ATL

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int’l Airport turning 100

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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) will turn 100 in 2025. And to mark the occasion the airport is launching 18 months of celebrations starting on New Year’s Eve.

As 2024 rolls over to 2025, ATL’s canopies will display a New Year’s countdown and a special centennial design that will be visible most nights of the year.

We haven’t seen the centennial design yet, but based on previous designs – like this rainbow version – we’re looking forward to something snazzy.

In addition to the New Year’s Eve countdown, ATL centennial events will include a centennial gala, art displays, stories documenting the Airport’s history, and a look ahead to the future.

In the meantime, ATL is sharing some historical milestones:

*On April 16, 1925, Walter Sims, the 44th mayor of Atlanta, signed a five-year lease for an abandoned auto racetrack that City Council member William Hartsfield thought would make a good airfield.

*The first commercial flight into what was then known as Candler Field, took place on Sept. 15, 1926 when Florida Airways delivered mail on the Tampa/Jacksonville/Atlanta route.

*William Hartsfield served as the 47th and 49th mayor of Atlanta. And when he died, in 1971, the Airport’s name was changed to William B. Hartsfield Atlanta Airport.

*In October 2003, the Airport’s name was changed again to honor Maynard Jackson, the city’s first Black mayor who served as the city’s 52nd and 54th mayor.

ATL: 5 Things We Love About Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Int’l Airport

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The “5 Things We Love About…” series on StuckatTheAirport.com continues today with some of the features and amenities that delight us at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL).

Keep in mind that some amenities at ATL and other airports may be temporarily suspended or unavailable right now due to health concerns, but we’re confident they’ll return.

If we don’t include your favorite service or amenity at ATL airport or if you’d like to nominate an airport to be featured, please add a note in the comment section below.

Want to sponsor one or more of the entries in the “5 Things We Love at …” series? Get in touch.

5 Things We Love About Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

1. The art at ATL

Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) has an extensive collection of art and history exhibits throughout the domestic and international terminals spaces, in all seven concourses, and in connecting walkways between concourses.

Here are just a few of the pieces in ATL’s art and history collection:

Photos and artifacts pay tribute to Civil Rights leaders John Lewis (Domestic Atrium) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Concourse E).

Flight Paths, by Steve Waldeck (in the underground walkway between Concourses A and B) simulates the sights and sounds of a walk through a Georgia forest.

Elsewhere, you’ll find a series of Zimbabwean stone sculptures, a selection of images from National Geographic’s Photo Ark project, and many more permanent and temporary exhibitions.

2. Kid stuff at ATL

Kids will enjoy finding some of the cool and quirky art exhibits at ATL, including the Lunch Box Time Capsule exhibit on the boarding level of Concourse E (near Gate E14).

Fun too: a ride on the airport’s Plane Train. Just be sure to get a spot in the front or back car for a cool view of the tunnels between concourses.

 

3. Shopping at ATL

ATL is home to the World’s Largest Hudson shop, which is actually a collection of shops within a shop. In addition to Georgia-themed-souvenirs, you’ll find old-school candy, plenty of books and even some vinyl records.

4. The ATL Canopies

The two massive canopies over the north and south sides of the domestic terminal at ATL are part of a multi-billion dollar capital improvement project.

Each canopy is nearly 900 feet long – the length of nearly three football fields. In addition to being waterproof, the translucent arches can also be lit up in a wide variety of colors.

5. Lav lights at ATL

Two pairs of restrooms (at Gates B18 & B23) use red or green lights to signal when a restroom stall is occupied or empty. (Brilliant!) The system also tracks restroom usage so the janitorial staff knows when a lav needs to be cleaned. A nice partnership between TRAX and Tooshlights and ATL.

Free Wi-Fi coming to NY-area airports

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Free Wi-FI at airport

Looks like we won’t have the NY-area airports to kick around – Wi-Fi-wise- for much longer.

The Associated Press reports that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday approved a plan that -perhaps by the fall – will offer passengers at Newark Liberty International, John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia airports 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi.  After that, passengers will have pay the $7.95 day fee.

While that 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi s good news, of course, 30 minutes is hardly enough time to get anything done.  So here’s hoping free unlimited  Wi-Fi is in the future for the JFK, EWR and LGA airports.

Harstfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport recently changed its plan and now offers all passengers unlimited free Wi-Fi, with an option to get an upgraded service for a fee.

 

 

Delta adding outdoor terraces at JFK and ATL

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ATL_Sky_Deck

Many frequent travelers buy memberships or occasional day passes for access to airline lounges in order to tap amenities such as complimentary snacks and drinks, reliable Wi-Fi and quiet, comfortable places to escape the hubbub of the airport.

These lounges are typically either tucked into windowless spaces at airports or offer views of the airfield through sealed windows.

But for fliers seeking a bit of fresh air, Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines is raising the stakes by adding outdoor terraces, called Sky Decks, to the Delta Sky Club lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport and in the new international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

To develop the look and feel of the Sky Decks, Delta partnered with Architectural Digest, which brought in interior designer Thom Filicia, familiar to some as one of the experts featured on the popular TV show, “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.”

