There are four new art exhibitions at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Terminal 1. Three are the work of solo artists; one is a one group exhibition.
Here’s a preview:
“Floragalora” by Pat Warner, and “Rhizomatic Variations”, by Marianne Sadowski, are in Terminal 1 near Gate 9.
“Floragalora” by Pat Warner.
Warner’s inspiration for this installation is the spectacular wildflower superbloom Los Angeles experienced this spring.
“Rhizomatic Variations” by Marianne Sadowski features a series of 21 polymer plate variations and is “an homage to the simultaneous harmony and disorder which exists in the current landscape of Los Angeles.”
Hanaguruma” by Michiko Yao (top photo) and “Passing Rose” by Michiko Yao (bottom photo).
Michiko Yao’s “Hanaguruma”and “Passing Rose“ explore Asian and American stereotypes using symbolic materials. Both pieces make use of digitally manipulated imagery of artificial flowers and are on view to the public in Baggage Claim on the Arrivals Level.
Latitude 33° 56′” exhibit, curated by Bia Gayotto. Left to right: Fran Siegel, “Overland 17” 2014; Flora Kao “City of Angels” 2010; Peter Bo Rappmund “Topophilia” 2015; Stephen Berens “Battle of Chickamauga, September 19-20, 1863, Catoosa County and Walker County, Georgia and Love In, March 26, 1967, Elysian Fields, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California” 2018.
And “Latitude 33° 56′”, by Gate 10, is a curated project with eight artists exploring mapping to translate an experience of a place.
The title refers to LAX’s latitude in degrees, minutes and seconds, and plays with notions of location and territorial representation.
The new exhibitions are presented in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
(All photos by Panic Studio LA, courtesy of Los Angeles World Airports and City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.)
My story this week for CNBC is all about ultra-luxe private jet tours.
Here are the details. Start saving your pennies…
There’s luxury travel and then there’s super-luxury travel.
And by any measure, touring the world on a specially
outfitted private jet with 15 to 50 like-minded passengers all on the same
financial playing field falls into the “ultra-luxe” category.
It’s not for everyone, of course. But for well-to-do,
worldly travelers with destinations and experiences still on their bucket
lists, joining a private jet tour is a popular way to efficiently explore the
world in the lap of luxury.
These all-inclusive trips can cost more than $100,000 per person,
“But the level of care, the food and beverage offerings and the special
amenities and white glove services are top of the line,” said Becky Powell,
President of Protravel International, “What really makes these journeys special
is the ability to visit many exotic and off-the-beaten track destinations, stay
in unique high-end accommodations and have access to curated, insider
experiences.”
Sound like your kind of travel? Here are some private jet
journeys to consider.
Culture, education and convenience
National Geographic Private Jet Expeditions and Smithsonian Journeys offer tours for the high-end market that focus on education and culture, said Julie Danziger, managing partner at adventure travel company, Embark, “With the big draw being the specialty guides and the people hosting the tours.”
In the air: A Boeing 757 jet with 48-75
leather seats (depending on the trip) in a 2×2 configuration. Crew includes an
expedition chef, catering officer and dedicated luggage handler.
On the ground: Itineraries include Africa,
Central and South America, Around the World
In the air: Boeing 757 custom-configured jet with 76
business-class seats
On the ground: Itineraries include Around the World,
including Machu Picchu, Easter Island, Samoa, Petra, Marrakech.
Four Seasons Private Jet Experience
When Michael Petrina got an email describing a Four
Seasons’ tour, he thought it was “ridiculously extravagant and crazy.” But the
retired lawyer analyzed the offer and now he and his spouse are packing for
their fourth Four Seasons private jet tour. “It’s definitely an investment,”
said Petrina, “But you’re given the opportunity to see remote places you wouldn’t
go on your own and in a very comfortable fashion.”
Trips start at: $163,000 per person; 21 – 24 days.
In the air:Customized Boeing 757 jet with 52-flat Italian leather flat-bed
seats. A new Airbus A321neo with 48 seats and a social space for workshops and
classes will debut in 2021.
“We consider the airplane to be our 116th
hotel and these trips an extension of our brand,” said Javier Loureiro,
Director of Guest Experience on the Four Seasons jet.
