pizza

Amelia Earhart + pizza-inspired art + a snazzy new checkpoint

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Summer reading: The Aviator and the Showman

If you have a subscription to The New Yorker or can somehow click your way through to access it, be sure to read this revealing and heartstopping story titled: Amelia Earhart’s Reckless Final Flights, by Lauri Gwen Shapiro.

It’s taken from Shapiro’s soon-to-be-published book The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage that Made an American Icon, which we just pre-ordered.

(Image above courtesy Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum)

Fresh art at Connecticut’s Tweed New Haven Airport

Connecticut, long known as ‘The Nutmeg State,’ also boasts about being home to the nation’s ‘best pizza.’

There’s a 20-stop Pizza Trail for pizza fans to test out the claim. And a sassy billboard campaign underway now in New York city cheekily trolling the Big Apple’s claim to having the best pizza.

Now there’s a pizza-inspired artwork at Tweed New Haven Airport (HVN).

Titled, The Pizza State,” the nine-foot by six-foot art piece is made of Connecticut highway signs (which we’re sure were secured legally) and celebrates New Haven-style pizza. The artist is Michael Pollack of the creative entity known as the New Haven Pizza Club (NHVPC).

SEA’s Checkpoint 1 welcomes travelers

During really busy travel times, the security checkpoint lines at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) seem to snake on for miles.

But this Friday’s opening of the new Checkpoint 1 should address some of that congestion by adding five additonal general screening lanes.

Look for SEA’s new Checkpoint 1 on the bag claim level of the airport (that’s unusual!) at the far south end of the terminal.  

In addition to a new batch of art being installed along the checkpoint, we spotted some of TSA’s newest body scanning equipment ready to go into operation.

These machines, which we tested out at Portland International Airport’s (PDX) new terminal last year, are more accessible, with wider portals and no neeed for passengers to raise their arms.

Gov’t shutdown causes closed checkpoints – and pizza – at airports

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The partial shutdown of the federal government is taking its toll on airports.

On Saturday, Miami International Airport closed one of its security checkpoints because airport officials were worried there wouldn’t be enough TSA employees on duty to keep all the airport’s checkpoints open.

The airport plans to reopen the checkpoint on Monday morning.

On Sunday afternoon, Houston’s George Bush International Airport (IAH), shut down the TSA checkpoint and ticketing counter in Terminal B. The reason? Concern about staffing issues associated with the partial shutdown of the federal government.

If the government shutdown continues, we can expect more of these checkpoint closures to take place. Passengers will be directed to other checkpoints, where lines will no doubt get very long.

And outpouring of pizza

While long lines are surely frustrating for travelers, there is an outpouring of support for the TSA workers, air traffice controllers and customs and border protection workers who are working without pay.

On Friday, Nashville International Airport sent pizzas to TSA employees at the airport working without pay.

And Canadian air traffic controllers showed their support for their American counterparts by sending pizzas as well.

Elsewhere, there’s a pop-up food pantry for TSA employees at Tampa International Airport.

At Your Gate is offering $10 off and waiving the delivery fee for food delivered to TSA employees on duty at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). The offer will expand to other airports where the service is available (San Diego International Airport, New York LaGuardia Terminal B, JFK and MSP) later this week.

Federal workers working without pay at Ontario International Airport were treated to a barbecue on Friday. Food was supplied by the Ontario Reign Hockey team and other groups in town.

On Friday, Pittsburgh International Airport served lunch to federal workers at the airport and plans to do so each Friday until the shutdown is over.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport will hold its second information fair on Monday to help federal employees working without pay learn about short term loans and other resources that may be available to them.

And, as we reported earlier, Hudson Group, which operates shops in many airports, is offering a 20% discount off food, beverages and many store products to all TSA and customs employees until the shutdown is resolved.

OTG, which operates retail outlets and restaurants in 10 airports, will offer TSA employees a 50 percent discount on food and beverage through the duration of the government shutdown too.

If you learn of any other efforts underway, please let us know.




JetBlue delivering NY pizza – to LA!

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JetBlue is kicking off a 3-day promotion (May 9 to 12) delivering pizza – by airplane – from New York to Los Angeles residents living in certain zip codes.

The promotion is limited to 350 pizzas a day and customers can order the pizza by going to the Pie in the Sky website (The site wasn’t working Wed morning; this has happened with some of their previous promotions..) to place an order and pay for the pizza ($12-15, depending on the type). JetBlue is paying for the delivery and picking up the taxes.

If you’re in Los Angeles and don’t have a chance to order a NY pizza, you can still get a free slice.

JetBlue is hosting a pizza party Wed. May 9 from noon to 3 p.m. (Or while the pizza lasts..) at Los Angeles International Airport in Terminal 5 at the JetBlue check-in desk.

In the meantime – here’s Spike Lee to tell you how to eat a New York Pizza.

 

https://youtu.be/NLbnwuRdfw4