If you’ve ever flown, then surely you’ve landed at an airport, proceeded to baggage claim, spent somewhere between five and ten minutes there and then begun to wonder when your bags will appear on the conveyor belt. “What’s taking them so long out there?” you’ve probably wondered. The job of the airline ground crews is seldom understood and often underestimated.  While delivering your luggage quickly is a priority for all airlines, there are many things that must be done before the ground crew even get around to opening the cargo doors of your flight.

The cumulative act of all things that must occur at the gate between a flight’s arrival and its next departure is known as a turn. The workers outside that handle this job are known as ramp agents, though the position has gained many nicknames over the decades. Most airlines require at least three workers be present to park an aircraft. This allows one person, the marshaller, to guide the plane to the proper parking spot while two other walk next to the wingtips of the plane as it pulls into the gate. Those that walk near the wingtips while you’re parking or pushing back are appropriately named wing-walkers. This three-person crew is usually the minimum staffing level for turning most single-aisle aircraft.

The exact procedures vary depending on the type of aircraft being turned, but the general progression of events is similar for all. Once the aircraft has come to a stop at the gate, the ramp agents must wait for the engines to be turned off, and for the pilots to turn off the flashing red beacon lights. These lights are left on until the engines are no longer generating a dangerous amount of suction or jet blast. When these lights are turned off, the wheels of the aircraft will be “chocked” with large rubber chocks that prevent the aircraft from rolling while at the gate.

Also after the beacon light is turned off, many airlines require the person that parked the aircraft to do a full walk-around of the plane, inspecting for anything abnormal.

After the aircraft is chocked, the ramp agents will then connect the ground power unit (GPU) and pre-conditioned air (PCA) to the aircraft. Aircraft need to stay powered between flights so that things like cabin lights, air conditioning, and all of the cockpit computers continue to run. Most aircraft have an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), which is a small jet engine near the tail that is used exclusively on the ground to provide power and air conditioning. This, however, does burn jet fuel. That’s why parked aircraft are connected to a GPU, which burns drastically less fuel than any of the aircraft’s own engines. If you’ve ever noticed the black cord running from the nose of your aircraft into a machine, that’s the ground power. The large yellow or orange hose, usually attached somewhere along the belly of your plane, is the PCA hose.

Now that the aircraft is chocked, powered and air conditioned, it’s finally time to offload the bags. Keep in mind, your flight has probably been deplaning (allowing passengers to get off the plane) for three to five minutes at this point. Depending on the size of the plane, one or two ramp agents will get inside of the cargo bin to feed bags to the belt loaders outside. The remaining person will load those bags into the baggage carts. Only the smallest planes have one cargo bin, so if your flight is relatively full the crew will unload one bin at a time. If a flight has eighty bags and they unload one bag every four seconds (this is really cooking, by the way), that’s still a five-and-a-half-minute offload time.

Once all the bags are off, they have to be driven to the location where bags are placed on a conveyor belt to baggage claim.  This drive could be a distance of a few hundred yards (like at AVL) or several miles (like at ATL).   Then, bags are offloaded one-by-one and often by one person. When you factor in the time it takes to move equipment into place, potentially unloading multiple cargo bins, and the fact that the average human is not an Olympic athlete, getting your luggage in less than twenty minutes is a very solid performance by the ramp crew (and “less than twenty minutes” is the norm at AVL – there are some hard-working ramp agents here!).

Another important thing to consider is that this scenario doesn’t account for any adversity. There is a myriad of things that can slow the luggage offload process. Rain, snow, heat and even wind generally slow people down. Any oversized or overweight cargo will slow the baggage offload. The pilots may need to leave the engines running for an extra minute or two once parked, which will slow the entire process outside. Sometimes the ground crew may be short a person. If the ground crew takes a few extra minutes than you think they should, just remember all the steps that go into the turn and when your bag shows up on the carousel. You’ll know exactly how much hard work had to take place for you to be reunited with it.

