Posts in the category "Transportation":

On Monday, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey introduced a wide variety of customer service improvements at JFK, Newark Liberty and LaGuardia airports, but it was AVA, the airport virtual assistant, that got all the attention.

In July, when the computerized avatars begin offering automated information at LaGuardia’s Central Terminal Building, at Newark’s Terminal B and at JFK’s Terminal 5, it will be the first time the hologram-like technology will be used at a North American airport.

Other improvements to be rolled out in the next 90 days include additional (live) customer care agents during peak travel times, an expanded effort to halt taxi hustling, the installation of additional power poles to charge electronic devices and cleaner restroom facilities.

Here are some more details from the plan:

At Newark Liberty, more than 100 chairs and more than 50 tables will be added to food courts in Terminals A and B, full-time restroom attendants will be on duty in Terminal A and additional quality control visits will be made to airport stores “to ensure customers are treated fairly.”

Newark, JFK, LaGuardia (and Stewart International Airport) are now included in the free FlySmart mobile app that offers real-time flight notifications for smart phones, terminal maps and basic listings for ground transportation and concessions.

The Port Authority is also starting a “We Listen” campaign to give travelers a chance to meet with airport management.

These short-term initiatives, the Port Authority points out, dovetail with the agency’s long-term efforts to improve the infrastructure at all three airports.

It all sounds promising. Except perhaps for those virtual assistants. In the promo “AVA” says she never takes a vacation, but when I arrived at Dubai International Airport recently, the representative meeting our group said the virtual assistants that were supposed to be on duty there hadn’t been working “for quite some time.”

Categories: Airports, Bathrooms, Power Outlets, Safety, Transportation
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Sure, flying can be such a hassle that you decide to drive or take the bus.

But bus passengers beware: make sure the seat you’re purchasing is in the bus, not under it.

A Michigan bus company that has been transporting passengers in its cargo compartments has been ordered to cease operating.

On Saturday, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced it had shut down Haines Tours of Gladwin, MI., calling it an “imminent hazard” to public safety.

According to the DOT, on May 27, 2011, when a Haines Tour bus traveling from Michigan to Ohio was inspected by the Ohio State Highway Patrol, it was discovered that six of the 62 passengers were riding in the luggage compartment along with unsecured baggage.

“Safety is everyone’s responsibility and it begins with practicing common sense,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “That means not putting human beings in cargo holds.”

This wasn’t the first time Haines Tours was found to be using its luggage bins inappropriately. In August 2010 the company was cited for using luggage bins as sleeping berths for drivers.

On Saturday the FMCSA also announced that it had issued an “imminent hazard” out-of-service order to North Carolina-based United Tours, Inc. for, among other things, using non-qualified drivers.

Earlier in the week, Atlanta-based JCT Motor Coach, Inc. was shut down for trying to evade a previous out-of-service order by operating under a different name. Under its other name, the company had been cited for numerous violations, including falsifying vehicle maintenance records and using drivers with positive drug and alcohol testing results.

Several recent deadly bus crashes have raised safety concerns about the nation’s charter and commercial buses. Over the recent Memorial Day holiday weekend a crash on Interstate 95 in Virginia left 4 people dead and dozens injured, while a bus rollover accident on Interstate 90 in Washington killed 2 people and injured more than 20 others. In March, 15 people died when a bus returning from a Connecticut casino fell from an elevated highway and hit a utility pole

Want to know if your tour bus company has been cited? The DOT now offers a pre-trip safety checklist encouraging travelers to review a bus company’s safety record, safety rating and DOT operating authority before climbing on board.

Photo courtesy Flickr Commons

Categories: Transportation, Travel tips
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Conconully, on the sunny side of Washington’s North Cascades, is about four blocks long, with an official population of less than 300.

Once each year, though, the tiny town overflows with up to 2000 people – and more than a dozen outhouses.

The potties that pop-up downtown are definitely portable.

But they’re not put there for folks who need a place to ‘go’ on the go.

Mounted on skis and, more often than not, built without doors or walls, these outhouses are constructed for speed and are strictly for racing.

Yes, racing. For almost 30 years now, Conconully has held its annual Outhouse Races on a gently sloping, snow-covered course down Main Street, right in the middle of town.

After being inspected by the judges, outhouses take the course two at a time, with teams made up of one rider (officially known as “the sitter”) and two pushers.

Prizes are awarded to teams that make the best time in a variety of divisions (family, kids, seniors, etc.) and to the winners of the Extreme Challenge Race, in which outhouses are maneuvered along an obstacle course.

There’s also a prize for the winner of the Bucket Race, which requires pushers to wear white buckets over their heads while the sitter shouts directions telling them where to go.

During the 2010 races, 83 year-old Max Ehinger of Ephrata served as a ‘sitter’ in the senior race division, which requires each three-person team to register a combined age of at least 125.  Over the years, Ehinger and his wife have had three generations of their family race outhouses, winning trophies with Butt Hutt 1 and Butt Hutt 2.

“The obstacle race is especially entertaining,” says Max, “They get all tangled up and sometimes veer off course into hay bales on the sidewalk.  I’ve never seen anyone get hurt, though, and it’s all just a lot of good, clean fun.”

