mario the Lizard

Going to New Orleans?

If your trip begins on a Friday, you’re in luck.

Since September, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport has been hosting “Throw me something, Fridays” and offering free Mardi Gras beads to arriving passengers.

250-300 pounds of beads are handed out on an average Friday and on the Friday before Mardi Gras airport staff handed out 1100 pounds of beads – along with stuffed animals, balsa wood airplanes, luggage tags and other “Welcome to New Orleans” treats.

Reed Barnes, the airport’s customer service manager, told me that the purple, green and gold beads are handed, not thrown, to travelers from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. each Friday and that “No one has to lift their shirts” in order to get some beads. “Although,” said Barnes, “a lot of guys offer.”

As airport amenities go, free Mardi Gras beads are a nice touch. Especially because the airport buys recycled beads that have been cleaned and bundled by employees from a local charitable organization.

KLM has a new Facebook app that lets you “stewardress” (or steward) yourself and send the photo to people you know. You can also buy products with your stewardress photo and – if you’re lucky – win some prizes.

All you have to do is log on through Facebook, upload a photo of your face and choose which of seven vintage outfits you’d like to wear.

Here’s my first try:

Try it yourself and let us know how it turns out.

At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, there will be fresh, handmade, chocolate covered strawberries from local favorite Amy’s Ice Creams for sale in the baggage claim areas from February 12-14th.

In Ohio, the Akron-Canton Airport has decided that Valentine’s Day should be a customer appreciation day and so they’ll be celebrating there with free free Caribou coffee and Cinnabon minis in the morning and complimentary cupcakes in the afternoon.

The American Red Cross will be on hand to demonstrate CPR techniques (protecting hearts – get it?) and there will be prize drawings all day long. In addition to prizes from hotels, rental car agency, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Akron Aeros, one lucky duck will win a $500 gift card on Frontier Airlines.

And although I don’t have official confirmation yet, it’s a good bet that the ambassadors at Florida’s Jacksonville International Airport will continue their tradition of giving a complimentary carnation to about 1500 arriving passengers.

Thanks to ThisDayin History.com for the reminder that on this day, February 7, back in 1964, Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 from London Heathrow landed at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport with its special cargo of Beatles.

According to History.com:

It was the first visit to the United States by the Beatles, a British rock-and-roll quartet that had just scored its first No. 1 U.S. hit six days before with “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” At Kennedy, the “Fab Four”–dressed in mod suits and sporting their trademark pudding bowl haircuts–were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans who caused a near riot when the boys stepped off their plane and onto American soil.

Here’s a great video using clips from that day:

Two days after their arrival at JFK, the Beatles made their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show.

On New Year’s Day I looked out the window and saw this shark flying by:

I ran outside, snapped this photo and learned that my young neighbor had received this Air Swimmer shark as a present.

“You fill it with helium and it flies by remote control,” he told me, “I’m bringing it over to show my friend.”

Cool, right?

Well, it seems like my neighbor wasn’t the only one to get a flying shark for Christmas.

Consider this report, found in the New Zealand Herald, about a flying shark spotted way off course:

“….[F]rom a pilot on the Wings Over New Zealand Aviation Forum: ‘There I was, just cruising around at about 1500 feet above Hamilton …when I see an object that looks like a helicopter off in the distance. However, without getting much bigger (i.e. closer) it suddenly whizzes past my left wing … and although it has the same general shape as a chopper, this thing has fins and a tail instead of rotors. Despite the warning on the box of the Air Swimmer Shark (for indoor use only) someone’s $80 Christmas present (with $50 worth of helium) is drifting gently southwest over Hamilton city, climbing at about 200 feet a minute. I did my civic duty and reported it …as a hazard.”

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