Exercise R Us

Question:

Heard a blurb on the local news that Air France and Alitalia were looking at Denver International as a possible destination. Anyone got the skinny on this?

Response:

> Heard a blurb on the local news that Air France and Alitalia were > looking at Denver International as a possible destination. Anyone got > the skinny on this?

I would think that they’d be more likely to try their SkyTeam partner’s hub over in Salt Lake City (see also: Atlanta, Cincinnati).  But then again, DL has grumbled at SLC before so maybe they want to move. Of course, that would leave them with two of their Big Four hubs where they are the second banana (not to be confused with Hughes Airwest’s old "yellow banana" livery of course) since they’d be behind AA at DFW and UA at DEN.  So I doubt they’d actually move to DEN. — Put location information in your DNS! <URL:http://www.ckdhr.com/dns-loc/>   Bill, n. 2. A writing binding the signer [...] to pay [...]   Gates, n. 4. The places which command the entrances or access [...]

Response:

: Hi, I’ve read about the latest delays regarding the opening : of the new Denver International Airport which is to replace : Stapleton. Still they have not gotten the bagage handling : to function properly. : I was wondering if somebody could provide me with some more : details about the new airport such as number of runways, : runway lengths, number of gates, capacity, etc? : Or is there an ftp where I could find such information? : Thanks. Thomas : Thomas Enblom   M.Sc.                 !    /    /    /!     : Ericsson Telecom, Stockholm, Sweden   !  /    /    / !  ALEA JACTA EST — Thomas, DIA currently has 4 runways, each one about 12,000 feet long. They are installing a fifth runway, due in 1995, that is about 16,000 feet long for the widebody international flights. I believe that there are 88 gates in three concourses; it is smaller than Stapleton. DIA also has many features to make it safer than other airports; When taxiing, you never have to cross an active runway, they have the latest in weather radar, there are lighted strips and signs, controlled by the ground controllers, in the runways and taxiways that taxiing planes follow (rather than having someone try to give directions). Once it gets up and running, it _SHOULD_ be a great airport. As for the baggage system, the problem is not that it is flawed in its design but that the politicians decided they wanted the airport open before complete testing could be done. Ideally, the baggage system should have been tested for 8-12 months but they were given only 2 months to test it. Another problem is that the Denver politicians awarded the baggage system service and maintainance contract to a different company than the one that built the system (BAE). This meant training all new people on an exceedingly complicated system; it is not going as well as anticipated. In addition, there is no backup baggage system; if you fly in on United, for example, and the baggage system breaks down, there is no way to get the bags to the baggage claim. This is another reason why the airport hasn’t opened. Regards, Michael Shapiro Michael Shapiro Consulting Building A3, Suite 167, 8200 S. Quebec Street Englewood, CO 80112 USA Voice: +1 (303) 220-5897 Fax:   +1 (303) 220-5898

Response:

>As for the baggage system, the problem is not that it is flawed in its >design but that the politicians decided they wanted the airport open >before complete testing could be done. Ideally, the baggage system should >have been tested for 8-12 months but they were given only 2 months to >test it. Another problem is that the Denver politicians awarded the >baggage system service and maintainance contract to a different company >than the one that built the system (BAE). This meant training all new >people on an exceedingly complicated system; it is not going as well as

That BAE only had 2 months  to  test the system, Michael, should not be blamed completely on local politicians.   After all, it was BAE which chose to  fight a protracted battle with its  construction workers when they went out on strike, if I  remember correctly, late last year.   Best, 331 1942 Hall,  Butler College          Tel/Fax:  (609) 258-9449 Princeton  University Princeton,  NJ   08544-3005

Response:

Hi, I’ve read about the latest delays regarding the opening of the new Denver International Airport which is to replace Stapleton. Still they have not gotten the bagage handling to function properly. I was wondering if somebody could provide me with some more details about the new airport such as number of runways, runway lengths, number of gates, capacity, etc? Or is there an ftp where I could find such information? Thanks. Thomas Thomas Enblom   M.Sc.                 !    /    /    /!     Ericsson Telecom, Stockholm, Sweden   !  /    /    / !  ALEA JACTA EST

Response:

>Bush is on TV and pleading with everyone to get back into the planes >and start flying again – Well in Denver yesterday they had footage of >the new security measures at DIA. The lines were huge! Zig zagging all >through the airport. >If these lines remain and it takes 4 hours+ to get on each and every >flight then people are not going to get back in the planes and fly. >Something else needs to be done but those huge lines are not the >answer and the travelling public will not stand for it. >Comments?

