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Airport offers free gift-wrapping for ticketed passengers |
In a continuing effort to further enhance the traveler experience at San Diego International Airport, the Airport Authority is providing complimentary holiday gift-wrapping service featuring children's artwork for ticketed passengers this holiday season.
The gift wrap features artwork created by students participating in The New Children's Museum's After School Program through artist-led studio activities.
Volunteer Airport Ambassadors will staff four post-security gift-wrapping stations in the following locations from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. from Friday, December 19 through Tuesday, December 23:
- Terminal One, Southwest Airlines rotunda (checkpoint #2)
- Terminal One, United Airlines rotunda (checkpoint #3)
- Terminal Two, across from I-Tech Wireless (checkpoint #5)
- Terminal Two, adjacent to the Sea Rhythms fountain (checkpoint #6)
Since the service is offered post-security, gift-wrapping is available only for ticketed passengers, as a customer service initiative to spread holiday cheer and reduce stress during the busy holiday travel season. |
Holiday travel tips for easy parking at the airport
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For
many, the holiday season means special getaways or vacations with family and
friends during some of the busiest travel periods of the year. The Airport Authority has some important
information for those using San Diego International Airport (SDIA) during busy
travel periods. See its list of holiday travel tips.
Something
on many travelers' minds during the holidays is "How am I going to get to the
airport, and if I need to park my car, what are my options?" For a look at various ways to get to the
aiport, refer to this informative post on the airport's employee blog.
Parking
options at the airport are plentiful: - Valet Parking. The valet service was created to
aid travelers in situations where time, convenience and parking
availability are a concern. When coming to the airport, drive into the
designated valet areas in front of Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. When coming
back to San Diego,
pick up luggage first on the way to the valet cashier. The cost is $30 per
24-hour period. Take the receipt to curbside valet and your vehicle will
be brought to you.
- Short- and Long-Term
Parking. The parking
options available at SDIA include color-coded short- and long-term SAN: Orange is for SAN Park NTC, located
west of the airport; Green is for SAN
Park Harbor Drive, located east of the
airport; Blue is for SAN
Park Pacific Highway, located north of the
airfield.
- Free shuttle buses from long-term lots to all airport terminals are also
color-coded and sport scenes of popular San Diego County
destinations.
- Cell Phone Lot. Located
at 2701 North Harbor Drive.
Motorists can wait in this parking lot for up
 to 60 minutes free of
charge. Once cell phone contact is made between the driver and incoming
passenger, the motorist can drive over to the terminal for quick,
convenient traveler pick-up.
- Disabled Parking. Parking for travelers with
disabilities is available at all airport lots. Well-defined spaces are
conveniently located near each skybridge elevator and at all terminal
entry points. For additional information call 619/291-2087.
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Bringing the airport business to life for the kids of Biztown
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Nearly every day,
Biztown buzzes with 5th
and 6th grade students having grown-up fun while they explore the
free enterprise system and improve their personal economic literacy. Located in
Mission Valley, Biztown is a life-size
mini-municipality - complete with a bank, businesses, Jack in the Box, City
Hall, professional offices, a radio and TV
station, a community charity and now, thanks to the Airport Authority, even
an airport!
At Biztown, kids become doctors, business
managers, real-estate agents, meter-readers, philanthropists, accountants, and
yes, airline station managers, Airport Authority CEOs and flight attendants.
Part of Junior Achievement, Biztown introduces
students to economics and business principles. Following a minimum of four
weeks of classroom instruction, kids head to Biztown for a one-day, hands-on
experience they will never forget. Students apply learned concepts in a
lifelike community, running businesses, receiving paychecks, opening bank
accounts and making purchases from student-run businesses in the town. The Biztown
curriculum follows California State Standards and makes learning relevant for
students.
Biztown's newest neighbor and storefront
sponsor is San Diego
International Airport,
which installed an airplane fuselage simulator, complete with an aerial-view
video and vibrating airline seats. A real ticket counter was adapted to serve
as a ticket- and concession-selling station, with flashing LED lights showing flight
times overhead.
