Why I Love Bradley Best of All

The other day I flew in and out of my favorite airport, Hartford/Springfield's Bradley International. The reasons I love it is because of its location just off Interstate 91. There is virtually never any traffic going in or going out.

If I were to travel out of the next nearest airport, Boston's Logan International, there would be an inevitable traffic delay getting in, although it is a little better now that the Ted Williams Tunnel is in service. Still, when I see those red taillights up ahead and I've got a plane to catch, it makes me anxious.

And then when you get to Logan, where do you park? The parking lots all cost a minimum of about $16.50 per day. And they are located relatively far away from the airport.

Contrast this with Bradley: No traffic, and there are parking lots that offer $4.95 per day parking, and it is just a nicer experience overall. And where I park, they warm up my car and pull it right out front for me so it's ready to zoom away quickly.

But more often than Boston, a trip is departing out of JFK in New York. Ugh. That means the bumpy Cross Bronx Expressway, parking at the terminal lot for $15 per day, and the worst part of it is, I often lose track of where my car was parked since the lot is so damn big. That is the huge downside of using the 'economy lot' at JFK. It's very easy to forget where you parked. It might be a good idea to photograph where you left your vehicle, so that when you get back you can find your car.

Next month I am flying to Medellin, Colombia on business. Thank god my ticket starts in Hartford, my favorite airport.

Now You Can Fly Direct to Santa Fe from LA & Dallas

The New Mexican reports that air travelers going to and leaving from Santa Fe will have new options starting soon. The popular tourist destination will soon have direct air service from LA and Dallas.

"American Eagle Airlines, a regional carrier, is scheduled to operate daily flights to and from American Airlines’ hub in Dallas and weekend flights to and from Los Angeles, a Monday announcement said.

The announcement came just over a month after federal regulators upgraded the Santa Fe airport’s certification to allow commercial planes carrying more than 30 passengers.

The new flights will use 44-seat Embraer ERJ-140 jets. Airport Manager Jim Montman anticipates the Brazilian manufacturer’s jets will be quieter or no noisier than planes now flying into the airport.

A city-funded study earlier this year found Los Angeles and Dallas were two of the most requested destinations for which businesses and government agencies wanted direct access from Santa Fe. Currently, air travelers must make the hourlong highway trip to Albuquerque to board scheduled direct service to Dallas or Los Angeles.

However, Santa Fe flights, in addition to offering potential time savings and convenience, could allow travelers to avoid some ground transportation costs, such as gasoline expenses.

For those leaving a vehicle at the airport, parking currently costs $3 a day at the Santa Fe Airport, according to the airport’s Web site, which is cheaper than daily rates charged at the Albuquerque airport. But if you have to park in Albuquerque, you should visit Airport Parking Reservations because you'll find cheaper off-airport parking than at the airport.

“This is very good news for Santa Fe residents, business people and visitors,” Mayor David Coss said. “Greater travel opportunities through this American Airlines/American Eagle service will enhance the city’s economic development plan and give added travel options to Santa Feans.”

Even on Wednesday

In a record-setting summer for air travel, airports are getting more and more crowded all the time -- even during the middle of the week.

Jim Tharpe of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that low-priced midweek airfares, combined with the overall increase in traffic have eliminated the lull in traffic that Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport used to experience between peaks on Mondays and on weekends.

Airtran Airways spokesman Tad Hutcheson told Tharpe, "Wednesdays have become a very difficult time to find a parking place at the airport."

Tharpe also interviewed Patti Morgan, a frequent business traveler who switched from "always busy Mondays" to midweek, only to find the airport "significantly more crowded."

"Morgan said she missed a Tuesday flight in mid-June," Tharpe writes, "after she spent nearly an hour searching for a parking space."

Airports are responding to the increases in demand for parking with websites and information lines that tell you where you can probably get a space, but why not be certain and reserve a space with AirportParkingReservations.com?

After all, you never know when that sign is going to go up sending you off to the dreaded, not-so-easy-to-find "Lot B17."

The US is finally Realizing We Need Tourists

The AP reports that finally, some senators and others are calling for more spending and changing hostile policies to encourage foreigners to travel to the US.

Visits from the six countries that provide the most tourists — Britain, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea and Australia — have dropped 15 percent since 2000 while travel from those six to other countries was up a robust 39 percent.

There were 4.2 million arrivals from Britain, last year, down 11 percent from 2000, and 3.7 million visits from Japan, down 27 percent.

