Our travels were fine: on-time, good people helping us, and no lost bags!

The funniest part of the trip... and the reason for this blog... as we were waiting at Gate D26 at McCarran something caught the attention of Evan Chevrier, our sports producer, and myself. A very interesting comment on the back of our boarding passes.

Sports Producer Evan Chevrier notes the odd comment on the back of our boarding pass.

This was an Alaska Airlines boarding pass, printed from an Alaska Airlines e-ticket self check-in machine. The pass thanks us... for using speed!

I guess it's fitting - it is Vegas, after all!

For those who don't know why we think that's so funny, "speed," in the world of law enforcement, is another word for methamphetamine - meth. Only in Vegas would your boarding pass look like that.

Turns out, the boarding pass is thanking us for using "speed check" - the computerized check-in system at McCarran. But that's not nearly as funny.

Time to get back to work. Thanks to everyone on our flights who stopped us to say hi. It's always nice to meet NewsChannel 8 viewers. And next time you're at the Vegas airport, be sure to use Speed (Check)!

E-mail Jack with your travel stories.

The problem with the way the wiring is installed on American's Boeing MD80s (really built by McDonnel Douglas, which was purchased by Boeing, which subsequently gets its name on the plane) has been a tough one for the Airline to re-inspect and fix. Even now - Thursay night - NBC reports American has just 100 of its 300 MD80s back in service.

Portland was hit worse than any other major west coast city. The reason: American only flies MD80s here - unlike cities such as Seattle, San Francisco, and San Diego, where it also flies Boeing 757s. While the vast majority of Portland flights were cancelled, American's 757 flights in other west coast cities were zipping in and out on time.

Today I sat down with a travel agent I often work with, Don Francis, of Barbur Travel/Uptown Landing Travel in John's Landing. He's a good guy, who always tells it like it is. He's been swamped by people wanting help with their cancelled American flights. "A lot of people are just flat-out worried about their flights," he told me. "It doesn't matter if they're on American. They're so skittish now about leaving town at all, it's like, 'are we impacted, are we going to make our flight?'"

Don's been helping the best he can. His advice to those who have tickets on American through the weekend: check with the airline often, from the day before your flight, until the time you leave for the airport. If your flight is cancelled, ask to be confirmed on a new flight - don't go standby. If your flight might be cancelled, you can ask to be protected on another flight. That won't change your reservation, but it will reserve a confirmed seat for you should you flight eventually be cancelled. Don explains it better: "You basically have a dupicate reservation, which is usually frowned upon. But, given the circumstances, you need to have it if there's a high percentage chance your flight is going to be cancelled."

American has been willing to put travelers on other airlines, instead of forcing them to wait for the next AA flight. You just have to ask. As Don says, "They know that they've got to get you home. And they don't want to put you up in a hotel and waste a lot of per diem. They want to get the situation resolved."

The big question everyone's been asking me for the last couple days: what's next? Everyone wants to know which airline or which aircraft type will be next to be called out by the FAA, with its new emphasis on following directives to the letter. I wish I could answer that question. Don tells me these MD80 inspections, "Could be the tip of the iceberg." Certainly, the FAA could require similar inspections on any other aircraft. But it could, just as easily, be satisfied with how other airliners have been inspected. It's impossible to say.

If you're flying in the next few months, stay on top of the news surrounding your airline. KGW.com is a great place to do that. And I'll do my best to keep updates here - when I get them.

If you have a story you want to share, e-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com, or add a comment to the blog.

Photo Courtesy Airliners.net

Once again we're looking at the busiest Christmas travel week in PDX history. The Port of Portland estimates more than 48,000 of us will fly through PDX each day between now and the end of the season - after the first of the year. With that in mind, here are my best tips for getting through everything as quickly and easily as possible.

Check-in on-line.

Most airlines will now let you check-in for your flight, 24-hours ahead of time, on their websites. You can choose seats, and print-out boarding passes at home. Then you just drop-off your bags at the airport. This can save you an hour. And if you're flying Southwest, it can get you to the front of the line in the mad-scramble for the best seats.

Check-in at an e-ticket machine.

If you can't check-in at home, use an e-ticket machine at the airport, instead of waiting in-line for an agent. These PDX airlines have e-ticket check-in: Alaska/Horizon, US Airways/America West, American, htContinental, Delta, Hawaiian, jetBlue, Northwest, Southwest, and United. Air Canada, Big Sky, Frontier, Lufthansa, and Mexicana do not offer e-ticket check-in at PDX.

