Legal Sea Foods

Travel Tidbits: private screeners & fish

TSA LINES

Later this month, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was scheduled to send out requests for proposals (RFPs) for private security screening firms to replace federal screeners at Sacramento International Airport (SMF) in California and Orlando-Sanford International Airport (SFB) in Florida as part of the Screening Partnership Program (SPP). The contract for private screening services at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which was one of the first airports to be part of the program, is also going out for re-bidding.

Sixteen airports are currently part of the program, which was set up under the Aviation Transportation Security Act (ATSA) of 2001 and requires private contract companies approved by the TSA to adhere to the agency’s standards.

Some airport administrators believe private screeners do a better job than their federal counterparts but, as you might imagine, the union that represents federal TSA employees – the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) – isn’t too happy with the prospect of some of its members possibly losing their jobs.

In California, the union has been lobbying against the move to have Sacramento International Airport join the Screening Partnership Program and on Tuesday the Sacramento County’s board of supervisors voted to back out of the program.

BOS LEGAL SEA FOOD

Meanwhile, at Boston’s Logan International Airport (BOS), which has been the site of some 787 Dreamliner problems, there’s some news on the fish front:

On Wednesday, January 9, Legal Sea Foods, which has been a welcome dining amenity at the airport for almost twenty years, is moving the first of its four airport restaurants from its pre-security location in Terminal C to a new, snazzy post-security spot that will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The new restaurant has a fish sculpture at the entryway, a digital board displaying flight information, a 54-person dining room and a 27-seat bar with stools designed to store carry-on bags underneath.

Tidbits for travelers: restaurant week at Philadelphia Airport

Cities have them, so why not airports?

From now through October 29th, seven restaurants at Philadelphia International Airport are offering three-course, prix fixe menus for $25 as part of the airport’s Restaurant Week.

Some restrictions apply (of course…) but here are the participating restaurants.

  • Cantina Laredo (Concourse E)
  • Chickie’s and Pete’s (Terminal A West & Concourses C & E)
  • Cibo Bistro & Wine Bar (Concourses A & B)
  • Jack Duggan’s Bar (Concourse A East)
  • Jet Rock Bar & Grill (Concourses B & D)
  • Legal Sea Foods (B/C Connector)
  • Vino Volo (B/C & D/E Connector)

Tidbits for travelers at MIA and PHL

This would be fun to watch:  American Airlines is donating a 140-passenger MD-80 aircraft to the George T. Baker Aviation School in Miami. To get the plane to the school they going to lift the 39-ton plane from a ramp at Miami International Airport up over a road using a 500-ton crane equipped with a 400-foot telescoping boom.   The “big lift” is going to take place today – Monday, May 17th – and involves closing roadways and runways, removing light poles, trees and fencing and building a temporary gravel road.

Airport officials have promised to send photos; so stay tuned.

And, over the weekend, a branch of Legal Sea Foods opened at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) in the B/C Connector.

On the menu at this full-service, sit-down restaurant: lobster, crab cakes, New England clam chowder, shrimp, salmon and a variety of sandwiches, salads and desserts.