A li’l bit of the Lone Star State at SDIA

Heralding from a military city on a southern coast, I’ve marveled at how much my Texas hometown (Corpus Christi) is like San Diego. And in some ways, Texas is alive and well at SDIA!

The Airport Authority’s own President/CEO, Thella F. Bowens, claims Texas as her origin, and several other Texans fill out our staff ranks. With great fanfare, the Airport Authority’s annual employee appreciation event is characterized by a Texas barbecue theme.

So what is it about Texas?

Texas is unique among the Union in having been an independent nation for a decade before it joined the U.S. – and that was an inspiration for California, too. Have you ever wondered why California’s Bear Flag contains a single red star (as shown on this Southwest Airlines plane)? It’s a tribute to Texas from Californians who likewise rebelled against rule by Mexico.

So the Airport Authority toasts that Texas spirit of independence and liberty -- something that might be regarded as inspiration to take flight! The largest airline at SDIA (handling more than a third of all our passengers) is none other than Texas-based Southwest Airlines, which loves to tout the “freedom to fly”.

So from many angles, the Texas spirit is alive and well at the Airport Authority!

Ambassa-Shot # 2 revealed

Two alert Ambassablog readers, both of them Airport Authority employees, have correctly identified Ambassa-Shot #2, pictured here. Naty in Planning & Operations and Liz in Accounting revealed it is none other than Guillermo, an enormous freestanding sculpture of gleaming stainless steel by sculptor Steve Bartlett of San Francisco. Some refer to Guillermo by his nickname, Running Man, since he communicates a sense of urgent motion - perhaps a passenger hurriedly rushing through the airport to catch a flight. You will see Guillermo at the east end of Terminal 1, to the right as you approach the terminal. He is one of many unique works of public art at San Diego International Airport. Ambassa-Shot #3 is up now, at the bottom of the Ambassablog, along with a running archive of all Ambassa-Shots.

Who let these characters in the airport?

This fun video has been produced by San Diego International Airport to run at all terminal security checkpoints. It features TSA security screeners, travelers (and, well, you'll see who else) demonstrating important Department of Homeland Security rules that passengers should keep in mind to make their trip through the airport smoother. Click here to read more about the video.

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Seat Guru

I love window seats. Actually, my infatuation is deeper than that. Most people know me to be fairly relaxed; this all changes when I am forced into an aisle or middle seat.

I like windows because I like to see out. I like to control the shade. I like to take photos. I like to rest my head against the window if I decide to fall asleep. The reason I bring this up is that I recently got assigned a middle seat. I nearly passed out. A quick email to Scott at Travel Trust informed me that 80% of people like aisle seats and only 20% like window seats.

An excellent website that I highly recommend is Seatguru.com, it works for any airline and any aircraft type, and it will tell you the seats to avoid and ones to covet. Aside from my other alias, Pedro, you may also call me “Seat Guru”. LOL!

I was recently at an Italian restaurant and got a frantic cell call from a friend saying “Hey, what are the seats like on United to Dulles?” Seatguru came in very handy for that. In addition, most airline websites have a page that details the seat configurations for their aircraft types.

So, what will that be, window or aisle?

Happy 4th!

As a special treat for the 4th of July, the Goodwill Ambassablog presents this YouTube video showing 4th of July fireworks over San Diego from the point of view of a passenger landing at Lindbergh Field in 2006.



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