Cut the TSA line AND get free food at DFW
A new amenity that may soon become an airport staple is a program that allows travelers to reserve a time to pass through the TSA checkpoint.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) offers this service – called SEA Spot Saver – from 4 am to noon – at several checkpoints.
Now Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is piloting a similar program.
Launched this week, the DFW Fast Pass program allows travelers who don’t have TSA Precheck or Clear to make a reservation to go to the front of the checkpoint line at the Terminal D checkpoint D18. There is no cost to use the service and reservations can be made up to 7 days in advance.
And, as a nice bonus, DFW is giving passengers who use the service a complementary food or retail offering (while supplies last).
DFW plug-in gates
As part of DFW’s Terminal C renovation, the airport shared a timelapse video of its “High C” gates being moved onto piers at the terminal. Take a look – this may be the way all airport terminals get built in the future.
Where We’d Go: The Pendleton Round-Up
Incorporating many community traditions and the dedication of hundreds of volunteers, the 111-year-old Pendleton Round-Up – one of the country’s oldest rodeos – is back this year and ready to roll in a tiny town in eastern Oregon that is so very Old West.
The festivities include Main Street Cowboy shows, an outdoor cowboy breakfast, and the Westward Ho! Parade, which may be the largest non-motorized parade in the U.S. The real action though is in the historic Pendleton Round-Up Arena, where the classic greeting isn’t ‘hello’ or even ‘howdy,’ but ‘Let’er Buck!” Events include Bareback Bronc Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, and Steer Roping, among others.
This rodeo even has its own whiskey. The multi-million-dollar annual licensing fee helps boost the rodeo’s operating budget and contributes to the economic well-being of Pendleton. The town has a year-round population of about 16,000 but welcomes more than 50,000 visitors during the Round-Up.