This week: New York’s questionable fame, Yoga at SFO and more

Well, well, finger-point, finger-point… yes, okay we admit it, we’re about 24 hours late with our weekly news round-up. But hey, better late than never or isn’t that what they say? Whatever; let’s not get into excuses but rather focus on the task at hand.

Continue reading This week: New York’s questionable fame, Yoga at SFO and more

Flightstats announces 2011 Airport On-Time Performance Awards

FlightStats, the leader in flight information services announced the winners of the 2011 Airport On-Time Performance Awards (OPS). In its third edition, the award honours airlines and airports for their performance. As airports are (obviously) our thing, we want to focus on them. According to FlightStats, the winning airports are recognized for delivering the highest percentage of departure from the gates less than15 minutes after the published scheduled departure time. So without further ado, here are this year’s winners:

  • Winner – Departure performance among major international airports:
    Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
    Seattle, WA, USSEA achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 86.28%. The average on-time performance was 71.02%% for this category. This is the second year in a row SEA has won the award. “The investments we’ve made improving our facilities and operations continue to pay off,” say’s Mark Reis of Sea-Tac Airport. “Credit goes to the efficiencies built into the airfield, terminal and runway operations as well as the terrific work from the entire team of port employees and our operational partners.”
  • Winner – Departure performance among major North American airports:
    Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
    Salt Lake City, UT, USSLC achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 86.55%. The average on-time performance was 76.67% for this category. Portland International Airport (PDX) was a very close second in achieving an on-time performance of 86.38%.
  • Winner – Departure performance among major European airports:
    Oslo Airport (OSL)
    Gardermoen, NOOSL achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 87.17%. The average on-time performance was 73.42% for this category. This is the second year in a row OSL has won the award.
  • Winner – Departure performance among major Asian airports:
    Haneda Airport (HND)
    Tokyo, JPHND achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 95.05%. The average on-time performance was 55.03% for this category.
  • Winner – Departure performance among regional North American airports:
    Keahole Airport (KOA)
    Kona, HI, USKOA achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 92.57%. The average on-time performance was 80.90% for this category. This is the second year in a row KOA has won the award.
  • Winner – Departure performance among regional European airports:
    Bordeaux Airport (BOD)
    Bordeaux, FRBOD achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 90.13%. The average on-time performance was 78.66% for this category.
  • Winner – Departure performance among regional Asian airports:
    Itami Airport (ITM)
    Osaka, JPITM achieved a 2011 on-time performance record of 95.60%. The average on-time performance was 69.74% for this category.

For the full results, head to the FlightStats Award announcement page.

This week: more winter, more expansion and more bites

This week we have three main stories for you plus a little bonus one to finish off. Two stories are again related to this time of the year and come from the same country versus the other two both focus on airport expansions in the wider sense. Before we lift the curtain though, we want to update you on our Airport News of the Year voting feature. We’ve received quite a few votes this week and so far the “lost cat” and the “wrong airport” stories are neck on neck, where as the “rivalry” story is lagging a bit behind. There’s one week left for you to vote, so make sure you have your say before the time runs out!

Continue reading This week: more winter, more expansion and more bites

Infographic: America’s most tech-friendly airports and airlines

MacBook Pro equipped travellers have long been known for their pickyness when flying from A to B. Not any airport or airline would do, they had to offer connectivity throughout the journey. These days travellers are no longer just the geeks from yesteryear as nearly everyone wants to connect their fancy gadgets through Wi-Fi in airports and on-board. Yet not all airports and planes are equally tech-friendly. If you are travelling through the US, you’re in luck as you can now check the below infographic to find the best way to fly with all your gear.

Extensive research from PC World on the busiest airports and other data from the New York Times flew into the graphic revealing which airports have fast upload and download speeds and which airlines give you the most tech amenities like mobile check-ins and Wi-Fi on-board. Plus there is much, much more as you will surely discover (click to expand):

What Are the Best Airports for Business Travelers?
Via: Online MBA News

This week: snow storms, pilot strikes, a cheetah and airport art

As another busy airport week is ending we have snow, strikes, brains, one exotic animal and new and exciting airport art for you. But first, the most exciting day in the history of airport news must have been Monday when we launched our reader campaign for you to vote for the Airport News of the Year. Make sure you check it out, we’ve secured some awesome prizes for a lucky few!

Continue reading This week: snow storms, pilot strikes, a cheetah and airport art

Airport News of the Year Award: Vote Now and Win!

Voting is now closed and the winner story will be announced shortly. All winners are notified now (make sure you check your emails; it could be you!) – thanks so much for all your votes!

Hooraaay, it’s finally here – our very first Airport News of the Year Award. The award is based on our weekly LateDeparture Airport News. We started them early 2011 and they have since become an integral part of the success of this blog. And now we feel it’s time to crown the news of the news from the past year.