Potty preparations

Sound like a party you want to part of? Spectators are welcome to paper the sidewalk, but if you want to enter a homemade crapper in the contest, you’ll need to follow a few rules:

Each non-motorized, non-steering privy must be made out of wood or wood by-products, mounted on two skis (fiberglass or plastic only), have 3-sides and a full roof and be at least 5 feet tall and 2 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet square. “Our insurance agent also prefers that all sitters wear helmets,” says Marilyn Church of the Conconully Chamber of Commerce, “And of course, every outhouse must have a toilet seat and roll of toilet paper on a toilet paper hanger.”

The poop on the Outhouse Races:

Conconully’s Outhouse Races are held each year on the third Saturday in January and the 2011 races will held on Saturday, January 15^th.  There’s a $25 registration fee for each outhouse, but each outhouse can be entered in multiple races. Conconully is located about 20 miles northwest of the towns of Omak and Okanogan. For more information, see the Conconully town website or call (877) 826-9050.

Photos courtesy: Marcia Ehinger and Conconully Chamber of Commerce

This story first appeared in AAAJourney.com in December 2010.

Categories: family travel, Fun Stuff, Transportation
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Ever since the opening of Narita International Airport (NRT) back in 1978, Tokyo’s Haneda Airport has been used for predominantly domestic flights within Japan and some charter flights within Asia.

But as of Thursday, October 21, 2010, Haneda Airport has a new runway and a brand new International Terminal that’s filled with shiny new arrival and departures halls, gleaming gate areas, and dozens of new restaurants and shops.

An increased schedule of international flights to North America, Europe and Asia begins on October 31^st.

The big advantage of flying into Haneda Airport will be the time you’ll save getting to and from Tokyo.  By express train, it’s an hour’s ride from Narita Airport to Tokyo.

From Haneda, you can get to town on a monoral or a train in about 20 minutes.

The other advantage: Haneda’s International Terminal is brand new.

I was on site for opening day inspecting the restaurants, the shops and the new amenities along with what seemed to be at least half the population of Japan.

Several hundred people lined up as early as 3 in the morning to be among the first to ride the new monorail connection to the airport.  And throughout the day thousands of what the airlines certainly hope will be future passengers made their way out to the terminal just to take a look around.

They visited the outdoor observation deck. Even though it was raining and there wasn’t much you could see.

They cheered on the cars zipping around the airport’s slot car racetrack.

They bought Hello Kitty souvenirs in a Hello Kitty store that a father of two young Hello Kitty fans assured me was among the most-well stocked Hello Kitty stores he’s seen.

And they waited patiently to be among the first to have a meal in brand new airport eateries that range from a pizzeria with a brick oven to a French café and a restaurant where sushi is delivered via conveyor belt.

Around lunch time, I joined one of the longest lines at the airport. The one where people were waiting to order green-tea soft swirl from the newest branch of Kyo Hayashiya, a sweets vendor that has its roots in a teahouse established in 1753.

And like this woman who was buying ice cream for herself and a friend, I sat and ate the swirled, sweet treat while contemplating future adventures that might start at this sparkling new airport.

There’s lots more to share about the amenities at Haneda’s International Terminal – and the two domestic terminals, which are quite swanky.

But in the meantime, here are links to the opening day reports from two travel colleagues, Airline Reporter David Brown and Jaunted’s Cynthia Drescher.

Categories: Airport guides, Airport shops, Layover, Observation Decks, Openings, Planespotting, Shopping, Snack Saturday, Transportation
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Dance at O’Hare

It’s Unity Month in Chicago and to celebrate, both O’Hare and Midway International Airports are treating travelers to live entertainment on Friday afternoons.

Chicago Samba

From 2 to 5 pm this Friday, September 17^th, there will be dance and music groups performing on the secure side of the domestic terminals and on the lower level at the international terminal at O’Hare, and on the secure side at Midway. Friday’s line-up includes five different groups: M.A.D.D. Rhythms, Big City Swing, Chicago Samba, Big Slim Steppin’ Network and Cu’Roi.

The entertainment stages at O’Hare are in Terminal 1, B Concourse across from Duty Free; Terminal 2, across from CIBO Market; Terminal 3 near Concourse L and in Terminal 5, on the Lower Level across from the Information Booth. At Midway, the stage is near the Battle of Midway exhibit in Concourse A.

Sip with Southwest

Southwest Porch at Skyline Park - Denver

In Denver, Southwest Airlines opened The Southwest Porch at Skyline Park. Much like the ‘porch’ Southwest opened in Bryant Park in New York City in June 2009, this outdoor venue has comfortable seating as well as a restaurant and bar serving pizzas and drinks. You can read more about it on the Nuts About Southwest blog.

Try the train in Miami

And this week Miami International Airport (MIA) opened the mile-long Concourse D skytrain. The four-car, four-station train runs along the roof of the mile-long concourse, making the trip from one end to the other in about five minutes.

Categories: Air Travel, Airlines, Events, Fun Stuff, ground transporation, Layover, Transportation
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