Choose the shortest security line.

The Port has built a "concourse connector" linking the A, B, and C concourses to the D and E concourses, behind security. It's designed for passengers connecting from Alaska and Horizon flights (on A, B, and C) onto the international flights to Tokyo and Frankfurt (on D). But saavy travelers have quickly found they can use the D and E security checkpoint (with its typically shorter lines) to get to their gate on A, B, or C. It could save you 15 or 20 minutes at peak times.

Check with TSA.

Before you pack your carry-on, take a look at their list of allowed items. It changes every now and then, so you'll want to make sure you don't pack anything that will have to be thrown away at the security checkpoint.

Get there early.

I know... we hear this all the time. But it really does matter when the airport's jammed. They tell you 2-hours, but I always try for 90 minutes. Unless I'm parking there. Which leads me to my next tip.

Get there EXTRA early.

That is, if you're parking in the economy lot. Christmas of 2004 I flew out of PDX and tried to park in economy, but there were NO SPOTS when I got there at 6am. The lot was FULL. They had us parking on the side of the road. It took at least an hour to park and get to the terminal. I just made my flight (by about 48 seconds). So follow the 2-hour rule if economy parking is in your future.

Also keep in mind, with current construction on a second parking garage, parts of the long-term lot have been closed, reducing the capacity by about 500 spaces. So if you're parking for a long period of time (more than a few days) think about using economy parking instead.

Take the MAX.

It runs every 15-minutes in both directions, with the first train getting you to PDX at 4:45am, and the last one leaving PDX at 11:55pm. It costs $1.80 each way. A lot cheaper than $8/day for economy parking, or $12/day for long-term. For more information, check out Tri-Met's MAX page.

You're not flying.

If you have to drop someone off, or pick someone up, here's some things to speed-up that process, too.

- Park on top of the garage. We all want to park on Level 4, because it has the skybridges that go directly across to the terminal. But this time of year, it's always packed. You'll waste time trying to find a spot there. So just go to Level 7, atop the garage, and park right next to the elevator. It'll end up saving you a few minutes.

- Quick Pay is your friend. You'll find the Quick Pay terminals on Level 4 of the parking garage and in the underground connector between the Terminal and the garage. Pay for your parking here, and you'll breeze right out of the parking gate.

- Use the Cell Phone Wait Lot. The Cell Lot makes a comeback. There's a parking lot (on the left, off 82nd, near the air cargo area) that's free for people picking-up passengers. Park there, and have your family/friends call you when they grab their bags. Then you can drive around and have them hop-in, without having to pay for parking. BEWARE: You can not park here and leave your car. You'll get a ticket... or be towed.

- Pick-up on the upper level. Sure, the signs say the upper level is for departures. But most of the time, and especially at night, the lower level is jammed with "pick-ups." Avoid that by picking-up your family/friends up above. And save a lot of time by using the upper, outer roadway. But don't stay too long, and don't leave your car, because the Port of Portland Police aren't too excited about people who do that... and they'll likely tow you.

My favorite travel websites.

If you're still looking too book that holiday trip, I've compiled a number of websites I use when I travel. It takes a little extra work to do your booking the way I do mine, but it could very easily save you some money.

The first thing I always do is get a feel for what airfares are running by checking Expedia.com. Expedia is one of the best sites, I find, when comparing fares by airline, and by the number of en-route stops. But (the folks at Expedia don't want to hear this) I never book my ticket there.

Once I find a good deal at Expedia, I go directly to the airline's website. Almost always, I'll find the fare $5 cheaper per person on the airline's website... because that's what Expedia charges in fees. So if I find a ticket on Expedia, flying on United, for example, for $200, I'll go to the United website and book the ticket for $195. If you don't know the airline's web address, I've posted a full list for all the airlines that fly out of PDX at the end of this blog.

If you aren't finding any good deals that way, go to Hotwire. It's a website that offers discounted airfares. The airlines "dump" extra capacity on Hotwire, at 20 to 50% off the regular fare. Hotwire won't always have a good deal... but if you catch it at the right time, you can get a huge discount.

If you're trying to find a good place to go, or you want to know more about the city you've selected, I recommend Fodor's. Their website has great information about things to do, restaurants, and hotels. They also have a list of good deals on the left side of their homepage.

After you find that good deal, but before you book, I recommend you get the most out of your travel by checking Flightstats. It's run by a Portland company. It compiles all the on-time information for every flight in the US. You can type in the flight number of the one you're thinking about booking, and it will tell you what your chances are of being on-time. It also tells you things like average delay, and number of cancellations.