Observations: I was at DIA on Thursday, returning from a multi-city trip that began on Sunday. On Sunday, the line at security went all the way back to the far wall. Stilll, it only took about 30 minutes to go through. I arrived at the airport 2 hours and 30 minutes early, and had over an hour of free time. (I would have needed some of that time if I had checked in at the coach counter at Delta – the line was enormous. There was no one in the First Class/Medallion line). The only reason the security line took as long as it did was ebcause only 2 people were checking IDs, and they had only 2 x-ray stations open. When I went through security at DFW on Monday, and Austin on Wednesday, it was similarly easy. At none of those airports did I notice anything ‘extra’ going through security besides checking for ID. When I returned through ATL on Thurdsay, security was a confused mess. There were hundreds of people in line. I overheard the security staff asking very confused questions about "What should we do" to their managers. New rules were in place: a. Remove laptops from luggage, and scan them seperately b. (Lots of confusion about this) "Swab" ALL laptops AFTER x-ray to check for explosives. When I passed through DEN, I saw the huge lines. I spoke with some folks in the airport, and learned that DEN, too, was x-raying all laptops seperately (this is apparently a new rule). DEN was not swabbing all laptops. From my own observation, and the comments of others, the main reasons for the delays were: a. Lack of security staff (at DEN, not all x-ray stations were open, and there were still too few staff checking IDs) b. Lack of efficient process to pass airline crew to the head of the lines (the lines were just too long – the crew got stuck way in the back, with no visible signs to passengers way in the back that they were to let crew pass). c. Confusion on the part of both security staff and passengers regarding the new rules (lots of delays while people listened to new rules about laptops, with some complaining, some arguing, and most fumbling with their luggage to comply). I did note additional physical security at each of these airports: – DEN – police checking vehciles coming in to the parking lot (I saw no checking of vehicles coming into valet parking, however, and these spots are right next to the terminal) – AUS – no drop-off or pick-up of passengers next to terminal – DFW – Border Patrol agents backing up police officers at all security checkpoints – ATL – no drop-off or pick-up of passengers next to terminal Comments: I *think* that the addition of National Guard troops to augment security *should* help, provided that they do more than just guard the building. More staff is needed to check IDs and man the x-ray stations. If the troops can free up guard staff to man more x-ray stations while the troops check IDs, things should go more quickly. I believe that the way airport security is provided must change radically. The current system uses staff that are obviously under-trained and reported to be under-paid. Federalizing the provision of airport security would be a good start. — Repies by posting preferred, but non-spam replies by email are OK (just use Reply button) Not member # 02247 of the Lumber Cartel (tinlc). See http://come.to/the.lumber.cartel/

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Bush is on TV and pleading with everyone to get back into the planes >and start flying again – Well in Denver yesterday they had footage of >the new security measures at DIA. The lines were huge! Zig zagging all >through the airport. >Observations: >I was at DIA on Thursday, returning from a multi-city trip that began >on Sunday. >On Sunday, the line at security went all the way back to the far wall. >Stilll, it only took about 30 minutes to go through. I arrived at the >airport 2 hours and 30 minutes early, and had over an hour of free >time. (I would have needed some of that time if I had checked in at >the coach counter at Delta – the line was enormous. There was no one >in the First Class/Medallion line). The only reason the security line >took as long as it did was ebcause only 2 people were checking IDs, >and they had only 2 x-ray stations open.

Question: were the lines as bad at the Concourse A security station? When I passed through DIA several times last summer, if I looked down after check-in and saw lines for the main security, I’d take the footbridge to security at Concourse A, which (a) tended to be very quiet, and (b) didn’t have sizing templates, so that I wouldn’t worry about my admittedly rather large rollaboard. (It usually just about fitted through the sizers, but it saved embarrassment that way.) Is it just that nobody knows there’s an alternative security station? Alistair

Response:

They have just closed Denver International due to the storm. We are getting hammered by snow.   Don’t like it but we need the moisture badly.

Response:

Just been talking to a colleague in Denver.   They shut his office early. When he got home he had 16" of snow! — ***** *****The "return to" address embedded in this mail is wrong as an antispam measure.   Please address new mails or replies to edward<dot>harrison1<at>btinternet<dot>com replacing <dot> with a . and <at> with an @***** *****

Response:

> They have just closed Denver International due to the storm. We are > getting hammered by snow.   Don’t like it but we need the moisture > badly.

The site http://www.fly.faa.gov/flyFAA/indexzilla.html shows the current status of the major US airports.  There are associated regional pages that extend the coverage to lesser airports. DEN is open again as I type. ATL and ORD have "ground holds" active for flights headed too them, at least one flight destined for ORD being delayed about 16 hours 40 minutes. ATL has had ground stops for arriving traffic for part of nearly every day for the past week.  I would think this would make it a very poor place to rely on making a connection.

Response:

> ATL has had ground stops for arriving traffic for part of nearly every day > for the past week.  I would think this would make it a very poor place to > rely on making a connection.

It’s been a heavy dull gray overcast since forever over ATL… Sunday was the first time we saw the sun in DAYS.  It’s back to pea soup today.  Tomorrow is clear, sunny. Thursday is lock and hold for ATL air traffic, thunderstorms for the better part of the day.

Response: