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Tidbits for travelers: holiday news from airports around the country

Air Travel, Airport shops, Contests, Deals, Entertainment, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Getting around, Holidays, Kids, Music, Transportation, , , , , , ,

Christmas week is always a big deal for airports and air travel.

This year, as usual, lines are long, people are cranky, and there’s a storm wreaking havoc with schedules and everyone’s best laid plans.

So, it’s a good bet that if you’re traveling by air this week, you’re going to spend some time being stuck at an airport. Remember to bring supplies such as books, snacks, a charged cell phone, and some extra cash to buy a few last minute gifts.

And remember to look around: some airports are hosting complimentary gift wrapping stations and many airports have scheduled holiday events and entertainment.

Here are just a few examples:

The Chicago Airport System’s schedule of “Holiday Delights” continues at both O’Hare Airport and Midway through Wednesday, December 23rd with performances by local blues, jazz, international, R&B performers, barbershop quartets and carolers. There will also be children’s workshops and a visit from Santa Claus.

Both airports are also offering free gift wrapping, past security, on December 21 and 23 with wrapping paper and gift bags created by students from the After School Matters program.

On Monday December 21st, Southwest Airlines and The Container Store join forces to offer free gift wrapping at Dallas Love Field, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Denver International, Saint Louis Lambert International, and Baltimore-Washington International airports. Here are some details about locations and times.

Free gift wrapping continues in various spots around Phoenix Sky Harbor airport through December 24th and through Wednesday at San Diego International Airport. Check your airport’s Web site to see if free gift wrapping is being offer there as well. Keep in mind that many airport shops also offer fee gift wrapping and many will have piles of pre-wrapped items ready to grab-n’- go.

If you find yourself hanging around Detroit Metroplitan Airport (DTW) Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (Dec 21 – 23rd), head on over to the stage next the water feature in the center of Concourse A (near Gate A40). The airport is partnering with local Delta Air Lines folks to host a holiday karaoke event called “Sing Because you Care” between 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.

Anyone, or any group, that sings is being asked to donate $5 to support the local Salvation Army.

And here’s a great gift for anyone flying to or from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): the airport light rail station opened, as promised, on Saturday, December 19th. Just in time to save a lot of holiday travelers a lot of hassle and money.

It’s now possible to ride between the airport and downtown Seattle for $2.50.

Thanks, Santa!


College-bound? It’s time for Travel Deals 101

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Heading to college or sending a kid off to school?

back-to-school

Once tuition, room, and board bills are paid, there may not be much cash left over for actually traveling between home and the college campus.  But, as I write in my Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com today, some airlines offer a little help.

abcs

Lufthansa, Air Tran, United, JetBlue and American offer some sort of perks for students.

Here are some of the more popular travel discounts:

AirTran Airways has a discount standby program not just for college students, but for anyone 18 to 22 years old. (College student or not: on your 23rd birthday, you age-out of the program.)  AirTran U lets young people fly standby for $69 on short segment flights and $99 on long-haul segments.  There are some blackout dates and a variety of restrictions, but during 2008, more than 83,000 young people took advantage of the program.

Lufthansa’s GenerationFly program offers any U.S. college student with a valid .edu email address discounted fares to Germany and most every destination the airline flies. As a nice bonus, part-time students, teachers, and faculty members are also eligible to participate in the program.

bag

Several other programs have special airline offers for students as well.

The discounts promised by the Student Advantage Card (about $20/year) include a 10% discount on American Airline flights. And on its Web site, American Airlines offer discounts on vacation packages to students at about two dozen participating universities.

JetBlue offers an 11% discount to students who have an ISIC card (International Student Identity Card), which costs $22 a year. Holders of that card can also book special discounted fares with STA Travel, one of the major discount student travel agencies, which offers tickets that allow changes for just $50.

And, while United Airlines United Airlines doesn’t offer any special discounts for college-age students, the carrier’s College Plus program gives students enrolled in both the College Plus program and the Mileage Plus frequent flier program a graduation present of 10,000 bonus miles.