On the ground: Itineraries include the International Intrigue tour,
with 9 destinations, including Kyoto, Serengeti, Budapest, St. Petersburg and
Paris, with accommodations at Four Seasons hotels.
Abercrombie and Kent
In addition to fine dining, curated cultural events
and an executive chef, a bonus on Abercrombie and Kent’s around-the-world private
jet tours is that they’re hosted by company founder and co-chairman Geoffrey
Kent.
“Guests on these kinds of adventures take pleasure in meeting
like-minded people with a shared curiosity about the world,” said Kent, “We also find that once-in-a-lifetime trips, such as a Private Jet
Journey, tends to attract more solo travelers as well. I believe this is due to
the unique destinations visited on these trips, as well as the length of the
programs.”
Trips start at: $32, 495 (regional) and $160,000 per person (Around
the World)
In the air: Chartered Boeing 757 with 50-custom-designed Italian
leather fully lie-flat seats. One cabin attendant for every seven guests and a
dedicated luggage manager.
On the ground: Regional Wings Over the World Journeys (13-16
guests) and Around the World with Geoffrey Kent tours (48 guests)
Remote Lands
On Aman Private Jet Expeditions, operated by Remote Lands, groups of about 16 guests travel by small private jets to exotic locations in Asia (and sometimes Europe) and stay exclusively in hotels and resorts within the luxury Aman chain. During the day, guests have private cars and guides; evenings feature lavish dinners and cocktail parties.
“Going with a small group of like-minded people is a
lot of fun,” said Catherine Heald, Remote Lands co-founder and CEO, “If you
just go with your spouse it’s not going to be the same kind of party.”
Trips start at: $60,000
In the air: Airbus 318s and chartered business jets with
living-room like interiors.
On the ground: The Grandest Tour ($128,000 per person) is a
9-country, 21-night tour to Japan, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Bhutan, India,
Greece, Montenegro and Italy.
TCS World Travel
A leader in private
jet touring, TCS World
Travel partners with Smithsonian Journeys, Four Season and others but also
offers its own regionally focused adventures and around-the-world journeys.
As with most trips mentioned here, “all-inclusive” covers
private chartered jets, first-class accommodations, ground transportation,
meals and beverages, sightseeing and special access visits, luggage handling,
gratuities and a team that includes a trip physician.
Prices start at: $72, 950
In the air: Boeing 757 and mid-sized private jets, such
as the A318-100 and Bombardier Challenger series.
On the ground: Regionally focused adventures
and around-the-world journeys. A President’s Journey Around
the World (favorite sites of company president Shelley Cline) is $134,000
per person and will visit 7 destinations in 24 days.
Red Savannah
Courtesy White Desert
A new Antarctic itinerary from luxury travel company Red Savannah makes great use
of private jets. Antarctica by Private Jet includes roundtrip
transfers from Cape Town to Antarctica as well as flights in Antarctica to/from
the South Pole and to/from an Emperor Penguin Colony.
Prices start at: $96,000
In the air: Small private jets carry guests
fly from Cape Town, South Africa to an exclusive private jet runway in
Antarctica.
On
the ground: Antarctica by Private jet trip includes visits to an Emperor Penguin colony, trekking and
exploring ice tunnels, spending a night in the South Pole and staying in a
private sleeping pod.
Crystal Skye
Most people associate Crystal with its luxury cruise line,
but in 2017 the company debuted Crystal Skye, a lavishly
transformed Boeing 777 aircraft with 88 lie-flat seats, a bar and social lounge,
and an in-flight crew with an executive chef.
Scheduled private jet tours didn’t pan out, but now
Crystal AirCruises offers the plane as the world’s largest private jet for
charter.
“Sports teams have rented the plane, and we’ve had
weddings and bar mitzvahs on board,” said Richard Ziskind, Vice President & Managing Director of Crystal
AirCruises, “We also had a couple celebrate their anniversary by renting one of
Crystal’s yachts and renting the plane to take their guests to parties in two
cities.”
As Hurricane Dorian continues to wreak its havoc, airlines, airports, businesses, schools, cruise lines, theme parks and attractions are just some of the entities that are closing and canceling events and encouraging the public to make alternate plans.
Most every airline with flights into and out of the storm’s path is canceling flights and allowing travelers to change their travel plans without penalty.
Dorian's track forces ceasing of operations at MCO on Tuesday, September 3.
