Airport Check-in
Roger Yu, USA TODAY, 3/3/2008 and 3/10/2008 (excerpted)
NEWARK: Continental Express flights on the move
Continental is relocating all of its Continental Express regional flights at Newark Liberty Airport to Terminal A and is consolidating all of its domestic mainline flights at Terminal C. Until the transition is completed in June, the regional flights may arrive and depart at either terminal.
Travelers may have to transfer between the terminals if they are making a connection. Those who have not cleared security can change terminals on the airport's AirTrain. Those who have cleared security can change terminals on shuttle buses that run between gates C-71 and A-28.
DENVER: VanityFair.com among blocked websites
Denver International's decision late last year to make its Wi-Fi service free was greeted with applause from its passengers. But the airport's purchase of software that blocks certain websites isn't sitting well with some travelers.
The airport says it blocks sites that contain "pornography, nudity, sexual material, provocative attire and incidental nudity."
But certain general-publication sites, such as VanityFair.com and Sports Illustrated (SI.com), are also blocked because of photos of models in swimsuits or other scantily clad figures.
"We do have a lot of families coming through," spokesman Jeff Green says. "We don't want people to be unknowingly subject to offensive material, especially children."
Green says the airport has received only two complaints, and may elect to remove certain websites from the banned list if they're subsequently deemed appropriate for families.
CHICAGO: ATA will stop serving Chicago soon
ATA Airlines is leaving Chicago's Midway Airport. The airline will end all its domestic flights on April 14 and international flights to Mexico on June 7. All customers now booked on discontinued ATA flights will receive refunds, the airline says. ATA's decision to end Chicago service follows the carrier's move late last year to give up lucrative landing rights at both New York LaGuardia and Ronald Reagan Washington National airports.
"This was a difficult decision, but the high cost of fuel has made it economically unfeasible to continue," said ATA executive Rob Binns in a statement.
ATA has operated a hub at Midway since 1992. It currently flies from Midway to Oakland and Dallas, as well as Cancun and Guadalajara in Mexico.
Karen Pride, spokeswoman for the Chicago Department of Aviation, says the airport hasn't determined how it will redistribute ATA's gates.
SEOUL: Incheon voted world's best airport
Seoul's Incheon International is the world's best airport, says a recent service-quality survey by Geneva-based Airports Council International. Among the airport's unique amenities are Korean-style spas, a hospital and pharmacy, upscale shops, a golf course and day trips to nearby tourist attractions such as Panmunjom, the heavily fortified region north of Seoul that borders North Korea.
Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were ranked second and third, respectively. The survey is based on the responses of about 200,000 passengers in 2007. In North America, Dallas/Fort Worth was ranked at the top, followed by Canadian airports in Halifax and Ottawa.
ATLANTA: New international terminal coming
Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson unveiled last week its plans for a new international terminal. The 1.2 million-square-foot complex, scheduled to open in 2011, will largely replace the airport's current international operations at Concourse E.
The new facility will have 12 international gates and a 1,100-space parking facility. Labeled Concourse F, but formally named Maynard Holbrook Jackson Jr. International Terminal after the late mayor of the city, the glass-walled building will provide a sweeping view of the Atlanta skyline.
The $1.6 billion terminal will be connected to Concourse E by the airport's underground rail system and have its own curbside drop-off and pickup.
The new design will also eliminate one of the most persistent complaints at the airport: Arriving international passengers now have to recheck their bags once they clear customs, then ride the train or take a long walk to the main terminal to reclaim their bags at the main baggage claim.
LOS ANGELES: Pilots to get warning lights on runways
Los Angeles International and the Federal Aviation Administration plan to install a lighting system that warns pilots about potential runway incursions. Set to begin testing early next year, it uses red lights to warn pilots if it is unsafe to cross or enter a runway. LAX has had some of the highest numbers of runway incursions in recent years in the USA. The FAA has been testing the system at Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego and is considering installing it at other airports.
BURBANK, CALIF.: Fliers with small carry-ons get own lane
Passengers with carry-ons that fit under an airline seat can now whoosh through security at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Calif. The Zip Lane is open 6 to 8 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. The Transportation Security Administration plans to try the concept at other airports.