Rather than choosing the story ourselves (which would be cheating we think), we give you the chance to vote for it. Simply choose one of the three shortlisted stories. And it gets even better, you could win big with your vote! More about that later – let’s first look at the three stories:

[tabs tab1=”A lost cat” tab2=”Rivalry Heathrow vs Gatwick” tab3=”Landing at the wrong airport”]

[tab id=1]The story of Jack the cat who got lost at JFK Airport in New York (IATA: JFK) was mentioned in three different weekly news articles. It had everything from an emotional plea to find the cat, an apologetic airline when it was found and a very sad ending when the cat had to be put down due to its condition.

Read the full stories here:

[/tab]
[tab id=2]This one is a great industry story showcasing the intensified rivalry between London’s two main airports. That week both airports had stories of their own – Heathrow (IATA: LHR) pushed its connection with the upcoming Olympics while Gatwick (IATA: LGW) focused on its immigration hall refurbishment. That paragraph ended with “let the games begin” which characterized the view pointedly as competition is great for all travellers.

Read the full story here[/tab]
[tab id=3]Landing at the wrong airport must be the ultimate joke on any traveller. Imagine you expect to be transported from A to B but now you land in C as the pilot thought it was B. Hilarious, yet surely very annoying for the passengers at the time.

Read the full story here[/tab]

[/tabs]

Right, now let’s talk prizes: We secured five awesome prizes you could win. This is how it works: Everyone who votes for a story gets into the draw to win one of the following awesome prizes. But remember, you must vote to be in the draw!

The Prizes You Could Win:

[tabs tab1=”1st Prize” tab2=”2nd and 3rd Prize” tab3=”4th and 5th Prize”]

[tab id=1] 1st Prize: Two JetBlue Airways roundtrip travel certificates


Each Travel Certificate may be redeemed for roundtrip air travel on JetBlue for one passenger from the airport closest to the winner’s residence that is serviced by JetBlue to any JetBlue city. Winners are solely responsible for any and all costs of air and/or ground transportation to and from Winners’ residences and the airport serviced by JetBlue closest to the Winners’ residences. If any of the Winners is deemed a minor under the jurisdiction of his/her state of residence, he or she must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Each Travel Certificate has an approximate retail value of $299. See additional Terms & Conditions at the end of this page.[/tab]
[tab id=2]2nd and 3rd prize: A S$200 shopping voucher each for Singapore’s Changi Airport


Each winner is given S$200 worth of vouchers to be used at Singapore’s Changi Airport. The vouchers can be used for the majority of the 290 retail and 130 Food & Beverage outlets with the exception of money changers, supermarkets and convenience stores. The vouchers expire on 31st December 2012.

Singapore Changi Airport is the world’s most awarded airport having garnered more than 380 accolades since it opened in 1981. To serve passengers and visitors from the world over, there are 290 retail stores and 130 F&B outlets offering a wide-range of local and international cuisines. For those looking for rest and comfort, there are non-airline lounges located across the three main terminals, some even offering pampering spa treatments and gym facilities. [/tab]
[tab id=3]4th Prize: Lunch for two at 5ive Steak (JFK T5)
With an energetic bar scene and sidewalk seating, 5ive Steak® takes a relaxed approach to the classic American Steakhouse. 5ive Steak reinterprets the traditional steakhouse menu for a modern palate.

 

5th prize: Lunch for two at Crust (LGA TD)

Crust features thin-crusted, Neapolitan-style pizzas with artisanal toppings. The individually sized pies are baked at nearly 700 degrees for the perfect crunch. Diners may choose from a list of composed pies or build their own. The toppings are always fresh, unique and delicious. The pizza menu is rounded out by a selection of antipasti and salads.

 

*Voucher do not include alcohol.
** Exclusive reservations will be facilitated for winning contestant

About OTG Management

OTG Management (www.otgmanagement.com) is an award-winning airport food & beverage operator with more than 135 restaurants and eateries in nine airports, including Minneapolis-St. Paul, John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Boston Logan, Tucson, Washington National, Orlando, Chicago O’Hare and Philadelphia. Since its entry into airports in 1996, OTG has been recognized throughout the industry for its exceptional customer focus and ground-breaking innovation; growing to become the second largest privately-held airport food operator in the US in just over a decade. [/tab]

[/tabs]

Voting is now closed and the winner story will be announced shortly.

Voting is open now and closes on 30th January 2012 at 12 noon Eastern Daylight Time (Melbourne, Australia; UTC+11). Good luck!