As day turns to night, an airport’s maze of painted markings and symbols transforms into a vast arrangement of backlit signs and colorful lights, each with their own distinct meaning. We thought we’d help you understand the night-time wayfinding that pilots use at airports around the globe.

Taxiways – the “roadway system” that pilots use to get to the runways, are always bordered by blue lighting. Airports equipped with instrumentation to operate during dense fog also have green centerline lighting on their taxiways.  Yellow lights give pilots a warning that there is an intersection, or a stopping point before they enter the runway.

Runway markings can be some of the most complex to the untrained eye, but their lights are the most recognizable in all of aviation. All runways have white lights along their edges, with green lights visible on the active end of the runway (since all arriving and departing flights travel the same direction on a runway) and red lights visible from the opposing end.  As yet another visual aid to pilots, the last 2,000 feet of runway lights alternate white and yellow lights. Likewise, the last 2,000 feet of centerline lights alternate red and white, and the last 1,000 feet are all red.

One of the most impressive lighting arrays can be found in the approach lighting systems, which serve as a visual extension of the runway for pilots and can extend as far as 2,400 feet from the runway.  When using an instrument approach (where the pilots rely on instrumentation rather than the naked eye), pilots must see a visual reference of the runway before descending to a certain altitude in order to continue the landing. During low visibility landings, pilots will see the approach lights first, thereby allowing them to continue the landing.

The next time you’re flying at night, take a closer look at the many different lights you see. Whether you know their meanings or are a casual observer, a good view of an airport’s lighting will never disappoint.

(Asheville, N.C.)  A parking garage construction project is underway at Asheville Regional Airport (AVL), which has resulted in temporary changes to parking at the airport.  There is plenty of parking for passengers; however, the construction project has resulted in a temporarily reduced number of spaces for short-term parkers.  In order to discourage overnight travelers from parking in its short-term parking lot, and to insure parking availability for short-term users, AVL is changing short-term parking lot rates.  Specifically, the rate will remain at the current $1 for each half hour, up to four hours, to accommodate short-term users of the airport.  After four hours in this lot, a new flat rate of $25 per day will be charged. This fee change goes into effect beginning November 1, 2016.

Why the rate increase?  Long-term, overnight parkers are using the short-term spaces, leaving limited parking for visitors who only need to be at the airport for a short period of time, such as those who are picking up a passenger, or conducting business at the airport.

The fee change is intended to persuade long-term parkers to bypass the short-term lot and park in the long-term, pre-paid or credit card-only lots instead, where daily fees range from $6 to $8.  This, in turn, will insure that spaces in the short-term lot will be available to users who only need to park for a short time.

 “It is a positive step forward for the airport to construct a parking garage, but there are operational issues that we must address in the interim,” said Lew Bleiweis, Executive Director at AVL.  “One such issue is making sure all those using the airport – travelers and short-term visitors – have ample parking available to them.”

A new pre-paid, shuttled lot is located directly across the street from the main entrance.  Travelers may opt to park in this lot, pre-pay $6 per day for the planned duration of their trip, and a shuttle will deliver them to and from the front door of the terminal.  The shuttle is in operation around-the-clock.

Also available to travelers is the traditional long-term lot near the terminal, and the credit card-only lot past the terminal on the right.  Both of these lots are available for $1.50 per hour, up to a maximum of $8 per day.

And for those picking up passengers, a great option is to use a convenient cell phone waiting lot located past the terminal on the right.  There is no charge to park in this lot, but visitors must wait in their vehicles until their passengers arrive, and then exit the lot and drive to the terminal curb to pick up passengers.

The new fee structure for the short-term lot is temporary, and will be in effect until the new parking garage opens next year.  When opened, the garage will offer 1,100 convenient parking spaces directly in front of the airport terminal to serve all customers’ needs. 

Handicapped parking is still located in the short-term lot, directly in front of the terminal.  The fee for handicapped parking has not changed (long-term rate of $1.50 per hour, up to a maximum of $8 per day).  Visit the airport's parking information here.

