Now that we've gushed about JFK's newest terminal, shouldn't we check on what's happening in Indianapolis? The brand-new building there will open to arriving flights on November 11, just a few days later than the originally planned date of October 28. Outbound passengers will check in at the new terminal beginning November 12.

Parking and getting around will likely be a mess those first couple days, but airport officials say they have plans to alleviate the stress. (And you can always mellow out with some public art.)

But on the heels of the Heathrow meltdown and JetBlue's own trial run, when can we expect a sneak peak inside the new IND?

Related Stories:
· Architecture Travel: The New Indianapolis Airport [Jaunted]
· Inside JetBlue's Terminal 5 Trial Run [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-08-26T16:30:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/24/202632/238

It was a beautiful day for a fake flight: The sky was blue, the sun was bright and the Airtrain was quickly depositing 1,000 people onto JetBlue's new turf behind Eero Saarinen's iconic TWA Terminal at JFK.

Saturday's event, the JetBlue T5 Trial Run, involved groups of New York-area TrueBlue members (us), JetBlue family and press who would put the terminal through the paces without actually flying anyone anywhere.

Last week when we received the email confirming our place in Group A--scheduled to start the first run-through at 9 am--our stomach sank at the thought of having to be out on the A train to JFK in the wee hours of a Saturday morning. But to the airport we went!]]> JetSetCD 2008-08-25T08:00:17-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/8/5/225753/1614

Actors have previews, football players have scrimmages and JFK's Terminal 5 is having a "trial run" on August 23rd. But unlike on Broadway or at Alvin Ailey, you can be a part of this trial run if you got JetBlue's latest love letter, which went out to some of its TrueBlue frequent flier members, one of which was good enough to post the invite and his thoughts.

The airline seeks 1,000 warm bodies to play passengers, proceeding through check-in and security and hanging out at the gates. Participation also includes free lunch, which is more than you can get as a paying passenger on a flight!

You have to fill out a special form to participate--anyone want to forward us the fun? The rest of the invitation, after the jump.]]> egw 2008-08-06T09:15:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/30/9571/91347

Last we heard from JetBlue, there wasn't much new happening at the still-under-contruction T5 at JFK. But The New York Times dug up some juicy new details on the innovative new dining and shopping options coming to the airport's newest addition this fall.

The 26-gate terminal will have dining bars, pictured, scattered throughout, with plug ins for your electronics and touch-screen ordering a la Virgin America's RED. Tap in an order, and it's delivered to you a few minutes later. In the heart of T5, a 10,000-square-foot food court will have a Whole Foods-style buffet of hot and cold items, perfect for grabbing on the run.

Fancier options include a "rustic Italian trattoria," a sushi spot, a brasserie, a tapas joint and a Mexican place, all of which count chefs from popular NYC restaurants as consultants.

On the retail side, be on the lookout for a Muji outpost to compliment two other locations in New York. There will also be a an outlet for WFAN, a local sports radio station, and 17 other shops.

Related Stories:
· Jet Blue Banks on Travelers' Worldly Appetites [NYT]
· At Kennedy, Shopping and Dining [NYT]
· T5 at JFK coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-30T09:58:29-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/28/181551/822

Speaking of JFK, with our heavy focus last week on architect Eero Saarinen, what better time is there to check in on progress at the airport's new Terminal 5? We went straight to the source, asking JetBlue spokesman Bryan Baldwin what was up.

Here's what he said:

T5 is progressing very nicely. We're scheduled for a late September operational start date. The exact date is still being finalized. The project is still on budget, and a September opening will put us almost six months ahead of schedule.

Don't worry: We'll be trying our best to get another sneak preview before T5 finally opens to fliers this fall.

Related Stories:
· JetBlue Travel: Inside the New Terminal 5 [Jaunted]
· Architecture Travel: Saarinen's T5 to Open This Fall [Jaunted]
· Eero Saarinen Travel Map [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-28T18:16:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/22/144816/009

The opening of T5 at London Heathrow was so outrageously botched, sometimes "shambolic" didn't seem good enough to describe it. But in the months since, have things changed? And, more importantly, can you fly there and hope to see your checked bags ever again?

NewYorkology blogger Amy Langfield transited the terminal three times during a recent European trip, and described one experience in T5 as "flawless." Really?!]]> pbb 2008-07-22T15:00:20-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/7/21/93226/2773

Eero Saarinen is the Finnish-American architect who designed the St. Louis Arch, JFK's Terminal 5, Dulles International's Main Terminal and the instantly recognizable tulip chair. But he never got the praise that other modern architects enjoyed, either because his style was so revolutionary or because he died young, the victim of a brain tumor.

Through August 23, the National Building Museum in DC is hosting the first-ever major retrospective of his career, including documents, photos, models, videos and furniture. We went to check it out a few weeks ago and were pretty impressed. While the whole exhibition takes only about an hour to see, it was very cool to immerse ourselves in the work of a single architect. And, hey, the show is free.

But since seeing drawings and photos is only half the fun of architecture travel, we'll be taking a deeper look at some of Saarinen's most interesting buildings this week. Stay tuned.

Related Stories:
· Eero Saarinen: Shaping the Future [Official Site]
· Architecture Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> pbb 2008-07-21T09:50:20-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/