airport transportation

Rides from the airport?

Airports, ground transporation,

Blacklane

I usually opt for public transit into the city when I land at an airport, but my flight to Boston was scheduled to arrive late in the evening and a cab or some sort of car service was going to be the only option for getting to the place I’d be staying that night.

I could have taken my chances and tried to book an Uber-type ride once I landed, but I decided to book ahead and take Blacklane up on its offer to try out their service.

The Berlin-based on-line ride booking service uses professional drivers, partners with established chauffeur services, operates in more than 180 cities around the world and offers service to and from more than 300 airports.

Reservations can be made in advance, the fare is fixed and includes taxes, tolls and tip.

As promised – and reconfirmed via email before my trip started and again when my flight landed (with the name and phone number of my driver) – my driver, a veteran of the industry who had been Anthony Quinn’s regular Boston driver back in the day – was waiting for me in a town car in the spot designated for limos outside my terminal at Boston Logan Airport.

I quizzed him on the way into town.

Had he tried offering his services via any of the Uber-like companies?

Yes, he said, but no more.

He didn’t like the high fee those companies took as a booking fee for each ride and he’d had experiences with customers from those companies who disrespected him and his extremely well-maintained car.

Of all the companies now offering book-online car services – and there are now oodles of them – what did he like about working with Blacklane?

They were fair and super-organized, he said, and only worked with professional drivers. And he marveled at the fact that they were running this world-wide business out of one office in Germany and yet, day or night, kept in close contact with each driver and fully accessible to customers.

If my personal budget for airport transportation was a bit larger, I’d definitely use Blacklane’s service on a regular basis. (The fare was about $15 more than I’d have paid for a cab and, given some of the news reports lately, I would not have taken an Uber-like service alone, late at night heading to an unfamiliar destination).

But, I’m putting the Blacklane website into my list of favorites and will definitely add them to the options I consider in the future when a bus or a train isn’t an option for getting into town from the airport.

And I’m happy to pass along the discount code they gave me – 9JMT1SQC – for $10 off one ride.

DFW’s Skylink marks a moving milestone

Airports, Getting around, ground transporation, ,

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport is celebrating a few milestones this summer,  including  the 10-year anniversaries of Terminal D, the Grand Hyatt DFW and the Skylink people mover, which connects all five DFW terminals and is billed as the world’s largest automated airport bi-directional train system.

To celebrate, Hudson Group and DFW put together this nice infographic:

 

DFW SKYLINK
•

The arrival: airports that do it right

Airports, Food, Transportation, ,

[This is a slightly altered version of my “At the Airport” column published in  USA TODAY in May 2015]

Palm Springs International Airport _courtesy of the Airport

Palm Springs International Airports

Sometimes, the best part of going away is coming home. Or feeling at home in a new place. And for many travelers, that sensation begins at the airport.

Sound designer Peter Comley relishes his return visits to Vermont’s Burlington International Airport where, he’s welcomed by a view of the Green Mountains, Lake Champlain and the Burlington Air National Guard Base, which is “a sight just across the runway – with their F-16s.”

For Evan Deahl, an about-to-graduate college student in Philadelphia, it’s the approach into Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. “You come in over Lake Michigan and directly over the Chicago skyline. Cue Rhapsody in Blue in head. It’s like a movie,” he said.

Washington, D.C.-based literary agent Anna Sproul-Latimer enjoys landing at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, which has a “beautiful view coming into the Strip, and you can roll straight into gambling in the terminal. What’s not to like?”

In other airports it’s the immediate access to local culture, scenery and cuisine.

Passengers arriving at Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana are greeted by local volunteers handing out cookies from a nearby bakery. At California’s Palm Springs International Airport, passengers exiting their planes enter an outdoor space with palm trees, real grass and a view of the mountains.

“I’m always happy to fly back to my old hometown airport in Atlanta and get my southern fried food fix of grits, greens and fried okra at Paschal’s or a Chick-fil-A sandwich and a sweet tea,” said Chris McGinnis, who writes the TravelSkills blog.

