San Francisco International Airport

Some electric transportation news

Energy, , ,

When you buy an Amtrak ticket, you sometimes end up riding a diesel-powered bus instead of a train pulled by an diesel-fueled, dual-powered (electric and diesel) or electric (in the Northeast) locomotive.

Now at least one of the diesel-powered buses in the Amtrak network is being replaced by an electric-powered bus.

Passengers traveling mid-day on the Amtrak Cascades route in the Pacific Northwest through Oregon and Washington to Vancouver, B.C. will now get to ride on an electric-powered bus between between Seattle and Bellingham, WA instead of on the diesel-powered bus that has been serving this trip segment.

The bus is the first electric vehicle (EV) in the Amtrak National Network and can make the nearly 200-mile roundtrip on one single charge

A ride in the right direction.

SFO Airport will help save energy in an emergency

It’s another very hot summer. And airports around the country are doing their part to reduce their draw on the elecricity grid during times when air conditioners and other appliances are in heavy use.

Denver International Airport, Chattanooga Airport , Indianapolis International Airport (IND) and many others have large solar farms that provide much, and in some cases, all of the electricity needed to power airport operations. And Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is completely powered by natural gas and solar via its own microgrid.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO), which earned an award in 2019 for being the world’s first Zero Net Energy (ZNE) facility at an airport, has a large rooftop solar farm. But SFO still gets some of its electricty from the city’s hydroelectric grid.

So to do its part for added energy conservation during the city’s Flex Alerts, which the cities issues when extremely hot weather drives up electricity use, the airport is committing to a variety of measures which may have a slight impact on passengers. The airport expects it will get 24-hour notice on these Flex Alerts which usually run from 4 pm to 9pm. So if anything on the list below alarms you, be sure to check the SFO website before you travel.

  • The AirTrain people mover may reduce the frequency of service from every 4 minutes to every 8 minutes.
  • Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers in all SFO Parking Garages may be temporary deactivated.
  • Airport cooling may be adjusted to reduce electricity usage, allowing terminals to be just a bit warmer than usual.
  • Airport lighting may be reduced throughout terminals.

Museum Monday at LAX and SFO airports

Museums, , , , ,

Say “Hi, Barbie!” at Flight Path Museum at LAX

A visit to the Flight Path Museum and Learning Center at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is an avgeek delight anytime.

Located on LAX property, a short drive or taxi ride from the terminals, the museum includes one of the largest airline uniform collections, as well as space exploration memorabilia, a great research library, and a wide range of commercial aviation artifacts.

Right now is an especially good time to visit because the museum has Barbiemania. In honor of the new Barbie movie, the museum is showing an exhibit of aviation-themed Barbies and Barbie accessories, including Barbie dolls inspired by famous aviators, including Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart.

Unconventional enamels at SFO Airport

The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) oversees twenty-five sites throughout the airport terminals. So if you’ve got a long walk to your gate or a long layover at SFO, it’s a good bet something will catch your eye.

One of the newest exhibitions at SFO features the unconventional enameled art of June Schwarcz (1918–2015) on view in the Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Departures Level 2, Galley 1 E now through early May 2024.

Here’s an intro to Schwarcz’s work from the SFO Museum;

Inspired by nature and fashion, as well as abstract, African, and Asian art, Schwarcz developed unique metalworking techniques, always experimenting and embracing complex technical challenges. She initially worked with copper panels and spun-copper bowls, infusing them with her own interpretation of traditional enameling. During the 1960s, Schwarcz pioneered electroforming, an innovative method that involved electroplating pieces made from thin copper foil. Schwarcz focused on sculptural vessels and when asked about her abstract forms, she explained, “They simply don’t hold water.” 

(Images of June Schwarcz’s artwork courtesy of SFO Museum and the collection of Forrest L. Merrill)

Travel Tidbits for a busy holiday weekend

Animals, , , , ,

The Memorial Day weekend is traditionally one of the busiest travel times. And this year is no exception.

AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7% increase over 2022.

Many people will be driving to their destinations this weekend, but AAA says nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly.

That’s an increase of 11% over last year and 5.4% more than in 2019.

“This Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005,” says AAA.

So if you’re flying somewhere, pack your patience – and some snacks.

Therapy Cat at SFO Airport

San Francisco International Airport’s team of certified stress-relief animals, the Wag Brigade, includes dogs, a Flemish giant rabbit named Alex, and a Juliana-breed pig named Lilou.

