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Airport statues: Rocky at PHL + Franco at PIT

Sports, Uncategorized, , , ,

Yo, Adrian. And everyone else.

Next time you find yourself at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), be sure to stop by Terminal A -West to snap a selflie with the Rocky Balboa statue that is now a permanent fixture.

The 10-foot-tall bronze scultpure is one of three original Rocky casts created in 1980 for the Rocky III film by A. Thomas Schomberg in collaboration with Sylvester Stallone.

To mark the installation, PHL held a Rocky look-alike contest.

Contest registrants were encouraged to access the terminal using a PHL Wingmate Pass and were reminded that “raw eggs are subject to the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule for liquids and raw meat must be completely frozen and packaged.”

PIT Airport’s Immaculate Reception statue – relocated & fixed

Pretty much everyone in Pittsburgh is delighted with the new $1.7 billion landside terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), which features plenty of space, lots of light, oodles of art and a new (probably temporary) spot for the selfie-friendly statue depicting the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Franco Harris making the famous Immaculate Reception.

But fans quickly pointed out that some of the details in the background collage were a bit off.

No worries, airport officials say, they’ll fix that.

San Diego Int’l Airport expands visitor pass program

Uncategorized, Visitor pass,

San Diego International Airport (SAN), which recently opened a brand new Terminal 1, is expanding its visitor pass program allowing non-ticketed guests to visit the terminals.

Until now, visitors could only apply for a SAN Pass to enter Terminal 2, but now the program has been expanded to cover both Terminals 1 and 2.

“If you’ve ever wanted to see off family or friends at their gate or enjoy the outstanding dining and retail options in Terminal 1 and 2 without flying, this program offers that opportunity,” said Kimberly Becker, President and CEO, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.

How the SAN Pass works

To apply for a SAN PASS, visitors provide their full legal name, date of birth, and gender (as listed on a TSA-approved photo ID). If approved, visitors will receive their SAN Pass via email as a PDF attachment and go through general screening with their pass and a TSA-approved REAL ID.

Which other airports offer a visitor pass?

Cleveland Hopkins Interational Airport (CLE) offer the Hopkins Hangout Pass

The Wingmate Pass at Philadelphia International Airport.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass Program.

The MSY Guest Pass Program at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)

DTW Destinaton Pass at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW)

BNA Passport at Nashville International Airport (BNA)

Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing, MI: the LAN Visitor Pass.

OC AirPass at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA,

ONT+ Visitor Pass Program at California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) recently rolled out its MCI Guest Pass Program

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) has a Stay and Play Visitor Pass

Tampa International Airport brought back its TPA All Access pass in October 2025.

Updated airline policies for change/fee waivers due to flight reduction mandate

Airlines, Uncategorized, ,

And end to the government shutdown may be closer to reality.

But the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet lifted mandated flight reductions at the busiest airports around the country that in place to try reduce stress on the air traffic control system.

As a result, massive flight cancelations and delays are still a major issue.

As the day begins, Flightaware.com is reporting more than 1,100 flight cancellations for today (Tuesday) and about 600 delays.

But that is likely to increase over the course of the day, especially with weather issues in some parts of the country.

Updated airline refund/change fee waiver policies

Airlines are updating their travel advisories and travel alerts on a rolling basis to reflect the flights they have canceled in response to flight reduction mandates.

Refunds are available if you choose not to fly. Be sure to read the details about rebooking, as there are restrictions about when your flight was booked, and when you choose to fly.

And of course, keep checking back, as the policies are being updated each day.

Alaska Airlines: policies apply for flights scheduled through November 17. If you’re not requesting a refund, you can rebook to fly by November 24.

American Airlines is offering refunds and waiving changes fees for travel to/through or from more than 20 airports for flighs sheduled through November 15. The change fee waiver applies to rebooked flights through November 17.

Delta Air Lines: If you were scheduled to travel by 15, 2025, the change fee waiver applies to rebooked flights that occur by November 17.

See the updated cancel and fee waiver policy for Frontier Airlines here.

JetBlue‘s updated policies on refunds and flight reduction fee waivers are listed here.

Southwest Airlines updated policies are listed here.

The Spirit Airlines policy is posted here.

United Airlines policy is posted here.


Shutdown may be ending, but air travel still a mess

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There seems to be progress in getting to an end of the government shutdown. But even if a deal is made today, air travel will be a mess for a quite a while.

As the work week gets uderway, Flightaware is showing close to 1500 flight cancellations and more than 800 delays for Monday.

Airline still have cancellation offers and and are waiving charges for changing travel plans, but there are fewer options for travelers. And more frustrations.

While some travelers can cancel their flights, there are people who really need to get from here to there.

And the change waiver policies have restrictions that are putting many travelers in a bind.

United Airlines, for instance is offering refunds on booked tickets adn waiving change fees for travelers booked to fly between now and November 13 to/from Cleveland, Denver, New York (EWR), Washington, DC (IAD), Houston, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.

But new flights must occur within 6 days of original booking. If not, fare differences will be charged.

Other airlines have a short rebook window as well.

The problem travelers are facing is that as airlines cancel more flights nationwide to comply with FAA mandates to reduce an increasing percentage of flights at high traffic airports, there are fewer alternative flight options for passengers that avoid new fees.

Charming new playspace at Albany Int’l Airport

Kids, Uncategorized, ,

Airports across the country are dealing wiht the fallout of having federal workers being forced to show up and work without pay and, now, the chaos and confusion cause by the FAA-mandated reduction in flights.

But there are still fresh airport amenities to celebrate.

Like this charming new spot on Concourse B at Albany International Airport (ALB) called the Adirondack Imaginarium Family Play Space.