JFK_Sky_Deck

In additional to living room style seating, power outlets and greenery, “the decks will have red stretched canvas awnings to provide shade,” said Delta Air Lines spokesperson Leslie Scott. The Atlanta club deck will be an extension of the current Sky Club and offer close -up views of aircraft and runway activity. “The JFK Deck will be on the roof level and offer amazing views of Jamaica Bay and of the runways,” Scott said. “Plane spotters will be able to see liveries from around the world.”

“This is a great move from Delta,” said Dan Gellert, CEO and co-founder of the airport travel application Gate Guru. “Delta’s Sky Clubs at JFK and ATL specifically are rated average at best in GateGuru, so it is great to see them getting a bit more aggressive in these airports to lure business travelers.”

Gellert says airline lounges in the U.S. “have not done much over the recent years to really push the envelope regarding new features or functionality to their lounges,” but he’s hopeful more airlines will expand upon this innovation, “especially in warm weather cities such as Orlando, Los Angeles and Houston.”

Over the past two years, Delta has opened or renovated airline clubs in Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Seattle and other cities. At JFK, the rooftop terrace will be part of the Delta Sky Club in the expanded Terminal 4 and is scheduled to open in May. At the Atlanta airport, the Sky Deck will be next to the existing club room on Concourse F and is scheduled to open this summer.

Delta is not the first airline to recognize that frequent travelers — who spend a lot of time indoors, in artificial light — might like to spend some time outside before boarding a plane. “Virgin Australia’s recently opened lounge at Gold Coast, a popular sun destination on Australia’s east coast, features an outdoor area called The Deck,” Raymond Kollau, founder of Airlinetrends.com, told NBC News.

And airports in Amsterdam, Honolulu and Long Beach, Calif., have landscaped outdoor areas open to all passengers.

“The Delta Sky Deck differentiates the airline’s lounge experience by offering a bit of a boutique feel,” Kollau said. “And aviation enthusiasts will love the backdrop of the busy airport tarmac and even the occasional smell of airline kerosene.”

(Photos courtesy Delta Air Lines)
(My story about Delta’s new Sky Decks first appeared on NBC News)

Welcome Home a Hero program ending at DFW

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Those American flags and welcome signs won’t be needed at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport anymore.

Every day, for the past eight years, at least one chartered plane carrying U.S. soldiers heading home for two weeks of rest and recuperation from active duty in Iraq and Afghanistan has touched down at both Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airports.

And for every flight at DFW, volunteers in the “Welcome Home a Hero” program have gathered to enthusiastically greet the returning soldiers.

“The welcome is a festive event with recorded patriotic music and anywhere from 30 to 300 cheering people holding flags and homemade signs and banners,” said Donna Cranston, coordinator of the Dallas/Fort Worth program. The greeting has become so well-known that some soldiers request to arrive in the U.S. via Dallas instead of Atlanta, Cranston said, even though that means they may have to wait longer for a connecting flight home.

But the drawdown of troops in Iraq and the shift to shorter deployments means there are no longer two full planes of R&R-bound soldiers returning home each day. So the U.S. army has decided to consolidate the flights into Atlanta.

March 14 will be the final Dallas arrival.

The conclusion of the flight is bittersweet news for some troops and for many volunteers who have welcomed home more than 460,000 inbound soldiers who have touched down in Dallas since 2004.

“The soldiers get a hero’s welcome when they come through Dallas, and it’s an uplifting and emotional experience,” said Army Lt. Col. Trisha McAfee, commander of the army’s Personnel Assistance Point at the Dallas airport. “They didn’t get that in other wars. But the consolidation is a good thing because it means many soldiers are spending less time in the war zone and getting home sooner.”

In Dallas/Fort Worth, many volunteers who welcome home troops at the airport also joined the USO so that they could be part of the send-off activities for active-duty military as well. “One volunteer has made more than 45,000 neck pillows to give to soldiers on their way back,” said McAfee.

“It’s always a happier occasion when they come in,” said Linda Tinnerman, 71, who with 78-year-old Constance Carman became known as one of the “Huggin’ and Kissin’ Grandmas” — dispensing free hugs to every returning soldier. “We are also there just to talk and visit with the soldiers.”

While the final R&R flight will arrive at Dallas/Fort Worth on March 14, the last departing flight is scheduled for March 30. After that, the U.S. Army’s daily chartered R&R flights will arrive and depart solely from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where there’s a much smaller “Welcome Home a Hero” and send-off program.

“It’s a matter of logistics,” said Mark Brown, Personnel Assistance Point commander at the Atlanta airport. “At DFW, the soldiers come out into the non-secure side. In Atlanta, they stay on the secure side to connect to their flight. So we have airport employees come out to help with the welcome.”

