We're not the only ones who like to sip on in-flight cocktails. The San Francisco International Airport is also a bit of a boozehound as evidenced by this SFO Museum exhibit at Terminal 1 which centers on in-flight cocktail service during the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

The small display features glassware, swizzle sticks, coasters, drink menus and even cocktail napkins served by old-timey airlines like Pacific Southwest Airlines, National Airlines and Pan American Airlines as well as from still alive airlines like United, American and KLM.

Of course, the winner of the coolest glassware in the case award belongs to KLM for their ceramic Bols gin Delftware containers which are shaped like Dutch houses and filled with Bols Jenever gin. These ones here were given to first-class passengers in the 1980s. But if you're flying World Business Class today, you can score a Delft house of your own.

The exhibition is titled "Hydration, Libation, and Lift: Airline Inflight Beverage Service" and can be found in Terminal 1 at the A3 Entrance lobby from now until July 2012. ]]> juliana 2012-01-17T16:10:32-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2012/1/10/22273/6817
Korean Air and Lufthansa A380s snuggle up at JFK Terminal 1

Look, if you're an airport and you want to have the superjumbo Airbus A380 flying in and out, you can't just be like "hey, airlines, bring that big thang on over." Nope. Instead certain preparations must be made to accommodate an airliner of the A380's size and heft. To effectively manage each plane's 500+ passenger load, more jetways are needed, plus support vehicles to reach the upper deck. In some cases, airport runway indicator lights may need to be moved and the tarmac reinforced.

In other words, A380s can't just fly anywhere and, although the massive planes have been in the air since Singapore Airlines took delivery of the very first in 2007, not all that many airports around the world are treated to them. At least some of those are the United States...

US airports where you'll find A380s: ]]> JetSetCD 2012-01-11T09:28:00-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/29/85358/116

It's that time of the year again, the time when the year just plain ends. Alas, we can't just let 2011 go that easily, especially since travelers spent it both up in the air and up in arms over a crazy range of topics, encompassing everything from nudie scans to tarmac delays. Needless to say, we're ready for 2012, but first we're taking a brief look back at the best of 2011 with the Jaunted Travel Awards,—or as we fondly refer to them—The Jauntys.

Plenty of new airport restaurants arrived in terminals and concourses this year, and some airports are even getting brand new television shows once 2012 rolls around. However, there’s one airport that stands above the rest as the most improved. It’s not Minneapolis-St. Paul—although we do love us some MSP—nor is it Reagan National Airport despite its addition of a nine-foot tall statue of its namesake.

We’re picking San Francisco International Airport as the most improved airport of 2011.]]> Jaunted11 2011-12-29T12:05:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/12/20/105716/29

Finally. Finally! Cathay Pacific has finally opened a lounge of their very own on US soil, at San Francisco International's International Terminal. This is huge news for frequent flyers on Cathay to Hong Kong, but even for design buffs as the lounge includes the specially designed Solus Chair, first introduced at their Cabin lounge at HKG.

Because Cathay actually enjoys making their lounges somewhere you want to hang out, we'd recommend getting there early enough before your flight to relax in the fresh space. It opens up four hours before the first Cathay departure. All in all there's several seating areas, three shower rooms, seven private workstations (with printer), a snack center and noodle bar. Plus free WiFi of course. ]]> JetSetCD 2011-12-21T09:35:02-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/11/28/152224/81

As many already know, we have a serious obsession with airline cocktails, and so much is our passion that we've created a whole first-Friday-of-the-month feature called In-Flight Cocktail of the Month, which highlights the special concoctions that flight attendants whip up with only a cocktail shaker, some tiny liquor bottles and a whole lot of hope that it won't make you drunk and unruly.

Up until now, Virgin Atlantic's In-Flight Cocktail of the Month accolades have been the liquidy soundtrack to our past two summers. But a cocktail is for life, not just the hot months, so for December we're warming up with the SFO Clubhouse's signature cocktail: the Virgin Kiss. ]]> juliab 2011-12-02T14:04:58-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/10/7/14423/5482

There are airport lounges, and then there are Virgin Atlantic Clubhouses—the type of lounge that makes you pray for a flight delay. Happily, when we scored access to the Clubhouse at San Francisco International Airport the other week, we were early for our flight. Unhappily, it left on time. Here’s what we found.

The room is bright and airy, overlooking the runway like most lounges. But unlike most, it’s sexy. Take the vast bar, for example—it’s colored an icy blue, and takes up about half the length of the (lengthy) room. Propping up the bar is even more appealing when there’s a shelf of travel guides to flick through, too. Over by the window, facing the bar, is a row of armchairs.

There aren’t many snacks scattered around—just a plate of fruit and cookies at the bar—but, instead, the end section of the lounge works as a restaurant, with a cluster of TVs to watch while you wait for your table service, and pictures of pinups if you’re bored by the telly. By the window down that end are sofas, which also get table service. Windows have blue and pink-tinted filters over them, which is weird at first but quite soothing. ]]> juliab 2011-10-07T15:14:07-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2011/9/16/13150/1218
[Note: we've only seen the ladies room]

The cleaning lady thought we were crazy taking pictures inside a restroom, but the public restrooms at Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport are actually something to write home about.

Flattering lighting, stools in the makeup room and—boy oh boy—Dyson Airblade hand dryers? Be still our frequent flying hearts! ]]> JetSetCD 2011-09-16T14:52:51-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/