Develeoped with the Wild Center at Tupper Lake and featuring the creative work of artists Gracelee Lawrence and David Fadden, the play space is a cheery, regionally-themed spot for families to hang out.

Shutdown fallout: FAA will reduce air traffic by 10%. Starting Friday

Airlines, Uncategorized,

As if air travel wasn’t stressful enough…

On Wednesday, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation announced a decision to reduce air traffic by 10% at 40 “high-volume” markets across the country starting Friday.

Unless, that is, the government shutdown concludes before then.

Which could be a stretch.

The FAA didn’t say which markets would be affected, but not long after the announcement, airlines began sharing how they planned to respond to the directive.

In a memo to employees and on social media, United Airlines said the reductions will start on Friday, November 7.

“United’s long-haul international flying and our hub-to-hub flying will not be impacted by this schedule reduction direction from the FAA,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in the memo, “Instead, we will focus our schedule reductions on regional flying and domestic mainline flights that do not travel between our hubs.”

He added that customers traveling during this period will be eligible for a refund if they do not wish to fly – even if their flight isn’t impacted. That includes non-refundable tickets and those customers with basic economy tickets.

American Airlines also shared a statement.

“While we are awaiting additional information from the FAA to determine which flights will be impacted, we expect the vast majority of our customers’ travel will be unaffected. As schedule changes are made, we will proactively reach out to customers who are impacted,” the airline said on Wednesday evening.

Southwest Airlines said it is evaluating how the planned FAA flight reductions will affect its schedule. “We know that these FAA-imposed cancellations can impact an important moment in your life. We appreciate your understanding,” the airline said in a statement.

Other airlines are making plans as well and we’ll no doubt learn a lot more on Thursday.

In the meantime if, like us, you have a flight scheduled in the next few days, keep an eye on your inbox, your airline app and on the news.

Travel tidbits from airports near you

Food, Uncategorized, ,

A giant taco made from balloons is a wonderful object to encounter anywhere. Let alone an airport. Thank you, San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) for ‘hosting’ the taco and comedian/actor Patton Oswalt for adoring it.

Airports – and a cheese company – helping unpaid federal workers

A production hiccup at Oregon’s beloved Tillamook cheese factory turned into a cheddary windfall for the 800 federal workers on duty without pay at Portland International Airport (PDX).

After discovering that 1,000 of their premium 2lb cheddar blocks were mislabeled, but still perfectly fine to eat, the Tillamook company generouly donated the cheese to Port of Portland employees.

Tillamook delivered cheese to the Port of Portland and it was placed in the Donation Distribution Center for pickup from the Port employees. Tillamook reps say they also be will also be donating Cream Cheese and Yogurt to the Donation Center in the coming week.

Meanwhile, airports continue their support efforts for federal workers

Robert Rauschenberg was an avgeek

Art, Uncategorized, , ,

(“Mercury Zero Summer Glut” 1987, courtesy Robert Rauschenberg Foundation)

October 22 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of postmodern artist Robert Rauschberg, who died in 2008 and this year there are wide range of exhibitions and activities to mark the centennial.

One of those is Smithsonian Books’ publication of The Ascent of Rauschenberg: Reinventing the Art of Flight, written by Carolyn Russo, who is the curator of the art collection at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum.

Rauschenberg is most famous for his groundbreaking “Combines,” which are painting and sculpture hybrids that often incorporated everyday objects and a connective tissue through it all was his fascination with flight. 

Throughout his body of work, Rauschenberg skillfully intertwined himself thematically with the subject of flight—spanning birds in nature, aviation, and the vastness of space,” Russo writes.

Her book includes more than 150 images of Rauschenberg’s work, from lithographs inspired by the Apollo 11 launch that NASA invited him to witness and document, to a Combine featuring a taxidermied eagle that evokes Roman mythology.

Here are couple of images from the book.

(“Wing Swing Glut, 1988” – ©Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and  Ron Amstutz)

(“Autobiography” (1968) courtesy Robert Rauschenberg Foundation)

Fresh airport art in Austin and Miami

Art, Uncategorized, ,

Convergence / Austin is a new site-responsive work at Austin – Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) by Austin-based artists, Beili Liu Studio.

The work spans 16 feet by 12 feet, includes 400 vertical strands holding 3,200 elements, and fills the high bay triangular area across from Gate 15 in the main AUS Barbara Jordan Terminal.


Quilt exhibit at MIA Airport

(Courtesy of MIA Galleries, Miami International Airport)

Curious Geometries is the newest art exhibition at the Gate D31 Gallery at Miami International Airport (MIA).

On display through March 9, 2026, the exhibition features large-scale, sewn and quilted artwork by local artist Regina Durante Jestrow, who uses repurposed fabrics from Miami and other locations.

New aviation museum in Oklahoma

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 Oklahoma’s El Reno Airport is now home to a new aviation museum called the Caldwell Collection at Mustang Field.

Founder Tony Caldwell is taking his private collection public, with a display of more than 20 classic aircraft, including several from Caldwell’s own assortment and others on loan from various private collections.

Notable among Caldwell’s aircraft are several Waco biplanes, originally manufactured from 1920 through the end of the 1940s, which were the best-selling civilian biplanes in the U.S. at the time.

Another standout in the collection is a Stearman PT-17 on loan from Waldo Wright’s Flying Service out of Florida. The 1942 trainer is piloted by its owner, Waldo “Rob” Wright. Wright runs the on-site Waldo Wright Restoration Shop. The shop serves as both a workspace and a living exhibit, allowing visitors the chance to watch the antique revitalization process firsthand.

The collection, along with a restoration shop, a café, and a small library, is housed within a 30,000-square-foot, fully restored 1943 WWII hangar at El Reno Regional Airport.