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Tags: Chesley Sullenberger / US Airways / Flight 1549 / LGA / Airplane News / → All Tags

Business As Usual At US Airways As Captain Sully Flies Again

He got a book deal, he met the president, he got the key to the city and now Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger is getting the keys to his airplane back. The hero pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, which landed in the Hudson River after goose strikes knocked out the plane's engines, returns to work today at US Airways and will fly on his old route between LGA and Charlotte.

It's been almost ten whole months since the accident, and US Airways is obviously ready to resume business as usual. Sully will not only fly the same LaGuardia-to-Charlotte route that was Flight 1549, but will do it with the same first officer, Jeffrey Skiles. Now we're all for welcoming Sully back to the skies, especially since he'd be the pilot you'd want to have in control in case anything goes wrong, but piecing together much of the same scene from the accident doesn't make avoiding stress and flashbacks any easier.

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Tags: Travel Snapshot / LGA / Plane Spotting / Blimps / US Open / Baseball Travel / → All Tags

An Evening Of Baseball And The Goodyear Blimp At LaGuardia Airport

Hopping off a flight and returning to New York's LaGuardia Airport yesterday evening, we looked out of the terminal at a pinkening sky, enhanced by the high-wattage lights of both the Mets' Citi Field and the US Open's Arthur Ashe stadium.

We've shown you the same view before, but reversed: LaGuardia as seen from Citi Field. This time however, we have a few extra visitors: the moon, and the Goodyear Blimp. There's no doubt that LaGuardia greets its arrivals with some of the best scenery of the NY-area airports. Or would you rather watch the sun set behind Newark?

Bonus points: can you spot the plane on final approach, just about to head over the stadium?

Related Stories:
· Watch For Fly Balls And Landing Planes At NY's Citi Field [Jaunted]
· Travel Snapshots [Jaunted]

[Photo: Jaunted]

Tags: Prime-Plane-Spotting-Map / Plane Spotting / Baseball Travel / New York City / LGA / Jetblue / → All Tags

Watch For Fly Balls And Landing Planes At NY's Citi Field

We love airplanes, you love airplanes, so let's go look at airplanes! In our Prime Plane Spotting series, we'll let you in on all the best spots to whip out your cameras and binoculars for a piece of the aviation action.

Finally, there is a huge benefit to being cheap and buying only the highest, nosebleedingest seats at a Mets game at Citi Field: it means you're that much closer to the airplanes landing at neighboring LaGuardia. We had the opportunity to take in both a Saturday evening and a Sunday afternoon game at the new stadium recently, and we spent just as much time watching the action in the skies as the action on the field.

Even for those who aren't baseball fans, it's a great way to get out on a sunny day, enjoy a hot dog, and point your binoculars to the clouds for some excellent plane spotting. Even without binoculars it's great, but they help in identifying planes with minimal livery.

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Tags: TSA Theater / Ruth Madoff / US Airways / LGA / Bernie Madoff / Ponzi Travel / → All Tags

Even Ruth Madoff Gets the TSA Theater Blues

There's not a lot of sympathy to be found for anyone bearing the last name Madoff these days. Even though Bernie's stewing in a North Carolina prison, nothing can change the fact that so many folks (collectively) lost billions of dollars in his Ponzi scheme. We're sure the victims have played out many fantasies in their mind as to how they would harm Bernie and co. but there might be a just punishment that's not quite as gruesome.

The Madoff matriarch, Ruth Madoff, recently had to suffer an experience that we would wish only upon some of our worst enemies--a tortured go-round at the security checkpoint at La Guardia Airport in New York.

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Tags: New Routes / Airline News / New York City / LGA / Southwest Airlines / → All Tags

The Hawk Has Landed: Southwest Claims Its LaGuardia Gate

Please commence with your offerings to the LCC gods as finally, finally Southwest Airlines has claimed a stake in the crowded New York City airspace. Both arriving and leaving New York-LaGuardia for the first time this last Sunday, SWA made a literal splash as the airport's firetrucks welcomed the inaugural flight with traditional arcs of water.

Meanwhile in the terminal, Southwest doled out breakfast to hungry passengers, entertained with a lounge singer, and indulged in everybody's favorite form of service with a smile: gift bags.

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Tags: Southwest Airlines / Airline News / New York City / Events / LGA / → All Tags

Sipping Summer Ale On NYC's New Southwest Porch at Bryant Park

You can butter them up with special events or even free beer, but the real way into the heart of New Yorkers is to do something for the city itself, to give people a new space to explore within this trampled metropolis. Thus, Southwest Airlines' new "Southwest Porch" at Bryant Park has taken off with immediate popularity and there's no doubt it will continue to be a crowd pleaser all summer.

We stopped by yesterday during Southwest's social media party—where they wanted to meet their NYC followers on Twitter and Facebook fans—and we have to be truthful here: the Porch freaking rocks. It just does. How to explain? Perhaps it's the cheery yellow color scheme and lounge-like seating that welcomes everyone, not just those buying drinks. Or maybe it's the novelty of swinging porch seats, adirondacks, and cuisine from star chef Tom Colicchio in the middle of one of NY's best-positioned parks. Really though, it could be all about the special beer: Southwest Summer Ale, which totally ran out yesterday evening.

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Tags: Southwest Airlines / Airline News / New York City / Events / LGA / → All Tags

Southwest Airlines Stakes A Foodie Claim In NYC's Bryant Park

Hey, , are you ready to the feel the Southwest Airlines love? With the low-cost airline flying into LaGuardia for the first time on June 28, they're looking to cuddle up to the notoriously stingy city.