The latest update will always be pinned to top of our page. Passengers: Please check with your airline for updates regarding your specific flight. pic.twitter.com/GZozxIz7LF
#HurricaneDorian update: TPA is seeing 28 cancellations so far today, mostly on @silver_airways. Please check your flight status with your airline before coming to the airport!
Please note: We do not expect to close, and our operations are normal.
Dorian update (9/1, 2:20pm): PBI will cease all commercial air service tomorrow, Monday, 9/2. Contact your airline for Sunday flight updates. Updates will be posted when available. Do not plan to shelter at PBI. PBI is not a shelter. County shelter info: https://t.co/QZH4UWtkYJ
If you have travel plans today or over the next few days, be sure to check with your airline and your airport before leaving home. Additional cities are being added to the Hurricane Dorian alert zones hourly. And flight cancellations will likely occur in cities far from the affected zones.
— Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (@SOM_Design) August 6, 2019
In this article from Architectural Record, the Airport Construction Council notes that at least $70 billion is being spent over five years, beginning in 2017, to modernize 50 medium and large U.S. airports.
Most of that money and effort is going toward revamping, expanding or constructing terminals.
What's next for air-travel design? In this special Continuing Education section, we examine buildings that ease passenger aggravation and respond to the local culture and environment: https://t.co/evcBGsBAaS
Some of the other airports and airport terminal projects featured in this article include Pittsburgh International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport and JFK Airport.
Courtesy Pittsburgh International Airport Photo by Harriet Baskas
When the TWA Terminal by Eero Saarinen opened in 1962, it embodied the allure of air travel: https://t.co/DpxeWShNcT
The Just Plane Fun program at PHL is the airport’s summer-long entertainment program that includes live performances, beauty care demonstrations, educational and informational displays, artist demonstrations, interactive arts and crafts activities for kids and adult, historical impersonators, caricaturists, food sampling and more.
Here’s some of what’s on the menu this week:
Today, July 23, there will be free tastings at Legal Sea Foods in the B/C connector from 11 am to noon.
Tomorow, July 24, you can pick up a free food samples at Noobar in Concourse B from noon to 2 p.m.
On July 25, there will be a story-time and coloring at the airport library in the D/E Connector from noon to 1 p.m. The library is also home to a fun, free short dispenser as well.
Courtesy PHL Airport
Later that afternoon, from 1 to 3 p.m. there will be complimentary summer drink samples at Chickie’s & Pete’s on Concourse E and Gatorade Zero sampling at the B/C connector stage from 4 to 6 p.m.
Not heading through PHL this week? Don’t worry. There are fresh ‘summer camp’ activities popping up each week. Many are listed ahead of time in the “Happenings” section of the PHL SHOP DINE page but many activities just pop up.
In ATL, which has held the title of “World’s
Busiest Airport” for many years, there are currently about a dozen
post-security spaces where smokers can light up. The lounges were initially
paid for by Phillip Morris in advance of the 1996 summer Olympics.
Although the
U.S. Surgeon General has determined that there is no risk-free level of
exposure to secondhand smoke, ATL officials have long claimed the lounges benefited
non-smokers as well as smokers by keeping secondhand smoke away from
non-smoking guests and by discouraging smokers from lighting up in restrooms
and other spaces.
But since ATL is part of the city of Atlanta, airport
officials say the airport will comply with the new ordinance and convert the
lounge to other purposes. Passengers will be directed to smoking areas outside
of both terminals.
“We plan to work with our airline partners
to make sure they communicate with their customers that smoking is no longer
permitted at ATL,” said Jennifer Ogunsola, spokeswoman for Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport (ATL), “We also will have PSA [public service
announcements] messaging throughout the airport as well as permanent and
digital signage with like messaging.”
ATL’s shift to smoke free
is “huge,” said Cynthia Hallett, president and CEO of Americans for Nonsmokers’
Rights (ANR) and the ANR Foundation, “As the airport with the largest passenger
volume and a huge workforce, both flight crews and airport staff, going smoke free
means that millions of people will be fully protected from exposure to
secondhand smoke.”
Now, says Hallett, it’s
time for the handful of other U.S. airports that still have smoking lounges to
follow Atlanta’s lead. “Many airports have repurposed smoking lounges for much
desired spaces to sit, including electronic device charging stations or more
food options,” she said.