"It's a situation that really is disastrous when you take into account the overall global trends in international travel, and the fact that the U.S. currency makes travel to the country so attractive," said Adam Sacks, managing director for tourism economics at Oxford Economics. The weakening of the dollar against the euro and other currencies makes the money of foreign tourists go further.

Oxford Economics, in a recent analysis of travel policies written with former Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge, said the 17 percent drop in visits since 2000 has cost the United States $100 billion in lost visitor spending, almost 200,000 jobs and $16 billion in lost tax receipts.

It noted that the United States is the only global destination without an ongoing program to promote itself. Greece spends $150 million a year, Australia $113 million and Britain $90 million.

"We have lacked a coordinated program to promote travel to our country," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., one of the sponsors of the Senate bill.

The new corporation envisioned by the bill would be funded by industry contributions and a $10 user fee levied on travelers from the 27 countries participating in a visa waiver program with the United States.

"Unfortunately the first three hours" — trying to get through customs — "is creating a poor impression and becoming a great barrier to coming," Freeman said. European papers are "filled with horror stories about why you don't want to come to the U.S."

Entry problems are hardly confined to tourists. Investors from countries such as Brazil or India, where it can take months to get a visa, may take their business elsewhere. People willing to pay considerable amounts to study in the United States or receive medical treatment here may consider other options.

The Oxford study recommended that the United States expand the visa waiver program and apply the proposed $10 visa waiver fee to both promotion and entry security improvements including hiring more border and customs officers.

It said such steps could increase overseas travel to this country by nearly 1.6 million visitors a year, and yield $8 billion in new visitor spending and $850 million in federal tax revenue.

The Registered Traveler Slides By Easy

The Registered Traveler concept is one that makes many frequent fliers jealous. That's because most of us hate waiting in the lines and feel intimidated by the uniformed and usually harsh TSA officials who make us take off our shoes and remove all items from our pockets.

I always feel like I am a guilty prisoner reporting to jail instead of a traveler about to embark on an exciting trip. In Atlanta the airport officials are gearing up to institute the program. Atlanta's Journal Constitution had more details on how it works.

" Passengers pay an annual fee and undergo an extensive background check by TSA (Transportation Security Administration). Unique biometric information (usually fingerprint and iris data) is encoded into a high-tech card. At the airport, passengers enter a specially designated security lane.

At a kiosk, the biometric card is inserted into a reader. Passenger is prompted to place finger on the fingerprint reader or look into the iris reader, and biometrics are checked against the card.
Attendants assist passengers with laptop computers and other items that must be X-rayed.

The company that runs a registered traveler program at nine airports across the nation will propose a Hartsfield-Jackson lane with special shoe-scanning equipment that allows travelers to keep their shoes on. Steven Brill, CEO of Verified Identity Pass Inc., said his company's CLEAR program is also testing equipment that will let passengers retain their coats — equipment he hopes to have in place by Labor Day. CLEAR runs airport programs at JFK International, San Jose, Indianapolis, Little Rock, Newark, Westchester, Albany (N.Y.) and Cincinnati.

Unisys Corp. last month launched registered traveler lanes at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, its first airport operation. Unisys spokeswoman Lisa Meyer said the company has signed up "several hundred" Reno customers in its first month of operation and plans to bid on the Hartsfield-Jackson program."

Sacramento Forges Ahead with Airport Expansion

Airport expansions are necessary and almost always raise neighborhood hackles. It must be tough being an airport administrator and having to feel heat for a mere mention of more runways, more parking spaces and expanded service. It seems like the people who want better service are never the people who live next door to the airport. And if it isn't the people, it's the birds who need to be considered.

In Sacramento, the Board of Supervisors have endorsed a plan for a $1 billion expansion of their International airport. A major new terminal and a new parking lot will be part of the project.

The Sacbee had this report: "Airport officials cleared another potential stumbling block in reaching an agreement with environmentalists to permanently set aside 1 acre of new hawk foraging habitat for every acre of hawk habitat destroyed by the expansion.

Initially, airport officials expected to set aside land at a 3/4-acre to 1-acre ratio. Jim Pachl and Jude Lamare, both of Friends of the Swainson's Hawk, balked, citing county codes requiring one-to-one habitat replacement.

"We showed them they were wrong," Pachl said.

County officials also must receive federal environmental clearances, which they hope to get by the end of the year. The airport, which hit the million-flier mark for the first time in June, is planning the biggest overhaul and expansion in its history.

Park at the BART Lot & Lug Your Bags--Ugh!

In San Francisco, a plan by some Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations to offer long-term airport parking is getting many travelers revved up. The premise of being able to park for $6 a day is getting their attention.