(A slightly different version of my story appeared on msnbc.com Travel)

Tidbits for travelers: connect at the airport

Airports, Layover, Mobile phones, Restaurants, Shopping, Travel tips, , , , , , , ,

If you’re heading to or through the Dallas/Fort Worth or Atlanta airports there are now money-saving reasons to make sure your smartphone is charged and accessible.

DFW introduced a program that links the Foursquare and Facebook Places location-based mobile applications to 85 (so far) of the airport’s concessions. Now if you check in when you’re at the airport you’ll see deals and discounts offered at food outlets and shops right around you.

For the next several weeks, you’ll notice “brand ambassadors” in the terminals telling people about the service, teaching them how to use it and handing out giveaways.

Back in April, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport introduced discount offers available via quick response (QR) codes printed signs around the airport.

The QR codes direct passengers to the airport’s mobile website — www.iflyatl.com — where there are downloadable discount coupons.

The TSA is also using QR codes. According to a recent post on the TSA Blog,  the agency is testing QR codes on checkpoint signage at a few airports to point travelers to information about lost and found, customer service, procedural information and travel tips.

 

At Atlanta Airport: no reason to be bored or rumpled

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Technology is our friend at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

In addition to videophones for the deaf and hard of hearing that are being installed on all concourses, near north and south baggage claims and in the rental car center, ATL airport has installed a MiMuzicBox kiosk (on Concourse T) that allows users to quickly download music, movies, audiobooks and other entertainment to their own electronic devices.

Far more intriguing is the new U*tique.

Described as an “automated luxury retail outlet,” this giant vending machine on Concourse A sells 50 kinds of make-up, hair and skin products and has a touch-screen offering video demonstrations and information about each product.

So no excuses for looking rumpled at the airport.

Fresh art at RDU; Fresh Music at ATL

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 On Thurs. Feb. 10, Raleigh-Durham International Airport’s Terminal 2 will unveil Friendly Folks, a mural created by local artist Jane Filer and commissioned by the Triangle Area Sister Cities (TASC). 

Mural at RDU

Look for the colorful mural in the international arrivals bag claim area. The piece is 45 feet -long and depicts bright happy figures as well as birds and flowers representative of North Carolina.

In Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is recognizing Black History Month with a great line-up of jazz, blues and rhythm & blues performances in the Music in the Atrium series.   Concerts will be held in the Airport’s Atrium Friday evenings during February from 5 to 7 p.m.

February 11:    Frankie’s Blues Mission
February 18:    Joe Jennings
February 25:    Darren Winters Ensemble

Jazz in the Atrium series at Atlanta airport

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(The Eldridge Simms Jazz Quintet during 2009 Jazz in the Atrium music series. Photo courtesy ATL)

The 33rd annual Atlanta Jazz Festival is taking place throughout the month of May, with a giant 2-day festival Memorial Day weekend in Piedmont Park and, for lucky travelers, two weeks of live jazz performances at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

ATL’s ninth annual Jazz in the Atrium music series, featuring mostly local artists, will take place in the airport Atrium from 5-7 pm each weekend from May 17th through the 28th.

Here’s the line-up:

May 17 Tony Waters
May 18 Charles Marshall
May 19 After Hours Quintet
May 20 Darren Winters
May 21 Gary Harris

May 24 Trey Wright
May 25 Takana Miyamoto
May 26 Mike Blackburn
May 27 Joe Jennings
May 28 Eldridge Simms Jazz Quintet

Bizarre airport finds – and 72 smart ones

Bathrooms, Smuggling, , , ,

If you stop and look around you should be able to find an exhibit case at many airports filled with some of the items the US Fish & Wildlife Service has confiscated from travelers.

(Confiscated wildlife products, JFK. Courtesy US Fish & Wildlife Service)

Sadly, smuggling endangered species – and items made from the parts of endangered species – is big business.  Wildlife inspectors around the country are kept on their toes inspecting cargo shipments and suitcases for everything from bags of writhing snakes to dried sea horses and mounted sea turtles.  And, according to this AP article, Bizarre Finds Normal for Airport Inspectors, last year the inspectors at the airport in Anchorage, Alaska made more seizures than JFK airport in New York.

There’s the case of the women who tried to hide a bear gall in her bra cup; the sad tale of the live monkey shipped with snakes, and the chronic sea horse importer. Every time Chris Andrews opens a package or inspects a passenger in his job as a U.S. Fish and Wildlife inspection officer at Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport, he chances an even more bizarre find…… He says that some of the saddest cases he’s seen involve live animals shipped as cargo, including a monkey in a cage shipped with taped-up snakes. The snakes got loose and killed the monkey.”

Sad, yes; but really sort of fascinating.  The article goes on to mention snake wine, elephant toenails, and jars of bear fat.  I’m not even sure I want to know what these items might be used for, but it’s intriguing to read about how crafty some of these smugglers get with their contraband.

And, speaking of crafty. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) now has those nifty Step ’n Wash units in 72 public restrooms at the airport.

These Step ‘n Wash units are self-retracting steps that are secured beneath restroom sink counters to make it easier for kids to reach the faucets and wash their hands.

Great idea!