I’ve been using the Star Alliance screensaver for awhile, but I just thought of blogging about it after it was updated to provide Continental’s flights. (On a side note, it finally looks good on my widescreen laptop with has a 1440×900 resolution.)
There are two options – real time and accelerated, and it shows all of the airbone flights based on schedules. I prefer real time, but accelerated is also very fun because I enjoy watching various parts of the world “wake up.” I especially enjoy watching banks of flights go accross the North Atlantic.
You can grab the screensaver here.
I received a link to this quiz last week, where one has to match airlines to their headquarters. I was able to get 45 out of the 46 in four minutes.
Click here to test your airline knowledge. 
The St. Louis Business Journal reports:
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport commissioners on Wednesday approved an expanded $1.67 million incentives package to encourage airlines to add flights and destinations.
Incentive programs are relatively common, and St. Louis has had similar offerings in the past. But this latest announcement comes as American announced a few weeks ago that St. Louis would lose even more flying, essentially eliminating any semblance of its past hub status.
The amount of assistance varies on the carrier and route. For example, a brand new carrier to the airport will get a better package than an airline that starts a new nonstop. In addition, some routes will get more assistance. For example, new transoceanic flights will get a longer waiver on rent and landing fees.
Will St. Louis ever look like it did as a TWA hub? Probably not. But one has to give the airport credit for actively looking for new service to fill the void that American has left behind.
Last Thursday to Saturday, I was on a school trip to New York City, which went very well. I stayed at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square, which was just awesome! I won’t bore you with the details, but I wanted to mention a couple of things.
First, there were way too many advertisements for Continental. Seriously, it seemed as if I saw an ad on every block. Most ads focused on the age of Continental’s fleet and the fact that they still serve meals. They even advertise on tour buses:
I was also able to meet up with a few fellow bloggers during the trip, including Flight Wisdom, Jared from Online Travel Review, and Gray of Wing and a Prayer. It was great to meet you guys! I always enjoy meeting fellow airplane geeks.
My school gets a Chinese newspaper, and it caught my eye recently:
I can’t read Chinese, but that’s an article about the upcoming Chinese-built Comac C919, which is supposed to have its first flight in a few years. The aircraft will seat up 190 passengers, putting this aircraft as a competitor for the 737/A320 families and their replacements from Airbus and Boeing.
This one will be interesting to watch as air travel continues to grow in the Asia-Pacific region, which IATA predicts will overtake North America as the biggest market in the coming years. It also presents a challenge for Airbus and Boeing, as the aircraft certainly has the potential negatively affect them. This aircraft also presents an awkward situation for Airbus, as the company is now producing A320s in China.
My friend Steve sent this website to me awhile back, and it was definitely pretty, well, interesting. It’s called “Carpets for Airports,” and, as one might expect, features carpets from around the world.
Perhaps the best part, however, is the descriptions:
Dim figures struggle to make themselves seen amidst the grand abstraction of LGA. Out of the blue-grey haze indistinct apparitions appear to be marching towards the traveller, forcing us to ask such uncomfortable questions as, “What can they want?” “Why are they bending me over?” and “Was it really necessary to Taser my wife?”
Now that I think of it, I do have a picture of PVD’s carpet that I should send in.
Flying with Fish is another great blog here on BoardingArea, and I was very happy to write a guest post for Steven, especially considering he did the same for me earlier this year. Click here for my thoughts on why airlines should listen to bloggers and how bloggers can earn respect from airlines.
I noticed that at some point during my time at NBTA, I received one of these cards in a goodie bag, I think:
It just seemed that this was an interesting thing to hand out – was the airport hoping some airline executive would notice and contact them?
Eight years ago I had a pretty normal day in sixth grade. Everything went along as usual, but my friends and I noticed teachers whispering to each other and looking sullen, but we didn’t think of it at the time…until we got home that evening to watch the horrible news reports.
The reason I mention this story is what do children know today about the events eight years ago? A good number weren’t even born yet, and more probably don’t remember much of the day. If that’s the case, what do we teach them? How do we share the feelings the whole nation shared?
Just some questions.
It’s amazing how everyone can find some form of connection to 9/11. A former boss of my father was one of the victims in the World Trade Center, and a flight attendant from American Flight 11 was a graduate of my high school.
On a very positive note, this year in Eagle Rock, New Jersey, a memorial for the 33 crew who died that day is being dedicated today. Deb Calamino, a flight attendant, made an amazing effort to make it happen – to learn more about her you can find an interview of her by The Flying Pinto here.
Meanwhile, you can find a list of the flight crews from that tragic day here. Let’s remember and honor them.
One of the best parts of conferences, I think, is the free stuff that exhibitors give out! I heard that things in that area were toned down a bit by many exhibitors because of cost, but I was still happy. Here’s some of the best stuff I found.
I just found it funny. 
Continue reading ‘NBTA: Free Stuff!’
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