Meanwhile, Seatmap.com has a comprehensive listing of all airline fleets in the US, and many from around the world. The site walks you through the seatmap of the plane that will be used on your flight. It tells you which seats are good, and which to avoid. I always use it before I book.

One more thing to remember: Southwest Airlines doesn't list its fares in any of the on-line booking engines. To get fares for Southwest, you must go to its website. Southwest also offers travel deals... but again... only on its website.

Other quick links.

- General flight delay information, from the US Department of Transportation.
- PDX arrival and departure information, broken down by airline, and constantly updated.
- Lost luggage tips from the Better Business Bureau.
- Portland weather information, from the good folks over in the First Alert Storm Center.

If you have any more tricks, tips, or websites you use, let me know. My e-mail address is jpenning@kgw.com.

It's going to take some extra shopping to make sure you get the best deal. I have a couple of websites I like, and use, to beat the airfare system.

The first: Farecast.com. This site develops a prediction of the future fare in any market you search. It will tell you how the fare has fluctuated in the last 60-days, and if its likely to go up or down in the next 30-days. I find its predictions to be very accurate, so I always start my search here.

Another site I like is Yapta.com. This site will track the airfare in any market in which you've bought a ticket, and alert you if the fare goes down. What's more, it will tell you how to get a refund or an airline credit should the fare drop significantly.

With the price of oil at $97 a barrel and the price of jet fuel at $2.70 a gallon, airfares are only going to continue to rise. It's more important than ever to do your homework before you book.

Got another good tip? E-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com.

Here's that agency's press release:

European Agency Review Affirms Safety Of Bombardier Q400
Nov. 7, 2007
Dow Jones Newswires

A review by the European Aviation Safety Agency has affirmed the airworthiness
of Bombardier Inc.'s Q400 turboprop after ruling that a series of recent
accidents weren't caused by design flaws.

"We are very pleased with the report," Bombardier spokesman Marc Duschesne
said. "It shows that we have a very safe aircraft. This is very positive news
for us."

The review by European air authorities was called after Scandinavian airline
SAS AB permanently grounded its fleet of 27 Bombardier-built Q400s following
three accidents in the past two months.

While no one was seriously hurt in any of the incidents, the flurry of problems
raised concerns globally about the safety of the Q400.

According to the EASA, the most recent incident on Oct. 27, "was not due to a
design error" and said the airworthiness of the aircraft is maintained.

Danish aviation authorities had earlier issued a preliminary report that
indicated a piece of debris – a rubber o-ring – lodged in the landing gear had
prevented the gear from extending properly, causing the most recent incident.

Two previous incidents in early September were already found to have been
caused by corrosion in a bolt in another section of the landing gear. Following
those incidents, all 165 Q400s in use worldwide were temporarily grounded and
the part in question inspected.

EASA said its concerns about that bolt have already been met through the
previous directives that recommended airlines take remedial actions.

Officials of the airworthiness authorities of Denmark, Sweden, Norway and
Canada as well as representatives of Bombardier and the landing-gear
manufacturer Goodrich Corp. participated in the airworthiness review meeting at
EASA's headquarters in Cologne, Germany.

According to the EASA statement, Scandinavian airworthiness authorities will "
reissue the Certificates of Airworthiness relevant to this aircraft type in the
coming days."

Comments? E-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com.

It used to be you had to take a leap of faith, and book when you though you were getting the best deal. Now, a new website takes all the guesswork out of buying travel. You go ahead and book your ticket at whatever fare is available. Then, log onto yapta.com, enter your ticket information, and the website will e-mail you if and when the airfare on your ticket goes down. The site tells you exactly what to do to get your money back, or get an airline refund for future flights.

Check it out, and let me know how it works for you. Drop me an e-mail at jpenning@kgw.com.

Other News and Notes

September's Most On-Time Airlines

The Department of Transportation's September airline on-time rankings are out, and, once again, they're not pretty. Collectively, a little less than 82% of all flights in the US arrived within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. But large airlines including US Airways, American, United, and Northwest posted worse than average results. Meanwhile, Portland's largest carrier, Alaska Airlines, posted the worst on-time performance of any of the majors, and of all the airlines serving PDX, with 73% of its flights arriving on-time.

