Hooray!

The summer 2008 edition of the MOOM - the Museum of Online Museums - has been posted.

Pretty much everything on the list, from the Virtual Typewriter Museum to the Museum of Corporate Neckties (yes, there are airline ties in there) is pretty special.

But since this is a blog about (mostly…) airports and air travel, let me point out two online museums of special interest: The Stewardess Uniform Collection (746 different uniforms from 330 airlines) and the Online Paper Airplane Museum (800 free designs, plus some books and contests)

(Doll wearing Air France uniform. From the Air France e-shopping site)

Have fun!

Yesterday, May 5^th, United, Continental, Delta, Northwest and US Airways began charging non-exempt passengers $25 for checking a second bag. Soon it will also cost extra to check a second bag on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Horizon Air, Air Tran, and JetBlue.

Want that money back?

The Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants Group has announced a “We Got Your Bag” promotion. Stay at one of the company’s 43 hotels in the U.S. and Canada between May 22 and Sept 9; show proof of having paid an extra baggage charge; and get a room credit of up to $25.

For rules and details see: www.kimptonhotels.com

Even if you’re staying home, here’s a great way to save some cash and get some culture.

Bank of America’s Museums on US program offers free admission to more than 70 museums around the country on the first full weekend (Saturday and Sunday) of each month. All you need to do is show an ID and a Bank of America check, credit or ATM card. (Or find a friend who has one.)

Some great museums are on the list, including the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

Check here for a list of museums participating in the program.

At the Henry Ford Museum: The only remaining prototype of R. Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House.

Mother’s Day is coming up (May 11th) and the Food & Shops program in the Central Terminal at New York’s LaGuardia Airport is offering prizes for folks who take a moment to pen a short essay about traveling with their mom or “mother figure.”

If your essay is chosen, your mom could win an Art Deco crystal watch with Swarovski® crystals from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Store.

You have until May 5^th to enter on-line.

Most of us are used to paying inflated prices for goods and services out at the airport. But I’m pleased to report that in doing research for an upcoming column I’ve discovered that some airports still offer stuff for free.

For example, like a lot of other mid-sized airports, the General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin lets everyone park their cars free for the first 30 minutes. However, since Milwaukee is the home of Harley-Davidson, motorcycle parking is entirely free.

Don’t have your own Harley? Here’s a cute cut-out one you can have … for free.

To celebrate spring, and new Northwest Airlines/KLM service between Portland, Oregon and Amsterdam, the folks at Portland International Airport (PDX) are giving away a pair of round-trip tickets from Portland to Amsterdam. Want to win? Entry forms for the Spring Fling are available in the airport and on-line, but only through tomorrow - Friday, March 28^th.