Asheville Regional Airport Parking Fees

*Ding* “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We just turned on the fasten seatbelt sign due to reports of some choppy air ahead. We should have it back off in about 20 minutes.” If you’ve flown, you can bet your bottom-dollar you’ve encountered at least some level of turbulence. While turbulence does make some people uneasy, understanding what causes that rough air can help take the edge off.

Turbulence is defined as the unsteady movement of air (or water), and changes in wind speed or direction can be caused by any number of weather phenomena.

Air moves much like water and turbulence can by created in any instance in which two different flows of air are mixed. People often think of storms as the primary cause of turbulent air, but there are other causes as well. Clear-air turbulence, which lacks any visual cues such as clouds, is a relatively common cause of turbulence. Even though this sort of turbulence is invisible, pilots and dispatchers (those who make flight plans) can use wind data to fly around areas that are prone to this type of turbulence. On hot days, thermals (currents of warm air that move upward rapidly) can cause turbulence, and flying over mountains or even hills can also be turbulent because air has to move around them, resulting in updrafts or downdrafts.

It is comforting to know that pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC) are always working together to keep your flight as smooth as possible. There is more weather data available today than ever before to help flights avoid rough air. This information not only helps pilots and ATC know what types of weather are more prone to the creation of turbulence, but also helps them see and avoid it. The weather radar in modern jets allows pilots to scan what’s directly ahead at their altitude and altitudes above and below the aircraft. Pilots and dispatchers have the discretion to fly hundreds of miles out of the way just to give you a smoother ride. Here’s a great example of an AVL-bound jet making a slight deviation en-route to avoid a thunderstorm.

Additionally, pilots often provide Pilot Reports (aka, PIREPs) of flight conditions, so aircraft passing through the same airspace know what to expect or avoid — you can see some examples here and here. Given the number of planes flying, there are thousands of PIREPs every day, helping your flights find the smoothest air. That’s how your pilots often know about turbulence ahead of time and are able to climb or descend to avoid it.

Turbulence is never truly as rough as it may feel to a passenger. In fact, even “severe” turbulence typically only involves altitude changes of 20–40 feet. Aircraft are built to endure much more punishment than they ever endure during commercial flights. In fact, modern aircraft are designed to handle forces 1.5 times stronger than any recorded in the past 40 years of flight. When flights re-route around turbulence, it’s largely for your comfort, as the aircraft would handle the ride just fine. No matter how bumpy your flight gets, the structure of the airplane is far from ever becoming stressed. You can see just how much the wings of modern jets like the Boeing 787 are tested here.

If you’re a nervous or anxious flier, there are many things you can do to help yourself enjoy the flight. You should always try to sit where you’ll be most comfortable. Even on sold-out flights, if you let the gate agent know ahead of time that you really want a window, they’ll try to accommodate you. Make sure you bring along a movie, some snacks, ear plugs and any other creature-comforts that you’d want in any scenario where you’d be sitting for hours. There are apps and online guides (like this one) that’ll help you find other ways to make your trip as enjoyable as possible.  And always – keep that seatbelt fastened when you are seated.

The next time your flight encounters turbulence, loosen your grip on that armrest and remember that you’re experiencing a perfectly routine part of flight — the safest form of travel in human history. In fact, statistically, air travel has been increasing its lead as the safest form of travel for decades. So sit back, relax and enjoy the flight!

(Asheville, N.C.)  Asheville Regional Airport is pleased to announce that it will break ground on a five-story parking garage on October 3, 2016.  The construction of a parking garage is part of the airport’s master plan to meet the growing air travel needs in western North Carolina.

“The use of Asheville Regional Airport continues to grow,” said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., executive director of Asheville Regional Airport.  “We have experienced two consecutive record years of passenger service, and 2016 has been another strong year so far.  It is time to move forward with our parking garage in order to continue to meet our passengers’ needs for years to come.”