And what better way than by feeding New Yorkers some of the celeb chef Tom Colicchio's 'Wichcraft food with a pop-up kiosk in Bryant Park, opening this Friday. At 175 seats, the "Southwest Porch" will have plenty of room for people to nibble on cheese plates and sandwiches with city themes while pondering their next flight to Chicago-Midway or BWI. The porch will even have rocking chairs and porch swings to imbue the park with a laid-back Southwest vibe.

According to the NYT, the special space will be open from 5-9pm Mondays through Thursdays and 12-4pm on Fridays until mid-September. We recommend making a mad dash for a table on Monday nights when the outdoor Bryant Park Film Fest plays; you may just catch "Kramer vs. Kramer" along with your Baltimore soft-shell crab sandwich.

Related Stories:
· Dining On the Porch in Bryant Park [NYT]
· Brand Expansions: 'Wichcraft To Open Bryant Park Pop-Up [Eater]
· Southwest Will Now Be Landing at LaGuardia On June 28 [Jaunted]
· Southwest Airlines Coverage [Jaunted]

[Image: Southwest Airlines]

Tags: Airline News / Delta / Delta Connection / LGA / Frequent Flier Miles / → All Tags

Choosing Planes Over Trains? Delta Will Slip You Some Extra Miles

'Tis the summer of transportation competition in the Northeast, as both Megabus and Boltbus step up their game for the peak season. Joining the tug-of-war—the one for passengers who will be making due with domestic weekends and short jaunts instead of big summer blowouts—are the good old airlines.

Since airlines that once had dominance over routes like New York to Washington DC cannot compare with the ultra-cheap bus fares or the security-less train routes, it may be a good time to offer perks for choosing to fly the friendly (and more expensive) skies.

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Tags: Airport Food / LGA / PHL / Airport News / → All Tags

$5 Menus Eliminate Airport Food Court Sticker Shock

When your flight is delayed, you're tired from having to reach the airport at 8am, and you're juggling carryons, the last thing you want to do is plop down $10+ for some crappy, greasy food you have to scarf down in 5 minutes. Thankfully, somebody has finally realized that a happy stomach and wallet contribute to enjoyment of the flight, and two airports have embarked on a quest to please with $5 menus.

Named "Wow! $5 Chow!," the $5 meal options will debut in New York-LaGuardia and Philadelphia International this month with options for breakfast, lunch and dinner:

Travelers can choose from almost 50 restaurants offering special meals such as: Jet Rock Bar & Grill's "Eggs Your Way" breakfast with coffee; Chicken Sandwich and large drink at Chick-Fil-A; Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Sandwich at Cosi; or gourmet dessert with coffee from Todd English's Figs Restaurant-- all priced at $5.00 each

We'd totally spring for that dessert and coffee, since sitting down to a nice airport dinner is not something we usually have time for, but there's always time for dessert. We just hope that LaGuardia's options include something at Au Bon Bain, because as frequent LGA travelers know, they are like 5 Au Bon Pains in just one terminal there. Can we get some soup and a water for $5 at one of them, please?

Related Stories:
· Two Major US Airports Launch $5 Menu Program [StreetInsider]
· Airport Food Coverage [Jaunted]

[Food photo: moria]

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Southwest Will Now Be Landing at LaGuardia on June 28

The not-so-well-kept secret is no longer a secret anymore! Southwest Airlines has just gone public with its LaGuardia announcement, offering fares for as low as $49 one-way starting June 28th.

Naturally, we wanted to see how much it would cost to fly across the country. While LaGuardia to Las Vegas and Los Angeles was promoted at $99 one-way, we looked at a flight from LGA to LAX on June 28 returning July 2 and found a "Wanna Get Away" fare for $291 one-way. But there was a stop at MDW and travel time was 8 hours and 30 minutes. The return trip was $240. Meanwhile, we found a flight on American Airlines (on Kayak.com) for $369 with one-stop.

Similarly, an advertised flight from Fort Lauderdale to LaGuardia was $99 one-way but when we tried to book it was $119 each way with a stop in Baltimore. Northwest/Delta had the same trip non-stop for about the same price.

Not that we're dissing Southwest's East Coast Shuttle, if you will. It just might be hard to get people to switch from their tried and true shuttle airlines with these so-so rates and layovers.

What do you New Yorkers think? Will you fly Southwest?

Related Stories:
· Southwest Airlines coverage [Jaunted]
· Landing at LaGuardia this Summer! Service begins June 28 [Southwest Airlines]

Tags: Accidents / LGA / Airline News / American Airlines / → All Tags

Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Airplane Shrapnel

This is not shaping up the be a good year for domestic departures out of LaGuardia as another jet, under similar circumstances as Flight 1549, was forced to make an emergency landing just after takeoff yesterday morning. The flight, American Airlines 309 to Chicago was just out from LGA and heading over Queens, NY when it lost one of its two engines, raining shrapnel onto warehouses below.

Although the flight made a safe landing at JFK 18 minutes later, with all 88 passengers and 5 crew members unharmed, the dangerous possibilities of the engine shrapnel did not go unnoticed.

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Tags: Flight 1549 / Airline News / US Airways / LGA / → All Tags

The Saga of the Crew of Flight 1549 Continues

There are no losers in the story of US Airways Flight 1549, except for maybe AIG, who was the insurer of the plane. We all know of Captain "Sully" Sullenberger's honors and invites, and even his recent traitor turn to flying Virgin America, but on Wednesday at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, the stream of awards flowed on to his co-pilot, Jeffrey Skiles, the LaGuardia air traffic controllers who handled the situation, and the rest of the flight crew.

At the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Skiles accepted awards for himself and Sully, and for Donna Dent, Doreen Welsh and Sheila Dail--the flight attendants who kept their cool during the ordeal. It was the account of chief LaGuardia air traffic controller Bill McLoughlin, however, which really brought on the waterworks and gave us another angle for marveling at the series of events:

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