JetBlue, Changi Airport, OTG

[toggle title=”Terms & Conditions:”]

  • Voting starts on Monday 9th January 2012 and closes at 12 noon (Eastern Daylight Time) on 30th January 2012.
  • Voting is limited to one vote per person and multiple entries maybe excluded.
  • Prizes are drawn on 30th January 2012 after the voting has closed. They are drawn randomly starting with the first prize, then second, third, fourth and fifth. Prize preferences are taken into account but cannot be guaranteed.
  • Winners will be notified by email and prizes must be claimed by return answer email within 1 week of notification. If unclaimed within this period, an alternative winner will be drawn and notified.
  • Special prize conditions are listed on the prizes or below
  • Prizes cannot be exchanged into cash
  • This promotion runs excluding the jurisdiction of a court

JetBlue Prize Conditions:

  • Each Travel Certificate is valid for one (1) year, and all travel must be booked and flown within the valid dates shown on the Travel Certificate.
  • Redeemed travel on a Travel Certificate is subject to availability and seats may not be available on all flights.  Certain blackout dates may apply and travel may be capacity controlled.  Schedules are subject to change without notice.
  • The Travel Certificate is not transferable, and at no time may it be purchased, sold, bartered, or otherwise exchanged for value without prior written consent from JetBlue.  Each Travel Certificate cannot be sold or traded on auction websites.
  • A passenger using Travel Certificate is subject and entitled to all provisions of JetBlue’s Contract of Carriage, except denied boarding and Bill of Rights compensation.  JetBlue’s Contract of Carriage is posted on the JetBlue website at http://www.jetblue.com/p/jetblue_coc.pdf.
  • Redeemed travel on a Travel Certificate is not eligible for TrueBlue points.  TrueBlue is JetBlue’s customer loyalty Promotion.
  • A passenger using the Travel Certificate is solely responsible for any applicable fees taxes, surcharges, and/or service charges, including but not limited to Passenger Facility Charges of up to $9 each way, September 11th Security Fees of up to $5 each way and a Federal Segment Tax of $3.80 per domestic segment. A segment is a takeoff and landing. Alaskan/Hawaiian offers do not include U.S. government excise tax of $8.20 per departure.  Taxes and fees must be paid at the time of reservation and are subject to change as required by law.  Proper documentation required for boarding.
  • Each Travel Certificate must be redeemed by calling 1(800) JETBLUE and following the phone prompts.  Redemption of the Travel Certificate at a JetBlue airport ticket counter or online is not allowed.  Loss of authorization number and PIN cannot be replaced.
  • Each Travel Certificate may be redeemed only for travel on JetBlue-operated flights.  Travel Certificates are not available for use on any partner airlines or in connection with JetBlue Getaways Vacation Packages or Cruises.
  • Use of a Travel Certificate is subject to additional terms and conditions, and other restrictions may apply.

[/toggle]

This week: a fire, a birthday and 247 snakes

Righty-o, here we go! It’s still a very young 2012 yet airport related news have already been pouring in left, right and center. And as so often, there was some good news (JFK), some bad (New Delhi) and some weird (Buenos Aires). Let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

Continue reading This week: a fire, a birthday and 247 snakes

Last news of 2011: Christchurch again, French strikes & free Wi-Fi

Only seven more days remain in 2011 and it’s therefore time for us at LateDeparture to pack up and enjoy a little (well deserved?!) break. But of course, we won’t leave you before we put another, final round of airport news in front of you. Besides that, you should already get excited for coming back to LateDeparture in January as not only will we continue to review airports and bring you weekly airport related news, but also we will be presenting you with the very first Airport News of the Year Award in early January. The best of all this is, that you can vote for the news you liked best and as a result win some awesome prizes! So stay tuned and get ready for a big 2012!

Continue reading Last news of 2011: Christchurch again, French strikes & free Wi-Fi

Video of Amsterdam Schiphol’s banner vending machine

A few weeks ago we reported in our weekly news the arrival of the world’ first airport self-serving banner printing machine at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (IATA: AMS). According to the Reuters report then the airport has the world’s first vending machine capable of printing out personalised giant canvas banners in just a few minutes. Apparently you can pick your message, whether that is “Mama = sweet” (as pictured), “I love you”, “Will you marry me?”, or anything else that makes you stand out from the crowd, choose the font and background design, pay between four and 15 euros ($19.98) depending on the length of the banner, and hit the button.

Reading a press release and seeing it in action are often two things, so ever since we read that story we wondered how this service really worked and – in true LateDeparture style – we didn’t rest until we got hold of a video proof of the ingenious machine.

While the video is in Dutch, the lovely guys at Schiphol provided us with English subtitles. But who cares anyway as pictures speak a million words:

Case rested. We now we only wonder who will be first to print out a large “LateDeparture.com rocks!” banner? Whoever it is, a fabulous prize will be awaiting them (photo proof required)…

[Pictures and video from Schiphol Airport – all rights reserved]

This week: three news pairs & a redesign

This week we’ve done something different by pairing up the airport news of the week. Before we get into it, we would like to make an announcement of our own: if you’re reading this on LateDeparture,  you might have noticed that we changed our site layout quite dramatically. The old layout has seen its days, so we redesigned the whole thing with the aim to make it a lot more user friendly and give you a better experience. Let us know what you think!

Continue reading This week: three news pairs & a redesign