Here's where Portland's carriers stack-up:

Hawaiian Airlines 93.7%
Frontier Airlines 88.5%
Continental Airlines 88.0%
Southwest Airlines 85.8%
jetBlue Airways 85.7%
Skywest Airlines 82.9%
Delta Air Lines 82.0%
US Airways 80.1%
American Airlines 78.5%
United Airlines 78.2%
Northwest Airlines 77.8%
Alaska Airlines 73.3%

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics

More on the Q400 - Horizon's Favorite Plane

Last week I reported on a major European airline deciding to permanently ground an entire fleet of planes because it says they're not safe after a pair of landing gear collapses, and another landing gear incident. We found those same planes operate more than 60 daily flights at PDX, and their operator, Horizon Air, has no plans to ground them here.

After the incidents, the European Union's aviation safety authority has ordered a "crisis meeting" to talk about the problems with Q400 landing gear. It says it wants the Canadian manufacturer, Bombardier, to prove the plane is still airworthy.

Sweden's SAS Scandinavian Airlines pulled all 27 of its Q400s from service. It's President said his confidence in the type has diminished considerably in the wake of the incidents, one of which was caught on tape.

Back in September, Horizon pulled its 33 Q400's from service for landing gear inspections. It says it found nothing wrong.

I had a good e-mail from Horizon spokesman Bill Coniff, but I wasn't able to include all of it in the report on TV, or ther report here on kgw.com. Here is the full text Bill sent me:

"Horizon, which has operated the Bombardier Q400 since 2001 in the western U.S. and Canada, has never experienced any issues like those SAS has encountered in Europe.

"Bombardier and Transport Canada, Canada's equivalent to the Federal Aviation Administration, have advised all Q400 operators worldwide to continue with normal flight operations. Horizon is following their guidance.

"Safety always comes first. We are fully confident of the safety of our Q400s. Otherwise, we would not be flying them.

"In September, as a purely precautionary measure, we successfully completed a thorough inspection of all of our Q400 landing gear before returning the aircraft to service with a clean bill of health."

I, personally, have flown on the Q400 a number of times. I've got to say, I think it's a really nice plane. It's big, quiet, and confortable... especially for a regional aircraft. I'd hate to see problems ground it here in the Northwest.

Unfortunately, I don't have any cool photos of my adventure, like Steph did, but I do have video of the flight posted in our Video on Demand section, and here's a photo of the plane:

John's Extra 300 Aircraft

We flew out of the Scappoose Airport, so we'd have plenty of airspace to use. The flight started out gently, and I spent some time at the controls. Although I don't have my pilot's license, I have done much of the training, and I've flown a number of small aircraft. I've never flown anything like the Extra 300 (aircraft information courtesy Airliners.net). It was unbelievably responsive. John asked me to climb. I pulled back on the yoke. We were immediately headed almost straight up. The plane has so much power it can climb at a virtual 90-degree angle, and still gain airspeed.

When John took over we rolled inverted, to make sure we were both well strapped-in. We didn't fall into the canopy... so off we went. We did about 15-minutes worth of stunts. They're hard to explain, but they involved lots of rolls, loops, and twists... and looked something like this:

The big question everyone asks: did I get sick? The answer:

NO WAY!

I actually surprised myself. I get more sick looking at the cockpit video from the flight than I did when I was flying! I've flown aerobatically a little bit, and never had the misfortune of getting sick - so I must be doing something right.

But the real story is that John took it easy on me! I asked him how close what we did was to his airshow material and he told me, "nowhere near it!" But he also laid down the challenge - to come back and do the full show sometime.

John, I'm thinking about it!

People who work together in newsrooms are incredibly close. We keep crazy hours, covering crazy stories, causing us to develop deep bonds of friendship. We become newsroom families.

I can't imagine what it's like to lose a member of that family. But all of us at KGW can empathize with the grief that's overtaken the KTVK newsroom, the City of Phoenix, and the State of Arizona. We feel like we've lost two members of our own extended family.

What makes the loss all the more difficult is the fact that Scott and Jim were just doing their job. They'd spent countless hours in the helicopter, covering stories just like today's chase. Never would anyone imagine an event on the ground, could lead to such tragedy in the air. Never would Scott and Jim imagine that this would be their final assignment.

As KGW's aviation reporter, I've spent hundreds of hours in our helicopter, Sky 8. I don't fly it, I'm just along for the ride, with our outstanding pilot team of Daron Larsen and Earl Longden. But I've seen, first hand, just how tricky it can be to fly a news chopper, and still deal with all the other things going on around us in the sky. In Portland, as in Phoenix, there's a tremendous number of other aircraft in the air - other news choppers, private planes, and commercial flights. We are constantly bombarded by warnings from air traffic control: "TV 8, traffic 3 o-clock, 1 mile, 2,000 feet, southbound Cessna, report them in sight." We squint into the sun, searching for the plane, hoping to catch it before it's too close for us to get out of the way.

