Here’s another celebrity airplane safety video: soccer players from Manchester United pop up for Turkish Airlines.

Categories: Air Travel, Celebrities, Safety, Sports
No Comments »

Instead of asking you to donate cash or cans of food, Emirates airline is having a tennis racket drive.

Emirates returns this year as the official airline of the BNP Paribas Open played in Indian Wells, California. The event is billed as the biggest tennis competition outside of the four Grand Slams and, as they did last year, the airline is asking fans to bring gently-used tennis rackets to the stadium for recycling.

Used rackets collected between March 10 and March 20 will donated to the non-profit National Junior Tennis & Learning (NJTL) network of Coachella Valley and anyone who donates a racket will have a chance to win two round-trip Business Class tickets from Los Angeles to Dubai. Nice.

Categories: Sports
No Comments »

Chicago Cubs’ player Ernie Banks checking out the spring training exhibition game schedule at Rendezvous Park, Mesa, 1950s Courtesy of Tim Sheriden, Mesa Historical Museum

A new exhibition at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport celebrates the fifteen major league baseball teams that head to Arizona each year for spring training as part of the Cactus League.

Play Ball: The Cactus League Experience includes original Mickey Mantle and Ernie Banks baseball cards, photographs, signed baseballs, paintings and other cool baseball memorabilia. Look for the display in the Terminal 4, Level 3 gallery through September 11, 2011.

Here’s a preview:

Young baseball fans getting their gloves autographed by a Baltimore Orioles’ player, 1950s.
The Orioles trained in Arizona at Panther Field in Yuma in1954 and Scottsdale Stadium I from1956 through 1958. Courtesy of Mesa Historical Museum

The Boston Red Sox were welcomed in Arizona at Scottsdale Stadium I by the Sheriff’s Posse.  Ted Williams is on the far right. Courtesy of Mesa Historical Museum

The New York Yankees team wearing cowboy hats at the “old” Phoenix Municipal Stadium, 1951. Courtesy of Mesa Historical Museum.

Batter up!

Categories: Airports, Exhibits, Sports
1 Comment »

(Even PIT’s T Rex is excited about the Steelers being in the Super Bowl)

Super Bowl mania is reaching into airports: four airlines have added extra flights from Pittsburgh to Dallas for the Super Bowl and on Friday morning (February 4^th), Pittsburgh International Airport will be hosting a black-and-gold-themed pep rally for Arlington-bound Steelers fans.

The rally will take place in the airside terminal between 8:30 and noon and feature live music, special guests, “Hudsy” the Dog from Hudson Booksellers, Steelers merchandise and lots of excited fans.

To celebrate two new airberlin routes, The Bavarian Strollers will be playing oompah-filled songs at Gatwick Airport and Victoria Station on Monday, February 7^th. The song list will be made up of requests voted on via Twitter and four random voters will win airberlin tickets from Gatwick Airport to Nuremburg or Hanover.  Details on the airberlin oompah contest here.

And there’s a new video arcade at Orlando International Airport: the “King of Kong” arcade is in the main terminal near the food court.  At the grand opening Twin Galaxies, the authority on video game high scores and world records, unveiled a set of video-game-related trading cards. The first two cards in the series feature Billy Mitchell and Walter Day. Mitchell has numerous world records for Donkey Kong and Pac-Man; Day is known as the founding father of organized video game playing and competitions.

Categories: Exhibits, Fun Stuff, Openings, Sports, Uncategorized
1 Comment »

Heading to Texas for Super Bowl XLV?

You’ll probably start your Texas adventure at Dallas/Forth Worth International Airport.  And the airport is ready for you.

From February 2th through February 7^th, DFW will greet football fans with video highlights from past NFL games and a wide range of entertainment, including bands, live statues of football players and Rowdy, the Dallas Cowboys mascot.

Categories: Airports, Sports
No Comments »