But even if the parking is eventually offered at BART stations, how many air travelers are willing to schlepp their luggage from their cars on the trains all the way to SFO? In this parker's experience, mass transit and airport parking don't always mix. Dragging suitcases and toting carry-ons and briefcases just isn't fun, and so this proposal sounds like it will only appeal to those who are looking for a super parking bargain. I'd rather pay a little more at the lot and take a shuttle bus with all of my stuff. Plus the drivers always have a few good war stories to share.

Local off airport parking lot operators could lose a lot of business if the proposal goes through. And that means local governments will also lose tax revenues as well.

The questions regulators are considering are whether the new parking will be used by BART customers or by the general public. BART will offer up to 100 spaces in the Colma, South San Francisco and San Bruno stations and up to 200 at Millbrae station.

Registered Travelers Might Speed Up the Line

The Registered Traveler program is being expanded to cover more than 20 major airports around the US from the current six airports. This some have said could be an "EZ PASS" for Airport Security. CBS News had this information in their special report.

To become a Registered Traveler, a passenger must pay a one-time fee of US$100, go through a background check and a biometric iris scan. On average, RT lanes can process three times more people than normal security lines.

With planes packed to record capacity and security concerns heightened after the foiled terrorist attacks in Britain, the expansion of the registered traveler (RT) program at least may give passengers something to look forward to as they pad barefoot through metal detectors this summer.

Some analysts say the RT program could spur a series of new conveniences at airports, such as special RT parking lots and waiting rooms. Eventually, RT cards could be used to ease screening logjams at places like sports stadiums and large concerts, they say.

But many see another benefit to RT: It could help struggling airlines improve their bottom lines by cutting the hassle factor enough to entice more people back to the air.

"The most profound aspect of this could be its impact on airlines' revenues, profits, and share prices," says Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition in Radnor, Pa. "That's because the last six passengers generally make a difference between profit and loss on a given flight and, since 9/11, there's been a falloff in business travel that's never rebounded."


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RIde the Future on a Hydrogen Powered Airport Shuttle Bus

The AP has this story today about Ford's 12-passenger airport parking lot shuttle buses, that operate on an engine powered by hydrogen.

"We really believe this technology is ready to be evaluated at the consumer level," John Lapetz, the company's program manager for the buses, told reporters on Tuesday at an event staged to tout Ford's future vehicles.

About 30 E-450 Hydrogen shuttle buses are working across the U.S. and Canada, and Ford engineers are monitoring them electronically in real time, Lapetz said. The vehicles, powered by a modified gasoline engine, have near zero emissions and get up to 13 percent better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts, he said.

Lapetz said Ford has the ability to bring internal combustion hydrogen technology to market in cars within five years. But that's only if fuel storage limitations can be solved, public fear of hydrogen can be allayed, filling stations set up, and gas prices stay high.

That time frame is reasonable, Gurpreet Singh, team leader for engine and emission control technologies with the U.S. Department of Energy, said Tuesday.

"You're taking the base gasoline engine and modifying that. You don't need to have anything that's very exotic," he said.

The Energy Department also says hydrogen can be used as safely as other common fuels if handled properly. The buses' range is limited to 150-200 miles by fuel storage technology, and they cost far more than the roughly $70,000 Ford charges for shuttles powered by gas engines.

Despite the small amount of pollution, the internal combustion hydrogen engines have another advantage, and that is a far lower cost than fuel cells, Lapetz said.

"It doesn't have the sizzle of a fuel cell, but it's got the steak of the meal," he said.

Buying and Selling Used Books in Airports

Harriet Baskas writes in USA TODAY about a few airports that have honest to goodness independent book sellers, who offer air travelers something a bit different from the big chains--Used books!

Portland, Ore.

A selection of used books is mixed in among the new at Powell's Books at Portland International. Headquartered in downtown Portland, Powell's has three branches at the airport: one in the pre-security Oregon Market area and smaller outlets on Concourses C and D.

Powell's airport store manager, Martin Barrett, says travelers can stop by the pre-security store to sell or trade as many as three books at a time. Anyone with more than three books to sell or swap must drop them off and return a day or two later for a tally.

"A lot of airport employees and airline crewmembers take advantage of this," says Barrett, but if a passenger shows up with a suitcase full of books to swap, that's fine, too. His book-shopping at airports hasn't always been that satisfactory.

He recalls a long delay at the Kansas City airport, where the book selection was limited to the five leaders in each category of the New York Times best sellers list, "and then about 10 different versions of The Wizard of Oz."

