Guns Still Not Allowed in Atlanta Airport

by Josh Lew on

A gun-rights organization called GeorgiaCarry has lost their suit against Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport. A recently passed state law allows licensed gun owners to carry their weapons on public transportation. The group went into court claiming that airports are “public transportation” areas as defined in the law.

GeorgiaCarry did not want the right to carry guns on airplanes. They simply wanted to be able to carry in non-secure parts of the airport like parking lots, baggage claim areas, and any other space that can be accessed without passing through airport security checkpoints.

Georgia Republican Governor Sonny Perdue claimed that his wife might want to pack heat as she walked from the parking lot to the terminal. (It was not clear why she would need to walk from the parking lot instead of being dropped off curbside in the governor’s limo).

Fortunately, there is no need to don your Kevlar vest if you are flying into or out of Hartsfield-Jackson. A district judge shot down GeorgiaCarry’s case, saying that allowing firearms inside airport grounds would be a significant risk to public safety.

Some state politicians and gun-rights groups vow to continue to press forward.

Denver group trying to allow pot smoking in airport lounges

by Grant Martin on

Denver recently approved a measure making possession of a small amount of marijuana legal, so the next logical step in opening places in which to smoke the reefer was obviously Denver International Airport. That’s what a group of activists called Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER) are trying to do.

Their argument is that it’s a great alternative to drinking at the airport, which often leads to stress, passengers flipping out and causing a ruckus aboard aircraft — things that we seem to report on weekly here at Gadling.

To that end I suppose they have a point, but for the fact that pot is still illegal on the state and federal levels, under which persons possessing can still be prosecuted.

However, in the farcical world where all good intentions lead to results, I can see a brave new world where passengers happily pile into a plane with zero legroom, no overhead space and 12$ soft drinks, happy as cows grazing in a pasture where children don’t cry and nobody cares if they can’t open their laptop on postage-stamp sized tray tables. Food sales onboard would skyrocket, complaints would plummet and the flight attendants would hug you instead of asking you to return your seat back to its upright and locked position.

The airlines should get behind this legislation immediately.

Man with gun and ammuntion arrested in Canadian airport

by Grant Martin on

Traveling with my parents to New York City this past weekend, my father was stopped at the security screening because his toothpaste was too large. He thought that gels were okay but they were not. An innocent mistake, and after surrendering his Colgate he went on his merry way (to his soon to be canceled flight).

It’s pretty hard to find an excuse for carrying a handgun onto an airplane though. That’s exactly what a man in Calgary, Alberta tried yesterday when he was caught with the weapon in his carry on luggage when it went through security.

He was arrested without incident and charged with four counts of weapons related charges.

Details on the incident are still a little sketchy; there is no word on what the man’s motivations or plans were. I’m just glad that the guy operating the x-ray machine was on top of his monitor and saw the weapon go through security. We’ll let you know what happens.

HNL: Honolulu’s airport done right.

by Grant Martin on

Looking at the picture to the right, you would probably think that it was an image captured off of a tropical island beach or a Zen garden, nestled somewhere deep in the Thai jungle. Or perhaps it’s within the grounds of Shanghai’s old city, where pristine gardens and tailored landscapes roll across ancient architecture and history. But you wouldn’t think that it’s smack dab in the middle of an airport, which is exactly where it is.

The first thing that you notice when you land in Honolulu Airport is the tropical air. This is because most of the airport is open to the weather, with only a roof over many sections. But walking through the terminals, you notice something else distinct from the cruel American airports that you’re used to: it’s actually quite nice.

Though the John Rodgers Terminal was dedicated in 1962, the building doesn’t look like its almost fifty years old. Inside of security, there are a wealth of shopping and dining options — since HNL serves many international destinations, duty free and Hawaiian paraphernalia shops are scattered through the concourse where you can even buy 3-packs of local pineapple to bring along on your flight.

At the center of the compound, a well manicured garden serves as a peaceful interlude from airport madness. Many of the airline lounges are situated around this garden and there are numerous benches and walkways that you can rest on and find peace.

Got a long layover? At only 3 miles from the downtown area, HNL is within easy access via public transportation and numerous city shuttles. While traffic on the expressway can be heavy, well planned commuting is quick — no 2 hour transfers into the city. You can also take a quick public bus northwest, to Pearl Harbor, visit the Arizona (free admission) or wander around the other navy ships on site.

Several rental car companies are stationed nearby, so you can drop off your vehicle and dart to the terminal if you’re in a hurry, or you can take your sweet time and catch a shuttle if you’re at ease.

It’s as if the designer of the airport actually knew what was going on in a travelers head and knew what was most important to a frequent flier. Sounds like it should be easy, but few airports have the space and flexibility to do this.t

Last week I was dreading a 14 hour layover in Honolulu on a return trip from Tokyo. But the combination of amenities and its proximity to the sights made HNL an excellent airport to spend my time at and by the time I was boarding my flight to Los Angeles I had been through the airport garden, business lounge, to Pearl Harbor, Waikiki beach and had eaten a great lunch at the mall downtown. And that’s why HNL gets my vote for the best airport in the nation.

And the best large airport in the United States goes to…… Philadelphia?!

by Grant Martin on

JD Power and Associates just came out with their 2008 North American Airport Satisfaction Index Survey with some wild results.

Based on over 10,000 people surveyed, airline passengers rated Philadelphia the best among large (over 30 million passengers per year) airports around the country. Also in the top? Las Vegas and Orlando.

The worst three? Minneapolis, San Francisco and Seattle – Tacoma.

Airports were rated on six factors: airport accessibility, baggage claim, check-in/baggage check process, terminal facilities, security check, and food/retail services.

Take this data with a huge grain of salt though — I dare say a rock. Even if you do have 10,000 data points, people can be wildly influenced and biased. Of course you’re going to be happy in Las Vegas. You’re gambling! Sure, people like Orlando. IT’S IN FLORIDA. Can you think of a reason why people would be unhappy and cranky in Minneapolis?

As an engineer, I would perhaps be more convinced if we had calibrated judges working on a larger scale, say 1 – 50 or 100.

But hey, small yellow balls and easily readable numbers make great fodder for overblown headlines, ridiculous accusations and political whining — and that’s what we as Americans are good at. We have only ourselves to blame for the noise in the data.

What I find most amusing about the report is how the media have jumped all over it. The Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal and USA Today both claim that MSP was the worst rated airport, but none of the high-school-level data that JD Power & Associates published conclusively indicate that. Seattle – Tacoma, for example, also got “two little yellow balls out of five” in all of their categories. Furthermore, neither depot actually links to the real data, readily available on the JDPA website. Why not? Because they don’t want you to do the thinking.

Here’s what I propose to those of you that are actually interested: if you really want to see how JD ranked the airports, take a look at the site yourself, soak in the data and stop listening to idiots like me. Think about the source and quality of the data and then if you’re convinced of their opinions in the end, you have my blessing.

For what it’s worth, I think the study shows a lot of good trends and is a good basic tool to analyze the nation’s airports. But don’t base your entire life’s thesis on what you read — consider this data guidance on your enlightened path to your favorite — and least favorite — airport in the States.

Read the USA Today article here
or the MSP Business Journal article here.

Sorry for yelling.