You'd be amazed at how difficult it is to spot another plane in the sky, even when it's right on top of you. Add to that the stress of trying to position a helicopter perfectly above a breaking news event, to get the best shot, and the chore of tending to the radios to keep both the station, and air traffic control, appraised of where you are.

I can't say I've ever had a "close call" in Sky 8. At least not what our pilots would call a "close call." There have been times when planes have been so close I could see the whites of the pilot's eyes - but we were never in danger of colliding. Still, I can see how easy it would be for a pair of choppers to run into each other, and how the pilots would never see it coming.

The sky seems like such a vast place. You'd think there would be plenty of room for all the choppers, and all the Cessna's, and all the Boeings. And there is - except over a big city - where all those pilots are carefully guiding their aircraft in a well-choreographed aerial ballet. All it takes is a split second - a slight deviation - and the dancers tumble.

We send out our deepest, most heart-felt condolences to our friends in Phoenix. We mourn with you, and honor your courage in reporting on today's loss in your own family. Your resolve in the most difficult of times is an inspiration to journalists everywhere - and especially at your sister station in Portland.

In our story, and in the main story here on KGW.com, we talked about the problems Northwest Airlines has had with cancellations this summer. But they're not alone. The following links take you to the full, exclusive report, produced for KGW by Portland-based FlightStats.com. You can see where your airline ranks, and find out how likely it is your flight will be cancelled.

US Airline Perfomance Report, July 1 - 15, 2007

US Airline Performance Report, July 1 - 15, 2006

Comments? Write them here, or e-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com.

Our friends at Flightstats.com put together an exclusive report for KGW on our hometown airport. PDX boasts the best on-time performance on the west coast, with 80% of arrivals pulling-in within 15-minutes of their scheduled arrival time. But - and this is a big BUT - PDX still saw more than 1,400 flights delayed in June, which experts say, is a record.

Flightstats.com broke-down PDX arrival perfomance in this exclusive PDF document: PDX On-Time Arrivals, June 2007.

Flightstats.com broke-down the other 30-top US airports' perfomance in this exclusive PDF document: Top 30 US Airports' On-Time Performance, June 2007.

And, finally, Flightstats.com broke-down on-time perfomance by airline in this exclusive PDF document: US Airline On-Time Performance, June 2007.

Some interesting things jump out from the Flightstats.com report. First, how poorly some US majors did in terms of on-time operations. Just 58% of American and US Airways flights arrived on-time. Southwest was the best major for on-time flights, at 77%, but that still means 23% of its flights were late. It's extraordinary - and not in a good way - for the best airline to perform at that level.

It's also interesting that Portland's transcontinental flights are chronically late. Flights to Washington Dulles are late 50% of the time, while flights to New York Kennedy are late 57% of the time, and flights to Philadelphia are late 64% of the time - the worst PDX destination for on-time flights.

These stats don't include international travel, as those statistics are governed by international treaties, and not often available.

Do you have a summer travel story? Share it here in my comments section, or e-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com.

What many don't know is there are ways around the system. As long as you post some kind of activity, your miles stay in your account. So, if your miles are expiring, say, next month, you can just donate a small portion to the airline's charity, which will buy you another 18-months to use what's left in your account.

Another way to ensure your miles never expire is to use your airline's credit card. That way you're posting some kind of activity every month, even if you just charge one lunch or dinner a month. As long as your posting new activity, your expiration date stays 18-months away.

One of the most frequent complaints our viewers e-mail me about is how few award seats are available on each flight, and how difficult it is to book an award ticket. Airlines are opening fewer seats for award travel, especially to the most sought-after destinations. In some cases, certain flights have no seats available at all. On other cases, the airline will only open seats when bookings are lagging, just days before the flight departs. With all that in mind, here are some quick tips on how to get the most out of your frequent flyer miles:

1) Go When No One Else Can. I use this one all the time. Take time off in the "shoulder" season, and travel then. I like to take a week in October and a week at the beginning of December. If you fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday, at these times of the year, you'll almost always find the seat you want. And if you don't use miles, you'll often find the lowest fares of the year.

2) Call Early. Call Often. Airlines beginning booking seats 11-months out. So as soon as you're 11-months from the date you want to travel, start calling your airline's frequent flyer number. And if they can't find your ticket the first time, don't give up. Seats, like any other inventory, in any other business, get moved around the airline's computer system all the time. They open new seats, and remove others, frequently. So call at least once a week, until you get the flight you want.

