Kids

Homework assignment for those wayward Northwest pilots

Air Travel, Airlines, Aviation history, Entertainment, Fun Stuff, Kids, , ,

What were those two Northwest pilots up to when they missed the turn-off for Minneapolis last week?

“Going over their schedules” on their laptop computers is the latest explanation.

I liked some of the other theories that were floating around better. Like the one about an alien abduction.  Now that would have been interesting.

But now that we know that the pilots had their laptops open, maybe these two just lost time surfing the web.  Perhaps they’d found their way over the Just for Kids section of San Diego International Airport Web site.

There’s a whole section of aviation-related activities there, including coloring pages, mazes, crossword puzzles,  riddles  (Why did the elephant take so long to get on the plane? He had to check his trunk),  and information about everything from aviation legends to space exploration.

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Of special interest to the Northwest pilots, might be this page that details the codes pilots are supposed to use when communicating with the traffic control tower.

Aviation codes

LGA Airport Kids Day this Saturday

Aviation history, Entertainment, Events, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Kids,

LGA KIDS CLUB DAY

It’s Kids Day at New York LaGuardia Airport this Saturday ( September 26th, 2009)  from 10 am until 4 pm.

During the event, which is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of LaGuardia and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, kids and adults will get to tour commercial jets and military aircraft while flight attendants hand out complimentary snacks and beverages.

In addition to planes from American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and US Airways, military aircraft on display will include:

  • New York Air Guard Lockheed LC-130 Hercules (one of only seven C-130s in the world with skis) out of the 109th Airlift Wing, Schenectady, NY (used for South Pole missions)
  • US Navy King Air

Vintage Military

For more information see: the Kiwanis Club of LaGuardia Airport Web site or see NYCAviation.com.

LGA GEICO SKYTYPERS

The Geico Skytypers might even show up.

Fun stuff at Frankfurt City Airport

Kids

Frankfurt bags

Last week, while on a very long layover at Frankfurt Airport, I spent a few hours shopping, snoozing, snacking, and hanging around the upstairs food court in Terminal 2 waiting for someone to show up at the Czech Airlines ticket counter. Just beyond the food court, there’s an outdoor Visitor’s Terrace.  And, after writing a story about the rare – but free – (for now) outdoor observation decks at some U.S. airports,  I was surprised by how many people were willing to pony up five euros for the privilege of getting on the other side of the window and just a wee bit closer to the action on the airfield.

Frankfurt termI was wondering why they’d pay extra just to see pretty much the same thing I could see for free from inside the terminal and worried a bit about how noisy it must be outside when airplanes took off and landed.

But then a bunch of kids showed up to play with this rocket ship in the middle of the food court and I realized it was probably much noisier inside.

Frankfurt Airport kid's play areaAll in all though, a fun way to spend a few hours stuck at the airport.

Game playing at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)

Kids

I was poking around the Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) Web site looking for information about the new non-stop flights United Airlines has announced between PIT and LAX & PIT and SFO – and ended up taking a fun detour to the kids page.

PIT DINO

You should try it: on the games page you can try to put together a puzzle of a dinosaur in under two minutes.  (If you were at the airport you could see the 15 foot-tall, 30 foot-long model of a T-Rex skeleton, above, on the airside of the terminal, by the people-mover trains.)

PIT Coloring book

You can also print out an airport-themed coloring book, instructions for making a half dozen different paper airplanes, and test your ability to identify sounds heard at airports and airplanes.

PIT PLANE MODEL

There are more fun and games, for kids of all ages, at the FlyKids page on the Pittsburgh International Airport Web site.

You can even play these games if you’re stuck at Pittsburgh International Airport, because PIT is on the airports that offers free wireless Internet access.

PIT WIFI

Tidbits for travelers: Jack Daniel’s at IAH, messy passengers, and some creepy people

Etiquette, Kids, ,

Jack Daniel’s at IAH

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Don’t know how I missed this in real time, but in June (2009), Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) rolled out the black and white carpet to welcome the world’s first Jack Daniel’s-themed airport store.  Located in Terminal D, near Gate 6, the  duty free/retail shop is stocked with shirts, hats and other JD logo-emblazoned items and, as I see from their video, lots of bottles of whiskey.

