Air Travel

Turkish Airlines’ classy lounge at Istanbul Airport

Air Travel, Lounges, , ,

I haven’t had a chance – yet – to fly on Turkish Airlines or visit Istanbul Atatürk Airport, but this renovated and expanded airport lounge makes me want to plan a trip there now.

Located in the International Departures section of the airport and capable of accommodating more that 2,000 passengers daily, the lounge has private relaxation rooms, showers, a playroom, private infant rooms, a billiard lounge, a library, and a business center.

The lounge is accessible to Turkish Airlines’ business class passengers, Miles&Smiles Elite, Elite Plus card holders and Star Alliance Gold membership card holders.

Checking my wallet for the right card now…

The lounge seems enticing, but keep in mind that Turkish Airlines also offer free tours of Istanbul to anyone with a layover of a least six hours.

Baklava, anyone?

Tidbits for travelers: airfare tax holiday (sort of) & fresh airport art

Air Fare Deals, Air Travel, Airports, Art, Exhibits, FAA, Fees, , , , ,

A little bit of this and that for a summer Monday:

Tax holiday on airline tickets – sort of

The U.S. government’s failure to reauthorize the budget for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), means that domestic airlines can’t charge some federal excise taxes on flights until the issue is worked out.

For a while there over the weekend, it looked like travelers would be getting a holiday from several taxes (the 7.5% tax on domestic transportation, the $3.70 domestic segment tax and the $16.30 international arrival/departure tax), but it turned out only some airlines, including Alaska Airlines, Spirit Airlines (surprise!) and Virgin America are passing along the savings.

 

The other airlines? They raised their bases fares so that, in many cases, anyone seeking to buy a ticket would pay what they would have before the FAA shutdown.

Sneaky!

Elsewhere…

If you’re traveling through John Wayne Airport in Orange County, CA before September 12, 2011, look for paintings by Steve Metzger on the departure (upper) level near the security screening areas and on the arrival (lower) level near baggage carousels 1 and 4.

Courtesy Steve Metzger

A professor at Fullerton College and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, Metzger’s paintings from photos depict “metaphoric icons of the passage of time.” Here’s a link to more images from the Metzger exhibition.

And, on Thursday, July 28, 2011, passengers at Philadelphia International Airport will be able to watch woodworker Roosevelt Bassett turn discarded wood lathe into purses and hats.

Part of the airport’s series of artist demonstrations, Bassett will be at work from 11:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in the Terminal B-C Food Court.

If you’re not passing through the PHL on Thursday, don’t worry. There’s an exhibition of Bassett’s wood handbags in Terminal B.

Souvenir Sunday: Junior Wings

Air Travel, Airlines, family travel, Fun Stuff, Kids, Kids travel, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, ,

Each Sunday StuckatTheAirport.com takes a look at the souvenirs you can get when you’re stuck at the airport.

This week, the souvenirs come from the sky, courtesy of Fly the Branded Skies, an airline-focused website that has a section devoted to the junior wings just about every airline used to hand out to young passengers.

Delta and a few other airlines still do hand out junior wings, but instead of metal the modern-day wings are plastic or, in some cases, merely a sticker.

Day trip to Prince Rupert Airport

Air Travel, Airports, , ,

You can’t beat the scenery on the shuttle ride to and from the airport in Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

The airport is on Digby Island, and to get there I had to take a 30-minute bus and ferry ride.

Air Canada and HawkAir provide daily commercial service and small planes ferry sportsmen to and from the area’s many fishing camps. The amenities are limited to two vending machines, free WiFi, a small play structure for children and a few shelves stocked with “Take one/Leave one” books.

But there are also a few bonus features, including a taxidermy eagle in a glass case and this airplane model that hangs over the waiting area in the hold room.

There are also a series of classic, 1960s-era airline advertising posters in the hallway leading to the administrative offices. My favorite is this one for Alaska Airlines, which has a 3D totem in the lower left corner.

And, get this: after every single flight, the bins at the security checkpoint get a thorough cleaning with an antiseptic solution.

How to avoid an airport security pat-down

Air Travel, Security, ,

 

Each week on msnbc.com’s new Overhead Bin I get to answer a reader’s question. I’m still pondering why one reader wanted to know how much cash is too much cash to travel with, but this week I tackled a classic: how to avoid an airport security pat-down.

Don and Kris Rasmussen of Weston, Wis. have two trips planned for the fall. But they’re starting now to fret about what will happen at the airport security checkpoint.

“We are just plain folks and are very uncomfortable with this ‘body feeling’ and X-ray business. Will we be groped? Is there any way we can get past this? It seems so degrading.”

With news stories about diapered seniors, young children and even former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld getting singled out by the Transportation Security Administration for additional screening, it’s no wonder the Rasmussens are worried.