3) Buy the Ticket. Use Miles for the Upgrade. Airlines are a lot more easygoing when it comes to letting you use your miles if you've already spent some money with them. It's a good idea to buy a coach ticket for your trip, then call and use your frequent flyer miles to upgrade to business or first. This is especially fun when the ticket is cheap in the first place.

Every airline's frequent flyer program is different. It's important to know your airline's rules before you book. Listed below are links to the frequent flyer programs of each and every airline serving PDX.

Air Canada: Aeroplan
Alaska Airlines: Mileage Plan
American Airlines: AAdvantage
Big Sky Airlines: MVP Club
Continental Airlines: OnePass
Delta Air Lines: SkyMiles
Frontier Airlines: EarlyReturns
Hawaiian Airlines: HawaiianMiles
Horizon Air: Mileage Plan
jetBlue Airways: trueBlue
Lufthansa: Miles & More
Mexicana: Frecuenta
Northwest Airlines: WorldPerks
Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards
United Airlines: Mileage Plus
US Airways: Dividend Miles

Happy flying!

Comments? Post here or e-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com.

PDX will set an all-time Spring Break record for travelers, with almost 43,000 a day all week, or 800,000 through the holiday. Passenger traffic at the airport is up by about 3% over last year's record. The big problem for parking: more of those new travelers are driving their cars out to the airport, instead of taking MAX, cabs, or shuttles. While passengers are up 3%, car traffic is up 6%, meaning the lots just don't have enough spaces.

I've compiled some resources to help you navigate PDX parking. Just click on these links before you leave home, and they'll tell you if spaces are available, or if you should think about riding MAX, or cabbing it.

- Current Parking Status: Once here, just click on the lot you're interested in, and it will show you how full it is.
- Ground Transportation: If the lots are full, here's how to get to PDX.
- Tri-Met's MAX: The Red Line light rail runs from Beaverton to PDX, with easy connections to and from the Blue and Yellow Lines, and the Portland Streetcar.
- PDX Travel Tips: The Airport's advice, before you head out.

Another good tip, from a guy we met out at the airport by the name of Howard Baumann: forget about trying to find a spot near the front of the economy lot. Just drive right to the overflow area in the back. If there's going to be a spot, it's going to be there, and you'll save yourself a lot of time and frustration. Of course, Howard will probably be upset that I shared his secret with all of you!

One other note, before I sign off. My step-mother wrote me an e-mail a little while ago. She told me my blog was old, outdated, and needed attention! So, with that in mind, I hope to be a little more diligent about updating it. I'll try to post something new here at least once a week. If my step-mom doesn't catch it, I sure hope you will.

E-mail me anytime at jpenning@kgw.com.

When people warned me of the treacherous winters that plague central New York, I used to brush them off with a simple: Thanks for your concern, but I am originally from Idaho. I know what snow is.

Now, as a freshman experiencing her first winter at Syracuse University in New York, my concept of the word SNOWSTORM has been changed and I have picked up a new phrase: the dreaded LAKE EFFECT SNOWSTORM.

After a fairly mild December and January, I delighted in the assumption that I had evaded the notorious Northeastern winters, and was amused by the irony that even mild Portland had received snow before Syracuse. But my luck was cut short by the massive snowstorm that hit Syracuse Wednesday, dumping feet of snow and bringing with it below-freezing temperatures and winds that literally took my breath away.

Despite the Life Goes On approach that most Syracusans have adopted, classes at the University were cancelled on Wednesday for the first time since 1993.

But a rather nonchalant outlook noticeably permeated every other aspect of existence here, with most people operating their cars despite the fact that the vehicles were buried under several feet of snow, and a number of people walking around casually as if nothing but a bothersome snow flurry had hit the city.

While I respect this blase attitude towards massive amounts of snow, the Oregonian in me decided it was best to get on my flannel pajamas, make some tea, and settle in for a day of reading and movies. My favorite part of the day, however, was watching students trek back across the campus from their cancelled classes, and trying to pick out the West Coast kids and the native Northeasterners. While the Californians, Washingtonians and Oregonians were busy gawking at the huge snowdrifts, cameras in hand, students from the Northeast simply trudged through the whiteness, wearing expressions that read clearly: Not again, what a pain.

