Thanksgiving travel

Free airport cab rides. Turkey Day at MIA, Santa at IND

ground transporation, Holidays, , ,

Getting ready for Thanksgiving travel? Here a few things that may help.

The folks at Shairporter – a new cab-sharing social platform – is promoting its New York City launch by giving away free cab rides on November 21 to New Yorkers traveling to the airport who register their ride through the Shairporter platform.

If you’re traveling through the Miami International Airport on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday, November 19-21 or on Saturday and Sunday, November 24th and 25th, you’ll find activities underway that include a DJ, Pilgrim and Indian greeters, a kids craft station, a stilt-walking scarecrow, giveaways and a harvest background for taking photos. Here’s a link to the list of events and a sheet of coupons for the shops and restaurants.

And if you’re at Indianapolis International Airport on Saturday, November 24th, keep an eye out for Santa. He’ll be arriving on a giant fire and rescue truck (the reindeer only work on Christmas Eve) and once in the terminal, he’ll be hanging around the pre-security Civic Plaza from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. overseeing activities that include taking pictures with kids, holiday decoration-making stations, and photos and autograph opportunities with the Indianapolis Pacers Pacemates and Rowdie Claus from the Indianapolis Indians

Musical help for Thanksgiving travel

Air Travel, Entertainment, , ,

Are you traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday?

You certainly won’t be alone.

And, at many airports, you won’t be bored.

That’s because a full schedule of holiday music, entertainment and special events is scheduled to take place in terminals and concourses around the country.

One example:

San Francisco International Airport’s You Are Hear series, kicks off Wednesday, November 23rd, with performances from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in three different spots in the airport: Bart Davenport, a pop & soul singer/songwriter, will be in Terminal 1; the Nice Guy Trio will perform jazz and world music in Terminal 2; and the Del Sol Quartet will offer new classical music in the International Terminal.

Not traveling to or though SFO? Many other airports are offering holiday entertainment, shopping promotions, free gift wrapping and other events as well. Check your airport’s website, or check back here for more listings throughout the week.

 

 

Holiday treats for air travelers

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Thanksgiving vintage postcard

Lines will be long, tempers will be short, but there will be some entertainment at many airports this holiday weekend.

Rockettes in green holiday outfits

On Wednesday (November 24th) four members of the world-famous Rockettes (not necessarily the Rockettes pictured above) will pose for photographs with holiday travelers at Nashville International Airport (BNA) from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the ticketing and baggage claim areas.

Rockettes vintage photo

Wednesday is also Passenger Appreciation Day at Philadelphia International Airport. Entertainment will include strolling entertainment, a PGA Tour Shop putting competition, Body Shop makeovers and skin consultations for men and women and food sampling – including the distribution of 2500 TaskyKakes in the B/C Food Court between noon and 5 p.m.

PHL TastyKakes

In Chicago, blues and jazz bands will perform at O’Hare International Airport on Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. Look for stages beyond the security checkpoints in each domestic terminal and in the Arrivals Level of International Terminal 5.  Staff from the Chicago Children’s Museum will also be on hand to host special activities in the “Kids on the Fly” play area in Terminal 2 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Kids on the fly

At Chicago Midway Airport on Wednesday, there will be live entertainment in the Baggage Claim area from 2 to 5 pm and, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., complimentary hot cocoa just past the security checkpoint. (Look for hot cocoa on Sunday as well.)

The Thanksgiving music series at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport concludes today (Wednesday) with a performance by Johnny Roquemore and the Apostles of Bluegrass from 5 to 7 pm in the Atrium.

And on Thanksgiving Day, travelers flying on Southwest Airlines will be served a complimentary adult drink!

Happy Thanksgiving. Going anywhere?

Holidays,

Go ahead, worry about economy, but don’t sweat about traveling this weekend.

That’s my message and I was sticking to it yesterday with everyone who called me seeking advice, including the folks at Luxaholics.com ( “It’s about luxury for less” – who wouldn’t want that?) They wanted me to choose five “top” tips from my 15-point Guide to Stress-Free Holiday Travel on MSNBC.com.

Let’s give travel thanks for ….

Economy, Holidays

The economy may be tanking, but right now a tank of gas costs way less than it did last year at this time. As I prep for my Thanksgiving trek, I’m thankful for that. Travel-wise, this year, I’m also grateful for:

City bus drivers who wait a few extra seconds before pulling away from the curb so that folks running for the bus can hop on;

States that have saved lives by passing laws requiring hands-free headsets for drivers using cell phones – and for the states that will soon do so;

TSA-approved laptop cases, airports with free wireless Internet access, and the blossoming of free power charging stations in the terminals and;

The United Airlines ticket counter agents at the Montreal Airport who went way out of their way this past summer to help me get a retiring guide-dog to her adopted family in Seattle.

This past year I was also delighted to find healthy dining options at airports; truly quiet “quiet cars” on commuter trains; and plenty of smoke-free hotel rooms that, once I was all settled in, didn’t turn out to smell like smoke after all.

I’m not the only thankful traveler. Here’s a link to my MSNBC.com Well Mannered Traveler column that’s full of travel gratitudes from others.

Free free to add your own.

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Guide to stress-free holiday travel

Holidays

With the economy in a tizzy, everyone is cutting back on just about everything, including travel.

But don’t let that lull you into thinking everyone but you will be staying home this holiday season.

Even in tough economic times – or maybe because of tough economic times – people gather together for the holidays. So planes, trains, buses and highways will be full. Lines will be long. And tempers could be short.

Which is why you might need the 15-point Guide to Stress-Free Holiday Travel that I put together for MSNBC.com.

When you’ve read through those tips, check out the cool “getting to Grandma‘ feature MSNBC.com put together about how culture – and Thanksgiving costs – have changed over the past 50 years.