Tag: PDX

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Where to Celebrate St. Patricks If You're Stuck at an Airport

March 14, 2013 at 9:10 AM | by | Comments (0)

In case you haven’t had your eyes on the calendar this month, we’d like to remind you that St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner. The time to celebrate all things green is drawing near, but don’t worry if you’re holiday plans include transiting through an airport. Thankfully airports are down with the season—especially when it comes to pre-flight beverages.

All across the country there’s plenty of pubs and bars from which to choose, and airports aren’t lacking when it comes to those with an Irish theme. Down in Florida you can swing by Rooney’s Public House on the main level of Terminal 2 at Palm Beach International Airport, so that you can enjoy a pint in the comfort of some air conditioning.

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PDX, MCI, and SNA Get New Restaurants for Your Pre-Flight Noms

September 13, 2012 at 9:43 AM | by | Comments (0)

For those traveling through the nation’s airports there’s a few new bits and bites to sample, as a few new airport restaurants have now found their way into the terminals and concourses. They might not have celebrity chefs in the kitchen, but as long as they are not another outpost of a typical food court stand then we back them 100 percent.

Over in Portland—the one in Oregon—the city’s airport just scored a few new retail locations, and one of them can be even considered a restaurant if you’re okay with a few to-go items. There’s now a place called The Oregonian News, another known as Rich’s News, and a new Kiehl’s location. Over at The Market there’s even the opportunity to scoop up local snacks and sandwiches from the city’s Elephant’s Delicatessen—tasty.

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Why Yes, This Donut is Shaped Like an Airplane

June 8, 2012 at 3:41 PM | by | Comments (0)

"Put a bird on it!" That may be the most famous quote from the popular IFC series "Portlandia," but it's also Virgin America's goal—to put one of their birds on a Portland route. Today, that bird flies SFO-PDX for the first time and we're on board.

Let's start out by saying that Virgin America knows how to throw a launch party. They do it often enough that it's now a finely crafted work of party art. For this week's first landing in Portland, the theme was "local": local libations, local entertainment and local celebrities.

Just steps after disembarking the A320 named "Mt. Hoodie," the planeload of first flyers was greeted with a glass of champagne (not cheap stuff, either) and a red carpet, where "Portlandia" mayor Kyle MacLachlan gave a speech in character. It was hilarious and he made sure to let us know that even though his preferred method of travel is bicycle, he was still excited about Virgin America's entry into the city.

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Virgin America's CEO Dishes During Their Inaugural Flight to PDX

June 6, 2012 at 7:37 PM | by | Comments (2)

"Put a bird on it!" That may be the most famous quote from the popular IFC series "Portlandia," but it's also Virgin America's goal—to put one of their birds on a Portland route. Today, that bird flies SFO-PDX for the first time and we're on board.

To say that Virgin America took advantage of every second of the short, hour-and-a-half inaugural flight from SFO to PDX would be a gross understatement. The second the doors closed, all the way until we disembarked in Portland, the activities for passengers kept on coming. Meanwhile, we dutifully filled you in from the air.

To kick off, the flight began by screening an episode of "Portlandia" that heavily featured the flight's two big guests: "Portlandia" mayor, actor Kyle MacLachlan and real Portland mayor/"Portlandia" mayor's assistant, Sam Adams. The episode got everyone on the flight pumped up and ready to party (as if they weren't already), as well as primed for a quick game of "Portlandia" trivia, which we knew all the answers to (duh).

Shortly after takeoff, Virgin's hand-picked crew began beverage service and, before we knew it, we were sitting with Virgin America CEO David Cush. Time for some serious questions.

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Hello from 32,000 Feet, Onboard Virgin America's First Flight to Portland, Oregon

June 5, 2012 at 6:07 PM | by | Comment (1)

"Put a bird on it!" That may be the most famous quote from the popular IFC series "Portlandia," but it's also Virgin America's goal—to put one of their birds on a Portland route. Today, that bird flies SFO-PDX for the first time and we're on board.

LIVE from 32,000' above Northern California:

We are officially airborne and on our way to Portland! The pre-departure festivities at San Francisco's snazzy Terminal 2 were complete with cookies and celebratory remarks by Virgin America CEO David Cush and "Portlandia" mayor's assistant/real Portland mayor, Sam Adams. Kyle MacLachlan, who plays the mayor in "Portlandia," is here as well, so really we just need to have shell art kits in the seatback pockets and all will be ideal.

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'Put a Bird on It' and Take 20% Off a Virgin America Flight

May 11, 2012 at 9:50 AM | by | Comments (0)

Oh hey— do you live in California or Oregon? Well, as if you needed any more reason to be excited for the start of Virgin America flying to Portland, the airline has launched a contest called "Arts and Aircrafts" with IFC's hit show "Portlandia." Of course there's a prize in it: a free flight to PDX and the opportunity to party in an airplane hangar.

To enter, go HERE, pick one of your Facebook photos, then, well, YOU PUT A FRIGGIN' BIRD ON IT (as we've done with this photo). Don't worry if you don't understand the reference, you will soon enough. The top-voted photo winners will get a free trip to PDX on Virgin America's inaugural flight in a few weeks, in addition to joining in on the Portland hangar party.

