A380 encounters trouble – again

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Everyone was eager to see the Air France A380 leave New York and head for Paris this week, but a fuel-tank issue kept it on the ground at JFK. This was the second problem the world’s largest plane had in getting off the ground since it started bouncing between New York and Paris just under a month ago.

The A380 is nothing short of hefty, accommodating 511 passengers, and it gets thirsty. So, when the airline found that fuel wasn’t moving properly between its tanks, it had to keep the beast on the tarmac. The 21 A380s in operation by four airlines have completed 8,700 flights and carried 3 million passengers.

The plane’s maiden flight was from Paris to New York on November 20, 2009. A week later, an Air France A380 had to return to New York after only 90 minutes in the air because of a technical issue that wasn’t disclosed.

Southwest & SkyMall Bring Yetis & Slankets to New York City

by Mike Barish on
The Southwest Porch in Bryant park has been around this the summer and has provided locals are tourists strolling through that Midtown greens space a place to relax, have a drink and grab a snack inspired by the cities that the airline services. But for three days this week, Southwest has invited Gadling’s favorite catalog, SkyMall, to join the party. With Slankets featured on the cover of the Southwest edition of the catalog, SkyMall made sure to bring plenty of the blanket/robe hybrids to keep guests warm and give away to some lucky attendees. And, one of the catalog’s most popular character’s, the Garden Yeti, was there in a Slanket all his own.

Not being able to resist anything SkyMall-related, I attended the opening night of the event and spoke with SkyMall’s VP of Airline Marketing, Casey Christ. He said that the partnership with Southwest was “natural and helps us connect with our fans outside of the flying experience.” Throughout the evening, attendees who entered the free raffle won Slankets. And one very lucky winner took home her own Garden Yeti.

And where does one find a Slanket that fits 28″ tall Garden Yeti? Well, Mr. Christ took a full-sized Slanket to his local tailor in Phoenix – along with the Garden Yeti – and asked her to make the proper alterations. I salute that talented woman, who I assume remains quite confused.

SkyMall will be joining Southwest at the Southwest Porch today and tomorrow to give away more Slankets and Garden Yetis. If you’d like to join them, be sure to RSVP in advance. The Southwest Porch will be open for snacks, drinks and lounging by their fire pit into January, when they will shut down until New York warms up again.

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Times Square becomes shooting gallery

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you were leaving the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan on Thursday morning,what you saw was not a movie. A plainclothes police officer shot a 25-year-old man; the shot was fatal. But, before going down, the Bronx resident, who was not identified, fired first with a semiautomatic Mac-10. The gunfight broke out over whether the gunman was a scammer, writing tourists’ names on CDs and using that to pressure them into buying.

The bullets flew over Broadway, quite literally, at 11:15 AM. The streets were packed with tourists and shoppers, which is the norm in Times Square on a weekday in December. The police officer involved, who’s been on the force for 17 years, is assigned to enforce street vendor regulations. He saw two people he suspected of a specific scam: (1) approach a tourist, (2)ask for his name, (3) write the name on a CD and (4) demand $10 for the “service.”

Though nobody — except the gunman, of course — was reported to have been hurt, but the situation could have been pretty severe. There were 27 rounds of ammo in the Mac-10. He only got three shots off before a shattered bullet caused the weapon to misfire.

Doubtless, an event like this is bound to reach a first-time visitor to the city … such as Suzanne Davis from Australia: “It’s my first day in New York, so it makes very real what you see in the movies.”

[Photo by Stewart via Flickr]

New York remains top U.S. port of entry

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Through the first nine months of this year, overseas visitors passed mostly through only 15 ports of entry. These spots, according to the Department of Commerce accounted for 84 percent of entry traffic into the United States, gaining two percentage points over the first nine months of 2008. New York‘s JFK airport, Miami and Los Angeles dominated, pulling in 39 percent of all arrivals, up a percentage point from the same period last year.

Only four of the top 15 ports of entry in the United States saw traffic increase year-over-year: Miami, Orlando, Philadelphia and Fort Lauderdale. Of the 11 that posted declines, three did so at a double-digit rate. Visitation through Chicago fell a whopping 18 percent, which pushed it to seventh on the list, behind Honolulu. Houston fell a mere 3 percent, bringing up to #12, ahead of Boston. Philadelphia’s 6 percent gain moved it to #14, and a 3 percent increase in traffic through Fort Lauderdale brought it into the top 15 at the bottom spot. Detroit‘s 36 percent fall in overseas arrivals caused it to fall from the top 15.

Follow the Ghost of Christmas Past to Park Avenue this month

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Let the Ghost of Christmas Past guide you to a great hotel room for the holidays this year. Kimpton’s 70 Park Avenue Hotel in Manhattan is willing to live in the past to get you into the city that does Christmas right. Starting now and running through December 28, 2009, you can get a room for as low as $199 a night! Be sure to use the rate code XMAS when you book either online or by phone.

The deal comes with a few interesting perks. In addition to a great location on Park Avenue in Murray Hill, you’ll be able to sip mulled apple cider cocktails at the Silverleaf Tavern next door, and you’ll be given a DVD of “A Christmas Carol” to help keep you in the spirit of the season. At the end of the day, plop your head on a complimentary aromatherapy pillow to help melt the holiday stress away.

When you decide to wander out of your room, you’ll be close to some of the best holiday window displays in the city — be sure to check them out!