Some airport “Welcome Home” scenes take a moment to unfold.

When you walk off the plane at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, “the first thing you feel in the jet bridge is the thick sticky subtropical ether,” notes Christopher Schaberg, author of The Textual Life of Airports and the forthcoming book, The End of Airports. “This gradually gives way to the cool air conditioning of the terminal; then you see a bartender pouring a tall glass of Abita amber ale, and further down the concourse a sign beckons you to purchase some Crawfish Strudel—you know you’ve arrived in New Orleans,” he said.

Both San Francisco-based Kat Snow and Seattle-based freelance writer Pam Mandel appreciate the food offerings at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. “I was super impressed by the offerings for those arriving hungry,” said Mandel. “Austin BBQ and tacos … great coffee and tea from a local café,” said Snow, “It really helps to arrive at the airport hungry, because some of the best food is pretty rich and filling.”

Arriving passengers at AUS airport are also welcome to attend any of the almost two dozen live, local music performances held in the terminal each week. And, speaking of music, Chicago-based management consultant Mitch Lieber says, when at Kansas City International Airport, the interpretive panels sharing stories about the jazz-era history that earned Kansas City the title of “Paris of the Plains” help him feel welcome and plugged in.

Fast getaway routes are a big draw at other airports.

“I love small airports like Albany International,” said Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, family travel expert at About.com. “There’s never a crowd at the baggage carousel, long-term parking costs a reasonable $12/day, and I can find my car without walking miles.”

 

Airports adding – and rejecting – ride-shares

Airports, ground transporation, , , , ,

Flying car

Airports across the country are grappling with how to deal with taxi-alternative services and Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) such as Uber and each week a few deals are being made.

This week San Francisco International Airport (SFO) announced an agreement with Wingz, a company that connects citizen drivers with people needing airport rides. The pilot permit allows drivers to pick up and drop off at the airport, starting within the next 30 days.

Last month, SFO announced agreements with Sidecar, Lyft and UberX, awarding each a permit for a 90-day pilot program to allow the airport to evaluate the businesses.

This week, the Houston City Council approved rules granting Uber and other app-based companies access to the Houston airports, but in Cincinnati, signs are now posted at CVG airport alerting travlers that only permitted ride-share companies have permission to operate at the airport.

SFO inks deal with Uber & Lyft

ground transporation, , , , ,

Uber app

Airports around the country are grappling with how – and if – they can regulate and collect revenue from  taxi-alternative companies such as Lyft, Sidecar and UberX, which maintain that they do not fall under the same rules that apply to traditional taxis that operate at airports.

Some airports have taken a hands-off approach to the problem, but San Francisco International Airport has been adamant that these ‘transportation network companies’ are operating illegally at the airport.

But things have changed.

Earlier this month SFO announced that it had come to an agreement withe Sidecar to allows that company to operate legally at the airport.

Now comes word that the airport has worked out a deal that allows Lyft and UberX to pick up and drop off at SFO as well.

All three companies should be operating – legally – at the airport within the next 30 days and the deals will no doubt serve as a guide to help these companies work out their differences with other airports as well.

SFO makes deal with Sidecar

Transportation, , , ,

Sidecar

In a first for California, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Sidecar have come to an agreement that allows the Transportation Network Company (TNC) to operate legally at the Airport.

The permit, which allows the company to drop off and pick up customers at SFO, represents the first airport TNC agreement in the state of California. Sidecar, which is headquartered in San Francisco, expects to begin operations at SFO within the next 30 days.

“SFO is one of our most in-demand places for ride requests,” Sidecar CEO Sunil Paul wrote in a blog post on the company’s website, “so we’re excited and proud to work with them to offer riders safe and affordable travel to and from the airport.”