New Business Center at MIA

MIA BUSINESS CENTERAt Miami International Airport’s South Terminal, passengers who need to take care of business can now stop at the post-security business center between Concourses H and J. The International Currency Exchange (ICE) Business Center has a conference room and five computers with Internet and print capability, and offers fax, photocopy, currency exchange, and cell-phone rental services.

Messy Passengers make messy planes

pink-pig-icon

It’s irritating – and gross – to get on an airplane and have to clean off the seat and the tray table (and sometimes the seat back pocket) before you sit down.  Maybe you should blame the messy passengers who sat there before you instead of the airline cleaning crew.  As Patrick Smith describes in his Ask the Pilot column on Salon.com this week, some passengers are really pigs!

Kids traveling alone – beware!

And this is sad.  A few weeks back, there were reports of two separate incidents in which Continental Airlines put children flying as unaccompanied minors on the wrong flights.

All worked out well for those kids. And as I described in a recent Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com (Tiny travelers; big responsibilities) there are some things you can do to make sure your kids are safe when flying alone as well.  In addition to making sure your child is mature enough to travel alone and is equipped with the right tools (information, confidence, cash, food, cell phone, etc.) the column points out that, even though an airline will take a fee for transporting your child, it’s important not to confuse the airline with a babysitter.  As one flight attendant says, “…we don’t watch unaccompanied minors 100% of the time.  If a child is shy and isn’t comfortable speaking up for themselves,” then they probably shouldn’t be traveling alone.

That last point is especially important because, as Traveling Mama Jennifer Miner reminded me when she sent me the link to this article from SFWeekly.com, there are some really sick people out there.  The article is a really frightening read. But if you’ve got kids that fly alone, it’s probably important that you read it and then have a talk with your kids.

And if don’t have kids that fly alone but you see a kid on a plane that looks as if he or she is in trouble: do something!

Kids Forest now at Amsterdam Schiphol

Fun Stuff, Kids

ams-treehouse

Parents traveling with kids are always thankful to find a children’s play area at an airport that gives kids a chance to work off some energy and maybe get tired out enough to sleep on the plane.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol has several really great play areas for children, but now it has something even better: a Kids Forest complete with treehouses, slides and a wide range of climbing and play equipment.

Plans are in place to build a seating area around the edge of the forest with computer games and other digital entertainment for kids and a place for parents to chill out.

The Kids Forest is located past passport control between Piers E and F on Holland Boulevard, right next to the Schiphol BabyCare Lounge.

Mister Rogers back at Pittsburgh Int’l Airport

Kids, ,

After a six-month vacation, the Mister Rogers exhibit at Pittsburgh International Airport is back in place at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).

pit-mr-rogers-update

Repaired, refurbished and now technologically up-to-date, the exhibit still includes one of Mister  Rogers’ signature sweaters, his sneakers, a miniature Neighborhood of Make Believe and clay models of the show’s characters, including King Friday and Henrietta Pussycat.

But now the exhibit also includes updated graphics and a video about the public television show, which was originally taped in Pittsburgh.

David Newell, better known as Mr. McFeely or “Speedy McFeely,” the postman on the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood show, told me the exhibit is back just in time: Mister Rogers’ birthday is coming up and so is Sweater Day, March 20th.  On that day everyone is encouraged to wear a sweater – especially if they’re going to the airport.

pit-mr-rogers-two

You can see the refreshed Mr. Rogers’ exhibit on Concourse C at Pittsburgh International Airport, next to a children’s play area. Of course.

Airports offer sweet treats for Valentine’s Day

Food, Holidays, Kids, , , , , , , , , , , ,

mia-all-we-need-is-love-exhibit-cce-13

This month, my “At the Airport” column in USAToday.com is all about Valentine’s Day specials at the nation’s airport.  Here’s a link to the column and, below, some highlights.

dia-postcard

Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, so frequent travelers have a good chance of working out those plans to touch down in the same town as their sweeties. And while just showing up may get you a few extra points, arriving empty-handed just won’t cut it. Even if you have flown through three zones just to be there.