But according to the TSA, “Less than 3 percent of passengers experience a pat-down.” The majority result from passengers alarming either the metal detector or the full-body scanner.

There’s no guaranteed method for avoiding a pat-down, but there are steps passengers can take to minimize their odds of being singled out.

“Passengers who are prepared for screening and do not alarm for prohibited items are less likely to require additional screening,” said TSA spokesperson Greg Soule.

Every travel expert and road warrior that Overhead Bin consulted agreed with the TSA on this one.

“I can’t say that I know of any tips other than what TSA says about taking everything out of your pockets, including your wallet,” said travel consultant Chris McGinnis.

“Remove any jewelry, spare change, belts or other metal objects that could set off the metal detector before you go through security,” suggests Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com.

Roz Schatman, an international business development manager, makes sure to wear a tight-fitted shirt to the airport “so there’s no doubt that only my body is inside.”

“The more it seems like you have your act together, the less likely you’ll stick out and potentially be pulled aside,” said Beth Whitman, founder of WanderlustAndLipstick.com and the author of the Wanderlust and Lipstick guides for women travelers.

“Complaining loudly about it or audibly questioning the competence of the TSA workers is a good way to get pulled aside for a more invasive search,” said Jennifer Miner, a mom who’s the co-creator and writer of the Vacation Gals blog. “Keep your opinions to yourself until you’re at least past the security checkpoint.”

Sometimes, there’s just no avoiding the pat down. Tom Stuker, the frequent-flyer recently in the news for flying his 10 millionth butt-in-seat mile, said “TSA does some random screening. So even if you never set the machines off you may be subject to a pat-down. It has happened to me.”

Finally, no matter how often you travel, it’s a good idea to review the TSA’s guide: How to get through the line faster. That way you won’t end up like the passenger recently pulled aside and arrested at the Baltimore airport for trying to take 13 knives through the security checkpoint.

At the airport, sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction

Air Travel, Fun Stuff, ground transporation, Smoking, , , , , ,

Maybe it’s the heat. Or the humidity. Whatever it is, there are some wacky travel stories floating around out there today.

A naked swimmer was nabbed near JFK airport, a mom was briefly jailed in Tennessee for yelling at TSA staff at Nashville Airport and refusing to let her child go through the scanner or get a pat-down and, my favorite, the FBI was called in to meet a Southwest Airlines flight arriving at Salt Lake City Airport and arrest a passenger who got unruly when told repeatedly that he could not “smoke” his electronic cigarette.

And then there’s the threat of this weekend’s “car-maggedon” in Los Angeles.
Gridlock – and worse – is predicted due to the scheduled 53-hour closure of a chunk of Interstate 405.

The highway shutdown will certainly disrupt traveler to and from Los Angeles International Airport and, on its website, the airport has a 405 Freeway Alert page offering tips and advice. In addition to suggesting that travelers take the Flyaway bus to the airport or get a hotel nearby, the advisory lists four different helicopter companies that will provide special weekend service to and from the airport.

Unfortunately, one alternate transportation option offered by JetBlue is already sold out.

The airline was offering $4 flights (each way) between Burbank and Long Beach Airports.

See – sometimes the truth IS stranger than fiction.

Fly much? Not as much as this 10 million mile flier

Air Travel, Airplanes, Mileage Programs, , ,

I joined United Airline’s Mileage Plus frequent flier program back in November, 1982 and since then have logged more than 1 million “butt-in-seat” miles.

Nothing to sneeze at, really, unless you consider the flying record of Tom Stuker.
He also signed up for Mileage Plus in 1982 and this weekend clocked his 10 millionth actually-flown mile.

I had a chance to chat with Stuker on Monday and swap some “those were the days” stories while putting together this article for msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin blog:

When Ryan Bingham (played by George Clooney) hit the 10 million-mile mark in the 2009 film “Up in the Air,” audience members may have gasped.

Tom Stuker, who surely first watched that film on an airplane, probably laughed.

Like a fair number of other frequent fliers, Stuker had already accumulated more miles than that through various credit card purchases, hotel stays and other partnership programs. But the Chicago-based automotive sales consultant had his heart set on reaching a more elusive milestone: to be the first person to accumulate 10 million “butt-in-seat” miles.

United Airlines says Stuker is the airline’s first customer to rack up 10 million miles on its frequent flier program, which started in 1981.

“We do have several customers who are above 5 million miles,” said United/Continental spokesperson Rahsaan Johnson, “but we don’t have anyone else about to get to 10 million.”

Stuker, who said he got the mileage “bug” first with hotel and car rental points programs in the 1970s, joined the United’s Mileage Plus program in 1982. “I didn’t get really serious about frequent flier points until the very end of the 1980s,” said Stuker. “I started doing a lot of international travel and fell with love with Australia and the people there. So I kept booking trips to Australia.”