SFO officials say permit discussions continue with other transportation network companies, including Lyft and UberX, but that so far neither have signed a permit with SFO and so are not legally allowed to operate at the Airport.

Last November, SFO came to an agreement with Relay Rides – a company that offers free airport parking, a car wash and a cut of the proceeds to travelers who let the company rent out their cars to others. A similar company, Flight Car, does not have legal permission to operate at the airport.

United adds Uber to its mobile app

ground transporation, , ,

Uber app

United Airlines has expanded its mobile app to include a link to Uber transportation services.

According to United, the app will display Uber information, including types of available vehicles, estimated wait times and prices. After you pick a ride, the United app will transfer you to the Uber app (or to the Uber website to sign up for an account) to complete the transaction.

This despite the fact that many airports around the country are having disputes with Uber and other transportation network companies (TNCs) such as Lyft and Sidecar, which operate at airports without licenses to do so.

United seems to be taking a side here, and to get you started with Uber, when you sign up for Uber via the United app you’ll get 1,000 MileagePlus award miles when you complete your first transaction (limited time offer…)

DFW Light Rail stations opens months early

ground transporation, Transportation, , ,
DFW DART

Courtesy DFW

It’s rare that a transportation construction project is completed early.

Rarer still for this sort of project to be completed months early.

Yet that’s the good news from DFW International Airport, where the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) orange line DFW Airport Station opens Monday, August 18, 2014 – instead of December, 2014 – in Terminal A.

Here are a few key details for riders:

A ride on the 14 mile line will cost $2.50 for a two hour pass and $5 for a day pass.

Destinations you’ll be able to reach include, the Mustangs of Las Colinas, Irving Convention Center, Dallas Museum of Art, Perot Museum, Klyde Warren Park, the West End, American Airlines Center, Downtown Plano and more.

To accommodate airport employees and those with early morning flights, the train’s operating hours will be from 4 am to 1 am, 7 days a week.

It’s getting easier to take the train to the plane

Airports, ground transporation, ,

PHX SkyTrain_courtes Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

In the United States, getting between the airport and downtown can sometimes be the most irritating part of a trip.

But when DART Rail Orange Line trains begin serving Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport later this year, Dallas will join Seattle, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta and an increasing number of other cities with rail links that make it easy for business and leisure travelers— and airport employees—to make that journey.

“The vast majority of public transport to airports is by buses,” said Deborah McElroy, executive vice president for policy and external affairs at Airports Council International-North America. “But airports are increasingly recognizing that rail transportation is favorably viewed by passengers; especially those from other countries where rail to the airport is more common.”

This summer Burbank Bob Hope Airport will open its $112 million Regional Intermodal Transportation Center directly across the street from the Bob Hope Airport Train Station, with service by commuter rail and Amtrak.

“The line runs north from Downtown L.A. through Glendale and Burbank, then turns west traversing the San Fernando Valley to Ventura County and coastal points north,” said airport spokesman Victor Gill, “and we’ve already broken ground for a second Metrolink stop directly at the airport on a separate line that runs north from Burbank to the Santa Clarita Valley (Magic Mountain territory)/Palmdale/Lancaster.”

In April 2013, the Utah Transit Authority opened Airport TRAX, a six-mile light-rail line to Salt Lake City International Airport. That was the same month Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Sky Train began service between Terminal 4 (the airport’s busiest terminal), and Valley Metro Light Rail. The free system will eventually make stops at the airport’s other terminals, but has already carried 3 million passengers, said Heather Lissner, PHX airport spokeswoman.

In addition to making it easy for travelers to get to and from the airport, Lissner says locals have been taking the Sky Train to the airport on dates. “People park in East Economy or ride the light rail to connect with the PHX Sky Train then enjoy dinner in Terminal 4 at one of our pre-security restaurants and look at the various art exhibitions in the terminal,” she said.

At Miami International Airport, a 2.4 mile Metrorail extension opened in 2012, and the airport’s Central Station should be complete by the end of 2014, adding links to Amtrak and the region’s Tri-Rail service.