Romantic road warriors needn’t worry about making an extra stop at the mall. Many airports and airport shops around the country are rolling out love-themed art exhibits, giveaways, and special deals on romantic gifts you can grab-n-go in a heartbeat.

Hearts and art

To set the mood, a new exhibit titled Sweetheart Town – Loveland, Colorado at Denver International Airport is filled with items on loan from the Loveland Museum/Gallery, including Victorian-era valentines, historical photographs, memorabilia and new work by Loveland-area artists. Address one of the free exhibit-themed valentine postcards to your sweetie and the airport will take it to Loveland, 60 miles away, so it can be canceled with the town’s sweetheart postmark and then mailed for free. The exhibit is located pre-security in the walkway between the Jeppesen Terminal and the A gates.

mia-2-all-we-need-is-love-exhibit-cce-4

At Miami International Airport, the newly renovated mia Central Gallery (Concourse E, second level, post-security) is home to a 120-foot-long art installation that uses 10,500 brightly-colored silk flowers to spell out the words “All we need is love, love” in six-foot-tall letters. The oversized artwork is by Miami architect/artist team Rosario Marquardt and Roberto Behar, who call themselves R&R Studios. “People walking by start singing that Beatles song All You Need Is Love all the time,” says Yolanda Sanchez, the airport’s director of Fine Arts and Cultural Affairs. “So the artwork makes its own soundtrack.”

Sweets for you and your sweetie

On Feb. 13 and 14, the Food & Shops in the Central Terminal at LaGuardia Airport in New York will be distributing free chocolate kisses to all travelers. And through Monday, Feb. 16, the shops in the Central Terminal will be offering special prices on gifts displayed on tables marked “Gifts for Your Sweetie.”

On Valentine’s Day, folks from Boingo, the new Wi-Fi provider at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, will be handing out free one-hour service cards to 100 travelers on their way into the terminal from the parking area. (Think e-valentines.) And on Feb. 13, 14 and 15, local favorite Amy’s Ice Cream will be setting up a temporary shop in the baggage claim area so travelers can grab their luggage and some chocolate-covered strawberries on their way home.

auschoco-plate-blue

At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the Brighton stores in Terminal 4 will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with balloons and free cookies. The Paradise Bakery, which has locations in all three terminals, is baking up small and large heart-shaped cookies for sale. The large cookies weigh in at 30 ounces and need to be ordered at least two hours in advance (602-681-0909). Fresh Gourmet to Go, located in Sky Harbor’s Rental Car Center, will be stocking fresh long-stem roses and chocolates “for travelers coming to Phoenix to surprise their Valentines!”

phx-bix-cookie

More sweets – and some relaxation

The Natalie’s Candy Bar shops at San Antonio International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport will be giving a free quarter-pound of red and white Gummi bears to all women who make purchases at a Natalie’s shop on Valentine’s Day.

At the AIRMALL at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Zona Mexicana is featuring Love Potion Margaritas until Feb. 14, and anyone who shows up with a heart-shaped anything (including a drawing of a heart on a piece of paper) will get a 10% discount on services at Destination Relax.

Finally, though Feb. 15, T.G.I. Friday’s, which has 18 airport branches (including 6 at DFW) is offering members of its Give Me More Stripes guest recognition program free Spiced Up Cupcakes with a side of ice cream when they purchase two entrees. Guests who visit Friday’s on Valentine’s Day will also receive a coupon for $5 off when they spend $15. (Coupons are redeemable between Feb. 15 and March 1. Joining the guest recognition program is free.)

For the complete article, see Airports Sweeten the Deal for Valentine’s Day here.

North to Alaska: Paint an Alaska Airlines Plane

Contests, Free Stuff, Kids

Alaska is turning 50 in 2009 and Alaska Airlines is getting ready to celebrate by inviting kids who live in the 49th state to enter artwork for a “Paint the Plane” contest.

Students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade (including public, private and home schools) can enter. The student with the winning design, as well as a finalist from each grade level, will get a trip for four to Disneyland Resort.

The contest deadline is October 18th. But even if you’re not a kid in Alaska, you might still have fun downloading one of the three blank plane templates playing around with a design.