Jen Gramer
Syracuse, New York

It's a second record year in a row for the Port of Portland and PDX. More than 14 million of us traveled through the airport last year. 14,042,970, if you want to be exact. That's 1.2% above the record year in 2005... and above the 14 million mark for the first time ever. Not bad for a metro area of less than 2.5 million residents.

Current PDX Routes

Current route map of non-stop flights out of PDX. Created using the "Great Circle Mapper."

International Growth

A lot of the passenger growth is being fueled by the ever-increasing number of international flights. Just five years ago, when Delta pulled-down its Asia-Pacific hub here, PDX was left with flights to Vancouver, BC as its only international connection. Now, Portland is the smallest city in the US with daily non-stops to Europe, Asia, and Mexico. And international service continues astounding growth.

It all starts with Mexicana, which took a chance on Portland a few years ago, adding non-stops flights to Guadalajara. In 2006, those flights went daily, and they were frequently sold-out.

Seeing that success, Portland's hub airline, Alaska, decided to get in on the action in 2006, adding new non-stops to both Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta. The flights have turned-out to be so popular, it's almost impossible to get a seat, even a couple months in advance.

A few years ago, Lufthansa German Airlines came to Portland, with non-stops to Frankfurt. Lufthansa shunned Seattle in a move that shocked aviation analysts in both the US and Europe. It turned out to be a great move... and in 2006, the airline went to 5-weekly flights during the winter, and daily non-stops in the summer.

The Port has also had success in luring Northwest Airlines to launch non-stop flights to Tokyo (and continuing service to Singapore). Northwest replaced Delta on the route, and has frequently reported more than 90% of all seats sold.

More Flights to US Cities

In 2006, Portland saw increased flights on many popular west coast routes, and added three new US cities to the route map.

US Airways launched Portland's first-ever non-stop flights to Philadelphia. They operate daily now.

At the same time, Big Sky Airlines started weekend service to Missoula and Helena, Montana. That service proved to be so popular, it's now been expanded to daily.

And 2007 will see even more growth. Alaska Airlines is leading the way, adding Portland's first ever non-stops to both Boston and Orlando. It's Alaska's first foray into transcontinental flying at PDX. Meanwhile, Delta has annouced it will reinstate non-stop flights from Portland to New York's Kennedy Airport, joining jetBlue on the route.

What it all Means

All the new flights mean, first and foremost, more options for Portland travelers. It's so much easier for a business traveler, based in Portland, to get around in 2007, than it was in 2002. Not to mention how much easier it is for a tourist, visiting Oregon, to get here.

In the long run, more flights should mean lower fares. Take the New York City route, for example. In 2003, Continental was the only airline flying between PDX and New York (into Newark airport). Fares were running over $500. Now, Delta, jetBlue, and Continental compete on the route, and fares are as low as $250 round-trip. Portland will continue to see lower fares, more travelers, and more options.

Comments? E-mail me at jpenning@kgw.com.

Photo Courtesy Airliners.net

Once again we're looking at the busiest Thanksgiving travel week in PDX history. The Port of Portland estimates more than 315,000 of us will fly through PDX between now and the Sunday after Thanksgiving. The busiest days will approach 50,000 passengers. So I've put together tips, and good websites, to help you navigate the mess, not only in Portland, but across the country.

Check-in on-line.

Most airlines will now let you check-in for your flight, 24-hours ahead of time, on their websites. You can choose seats, and print-out boarding passes at home. Then you just drop-off your bags at the airport. This can save you an hour. And if you're flying Southwest, it can get you to the front of the line in the mad-scramble for the best seats.

Check-in at an e-ticket machine.

If you can't check-in at home, use an e-ticket machine at the airport, instead of waiting in-line for an agent. These PDX airlines have e-ticket check-in: Alaska/Horizon, US Airways/America West, American, htContinental, Delta, Hawaiian, jetBlue, Northwest, Southwest, and United. Air Canada, Big Sky, Frontier, Lufthansa, and Mexicana do not offer e-ticket check-in at PDX.

Choose the shortest security line.

The Port has built a "concourse connector" linking the A, B, and C concourses to the D and E concourses, behind security. It's designed for passengers connecting from Alaska and Horizon flights (on A, B, and C) onto the international flights to Tokyo and Frankfurt (on D). But saavy travelers have quickly found they can use the D and E security checkpoint (with its typically shorter lines) to get to their gate on A, B, or C. It could save you 15 or 20 minutes at peak times.

Check with TSA.

Before you pack your carry-on, take a look at their list of allowed items. It changes every now and then, so you'll want to make sure you don't pack anything that will have to be thrown away at the security checkpoint.

Get there early.