U.S. airports where
smoking is still allowed
In addition to ATL, a
handful of the country’s busiest airports still offer smoking lounges for
passengers, despite a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing
that designated indoor smoking areas at airports are not effective in
eliminating secondhand smoke exposure.
Washington Dulles
International Airport (IAD) has smoking lounges in each concourse. “There is enough customer demand to maintain their presence in
the airport and there are currently not any discussions to close them,” said
Christina Saull, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports
Authority.
All the restaurants and retail shops at Nashville International Airport Thursday, July 7, 2016 in Nashville, TN.
At Nashville International
Airport (BNA), there are in-store smoking lounges at the Graycliff Cigar Company stores located on Concourse B, near
Gate B-10, and on Concourse C, near Gate C-10. Passes to the lounge are $5 for
120 minutes.
At Miami
International Airport (MIA), passengers are permitted to smoke in the open-air patio at TGI Friday’s at Gate D36. “Since it is already in an outside area, there
has not been discussion about closing it,” said MIA spokesman Greg Chin.
McCarran, which has slot machines in many parts of airport,
has enclosed, specially ventilated casino gaming areas on each concourse where
passengers may smoke.
“In the past, when
there were no such areas, we experienced repeated issues in which travelers
would smoke in restrooms, companion care rooms or other public spaces,” said Chris
Jones, spokesman for the Clark County Department of Aviation, “ We’d get
complaints from parents who would enter such a room to change their baby’s
diaper and find it filled with second-hand smoke from someone who’d lit up
there minutes earlier, for example.”
Passengers would also open
alarmed doors in attempts to smoke on emergency exit stairways, Jones said.
Clearing the air in
airports
According to the CDC exposure to secondhand smoke has been
steadily decreasing in the United States, due primarily to the adoption of
smoke-free policies prohibiting indoor smoking at worksites, restaurants and
bars.
“However, an estimated 58 million, or 1 in 4, Americans
remain exposed to secondhand smoke in areas not covered by these policies, including
certain airports,” said Brian King, deputy director for research translation in
CDC’s Office on Smoking and Health.
“The good news is that we know what works to protect people
from this completely preventable health risk,” King added, “Implementing
smoke-free policies in indoor public areas is the best way to fully protect
everyone, including airport travelers and employees, from the deadly risks of
secondhand smoke exposure.”
Stuck at the Airport has been in Houston this week taking part in the citywide celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing and the first time humans walked on the Moon.
While here, we visited Space Center Houston, the science and space exploration center where the public gets a chance to see (and touch!) Moon rocks and learn first hand about what it takes to go into – and come back from – space.
There’s also a great gift shop. And for Souvenir Sunday, we’re sharing some of the fun gifts we’re taking home.
Thanks for joining us this week while we celebrated the anniversary of the Apollo 11 Lunar Mission.
Tomorrow marks 50 years since humans first walked on the Moon. Everyone seems to be talking about astronauts, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar mission, where we’ve been in space and where we may go next.
Stuck at the Airport is in Houston – Space City – this week to be part of the festivities. We’re meeting with former astronauts, visting the labs that train and prepare food for astronauts and getting a first look at the restored Mission Control Center at NASA’s Johnson Space Center.
If all this space talk has got you thinking about becoming an astronaut, consider taking this Astronaut Apitude quiz filled with questions based on the official NASA Astronaut Candidate requirements and real-life psychological tests. Let us know how you score.
Stuck at the Airport is in Houston this week, joining in the celebrations and events to honor the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar expedition.
Here are some snaps from a special United Airlines flight to Houston on July 17 and some fun stuff from on the ground. Stay tuned for pics and stories throughout the week.
United Airlines Flight 355 from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) was dubbed “MissionSpaceCity.” Regular passengers arriving at the gate in EWR were met with this giant HOUSTON sign – and some suprises. Two former astronauts were among the special guests on board this flight: Peggy Whitson, who holds records for most days in space (665) and Kevin Ford, who is now a pilot with United. Each passenger received some freeze-dried ice-cream as well as a small backpack filled with fun space-themed goodies.“Spacey Casey” welcomed passengers to Houston – Space City This mural was in the gate arrival area in Houston, as a backdrop for a celebratory press conference. Media (including Stuck at the Airport) are being hosted at the 5-star Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, which put together this all-chocolate welcome amenity and a special moon-themed cocktail.