By the end of 2014 the 3.2-mile, $484 million Oakland Airport Connector—a people mover linking the airport to the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART Station—is scheduled to open as well.

“We already have regular bus service between OAK and the BART station,” said Oakland International Airport spokesman Scott Winter, “but the new line will add a new level of convenience and, most importantly, reliability, as it cruises above traffic below.”

A rail link to an airport is not just convenient; according to a joint study released in November 2013 by the U.S. Travel Association and the nonprofit American Public Transportation Association (APTA), which advocates for public transportation. (APTA dates to 1882, and its initial meetings focused on the price of oats for the horses that pulled transit vehicles.) “Rail cities” can have a financial edge, the report contended.

“We found that cities with airport rail connections have a competitive advantage in generating revenues for the private sector and the overall city tax base compared to similar cities that do not have direct rail connection to the airport,” said Darnell Grisby, APTA’s director of research and policy.

The study compared hotel performance in six cities with airport rail service—Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Minneapolis, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco—to hotel performance in popular convention cities without direct airport rail service—Las Vegas, New Orleans, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., and Tampa, Fla.

Hotels in rail cities were found to receive nearly 11 percent more revenue per room than hotels in cities without an airport rail connection. According to the study, that higher revenue per room translates to a potential $313 million in revenue per year for the rail cities.

While cost and other concerns can be a deterrent, building a rail line to an airport can be an economic generator that makes a city more appealing to meeting, event and convention planners, said Erik Hansen, senior director of domestic policy at the U.S. Travel Association.

“The decisions of these planners can generate millions of dollars in spending at hotels and local restaurants,” said Hansen. “And if they’re going to put anywhere from 1,000 to upwards of 25,000 people on the road at a single time and have them leave an airport at a single time, they want transportation options.”

With some of those issues certainly in mind, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority is moving ahead with a two-phase plan for improved rail service to Dulles International Airport that includes constructing a 23-mile extension of the existing Metrorail system.

Denver International Airport has partnered with the Regional Transportation District to add a 22.8-mile commuter rail connection from DEN to downtown Denver that is scheduled to open in 2016.

In Los Angeles, studies are underway to decide how best to connect the Metro Rail system with Los Angeles International Airport. And Orlando International Airport has announced plans to spend $470 million to build an automated people-mover system to support a variety of future travel connections, including intercity rail service between Orlando, Miami and the airport.

The people mover planned for Tampa International Airport may someday link to a regional transportation center and there’s promise of a mass transit link as part of New York City’s LaGuardia Airport Central Terminal overhaul.

“It certainly depends on the airport community and who they are competing with,” said McElroy of ACI-NA, “but a number of airports have indicated that they believe having a rail link from the airport to downtown is a key factor in being competitive in the global airport market.”

(My story about rail service to airports first appeared on CNBC Road Warrior in a slightly different version.)

Alaska Airlines & Uber giving Seattle a lift to the airport

Transportation, ,

ALASKA UBER

Yes, it’s a promotion. And, no, you don’t need to be holding a ticket on an Alaska Airlines flight in order to take advantage of the offer:

If you’re heading to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on today or tomorrow, Dec 23 or 24, you may be able to get a free ride to the airport courtesy of Alaska Airlines and on-demand car service Uber.

During the two-day promotion, Alaska Airlines will pay for one ride, up to $50 (if the ride is more than that, you pay the difference), to shuttle travelers to the airport in a Uber town car.

Here are the details from Alaska Airlines:

Travelers can request a ride through the Uber application, which is available
for Android and iOS devices at www.uber.com/go. After entering their credit
card information, travelers can request a ride to Sea-Tac Airport from their
current location. During the two-day special, Uber rides will be charged to
Alaska Airlines and, as is customary for Uber riders,no tipping or cash is
necessary.

The offer is valid “while supplies last,” so if you’re heading that way – sign up right away.