Fireworks Don't Fly!
Posted on 06/24/2009
It’s great to have summer here, long days, swimming, picnics and family reunions. With summer comes July 4, and, of course, fireworks. We want you all to be aware that the Federal Aviation Administration does not allow the transportation of fireworks either in checked bags or carry-on. Knowing how expensive these goodies can be, save yourself the agony of having them taken from you at checkpoints and ticket counters. Violators are subject to large fines and may serve up to five years in prison. So avoid the hassle and leave them at home.
As we approach this popular holiday, it might be wise to give yourself plenty of time to arrive at the airport early. We recommend arriving 90 minutes before your departure to insure that you’ll be ready for boarding at your gate 30 minutes before departure time. Some carriers actually leave their ticket counters 35 minutes before departure to load bags and board aircraft. Unless you have a boarding pass, you’ll be unable to get through screening. Once you’re through the screening process, please be sure to be at the gate at least 30 minutes before departure. Carriers will close the aircraft doors prior to actual departure to insure being pushed back at departure time.
Enjoy this beautiful time of year. We wish you all safe travels! Happy 4th of July!
WiFi On Every Plane!
Posted on 05/14/2009
The great news just came out today that AirTran is putting WiFi on its entire fleet of 717's and 737's. Talk about a great airline just adding one more great reason to fly them! This really is wow! It will be the first domestic airline to equip its planes with this wonderful product. It's a huge investment to make. The approximate cost to do each plane is $100,000.00; take that times 136 aircraft and you’re talking commitment! USA Today news recently reported this on its aviation web site.
Think of how wonderful this will be for the adults, as well as keeping the kids occupied. There will be a small fee for the service, somewhere between $7.95 and $12.95, depending on the length of the flight. But, that‘s the way it should be. If you don’t have a reason to use it, you don’t pay for it. I really believe that this will set a new bar for the other carriers to follow. It’s the reason we offer free WiFi at CAK. We wanted to set the standard for what customers should expect from their airport. Speaking of AirTran, they have some terrific rates now if you can travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Check it out at http://www.airtran.com/, Trust me, the kids don’t care what day they travel, they just want to go!
Also, Frontier just announced a fare sale. They have some rockbottom prices out west for the summer. I believe this sale ends soon, so hurry. www.frontierairlines.com.
PET BUYERS BEWARE!
Posted on 03/25/2009
The airport recently has had a number of inquires in regards to puppies, dogs, and birds being shipped to our airport. Unfortunately in almost all of the cases the shipments have turned out to be scams. Shipping companies, many times identified as being experts at jet service for moving animals, are identifying CAK as a transit airport for moving animals. This is not true! Although some of our carriers will transport animals, actually only Delta to my knowledge, be very wary of any companies that list our facility as a transit stop. That’s not to say that other CAK airlines will not allow you to bring an animal with you if you are also traveling. It only means that they don’t transfer animals without the owners on board the airplane.
In several recent instances, these scams claim the animals are at CAK, and they want buyers to send more money for broken cages or releases from our facility. In all cases they want the money send through money orders or Western Union. Any reputable airline will always accept credit cards for shipping. Please be cautious sending money orders or wire transfers to anyone, as the internet site craigslist.com advises. Anyone asking for that type of payment in advance should be considered questionable. Those adorable puppies that someone advertises could end up being a very expensive lesson in buyer beware!
Requests For More Information
Posted on 03/11/2009
In case you haven’t been keeping track of what’s coming in regards to additional information requirements for ticketing, here’s the latest scoop. This spring the TSA will start requiring airlines to ask your sex as well as your birth date when purchasing tickets. The program called Secure Flight shifts the responsibility for checking passengers against the no-fly list, or watch list, from the airlines to the Transportation Security Administration. Many of you have heard the story about Senator Edward Kennedy and other well know individuals, being denied access through check point screening because someone with their same name is on a list. This security enhancement is supposed to correct those types of situations.
Realizing some individuals aren’t going to greet this with open arms, the TSA has stated that the information will only be kept for approximately 7 days. The airlines' cost to reprogram their computers is estimated to be around $640,000,000 so they aren’t thrilled with the idea either. Internationally, the plan should be in place at the end of this year.
Who’s going to cover that additional cost burden? Stay tuned, one never knows how things will shake out!