The deals for student travelers don’t end at the airport. Amtrak and Greyhound and even some hotels also offer discounts to students who have either the ISIC or Student Advantage card.

schoolbus

To find out more – and learn about some hotel deals for parents of college students, see the full column Travel Discounts for the college-bound on MSNBC.com.

Indianapolis Airport auction big success

Deals, Events

Looks like yesterday’s auction at the old Indianapolis International Airport terminal was a big success.

According to this article, about 2,5000 people showed up and snatched up most all the “furniture, furnishings and fixtures” put on the auction block.

IND AUCTION INCANDELA

(Photo courtesy Daniel Incandela)

Evan Strange, who’s just finishing up his Communications & Marketing Internship at the airport, attended the auction and sent along some notes:

I have been to auctions before, but nothing quite like this.  Not only were there thousands of items, but they were all being sold in an abandoned airport, which added a sense of eerie nostalgia that is hard to explain…. One of the best parts of the auction was seeing all the people that came out… People from all walks of life, locals and internationals, serious bidders, and souvenir searchers were all there looking for their “piece” of the old IND.

The people I talked to at the auction seemed to be surprised about all of the different items being auctioned, from aerial photographs of the old terminal, to water coolers and refrigerators.

Wish you’d been there?   Dan Incandela was and he was kind enough to post some of his photos from the event on Flickr.

Here are my favorites:

IND Airport Dan Incandela

IND XMAS TO GO INCANDELA

(Photos courtesy Daniel Incandela)

If you attended the auction, please let us know what you saw – and if you bought anything!

Auction day at Indianapolis Int’l Airport

Deals

If you’re in the market for some concrete outdoor planters, aluminum and glass pedestrian shelters, a steel mezzanine, Shaker style seating areas, air compressors, pay phone or remote parking stations, and anything else that may have been used at an airport, then you’re in luck.

ScreenHunter_02 Aug. 03 23.53

All this and more, much more, is being auctioned off today at old Indianapolis International Airport starting at 10 am.  Doors open at 8:30 am.

You can study many of the items up for auction in this brochure, but it unfortunately does not include the lost-and-found property such as watches, luggage, laptop computers, and jewelry, which will also be auctioned.

ScreenHunter_03 Aug. 03 23.56

I sort of had my heart set on an escalator, or those Shaker style benches, but I’m sure those items will find good homes elsewhere.

If you attend the auction and go home with anything fun, please let us know!

Tidbits for travelers: “Receipt treats” at airport Starbucks; Taste of Chicago mini-fest

Deals, Food,

Starbucks

I’m not a big fan of spending a lot of money while traveling and certainly not a big fan of overpaying for things just because I’m away from home.  So it’s always bugged me that any deals offered by “real-world” Starbucks never seem to be available in airports, where prices for even a cup of drip coffee can be quite a bit higher than out on the street.

So I’m pleased to see that from now through September 29th, 2009 airport Starbucks branches (which are operated by HMS Host) will be offering what they say is an airport-only deal:

If you buy a Starbucks drink at one airport in the morning – keep your receipt.  When you arrive at another airport, you can use that receipt after 2 PM to buy any iced Grande drink for $2.

The offer is geared at promoting the Vivanno smoothies Starbucks is rolling out mid-July that will surely cost way more than $2, but you can use that receipt to knock down the price of other iced Grande drinks as well.

(I saved quite a few bucks when they were offering a similar deal last summer at neighborhood Starbucks by channeling the Five Easy Pieces Jack Nicholson and asking for an iced coffee, “but just hold the ice. And use hot coffee. Please.”

Now, what would go well with an afternoon coffee at an airport? The Chicago Airports have an idea:

CHICAGO TASTE

The Taste of Chicago is in full swing now at Grant Park and runs through July 5th.  If you don’t have the time or the inclination to join the crowds there, you can still get a taste of both the food and the music at Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports.

From now through Sunday, July 5, restaurants at both airports are offering specially-priced “Taste” portions.   Both airports will also have live music in the terminals on July 2 and 5 from 2pm until 5 pm.

Performances at O’Hare will take place beyond the security checkpoints in each domestic terminal and in the Arrivals Level of International Terminal 5. Live music at Midway will take place in the Baggage Claim area.