Now the team has a new member: Duke Ellington Morris, known around town as ‘Duke the Cat.’

Duke is certified as a therapy cat by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and has been visiting area hospitals and other sites for many years.

Look for Duke and other SFO stress-relief animals wearing their “pet me” vests.

Air New Zealand’s amenity kits feature products inspired by Māori knowledge

Air New Zealand’s new onboard amenity kits now feature skincare products made by Aotea on Aotea/ Great Barrier Island that inspiration by traditional Māori herbal practices.

The products include native New Zealand ingredients, such as Kawakawa, Harakeke, and Mānuka, and are available to customers traveling in business premier and premium economy cabins.

“My grandmother was a Rongoā Māori (Māori medicine) practitioner,” says Aotea founder Tama Toki, “She would treat us kids with what we found in the bush and the Aotea range is an expression of that upbringing. It’s a privilege to be able to see this part of our culture onboard Air New Zealand flights.”

The latest from the SFO Museum

Museums, , ,

If you miss your flight at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) blame it on the curators of the SFO Museum.

At any one time, there are perhaps 20 top-notch exhibitions on view throughout the terminals, spanning everything from vintage radios and Victorian wallpaper to all manner of aviation history.

And each exhibit will make you want to stop and stay a while.

One of the newest exhibitions, Recollections… From the Unkown Museum, on display through March 2024 in Terminal 2, offers selections and creations culled from a quirky collection of vintage pop culture artifacts.

A well-known ‘secret’ museum in Mill Valley, CA since the mid-1970s and now artist Mickey McGowan’s private collection, the Unknown Museum is filled with a mass amount of objects dating from the 1940s to the 1980s. The museum is an “exploration into America’s brain” and a “complete immersion in conceptual art and American consumerism.”

Among other things.

 Recollections… from the Unknown Museum at SFO Airport is a sampling of the many fantastic art and object installations on display at various locations of the museum from the mid-1970s through the present.

“My original intent was to rescue these items, to provide them with a rest home for the remainder of their days,” museum curator and archivist Mickey McGowan said back in 1988.

Thank goodness he did.

Here are some snaps from the exhibit, courtesy of SFO Museum, and Mickey McGowan.

From the SFO Museum: Matchbooks & Air Sickness Bags

Aviation history, , , , ,

The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has more than 150,000 objects related to the history of commercial aviation and to the airline industry.

As part of its 52 Objects series this year, they’ve pulled out this matchbook showing the route map for Continental Airlines.

Squeezing as much as possible onto a promotional item is nothing new. A while back we found this air sickness bag in the SFO Museum database which could be used for scoring a gin rummy game and/or turning in your film for processing.

World’s Busiest Airport? Plus: Travel Tidbits

Airports, , , ,

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Back on Top

Airports Council International (ACI) released global traffic numbers and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) once again comes out on top as the world’s busiest airport.

The top five world’s busiest airports include Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Denver International Airport (DEN), Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD), and Dubai International Airport (DXB), in that order. The Dubai airport also topped the list as the world’s busiest international airport.

SFO Airport’s Cherry Blossom Festival

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival is underway in San Francisco’s Japantown and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is celebrating as well.

Through April 18, passengers traveling through SFO can snap selfies at the Cherry Blossom backdrop and enjoy performances on the stage in Terminal 3, by the food court.

The line-up is described here in detail, but includes OH-IN Taiko (drums) on Friday, April 7 from 10 am to 2 pm; a koto concert by Shirley Kazuyo Muramoto on Wednesday, April 12 from 10 am to 2 pm; and the Ito Yosakoi dance team on Friday, April 14 from noon to 3:30 pm.

Some of SFO Museum’s #52 Objects

Art, , ,

As far as we know, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is one of just two airports in the country that has an onsite museum program accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. (Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is the other one.)

Pretty much everything the SFO Museum displays in the terminals from its own collection or from a collection on loan is top-notch. But there are plenty of objects that never, or rarely, go on display. And lots of objects you might miss if you’re just passing through.

That’s why we’re delighted that for 2023, the SFO Museum is highlighting one “notable, unusual, interesting, or just plain fun” item from the collection each week.

Here’s what’s shown up so far.

SFO Airport Celebrates Dia de los Muertos

Holidays, , ,

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is sharing how the city’s Mission District is marking the Dia de los Muertos holiday.

Passengers will be treated to live music, dance, and cultural performances from San Francisco-based Latino artists.