Milwaukee

Opened about 30 years ago, the Renaissance Book Shop at General Mitchell International Airport may be the oldest used bookstore in an airport.

Located pre-security, the store's shelves are crammed with 40,000 to 50,000 books — everything from general fiction and biography to local and regional history. There are also back copies of Life magazine.

Dave Long, a staff member at the bookstore for more than 25 years, says customers include frequent travelers, "meeters and greeters" and folks who come to the airport just to browse."I leave extra room in my luggage, planning on it," she says.

The Renaissance Book Shop doesn't buy used books at its airport store. It does offer a voucher for two hours of free parking to anyone who spends at least $15 in the store.

Raleigh-Durham

In North Carolina, it's a reader's paradise at Raleigh-Durham International. New books are sold at Borders (BGP), Hudson News & Books, CNBC, Press Plus and other retail outlets. But there are about 8,000 used books for sale at 23-year-old 2nd ed. Booksellers, a shop owned by Walter and Karen High.

Walter High says the shop sells about 60,000 books a year. "The selection is outstanding, especially considering the (small) size of the store," says Packman.

"My only complaint is that they do not have one in the other terminal."

"And let's face it: It gets kind of tiring see the same best sellers in all the other bookstores that sell only new books. I just wish every airport had a used bookstore."

I Wanna Fly on the Dreamliner--Please!

Sunday was a great day for anyone who flies or who loves airplanes. That's because Boeing rolled out its newest lightest, most fuel efficient plane ever--the 787 Dreamliner. The Register in the UK had this to say about this plane that has already gotten 677 orders from 47 airlines and will begin flying in August.

The plane uses 20 percent less fuel, and is much quieter than any other plane. The secret is what it's made of....instead of aircraft aluminum, the plane is mostly composite materials, and instead of 50,000 rivets, it's made in huge pieces.

Another innovation is that the cabin pressure will be much lower, it will be like flying at an altitude of 6000 instead of 31,000 feet. Usually the cabin pressure is about 7-8000 feet, after a few hours, fatigue and dryness set in. This will make a big difference to passengers.

On the Today Show this morning, one reporter surmised that this plane is more than just fuel efficient and comfy. It might just be a reason to fly a particular airline. Now instead of just flying whatever airline is cheaper, you might want to pick the carrier who has a Dreamliner flying your way. Soon there will be cellphone service and internet in the skies as well.

One last thing--the windows. The Dreamliner's windows can be lightened or darkened by the touch of a button, no longer will it be 'shade up or down.' And they even put a window in the lavatories!

In John Smeaton's Words: 'We'll Just Set Aboot Ye!'

In today's WSJ, a hero was described in the wake of the Glasgow Airport car bombing. "Baggage handler John Smeaton was standing in front of the airport smoking a cigarette when a Jeep Cherokee burst into flames nearby. He watched the burning driver emerge. A police officer pursued the passenger who he saw hitting the cop. When he saw what was happening, he ran over and kicked the assailant.

"You come to Glasgow, we don't stand for it," he told Australia's Channel 7 news, (they subtitled the interview due to his thick brogue). "We'll just set aboot ye," he said. Later this new hero was dubbed "Smeato" on a website devoted to him. The site asks Britons to buy him a pint in a local Airport hotel pub. So far the site has raised $9,000 towards Mr Smeaton's beer fund.

There are also, of course, tee shirts. They say What Would John Smeaton Do?" The city has been fighting a perception as a tough city, and suffers from a violent reputation. The denizens here love the way Smeaton symbolizes their character: "rough and ready," says Brian Jagger a mechanic. "I don't know him but I'm definitely proud of him. And I would have done the same."

Dubliner Says "If We Worry, They Win"

With the terrorist acts in Glasgow and the attempted car bombings in London, even sleepy Burlington Vermont is beefing up airport security.

Jill Fahy writes in the Burlington Free Press that travelers passing through the small airport this week aren't going to encounter bomb-sniffing dogs or machine gun-toting police, but an increased law enforcement and security presence is reserved for times of busier holiday travel and heightened alert.

Early Tuesday morning, as holiday travelers waited for their flights out of Burlington, the subtle signs of this increased security presence were evident: Burlington police officers were assigned patrol duty; their cruisers were among the first vehicles travelers saw as they rounded the drive past the terminal. Outside the terminal, a Transportation Security Administration worker normally assigned as a baggage handler stood on the curb facing the airport's parking garage.

