Category: airports

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LaGuardia’s Bold Airport Protest

During the 1930s, New York City’s sole commercial airport was located in New Jersey. In a bold act of protest, NYC Mayor LaGuardia refused to disembark in New Jersey when his ticket read “New York City,” compelling the pilot to fly him to NYC instead. This event highlighted the pressing need for a proper airport in the city, and eventually led to the construction of LaGuardia Airport, which opened in 1939 and now serves as a vital transportation hub for millions of passengers each year

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When you see CNN playing in airport…

When you see CNN playing in airport terminals you’re actually watching a special version of the channel CNN produces just for airports. Is it just regular CNN with no mention at all of missing flights and aviation disasters when they occur. The network’s digital on-screen graphics are designed larger than industry standards, to allow readability […]

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This Is Why Your Phone Struggles for Service on Airport Tarmacs

One thing is certain when you’re on the tarmac: your cell phone service sucks. Unfortunately for passengers sending a “taking off” or “just landed” text from the airport tarmac, the message never seems to reach its destination in a timely fashion.

From a logical perspective, perhaps being trapped inside a sealed metal plane explains why your cell phone struggles for service worse than me trying to make a decision at the buffet. It turns out you can blame the structural design of both airports and planes for the terribly slow service on the tarmac.

Christopher Schaberg, a writer for The Atlantic, spoke to three commercial pilots who fly for major airlines like Delta and British Airways in order to discover the secret behind the slow cell service on airport tarmacs. The professor at Loyola University of New Orleans discovered that cellular antennae often do not provide sufficient coverage to span the entire distance of an airport, including the tarmac.

Airports utilize distributed antenna systems that work best indoors. Unfortunately for travelers (and even pilots), those antennae really only work inside the terminal. That lack of capacity combined with the plane’s materials—which are obviously designed for structural integrity rather than connectivity—means that anyone sitting in the tarmac has a better chance of winning the lottery than refreshing their Instagram feed in a timely fashion.

And if your flight gets delayed, the connection conundrum only gets worse.

To avoid the painful boredom of sitting in the cabin with nothing to do, try downloading some content before boarding your flight. Having a few episodes of your favorite show stored in your downloads will come in handy to pass the time, especially if weather or technical issues cause a delay.

Believe me, bing-watching a few episodes of Breaking Bad is far better than thumbing through the safety evacuation manual.

The post This Is Why Your Phone Struggles for Service on Airport Tarmacs appeared first on UberFacts.

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It’s True: Bill Murray Applied to Work at a P.F. Chang’s in the Atlanta Airport

Just when you thought Bill Murray couldn’t get any cooler…

The man is full of surprises, isn’t he? But before we get into this amazing story, let’s do a quick review of the 69-year-old actor’s great films: Stripes, Meatballs, Ghostbusters, Caddyshack, Groundhog Day, What About Bob? 

The list never ends…

But back to the big story. On a recent episode of Amy Schumer’s podcast 3 Girls, 1 Keith, Murray was asked what job he’d like to do besides acting. He said, “I did fill out an application at P.F. Chang’s at the Atlanta airport, because I think that’s one of the great places. It looks like the best time.”

Of course, Murray’s comments went viral and the restaurant chain itself responded to the story. Looks like he has a job waiting for him if he wants it!

On the same podcast, Murray also admitted his love for Family Feud. He said, “I’m going to give you my little secret — I record it. I can come home and I have recorded 61 episodes of ‘Family Feud,’ because it’s on all day long. It’s on all day long and by law it has to be on all day long. But then, what I do is I take the time to fast forward in each episode all the way to Fast Money. Cause that to me is the excitement part of the show. I skip the early rounds because I don’t always respect their tactics.”

No word on whether Mr. Murray will actually be working at a Chinese chain restaurant, but we can always keep our fingers crossed…

The post It’s True: Bill Murray Applied to Work at a P.F. Chang’s in the Atlanta Airport appeared first on UberFacts.

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10+ Hilarious Airport Greeting Signs That’ll Make You Wish You Called an Uber Instead of Your Family

After a long cramped flight, most folks look forward to seeing a familiar face welcoming them home. Perhaps, there will be a heartfelt embrace or a warm handshake. Then, the loving partner or best bud will handle their carry-on as stories from the road are shared. Making their way to baggage claim, they think it’s so nice to be home. What wonderful people I have in my life to pick me up from the airport so graciously with nary a complaint.

But that doesn’t always happen, does it. To be honest, no one wants to pick you up from the airport. It’s a pain. You should know that.

That’s probably why these put-upon people decided to make airport signs that serve a dual purpose: 1) to entertain the other suckers that were roped into picking someone up at the airport, and 2) to prevent you from ever asking again.

1. You asked for a pick-up.

Photo Credit: Imgur

2. You shouldn’t even have left, damn it.

Photo Credit: So Goodly

3. Your family doesn’t want to pick you up from the airport.

Photo Credit: Imgur

4. He wantsa talk, that’s all.

Photo Credit: The Chive

5. The 13th step is to find other friends.

Photo Credit: Pens and Patron

6. She didn’t mind coming to the airport.

Photo Credit: Twitter

7. Whoever you ask to pick you from the airport has to pay for parking by the half-hour.

Photo Credit: Piximus

8. The threat of a Force Choke for airport pickups should be used on an emergency basis only.

Photo Credit: Demilked

9. This took a dark turn.

Photo Credit: Imgur

10. So, flowers work too, just saying.

Photo Credit: Reddit

11. The takeaway here is not to ask them to pick you up from the airport again.

Photo Credit: Reddit

These signs are hints, people. Nothing wrong with taking public transportation or a cab home from the airport. Save you a little embarrassment too.

The post 10+ Hilarious Airport Greeting Signs That’ll Make You Wish You Called an Uber Instead of Your Family appeared first on UberFacts.

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This Infographic Shows the Busiest Airports in the World

What do you think the busiest airport in the world is? O’Hare in Chicago? London? Beijing?

Photo Credit: Flickr,Jimmy Harris

Think again. Atlanta’s airport is the busiest in the world and deals with more take-offs and landings per hour than any other hub on the planet. The top four busiest airports are all in the U.S., followed by Beijing at #5.

Here is the complete list, which you can also view HERE.

Photo Credit: Last Minute

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