I know... we hear this all the time. But it really does matter when the airport's jammed. They tell you 2-hours, but I always try for 90 minutes. Unless I'm parking there. Which leads me to my next tip.

Get there EXTRA early.

That is, if you're parking in the economy lot. Christmas of 2004 I flew out of PDX and tried to park in economy, but there were NO SPOTS when I got there at 6am. The lot was FULL. They had us parking on the side of the road. It took at least an hour to park and get to the terminal. I just made my flight (by about 48 seconds). So follow the 2-hour rule if economy parking is in your future.

Take the MAX.

It runs every 15-minutes in both directions, with the first train getting you to PDX at 4:45am, and the last one leaving PDX at 11:55pm. It costs $1.80 each way. A lot cheaper than $8/day for economy parking, or $12/day for long-term. For more information, check out Tri-Met's MAX page.

You're not flying.

If you have to drop someone off, or pick someone up, here's some things to speed-up that process, too.

- Park on top of the garage. We all want to park on Level 4, because it has the skybridges that go directly across to the terminal. But this time of year, it's always packed. You'll waste time trying to find a spot there. So just go to Level 7, atop the garage, and park right next to the elevator. It'll end up saving you a few minutes.

- Quick Pay is your friend. You'll find the Quick Pay terminals on Level 4 of the parking garage and in the underground connector between the Terminal and the garage. Pay for your parking here, and you'll breeze right out of the parking gate.

- Use the Cell Phone Wait Lot. The Cell Lot makes a comeback after a successful first year. There's a parking lot (on the left, off 82nd, near the air cargo area) that's free for people picking-up passengers. Park there, and have your family/friends call you when they grab their bags. Then you can drive around and have them hop-in, without having to pay for parking. BEWARE: You can not park here and leave your car. You'll get a ticket... or be towed.

- Pick-up on the upper level. Sure, the signs say the upper level is for departures. But most of the time, and especially at night, the lower level is jammed with "pick-ups." Avoid that by picking-up your family/friends up above. And save a lot of time by using the upper, outer roadway. But don't stay too long, and don't leave your car, because the Port of Portland Police aren't too excited about people who do that... and they'll likely tow you.

My favorite travel websites.

If you're still looking too book that holiday trip, I've compiled a number of websites I use when I travel. It takes a little extra work to do your booking the way I do mine, but it could very easily save you some money.

The first thing I always do is get a feel for what airfares are running by checking Expedia.com. Expedia is one of the best sites, I find, when comparing fares by airline, and by the number of en-route stops. But (the folks at Expedia don't want to hear this) I never book my ticket there.

Once I find a good deal at Expedia, I go directly to the airline's website. Almost always, I'll find the fare $5 cheaper per person on the airline's website... because that's what Expedia charges in fees. So if I find a ticket on Expedia, flying on United, for example, for $200, I'll go to the United website and book the ticket for $195. If you don't know the airline's web address, I've posted a full list for all the airlines that fly out of PDX at the end of this blog.

If you aren't finding any good deals that way, go to Hotwire. It's a website that offers discounted airfares. The airlines "dump" extra capacity on Hotwire, at 20 to 50% off the regular fare. Hotwire won't always have a good deal... but if you catch it at the right time, you can get a huge discount.

If you're trying to find a good place to go, or you want to know more about the city you've selected, I recommend Fodor's. Their website has great information about things to do, restaurants, and hotels. They also have a list of good deals on the left side of their homepage.

After you find that good deal, but before you book, I recommend you get the most out of your travel by checking Flightstats. It's run by a Portland company. It compiles all the on-time information for every flight in the US. You can type in the flight number of the one you're thinking about booking, and it will tell you what your chances are of being on-time. It also tells you things like average delay, and number of cancellations.

Meanwhile, Seatmap.com has a comprehensive listing of all airline fleets in the US, and many from around the world. The site walks you through the seatmap of the plane that will be used on your flight. It tells you which seats are good, and which to avoid. I always use it before I book.

One more thing to remember: Southwest Airlines doesn't list its fares in any of the on-line booking engines. To get fares for Southwest, you must go to its website. Southwest also offers travel deals... but again... only on its website.

Other quick links.

- General flight delay information, from the US Department of Transportation.
- PDX arrival and departure information, broken down by airline, and constantly updated.
- Lost luggage tips from the Better Business Bureau.
- Portland weather information, from the good folks over in the First Alert Storm Center.

If you have any more tricks, tips, or websites you use, let me know. My e-mail address is jpenning@kgw.com.