"I'm here to make sure cars aren't parking in front of the airport," said TSA Officer Zach Edgerley. "It's to let everyone know that we're out here."

Ann Davis, spokeswoman for TSA, said U.S. airports intend to maintain a security presence throughout the week.

Texan Ron Hollaway sat alone in a far corner of the Burlington airport Tuesday, waiting for a 9 a.m. flight to Dallas via Cincinnati and New Orleans. A frequent flier who makes his living on the road, Hollaway said he wasn't going to let the threat of terrorism spoil his holiday with family in Canton, Texas.

"I ain't got no reason right now to be worried about it, but if it happens it happens," Hollaway said. Flooding in his home state is more of a concern right now, he said.

Ronan Farrell of Dublin, Ireland, and his wife were on their way home after a week in the States and Montreal. Farrell said he was more concerned about delays brought on by the additional security than with terrorism.

"I grew up in a country that's rooted in terrorism," Farrell said, "so I know the more you sit around and worry about it, the bigger it becomes and you're letting them win."

Watch Out, Logan, Bradley is Coming Up Fast!

In an editorial in the Republican, the editors come out swinging in support of their local airport, Bradley.

"It might take some time before Bradley International Airport's new daily non-stop service to Amsterdam can compete with Boston's Logan Airport or New York's JFK. But a group of local business leaders and elected officials on Sunday's Northwest Airlines inaugural flight from Windsor Locks is hoping to give the major metropolitan airports a run for their money.

The group of about a dozen Western Massachusetts tourism and government officials and 50 of their counterparts from Hartford and elsewhere in Connecticut made the Northwest-KLM flight with a mission to introduce the Springfield-Hartford region to European business and pleasure travelers.

Allan W. Blair, president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts, hopes to forge ties with European companies that might work with local companies in such clusters as machinery and manufacturing and the biotech and the pharmaceutical industries.

Although a lot of European companies are interested in Massachusetts because of its reputation as a research and development center, many are unaware of the character and cost advantages of Western New England and the so-called Knowledge Corridor between Springfield and Hartford. European companies inaccurately equate the costs of Boston or New York with doing business in New England, Blair said. This trip is a chance to open their eyes.

Mary Kay Wydra, president of the Greater Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Joseph E. Carvahlo III, president of the Springfield Museums Association, and Peter Rosskothen, co-owner of the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House and the Delaney House, will make presentations to tour operators in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and in nearby Dusseldorf, Germany.

Local officials are in a position to begin a beautiful friendship between the Pioneer Valley and the 144 European and Middle Eastern cities that are an easy flight from Amsterdam. Wish them luck and a safe return.

Look out Logan and JFK. Bradley International Airport is coming up in the rear-view mirror.

What Better Reason to Reserve a Space Ahead?

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that people are finding out the hard way that they should have reserved a space for airport parking before they went to the airport.

It's summertime, and the airport parking ain't easy.

Travelers flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in recent days have found few parking spaces at the airport itself, while others have confronted crowded-to-full private lots along Camp Creek Parkway.

About 85 million people use the airport, the world's busiest, each year. About 30 million of those will crowd the concourses during the summer travel season.

"We're seeing a big summer push this year," said airport spokesman Herschel Grangent. "Some days, we've had all our spaces taken in long-term parking."

An upswing in seasonal travel, partially fueled by midweek specials offered by some airlines, has pushed always-tight airport parking to the limit and some travelers to the brink.

Patti Morgan of east Cobb County said she missed a June 19 flight because of airport parking woes. Morgan, who owns a construction company, got to Hartsfield-Jackson about 3:30 p.m. for a 5 p.m. flight to Jacksonville.

She wanted to park in one of the long-term economy lots, but signs indicated the lots were full. In desperation, Morgan attempted to park in a more expensive hourly lot. "I drove around for 30 minutes and found nothing," Morgan said. She gave up on the airport lots and headed for the nearby private lots along Camp Creek Parkway. She finally found a spot there, but by the time she'd parked and taken a shuttle back to the airport she had missed her 50-minute flight.

"I was outraged," she said. "This has never happened to me before."

She could have just gone to the APR website and found many different lots that offered reservations...and not had to drive around looking.

Kennesaw resident Kyle Tatum said he did check the Web site Monday just before leaving his home to catch a 9:55 a.m. flight to Philadelphia. Tatum said the site indicated the long-term lots were open, but by the time he got to the airport they were full. He, too, finally ended up parking at a private lot on Camp Creek.

"I barely made my flight," he said. "It cost me a good 30 minutes looking for a spot."