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Sugar High, Up High: Five Exceptional Airport Candy Shops

February 9, 2012 at 9:30 AM | by | Comments (0)

If you’re flying next week, beware the red and pink cheap chocolates of the Hudson News airport outlets. While sending something in advance of Valentine’s Day is probably the best idea, you can always grab something nice for him or her on your way home from the airport, and no we're not talking about flowers from an arrivals hall vending machine. Here’s five airport candy shops that should satisfy any sweetie’s sweet tooth:

Sugar Pop - Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Even if you don’t need something for the upcoming Hallmark holiday, it’s worth it to stop in at Sugar Pop within the mall section of Terminal 1-Lindbergh. The place is loaded with different colors and sugary options, and they even have some teddy bears and other cuddly critters to go along with all those calories. This isn’t exactly the place for gourmet confections, but if you’re looking for oversized lollipops or personalized treats, it'll more than do.

Candy Empire – Singapore-Changi Airport

Sitting within the basement level of Terminal 3 is the spot you need to visit for chocolates, cookies, and everything in between. They promise stuff from Australia, Europe, and the United States, so if you can’t find something that fits your needs, you don’t know what you need. A few pieces of foreign candy from Candy Empire should hopefully smooth over any sort of trouble caused by not being home on Valentine's Day.

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Up Close with the Annoying, Magic Ad Mirrors of Chicago-O'Hare Airport

February 6, 2012 at 4:56 PM | by | Comments (0)

We said they were coming, and lo, they have come. Yesterday, flying from Chicago-O'Hare, we encountered the dreaded advertising mirrors—bathroom mirrors that double up as screens for advertisements.

How are they in real life? Way more imposing/annoying than you'd expect. They work by sensing when someone's at the mirror, so if you're waiting in line for a cubicle, all you see is moving adverts. Which, we suppose, isn't too irritating, but it does mean you can't check yourself out carry out quick makeup touch ups as you wait.

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Groupon's Good for Something, Like Virgin America Flights with Free WiFi

January 31, 2012 at 10:56 AM | by | Comments (0)

We have our doubts about group buying sites like Groupon, especially when we're getting emails for discounts on laser hair removal 80% of the time, but occasionally great deals do pop up, and one such sale starts today.

The deal: Pay $39, get $100 towards round-trip flights between Chicago-ORD and San Francisco-SFO or Los Angeles-LAX. Included in that $39 is also a code to redeem for a free session of Gogo in-flight WiFi, itself worth $12.95. The $100 you get can be used to purchase any class of travel...so you're that much closer to one of the big seats in First Class.

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Flying from Toronto to Chicago in a 737: Our First-Person Flight Sim Fun

Where: Australia
January 5, 2012 at 11:54 AM | by | Comment (1)

Since we do a good amount of flying, we've been lucky enough to enjoy seat 1A but also thankful enough just to be onboard in the last row of economy. Recently, this Jaunted writer had the opportunity to sit in an all totally new area of the plane (to us). No, I didn't get to travel in the cargo hold as luggage, instead I got to fly the plane.

Long gone are the days when children were escorted up to the cockpit for a view of the brains of the aircraft, a visit with the pilots, and, inevitably, a set of plastic wings. Since 2001, airlines no longer allow passengers access to the flight deck for obvious reasons, but the dream still exists for many.

Last month we told you all about the British Airways simulator gift card idea. Obviously, my family and friends were listening since I received a boarding pass (gift voucher) for a 60-minute flight simulator experience with a company called Flight Experience. As someone whose interests are primarily consumed by travel, I am always looking for a way to upgrade. Naturally I went ahead and upgraded myself from the 60 to the 90-minute simulation.

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Airports, Please Serve Better Coffee.

December 14, 2011 at 11:32 AM | by | Comments (2)

A single international airline can serve upwards of 50,000 cups of coffee every day. The proof is here. In the sky, coffee is whole other ordeal, seeing as how it's universally complained about ("brown water") and whatnot. At least the quality, or lack of, has an excuse—the fact that you're flying through the air at 500mph+ over god knows where, with an extremely limited galley and overstressed flight attendants.

Down on the ground, however, no such excuse exists. Which is why we do not understand why airports haven't been paying more attention to craft coffee roasting. Starbucks, schmarbucks. When will airports have pour over coffee bars?

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Getting the Food to Come to You at Chicago-O'Hare Airport

November 30, 2011 at 9:27 AM | by | Comments (0)

Have you taken advantage of gate side food delivery at the airport? Okay, we admit that we haven’t either, but that’s only because we just haven’t had the opportunity yet! Now there’s one more option to do so, as HMSHost—purveyor of fine concourse concessions—is bringing the B4YouBoard app to Chicago-O’Hare.

In case you forgot how it works, it’s pretty easy. Just fire up the app on your iPhone or Android device, place an order at a participating restaurant, and then wait for a friendly face to deliver your food and beverage right to the gate.

