What’s the first thing you do at Las Vegas airport (IATA: LAS) after you checked in? Exactly: you spend those remaining dollars in one of the many slot machines throughout the terminals in order to try to recoup your losses during your stay in Sin City. Unfortunately this plan rarely works out and therefore you’re better off doing something else. So, how about recalling all the movies that were shot on location at McCarran International Airport?
It’s been another week full of planes for me. But this week I’ve actually been on the planes. I’ve travelled through 3 airports including one that I’ve been longing to review for quite some time: Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX). And I was lucky enough to meet up with the airport’s public relations person who gave me a fantastic tour through the airport and even showed me some real secrets of what to do when you have ample time at LAX. Watch this space for the detailed review!
This week for me has certainly been one surrounded by planes. However, it didn’t involve any flying. Puzzled? Alright, let me fill you in: I visited the 2011 Avalon International Airshow on 3 days. Where is Avalon? Glad you ask – Avalon (IATA: AVV) is a small regional airport about 60km South of Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city. Every other year Avalon hosts Australia’s largest International Airshow attracting Hundreds of Thousands of public and hundreds of industry & trade visitors from around the country and abroad. While I was hoping for a lot more civil aircraft demonstrations, the airshow otherwise lived up to the motto of “feel the power”: From a jet-engine-equipped glider, the always impressive Mustangs to the newest Royal Australian Air Force plane, the F/A-18F Super Hornet, if it had an engine and made a lot of noise, it was on display. My favourite bit though was the transport aircraft C27-J Spartan (pictured) flown by the Italian Air Force performing jaw-dropping manoeuvres and even included a roll!
This one was a rather eventful week for the world’s airports – at least by my news inbox measurements: We found out several interesting things, for example, that Los Angeles Airport (IATA: LAX) is the only airport with a hit song according to the airport’s media department. It’s a bit dated if you ask me, but hey, it’s a proper song! You can listen to it here. Maybe that was why I chose to fly through LAX on my next trip and therefore wrote up the first part of how to properly research an airport.
It’s the second week of our newly created section and I always knew this would happen at some point: there’s that odd week where not much happens. But don’t worry, this wouldn’t be LateDeparture if we hadn’t something to write about in style!
The first true late departure of the week was when a rat (yes, you read that right) delayed an Alaskan Airlines flight in Seattle (IATA: SEA). The Associated Press went on reporting that
[…]the flight from Seattle to Denver had just pulled away from the gate Thursday morning when the little stowaway was spotted. The 737 jetliner returned to the terminal and passengers and crew boarded another plane about 90 minutes later. Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan says the plane won’t be returned to service until maintenance workers make sure the rat didn’t damage equipment or chew any wires – and an exterminator certifies the plane is rodent-free.”
Well, if that wasn’t juicy news for you, I really don’t know!
Welcome to an entirely new section of LateDeparture! This little weekly review aims at giving you an overview of what happened in the world of airports over the past seven days; every week. Of course, in true LateDeparture fashion, I will specifically focus on airport developments and non-developments (read: delays). If, however, you’re after official on-time performance reports, you’re at the wrong spot. In that case you may want to try this site instead. Everyone else, please read on;-)
First of all, the harsh winter weather continued in many parts around the US and therefore added further delays across a number of US airports. Texas received a hit on Wednesday when more than 400 flights at Dallas-Ft. Worth International Airport (IATA: DFW) were cancelled as reported in the Wall Street Journal.
First the Super Bowl in Dallas and now the ATW Online Awards, what a week! Alright, in all fairness, I care as much about the Super Bowl as a child cares about a retirement fund. Put me aside, and it’s undoubtedly a massive event in the US. So what about the ATW Online Awards? Right. ATW stands for Air Transport World. According to their website, they “for nearly 47 years, Air Transport World […] has been the leading monthly magazine serving the needs of the global airline and commercial air transport manufacturing communities.” In this capacity they award the annual ATW’s Airline Industry Achievement Awards. The 37th award ceremony for this years winners is taking place tonight from 6pm local time in Washington, DC.
The calendar has just flipped to December and with that into the silly festive season building up to Christmas 2010. And, oh boy, does this mean a busy period for airports as Millions of people will be travelling to their loved ones or are escaping on to their long deserved vacation, away from it all. What ever it is, it means a lot of people’s choice of transport is a plane.
I must admit, I’m not the biggest fan of Google, but even I have to acknowledge that every now and then they provide some really great services. The latest one is their “free holiday Wi-Fi at 30,000 feet”. Google teamed up with AirTran, Delta and Virgin America to offer free Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi on every US domestic flight from 20 November 2010 through 2 January 2011. Continue reading Free “holiday Wi-Fi” on US domestic flights→