City or celebrity? Branding goals fuel airport name changes
Louisville, Kentucky is well known for bourbon,
the Kentucky Derby and Louisville Slugger baseball bats.
It’s also the city the late, legendary boxer
Muhammad Ali called home.
In his honor, Louisville International
Airport (SDF) was recently renamed Louisville Muhammad Ali International
Airport and a new logo honoring The Champ and his famous praise, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a
bee,” was
adopted.
In addition to honoring a native son, the
airport name change is expected bring economic benefits to Louisville and both
built on and boost Ali-related tourism to the city.
“Even three years after our city’s most famous son’s
passing, Louisville continues to see people coming from across the globe to
discover and trace Ali’s legacy,” Karen Williams, President and CEO of
Louisville Tourism said in
a statement, “The airport rebranding supports current marketing efforts to
engage in Ali’s ‘Footsteps of
Greatness’ as a reason to inspire visitation to Louisville.”
Location, Location, Location
While Louisville added the name of a local
icon to its airport’s name, other airports are moving away from celebrity names
in favor of stronger geographic branding.
In 2016, the Allegheny County Airport
Authority declined to change the name of Pittsburgh International
Airport to the Fred Rogers International Airport.
An online
petition seeking to honor the late star of the locally produced “Mister Rogers’
Neighborhood” PBS TV program was signed by more than 15,000 supporters. But
airport representatives said vacation planners were more likely to search
online for “Pittsburgh Airport” than for “Fred Rogers.”
In southern California, regional Bob Hope Airport (BUR) is now Hollywood Burbank Airport.
The switch came in 2017 after airport
officials realized that while the general public knew that the late Bob Hope was
a comedian, few outside the region knew the airport was so located so close to
Hollywood and many top Los Angeles-area attractions.
“Some thought the airport was in Palm Springs,” said
airport spokeswoman Lucy Burghdorf, “Others thought it was in Vietnam,” because
Hope had hosted annual USO Christmas tours to entertain troops during much of the
Vietnam War.
To help solve BUR’s identity problem, “We studied
what other airports had done and why,” said Michael Fiore, cofounder and
chief brand officer of the Anyone
Collective, “And
for the most part we found the same answers: those with a geographic
identifiers attached to them were performing better than others.”
The name-change, coupled with branding and
marketing efforts that include everything from new signage at the airport and
on highways to online advertising, has garnered the airport national awards
and, more importantly, more passengers, said Fiore.
Some other airports have gently tweaked their
names in the interest of better branding.
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) was renamed St. Louis Lambert International Airport in February 2017. The move was made “to
improve marketing positions locally and globally while also expanding
connections with the St. Louis region,” according to the airport’s strategic
plan.
“This decision was made to better identify our
geographical location to travelers who are not from this region,” said MKE spokesman
Harold Mester, “Our new brand adds the name of our anchor city while still
honoring our namesake, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell, who is considered to be the
father of the U.S. Air Force.”
“As we continue to market the airport in
international and west coast markets, we have found that these populations are
challenged to locate us,” said Kevin A. Dillon, Executive Director of the
Connecticut Airport Authority, “Accordingly, we are undergoing a review to be
completed by the end of the year to determine if it is feasible to change the
airport name, and, if so, how we can continue to preserve the memory of Eugene
Bradley at the airport.”
Bucking the Trend
While the benefits of geographic branding are
convincing some airports to change or tweak names, at least one airport is bucking
the trend.
In 2017, the Hawaii Department of
Transportation (HDOT) changed the name of Honolulu International
Airport (HNL) to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport.
The much-beloved Inouye served as Hawaii’s
first representative in Congress in 1959 and went on to represent the Aloha
State in both the House and Senate for a combined 53 years.
This is the
fourth name change in the airport’s history, notes HDOT.
When it
opened in 1927, HNL was named the John Rodgers Airport. After surviving the
attack on Pearl Harbor, in 1947 the airport was renamed Honolulu Airport. “International”
was added to the name in 1951.
It is too soon to tell if the name change will boost the local economy or increase tourism to Honolulu. But HDOT pegs the cost of new signage, parts, materials, labor and other tasks associated with this latest name change at one million dollars.
What do you think? Should an airport be named for a city or a celebrity?
