Airport Dog Parks

 

Thanks to a mandate issued last may by the U.S. Department of Transportation, airlines are required to provide relief areas for service animals like guide dogs. Airports are beginning to go beyond the minimum requirements, developing  off-leash dog-parks that are open to all travelers and their four legged friends. Here are just a few:

-Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International: 1,000-square-feet of landscaped off-leash rest area, located steps away from Delta’s check-in desk. The most elaborate park yet, this area has flowers, grass, benches, biodegradable waste bags, and dog sculptures made from scrap metal.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Flickr

- San Francisco International Airport: Two outside relief areas located near Terminals 1 and 3 baggage claims. Drinking bowls and “mutt mitts” (high-tech poop bags) are available as well.

- Philadelphia International Airport: Seven off-leash areas with mulch surfaces and biodegradable waste bags. Humans will enjoy the relaxation bench, while dogs will enjoy the faux fire hydrant and concrete paw print.

- The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport: Two gated outdoor rest areas, in the Main and East terminals.

Tracey Thompson, owner of PetFriendlyTravel.com, has compiled a list of nearly 50 pet-friendly airports. She says “Airports are wise to tap into what pet owners want, since more travelers are paying to carry their small pets with them on the plane.”

For more pet-friendly travel tips, check out the Pet Travel section of our blog!

Sonja Arrasi, Cruise & Travel Masters
800-264-0557
Join us on Facebook

For a Few Laughs, “Stuff Frequent Travelers Wish We Knew”

photo credit: pairody.com

Traveling can be crazy. Lets be honest…at times we feel like pulling our hair out! For these reasons  it is extremely important to plan ahead, keep your cool,  and when all else fails LAUGH!

I want to share with our clients and readers a perfect opportunity to laugh. Below are 12 hilarious travel scenarios we all can appreciate! These are from the article  “Stuff Frequent Travelers Wish We Knew“, created by White Elephant In The Room. Click here to read the entire article!

1)      Moving walkway standers must yield to walkers who must yield to those with rolling briefcases who must yield to children going the wrong way.

2)      TSA totally gets that your hula-hooped sized earrings didn’t set off the metal detectors in Denver – just take them off anyways.

3)      If you’re hogging the charging station with your laptop, iPad, and Blackberry, where am I supposed to plug in my lava lamp and hair dryer?

4)      Fish weren’t meant to fly. Unless you’ve brought enough to share with the group, we politely ask you to surrender your sushi or tuna melt at the gate. Better yet, trade them in for an olfactory-friendly Cinnabon.

5)      Asking me to give up my aisle seat so you can sit with your buddy is like offering to trade me Baltic Ave for my hotel on Boardwalk.

6)      To avoid four hours of chit chat about how Continental’s peanuts beat United’s, the hierarchy of don’t-talk-to-me props goes: book, then headphones, then fake sleep. If you’re reading Sky Mall, you’re fair game.

7)      If you feel you’re being watched, please confirm: your seat assignment, the volume on your MP3 player, or that you’re not completing someone else’s Sudoku – in that order.

8)      That big blue cushion behind your head is completely, unarguably, 100% your territory. Feel free to jiggle it, shake it, and fall all over it when you get up to use the lavatory. But that big blue cushion in front of you? Hands off.

9)      Airplane lavatories are the scary back alley of an airplane that we only dare visit under extreme duress. Let’s keep the “graffiti” off the toilet seat.

10)   Getting a window-seater to the lavatory is like an awkwardly choreographed tango. No drink service for you.

11)   It may be called a carousel, but busting through the crowded plane to be front and center for your big red bag won’t get you off the ride any faster.

12)   When the plane finally lands after a long, turbulent journey, applaud. It makes people happy.

Try to remember this the next time you are sitting in front of a crying baby or when going through security. There are always going to be challenges when traveling so there will always be opportunities to laugh!

Sonja Nash, Cruise & Travel Masters
800-264-0557
Join us on Facebook

Liquid Scanner In Airports-Possibly in 2012?

 

Well, this could be a breath of  fresh air! Researchers at The University of California Davis have developed a way of scanning liquids that can distinguish ordinary liquids (water, soda, shaving cream, etc.) from explosives.

Why isn’t it up and running yet? Well, as the video shows, it takes about 5 minutes to scan the material and they are working to reduce that time to 5 seconds. There is talk of it possibly being ready next year!  Wahoo!

Sonja Nash, Cruise & Travel Masters
800-264-0557
Join us on Facebook