Airport Check-in: Heathrow to grow
Roger Yu, USA TODAY, 11/26/2007 (excerpted)
LONDON
The British government unveiled plans last week to add a third runway and a sixth terminal at London Heathrow by 2020. The proposal would permit nearly a 50% increase in the number of flights at one of the world's busiest airports.
Calling it the country's "main gateway to the global economy," Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly said in a statement that expansion is needed to serve a growing number of passengers and spur economic growth. The plans face stiff resistance, because building a new terminal would require demolition of a nearby village and force thousands of residents to move.
The airport serves about 68 million fliers a year but is designed for about 48 million. BAA, the private company that operates Heathrow, plans to open a fifth terminal in March.
LOUISVILLE: $20-a-day valet parking makes its debut
Louisville International now has more parking options. The airport recently joined a growing list of airports that provide valet parking.
Passengers can drop off and pick up their cars at the upper-level roadway at the west end of the main terminal. The cars are parked in the covered garage. The service is available from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m. and costs $20 per day through May 1. The rate will then increase to $22.
It also created a credit card-only parking lot at the east of the terminal. There is no shuttle service to the lot, which is within walking distance to the main terminal.
DETROIT: Drivers get new cellphone lot for waiting
Detroit Metro's McNamara Terminal has a new cellphone lot. The 50-space lot replaces the waiting area along Dingell Drive that the drivers have been using to wait for their arriving parties.
The new lot is on the south side of Eureka Road between I-275 and the airport entrance ramp. The lot is clearly marked. Motorists must remain in their vehicles. There is also a smaller cellphone lot on the north side of the airport.
ONTARIO: Airport may waive fees to get more flights
LA/Ontario International, about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, may waive landing fees to attract more flights. A preliminary plan calls for waiving landing fees at the airport for six months for new domestic flights and 12 months for international flights. The plan could be put into effect early next year. LA/Ontario is one of most expensive airports in Southern California for airlines.
The airport recently changed its name to LA/Ontario International to market its proximity to Los Angeles.