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Yes, TSA is Testing Some Common Sense New Rules about Senior Citizens, But...

March 16, 2012 at 2:30 PM | by | Comments (0)

In the name of giving credit where credit is due, we're hereby noting that TSA is considering maybe letting travelers over the age of 75 keep on their shoes and light jackets as they pass through security. The pilot program—which will be launched Monday in ORD, DEN, MCO, and PDX—joins other experiments designed to speed the screening of trusted fliers, pilots, and children. They're all part of TSA's effort to move away from a one-size-fits-all model, which is quite laudable and so three cheers for slightly less stupid airport security.

But come on. Have we really gotten to a place where we need staggered pilot programs to evaluate whether it's OK to let grandma wear her beach flip flops as she shuffles, ever so slowly shuffles, through a scanner? It's definitely worth trying out, but it just seems so small.

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Virgin America's Newest Routes Will Totally Help 'Keep Portland Weird'

March 13, 2012 at 6:13 PM | by | Comments (0)

Everything happens in threes, and Virgin America's latest route launches follow the pattern. This year so far it's been new flights to Palm Springs, Philadelphia (launching beginning of April) and now—the third "P"—Portland, Oregon.

Just announced today, Virgin America will begin hopping over to PDX from both SFO and LAX beginning June 5. LAX will get two daily nonstops, while SFO claims only one. Whatever—that's plenty to help "keep Portland weird." Rates start at $99 each way, inclusive of taxes and fees. LA and SF people mixing with Portlanders is usually pretty hilarious, and they're pretty much most of the guests at The Ace Hotel PDX, so Virgin's new flights will just help them make the trip to "where the young go to retire" even easier. But that's not all!

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Please Do Not Pee on Fellow Passengers

August 11, 2011 at 11:52 AM | by | Comments (0)

You'd think we wouldn't have to say this, but after an incident yesterday onboard a cross-country flight, we have to: please don't pee on fellow airplane passengers. Not only is it gross and rude and borderline criminal, but it also ruins a flight for the rest of the passengers onboard and makes the situation very difficult for flight attendants. This is officially an amendment to our just-published list of The Top Ten Gross Things Flight Attendants Have Seen Passengers Do on Airplanes, assuming the FAs saw it happen.

As the story goes, the JetBlue red-eye from Portland, OR to New York-JFK yesterday has a family with an 11-year-old girl who wouldn't shut up, or was a disturbance in some way. A drunk 18-year-old boy got up, confronted the girl at her row, exposed himself and peed on her. The NY Post continues:

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Train Stations That Still Got It: Portland, Oregon's Union Station

Where: 800 NW Sixth Avenue [map], Portland, OR, United States, 97209
July 26, 2011 at 1:41 PM | by | Comments (0)

In yet another argument for improving the rail network of the USA, we turn to the impressive Union Station in the Chinatown section of Portland, Oregon. Even if you aren't arriving by the Amtrak Cascades, Coast Starlight or Empire Builder trains and you flew in to this here town, the station is worth a visit for its historical and architectural significance (not to mention that sweet Romanesque clock tower).

As you can see in the above image, the stations is undergoing something of a refurbishment. Sadly, this won't be to add more train services—oh how we'd love to see some hi-speed trains making stops here—but to add housing in places where railroad track used to be.

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Talk About an Airport That Knows Its Demographic...

June 30, 2011 at 11:30 AM | by | Comment (1)

What's the first thing you think about when you think Portland, Oregon? Is it Mt. Hood? Maybe it's clean, crisp Pacific Northwest air or coffee snobs. For many however, Portland is a bicycling haven, a dreamworld where bike lanes are spacious and chatting up a stranger with talk of U-locks isn't lame at all.

From the moment a travelers arrives at Portland International Airport—more popularly referred to by its airport code PDX—the biped influence is immediate. Signs lead arriving passengers down to baggage claim, to the oversized luggage claim area and finally out to a sea of airport bike racks, complete with a bike assembly area.

This surprise amenity isn't necessarily just for Portland locals, who've traced elsewhere with their bikes. It's for tourists too, who head out this way with their trusty 10-speeds to test the environment.

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Always Choose a Window Seat When Flying to Portland, Oregon

June 22, 2011 at 4:41 PM | by | Comments (0)


Mt. Hood

The more you travel, the more possibility there is that you'll learn something (or many things) new every day. Our latest little discovery? No matter which side of the plane you're sitting on during a flight to Portland, Oregon, entering from the east, you're going to have awesome views. Just make sure you score a window seat, or else risk straining your neck and camera above a stranger seatmate.

Specifically, the two great views while on the descent into PDX are of Mt. Hood (on the left) and Mt. Rainier (on the right). Both are volcanoes, and both are active though Mt. Hood is very much less so. Pick your seat based on which one holds more interest for you: Mt. Hood that towers over Portland, or Mt. Rainier which, though further away, holds the greatest danger. Cloudy day? No problem; these massive wonders of geologic insanity easily tower above the clouds.

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