The Dia de los Muertos celebration originated in Mexico and is now observed worldwide as a time for the living to pay tribute to those who have passed away. In San Francisco, the holiday celebrations center around the city’s Mission District, especially the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts (MCCLA).

And this year, the MCCLA is presenting a spectacular Dia de los Muertos shrine in SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1.

The shrine can be seen through November 10. Passengers will also be treated to music performances celebrating from October 26 – 28 and from November 2 – 4. The bands will perform multiple sets between 11 am and 3 pm each day.

Here are some details about the performers:

Wednesday, October 26: La Melodía de Cristo 
Representing Guatemala with joy and love in Cumbia, Merengue, Salsa, and Bachata.
 
Thursday, October 27: Colectivo CalleSon
A community of musicians, singers, dancers, cooks, and poets that uphold and help sustain southern Mexico’s Son Jarocho tradition.

Friday, October 28: Tradición Peruana Cultural Center 
Music and dance celebrating the rich diversity of art from Peruvian cultures in the Bay Area and beyond.

Wednesday, November 2: Anthony Blea Afro-Cuban Quartet
Violinist Anthony Blea and his talented bandmates play danceable, infectious Afro-Cuban beats. 

Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4: Cascada de Flores
A bi-national collection of musicians who find the joy of creation, individual expression, and musical communication within Mexican and Latin traditions.

.

Unpacking SFO’s Dia de los Muertos altar


Dia de los Muertos marks a trio of events during which it is believed the spirits of children, adults, and all the dead return.

To welcome those spirits, the living create “ofrendas” or altars with items representative of the deceased person’s favorite foods and activities. Items to help the spirits continue their journeys are added as well.

SFO Airport and San Francisco’s Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts share these tips on how to ‘read’ the three-tier altar, which represents three planes of existence: the sky, the earth, and the underworld.

The heart: The heart is a sacred symbol in Mexican art, representing divine love.

Marigolds: These bold, orange flowers are sometimes called “Flor de Muerto” or “flowers of the dead.” Their scent helps to attract souls to the altar. 

Papel picado: Beautiful and intricately cut tissue paper banners are light enough to blow in the breeze when spirits arrive in this world. Their delicate nature symbolizes the fragility of life.

Alebrije animals: Traditional in Mexican art, these fantastical creatures combine the features and characteristics of various animals.

Photos and personal items: Photos of the deceased draw their spirit to the altar, as do personal items that were important during their lives on earth. 

Water, pan de muerto, and other food:  “Bread of the Dead” (pan de muerto) in the shape of bones or skulls is included with the deceased’s favorite foods to nourish their spirit upon return to the land of the living. Water is placed on the altar to quench their thirst after a long journey.

Candles: Candlelight illuminates the path home for returning spirits.

Salt: Often shaped into a cross, salt purifies spirits as they cross into the realm of the living. 

Copal incense burner: Derived from the copal tree, the incense purifies spirits and elevates the prayers of the living.

Airport Amenity of the Week: SFO’s Golden Gate Park ‘activation’

Music, ,

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has an ongoing program celebrating the city’s neighborhoods and cultural events.

The newest activation shines a light on the rich history of live music performances in Golden Gate Park with a photo essay, live performances, and a photo station in Terminal 3, Boarding Area F.

“From Jimi Hendrix in the 1960s to Lizzo in the 2020s; from the Summer of Love to Outside Lands and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Golden Gate Park has long been a Bay Area epicenter of music and culture,” SFO reminds us.

The new activation, SFO Celebrates: Music in Golden Gate Park will feature live music performances on August 26th and September 1st & 2nd.

On a stage near the F Food Court, there’s a two-sided backdrop where travelers can put themselves into the picture with the Grateful Dead in the 1960s or with Billie Eilish today.

And there’s a photo Exhibition in the F Concourse along the moving walkway, featuring photos of memorable performances in Golden Gate Park that have taken place over the past 60 years.

Airline aprons. The kind you wear.

Fashion, , , ,

We’re big fans of the treasures in the collection of the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

And of the museum’s searchable online database.

This tweet, about the museum’s collection of more than 100 flight attendant smocks and aprons sent the Stuck at the Airport fashion reporter down a very deep rabbit hole checking out the fashions.

We love this 1980s-era apron from Japan Airlines

And this one from Western Airlines. Also from the 1980s.

And check out this Delta Air Lines apron from 1973.