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Watch the Skies for United's Eco Plane, Already Flying on Biofuels

November 8, 2011 at 9:00 AM | by | Comments (0)

Huge news. Yesterday marked the first time a US airline used biofuel in a commercial flight. No, it wasn't Alaska Airlines even though they are trying; it was United, and they flew their eco-friendly 737-800 from Continental's's former home base, Houston, to the United home base of Chicago.

For the #avgeeks: The biofuel is algae-based and includes 60 percent petroleum fuel and 40 percent biofuel produced by a company named Solazyme.

The eco-consciousness isn't limited to what goes in the tank, either. United flight attendants now push lighter serving carts and pilots traded in their 38-pound flight bags for more weight-conscious iPads (already loaded with their in-flight navigation charts and aircraft manuals). Furthermore, United makes it easy for plane spotters to identify the Mother Earth-friendly aircraft by its green winglets and 'eco-skies' written towards the front of the fuselage.

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Chicago-O'Hare Shows Off Its Green Thumb With An Airport Garden

September 28, 2011 at 9:01 AM | by | Comments (0)

Chicago-O’Hare has been busy in 2011, and it’s not just updating a bunch of United Airlines signs. The airport has been busy adding plenty of new restaurants—tasty ones too—and now they’re taking the next step to improve their foodie street cred. HMSHost is partnering up with the airport to create an airport aeroponic garden.

Apparently it’s the very first—and only—aeroponic airport garden in the world, and it’ll be doing its thing before too long right in Terminal 3. It’s not just for show either, as they’re actually planning to utilize some of its crops for restaurants right in the airport. Tuscany, Blackhawks Restaurant, and Wicker Park Seafood and Sushi are just a few of the restaurants that plan to use some of the garden’s lettuce, peppers, and herbs. Hopefully Rick Bayless will steal a couple sprigs of cilantro too.

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This Week in Stupid TSA Tricks

July 15, 2011 at 3:51 PM | by | Comments (0)

So someone in the United States House found out that since November 2001 there have been 25,000 - that's the number twenty-five with three zeros after it - breaches of secured airport perimeters. Naturally they wanted to have a chat with the TSA about those breaches, since 25,000 seems like a pretty big number and reflects a fairly high level of incompetence, so they called a hearing. At that hearing a document was waved around that contained a bunch of information about how TSA protects airports. Now it turns out that the information in the document was classified, and that revealing it was a huge security breach.

Just so everyone's clear on what happened. In an effort to find out why TSA's covert security procedures were only working part of the time - something that's bad enough - Congress managed to leak those procedures so now they'll work even less well. That brings us to two questions. First, is there anyone, anywhere, at any level who isn't totally incompetent? And second, how can it possibly be that this wasn't the dumbest TSA stunt of the week?

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Rosie O'Donnell Flips Out at O'Hare, Get Pwned

June 23, 2011 at 3:38 PM | by | Comments (0)


Rosie spotted previously at LAX

Remind us never to indulge in a little pre-flight lubricating if there's a chance that Ms. Rosie O'Donnell is in the vicinity. Her wrath knows no bounds when she's really set on something, the latest something being underage drinking at airport bars, even when the drinkers are perfectly legal.

According to Chicagoist, Rosie chewed out a pair of girls at one of O'Hare Airport's many watering holes, after she witnessed them ordering beers. They were not carded, and this apparently set off O'Donnell, at least until the girls explained their ages: 24 and 27.

Hey, Rosie: you should be worried about catching flight crew bellying up to an airport bar, not fellow travelers. Geez, we feel sorry for the bartender now that this is ranking in the tabloids like some kind of minor national incident. Wait—what's Rosie doing at ORD anyway? Doesn't she notoriously prefer traveling by private jet? Hmm.

[Photo: BauerGriffin/Zimbio]

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Chicago Chef Paul Kahan Slips Chef Knives Through TSA Security

June 16, 2011 at 11:43 AM | by | Comments (4)

Are you prepared to be yet again disappointed in and freaked out by the incompetence of TSA agents? Chicagoan Paul Kahan, a James Beard award winning chef and partner at the awesome restaurants Avec, Blackbird, Big Star and The Publican, managed to slip four of his massive chef knives through security at Chicago-O'Hare Airport. What happened then? Well, he took his flight like normal with four giant knives at easy reach.

Luckily Paul Kahan is a good guy who prefers filleting fish to filleting flight attendants. Still, the fact that he was patted down for his wallet while the sharp things made it through the scanner without a hitch...somebody's got some 'splaining to do. And here we think we're pretty badass for never adhering to the 3-1-1 liquids rule and still making it through security just fine.

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Even More Planes Move to IAH as the United-Continental Merger Continues

June 9, 2011 at 8:56 AM | by | Comments (0)

We already knew that they have new signs and new advertisements, and this week brings even more news in the United-Continental merger. Things continue to chug along until the day when the airline will operate is one big happy family—that’s supposed to be like the middle of next year—but until then, there’s going to plenty of small steps to help them get there.

One thing that has arrived at plenty of airports—as in like 80 or so—is new software for the Continental and United airport kiosks. Plenty of airports will now let you check into your flight from either airport counter, but just don’t call United to flip out about your Continental flight being delayed. The telephone systems and other reservation technology are far from being integrated.

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