Airports around the country are joining in the observation of the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy.
One airport where the event is remembered year-round is at Boston Logan Airport, where a 9/11 memorial – The Place of Remembrance – honors the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, which were the two flights that left Logan Airport the morning of September 11, 2001 for Los Angeles.
The memorial,designed by Boston-based Moskow Linn Architects, sits on 2.5 acres adjacent to the Hilton Boston Logan Airport Hotel and includes a large glass sculpture that has two glass panels etched with the names of the passengers and crew of each flight.
Having been ‘this close’ to being a statistic of 9/11 instead of a horrified onlooker, I take this day very seriously and urge you to visit the Boston Logan International Airport 9/11 Memorial when you’re at that airport and to watch the short video on the airport’s website from the dedication day.
A new app – FlyRights – offers a fast and easy way to complain about discrimination, profiling and other improper behavior by TSA officers at airport security checkpoints.
The app was created by the Sikh Coalition, which found that while only 11 complaints of improper screening by the TSA were filed during the first two quarters of 2011, many Sikh, Muslim, and South Asian travelers believe they are regularly profiled by TSA at airports.
At some airports, the coalition says, 100% of Sikh travelers report being subjected to unfair secondary treatment.
The Sikh coalition says it created the app “to bridge the gap between community frustration about airport profiling and official action,” and worked closely with civil rights groups in the Black, Latino, South Asian, Muslim communities to develop the tool.
The coalition says complaints filed through the app will be reviewed as official complaints by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
On TSA.gov, travelers who feel they have been profiled or otherwise discriminated against at an airport checkpoint based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation are encouraged to submit a written explanation of their complaint.
In addition to allowing travelers to file complaints on-the-spot rather than after the fact, the FlyRights app includes links that go directly to the section of the TSA website that lists the current rights and screening procedures for travelers.
Each Friday on msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin I answer a reader’s question. This week everyone has the same question: Should I worry about traveling on 9/11?
On Thursday, U.S. government officials warned of a credible but unconfirmed al-Qaida threat to use a car bomb on bridges or tunnels in New York City or Washington to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
The warning follows an updated travel alert issued by the U.S. State Department on Sept. 2 noting the upcoming anniversary and reminding U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad “of the continued threat posed by al-Qa’ida and its affiliates.”
“In the past, terrorist organizations have on occasion planned their attacks to coincide with significant dates on the calendar,” the alert said.
The warnings may have some American travelers wondering: Do I need to take any extra precautions as the day draws near?
The consensus: No need to stay home, but on this day especially, be alert.
“As we head into the 9/11 anniversary weekend, we continue to urge the American public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement authorities,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced Friday. “Simply put, if you see something, say something.”
Security officials say they are, as always, prepared. “As with any other significant day or peak travel period, passengers may notice an increased security presence at airports and mass transit systems,” said TSA spokesman Greg Soule.
Alex Puig, regional security director for the Americas for International SOS and Control Risks, said that while “the heightened security posture of the authorities is warranted by the symbolism attached to the date … the main impact of the 9/11 anniversary on travelers is expected to be delays associated with that increased screening at access points to and within airports and other transport facilities such as subways.”
Puig added that the presence of large crowds at and traffic restrictions around the planned commemorative events is likely to disrupt travel and activities nearby as well. “Travelers should particularly anticipate well-attended gatherings in New York City and Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Mike Kelly, president and CEO of On Call International, said 10 years ago his company’s call center helped a lot of clients rearrange and re-work travel plans on and after 9/11. “We would not advise against travel on 9/11 this year. Rather we would suggest several ways in which to travel informed and prepared.”
Kelly suggests staying tuned to the news and connected via telephone and social media in case of travel alerts and events that may affect your trip. He also suggests packing some food items and an extra supply of medications (in their original containers) in your carry-on bag in case of unexpected delays.
As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy rolls around, many travelers are thinking back to where they were that day and what they were doing as the horrific details began to emerge. Some are recounting their blessings, remembering how close they came to being part of the carnage.
Count me among them.
In the summer of 2001, I was on the road promoting my guide book, Stuck at the Airport, which detailed services and amenities at the many of the nation’s airports. (Modern versions of those guides are now online at USATODAY.com) Airport shops offering massages or manicures were a rare find back then; an airport with a website was even rarer.
I got a call from a woman at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the operator of LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports. She invited me to visit her office at the World Trade Center and chat with her staff about how airports could be more welcoming. “We can’t pay you to come out here from Seattle,” she said, “But if you’re in town anyway and can come by, we’ll take you out for a nice meal.”
That seemed like a good excuse to visit family back east. So we picked a date: September 12. My thank-you meal would be at Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the North Tower.
Then and now
Since then, as you well know, pretty much everything about the airport experience has changed.
Before 9/11, my airport review ritual went like this: I’d fly into an airport, stash my belongings in a gate-side locker (remember those?), and spend several hours walking from concourse to concourse, terminal to terminal, asking questions, taking pictures and making detailed notes.
On a cheap weekend fare I’d often fly in and out of an airport (or two) on the same day, taking advantage of the long layovers other travelers despise.
I visited more than 100 airports this way, many of them multiple times, and only once – in July, 1999 in Memphis – was I ever stopped by someone from airport security and questioned about what I was doing.
More often than not, it was other travelers who noticed my note-taking and assumed I worked for the airport. They’d stop me to ask for directions and tips on where to shop or find something to eat.
I not only took notes about what was offered inside airports, I made note of what people did in the airports.
Read. Sleep. Chat. Try to get some work done. Eat. Drink. Talk on the telephone. The same as now, but without all the cell phones, laptops and searching around for an electrical outlet.
Back then there were a lot of small children squealing “There’s daddy!” as tired-looking businessmen streamed off planes. And plenty of grandmas and grandpas rushing to plant wet kisses on squirmy babies they may have been meeting for the first time. There were waves of teary goodbyes and joyous reunions at the gates. And thinking back now, I realize the last time I saw my father smile at me before his final illness was at an airport, while we chatted as I waited to board a delayed flight.
Now it’s all grumbling about the Wi-Fi signal and jostling for a good spot so you can board the plane first and find a place to stash your carry-on bag. No last minute kisses, hugs and good wishes as the door to the jet way is about to close. No waves and tears at the window as a plane backs away.
I miss that.
But, setting aside for a moment the long lines, x-ray machines, body scanners and icky, intrusive pat-downs we must now endure at the security checkpoints, the post 9/11 world of airports has some upsides.
Recognizing that passengers were spending lots more time inside airports – and needing to diversify income sources once cash-strapped airlines began balking at footing the bills – airports began bulking up on services and amenities in the terminals.
Now, kiosks offering manicures and massages are no longer rare sightings at airports. Many terminals have wine bars, sports bars and fine restaurants where you can settle in and really relax. The selection of shops at some airports now rivals those offered at neighborhood malls and, with medical clinics, hair salons, pharmacies, convenience stores, play areas, art galleries and – hooray – free Wi-Fi, popping up along many airport concourses, it’s getting easier and easier to get distracted and miss a flight.
I’ve done that; more than twice.
But, as pleasant as it may be to have fun while being stuck at the airport, the sobering reality is that some of these amenities were ushered along in response to tragedy. And while I’m all for safety and security in the skies, I’m still mourning the loss of that one airport amenity that allowed for a last hug from a loved one before stepping onto a plane.
What pre-9/11 airport experience are you missing?
(This article originally appeared on USATODAY.com as my September, 2011 At the Airport column.)