A simulated executive office has a view of
the airfield in the form of a monitor playing a real-time video loop of the
actual Lindbergh Field airfield. The airplane fuselage is dubbed "Airport
Explorers Airlines" after the Airport Authority's youth education program. It goes
airborne in the form of a five-minute loop over San Diego from a thousand feet up. Meanwhile,
employees are kept busy with sales, expenses and operational issues common to
every airport and airline environment.
"San
Diego International Airport is a natural fit for Biztown,"
said Thella F. Bowens, President/CEO of the Airport Authority. "Through
Biztown, we can reach over 12,000 students a year with a hands-on airport experience,
exposure to aviation job opportunities and real-world economics. Our mission
is to give children of all ages inspiration to reach for the sky."
When not occupied by students, the Biztown facility
is used by corporate and community supporters for unique special events. Biztown
San Diego is one of 25 similar projects across the United States. Japan hosts two Biztowns
and London also has
one. San Diego's
facility is the first Biztown to include an airport.
For information or to involve your school,
call Biztown at (619) 682-5155.
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Airport happenings |
Public Meetings:
For Airport Authority meeting dates, agendas and minutes, click here.
Live performances:
Click for a schedule of upcoming live musical performances at the airport. |
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Airport Authority employees surpass lofty United Way fundraising goal
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Airport Authority employees set their sights on an
ambitious goal of $100,000 in employee donations for the 2008 Airport Authority United Way Drive.
After numerous creative events and activities to rouse employee support for the
good cause, when all the dust had settled, the goal had not only been reached ...
but exceeded: $105,136 (and counting, as of December 12, 2008).
About two-thirds
of the funds raised are being directed to literacy programs in the San Diego region, while
the remainder will help various causes designated by employee contributors. The total raised included matching funds by
former Airport Authority Board Member Bill Lynch. |
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Got art?
San Diego International Airport does!
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On the second and fourth Friday of each
month, as well as during the holiday season and other unique occasions and
cultural observations, the 40,000 to 50,000 people who use SDIA each day are
treated to live theater, dance, literary arts and other special performances at
the soaring Terminal 2 Baggage Claim area.
Kicking off its seventh season, SDIA's
Performing Arts Program has just introduced a sleek new theme for its free
public offerings, called ă Brève.
ă Brève celebrates the local
culture and talent of the San Diego
region, with a constant focus of providing cultural enrichment while reducing
moments of stress for our travelers.
Here is a complete schedule of upcoming live performances at the
airport.
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Airport enters the blogosphere
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Nobody
knows an organization like the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
better than the employees who work there. Now you can see what's on their
minds about life at Lindbergh Field, thanks to a unique employee blog launched
earlier this year.
The Ambassablog, as its called, was one of the first
employee blogs launched by a major U.S.
airport.
Since its debut in January 2008, more than 9,000 visitors have
dropped in on the Ambassablog, which features brief posts covering many aspects
of the airport, videos, interactive comments, live feeds and more.
The Thirty Thousand Feet Aviation Directory called the Ambassablog "a really fresh and creative
way for airport employees to share information and activities with
others."
The blog has also been
honored with a 2008 Excellence in Marketing Communications Award in the
Creative Innovations category from Airports Council International-North America. |
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Take a free behind-the-scenes tour of SDIA |
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Since November of last year, a hip new tour has been wowing the crowds in San Diego: the Terminals to Tarmac Tour at San Diego International Airport. It's as easy as clicking here to sign up for one and learn more about the tours, which cover the public areas and take you behind the scenes at the airport. |
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| Your Airport Authority |
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The San Diego County Regional Airport Authority was established by state law in 2003 to operate SDIA and address the region's long-term air transportation needs. SDIA - funded through user fees and not local taxes - served some 18.3 million passengers in 2007. For more information, visit www.san.org. | |
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