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American Airlines May Be the Latest to Fly SUX

If you recall, one of our favorite airports to follow is the one in Sioux City, Iowa and that’s cause it sucks. Actually there’s nothing about Sioux Gateway Airport that’s particularly awful or irritating, it’s just that the place’s IATA airport code is SUX.

Although when we last spoke about the airport there was some bad news, as Delta was planning to pull its services from the airport. Well now there’s some good news, as it sounds like American Airlines is thinking about connecting SUX to ORD with a flight or two. The airport is going to get some cash from Uncle Sam to support the flights as part of a government Essential Air Service Grant, so now there’s two airlines wanting to bring in some flights.

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Airports / Airport News / SUX / Iowa Travel / → All Tags

One of Iowa's Airports Proudly Sucks

We all know that flying sometimes sucks. For whatever reason, flights get delayed, things cost more than expected, and who knows what sort of weird company you’ll end up sitting next to. There are some airports and airlines that are better that most, but there’s one place where you are guaranteed a flying experience that sucks.

The place is Sioux Gateway Airport, but it’s not because the airport in Iowa is especially bad, it’s just because its IATA airport code is SUX. It may seem a little cheesy, but when the airport gods hand you lemons—and what could be worse than SUX—you make airport lemonade.

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Airports / Airport Security / SUX / → All Tags

Airport Travel: Does Hysterical Signage Make Us Safer?

Despite the variety of signs which have sprung up around security checkpoints in the past five years about your coat, shoes and electronic devices, it seems like there's always a new instruction that has been literally tacked on to the existing rules and regulations. Passive Aggressive Notes shares this snap by Timoni Grone at Sioux City Gateway Airport (the infamous SUX). Northwest Iowa is taking that quart-size regulation very seriously!

We still think that Ziploc sponsored this regulation in order to force us to buy more plastic bags. (Despite what the cheeky TSA bloggers might say.) We've found this rule to be unevenly enforced; some airports didn't even require us to take our liquid sack out of our carry-on.

What's the most ridiculous signage you've seen out in the field?

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· If We Give Up Our Exclamation Points, the Terrorists Win! [PAN]
· TSA Circus Continues; Ziplock Stock Gets a Boost [Jaunted]
· Airport Security coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: timoni]

SUX / Airports / → All Tags

Sioux City Airport Officially SUX

When you are issued the airport code SUX you have two choices -- whine until the FAA changes the code, or embrace the suxage. Sioux City Gateway Airport and city officials have decided to do the latter. The code is now proudly emblazoned on t-shirts, caps, and on the airports new web site, which proudly proclaims:

Great airfares. Free Internet. Easy on, easy off. Why wouldn't ya?

Why embrace the SUX? Well, when Sioux City official petitioned the FAA to change the code back in 1988 and 2002 the FAA offered the city a couple alternatives, including GAY. Heh. So someone at the FAA has the sense of humor of a seventh grader, nice.

It could be worse. We tend to always forget the Las Vegas airport code, which should be LVS but is inexplicably LAS. No one will ever forget that Sioux City SUX.

Related Stories:
· Airport Coverage [Jaunted]
· Hotels in Sioux City [HotelChatter]

2008 Candidates Travel / Candidates-Travel-Map / Fred Thompson / → All Tags

2008 Candidates Travel: Thompson in Iowa

Reagan did it. Schwarzenegger did it. Jesse "The Body" Ventura even did it. Now, Law & Order star and former Senator Fred Thompson hopes to parlay his Hollywood celebrity--and uncanny likeness to Kelsey Grammer--to the presidency.

Thompson officially announced his candidacy last week on The Tonight Show, perhaps not the best way to add gravitas to one's campaign. And his competitors were quick to criticize his laid-back attitude to joining the race when Thompson played hooky at the first Republican debate in Manchester, New Hampshire.

To show he's in it to win it, Thompson is riding around Iowa this week on his Friends of Fred tour bus. Recently, he laid out his platform to a group of followers in Sioux City, Iowa. So far, it's yes to Iraq, no to abortion, no to gay marriage, and no to a national health care plan. What about Cuba?

Related Stories:
· Candidates Travel Map [Jaunted]
· Candidates Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: McVey]