He’s since logged close to 6,000 United flights, including travels to all 50 U.S. states, 200 round-trips to Australia and nearly 30 round-trips to Asia.

Stuker reached 10 million flown miles on Saturday, somewhere over Des Moines, Iowa, on United Airlines Flight 942 from Los Angeles to Chicago.

The milestone didn’t go unnoticed. There was champagne and other festivities during the flight, and when the plane arrived at O’Hare International Airport, United CEO Jeff Smisek and other airline executives and employees were on hand with a few gifts.

In addition to the airline’s first titanium Mileage Plus membership card, the airline put Stuker’s name on the fuselage of a Boeing 747 airplane. (He already has his name on one of United’s 777s.) He also received a special shipment of his favorite wine and commemorative book listing every single United flight he has flown since he joined Mileage Plus, with personal messages from long-time United employees and executives.

Stuker, who is getting ready for another trip to Australia next week, said that unlike many other frequent business travelers, he still loves being up in the air. “I love the solace and peacefulness at 40,000 feet. That’s where I do my best creative work writing my training materials.”

During the first part of each month, Stuker says he looks forward to doing the Sudoku puzzle in the back of the in-flight magazine. And while he’s looking forward to having in-flight Internet access more widely available so he can take care of business in the air, he also admits to watching a lot of movies and TV shows on the in-flight entertainment system. “I’ll say, ‘I hate this show,’ but I watch it again anyway.”

Free Slurpees from 7-Eleven on July 11th

Air Travel, Food, Free Stuff, ,

Monday, July 11 is 7-Eleven Day, which marks the 84th anniversary of the founding of the now ubiquitous convenience stores back on July 11, 1927.

To celebrate, the company is giving away millions – perhaps 5 million – free frozen Slurpee drinks.

There’s currently only one airport that has 7-Eleven shop on-site – Vancouver International Airport – but the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is scheduled to get a post-security 7-Eleven by 2013.

Still, with more than 39,000 franchises worldwide, it’s a good bet you’ll find a 7-Eleven on your way to the airport.

And while you’re slurping your free Slurpee, consider these Slurpee facts:
* American Slurpees are injected with air. Canadian Slurpees are not.
* More than 40% of all Slurpee drinks are sold during the months of June, July and August.
* Winnipeg, Canada is known as the Slurpee capital of the world.

How to score a bulkhead seat on your next flight

Air Travel, Seating,

Each week on msnbc.com’s Overhead Bin I get to answer a travel-related question from a reader. This week the topic was: how to score a bulkhead seat on an airplane.

Linda Potter looks forward to her annual trip on Continental (now Continental/United) from Houston, Texas, to Sacramento, Calif., to visit her son, her daughter and her three granddaughters.

But the proud grandma has a gripe about securing the right seat for her flight.

“I have MS and getting the bulkhead seat allows me to stretch my legs out a bit and to exercise them a bit during the flight,” said Potter. “In the past, the airline held these seats for those with a medical condition, only releasing them to the general public in the last 24-48 hours before the flight. Now I’m told these seats are no longer held, but sold to those who want more legroom.”

As she prepares for this year’s trip to California, Potter asks, “Is there anything I can do?”

For advice, Overhead Bin turned to FareCompare.com’s Rick Seaney.

“The days of boarding families and infirm first with preferential seating have pretty much come to an end in domestic aviation,” said Seaney. “Airlines now consider the bulkhead and exit rows as premium seating for elite, loyal travelers.”

But not always. “Now airlines are doubling down by offering these prized seats as an up-sell, even before [giving them to] their elite customers,” said Seaney.

With her occasional trips, Potter isn’t likely to achieve elite status, which is the best way to get first crack at better seating. In lieu of that, Seaney offers these tips:

  • Some airlines make free seat assignments 24 hours before departure. “Go in at 23 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds to get a shot at those seats.”
  • American, Southwest and many other airlines allow any passenger to cut in line and book premium seats for a fee ($10 to $40).
  • Some airlines offer discount paid seat assignments at the kiosk. “So even if you print your boarding pass at home, check with the kiosk at the airport.”
  • Fly on Tue/Wed/Sat (the lowest volume passenger traffic days), on the first flights out or on flights at lunch or dinner time. “You’re more likely to have some empty seats to provide potential comfort,” said Seaney.

Book early, and don’t give up on the airline. On its website, Continental states that “certain seats are made available free of charge to persons with a disability if the request is made at least 24 hours in advance of the scheduled flight.” Airline spokesperson Mary Clark said some of those seats may be in the bulkhead, but confirms that, “Within 24 hours of flight departure, held seats are made available to other customers.”

Also, don’t assume the only seats with a little extra leg room are bulkhead and exit row seats or those in the premium areas that require an extra fee. Seating maps on websites such as SeatGuru.com sometimes reveal one or two seats with bonus legroom toward the back of the plane.