Passengers have been requesting easy, level and covered walking access from the parking area, and the new parking garage will fulfill these requests and enhance the passenger experience.  The garage will be located directly in front of the airport’s main entrance, and will include a covered walkway from the garage to the terminal.  When completed, the garage will hold a total of 1,300 parking spaces, 200 of which will be used for the rental car agencies’ ready return service, which will be located on the lowest level of the garage.  The long-term lot furthest from the terminal will be closed. The construction project will take approximately twelve months to complete.

During construction, approximately 400 parking spaces will be displaced.  Passengers will have several parking options at the airport.  First, there will still be numerous spaces in the short and long-term lots available for customer use.  Additionally, the credit card lot, located just past the terminal on the right, offers 200 spaces, and a temporary lot with nearly 200 spaces directly across the street from the main entrance will be opened for passenger use.  This temporary lot will be a pre-paid lot, and will offer 24/7 shuttle service to and from the terminal curb.

The parking garage is a $22 million project, and capital funding was secured with a general indenture bond.  This type of direct placement bond is very similar to a loan, and was contracted directly between the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority and Raymond James Capital Funding, Inc., the lending institution.  The Airport Authority submitted Requests for Proposals for bond funding earlier in the year, and chose the proposal with the best interest rates and term.  The airport is not reliant upon local tax funds to operate the airport, nor for capital funding.  The bond is backed by projected revenues that will be generated by the parking garage, including lease and fees generated by the rental car agencies that use the garage.

During the next three weeks, passengers should not park in the footprint of the new parking garage if they plan to leave a car in the lot past September 29, 2016 at 5pm.  The footprint of the new garage will be clearly marked, and signs are now located at the entrance and throughout the parking lot detailing this requirement.  Cars that remain in the footprint of the new garage after 5pm on September 29 will need to be towed to a different parking location at the airport so construction may begin.

For more information about airport parking, including maps identifying each available parking area and the footprint of the new garage, visit flyavl.com.

(Asheville, N.C.) Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) art gallery unveils it's newest exhibit today. Revealed is an eclectic group of works highlighting four of our region's artists. The exhibit will be on display through January 6, 2016.

Featured in the Revealed exhibit, textured acrylic paintings on canvas by artist Walter Diehl, soldered glass and rock sculptures by artist R.C. Bob LaBerge, photography and encaustic on wood by artist René Roberts, and mixed media acrylic paintings by Tarah Singh.

The colors and textures seen throughout the exhibit are indicative of dream-like surroundings, expressing what is seen in the mind's eye or a memory. Those traveling through the gallery will be enticed to experience their own interpretation as each piece is revealed to them.

"The art gallery is truly a way for both the passengers and public alike to experience a taste of our region," said Alexandra Bradley, Marketing and Public Relations Specialist at AVL and curator of the gallery. 

Artwork can be purchased from the gallery by emailing art@flyavl.com. Artists who reside in any of the eleven counties within AVL's primary service market may apply for acceptance into upcoming exhibits. Details about the program, including application instructions, can be found on the airport's website at flyavl.com.

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If you’ve ever flown for the holidays, during spring break, or on a peak summer travel day, you’re all too familiar with the gate agent making the announcement that the flight is oversold and they’re seeking volunteers. Most of the time, someone catches a later flight and gets a lovely incentive from the airline to do so. It’s not uncommon to hear various passenger perspectives on why or how this could happen, but it’s never a mistake. Many airlines oversell hundreds of flights as a revenue maximization tactic.  It’s smart business!

Here’s why. People miss flights. Most flights that are booked full never actually leave the gate full. Passengers miss flights for thousands of life-related reasons and airlines track this. Each flight is different, but airlines always mathematically estimate how many people won’t show up for a flight based on historic data and other situational information. They take advantage of this data in an effort to maximize revenues, because once a flight departs, empty seats mean lost revenue that can never be regained. 

A simplified example may help explain.  If one flight has had two people not show up every day for a year, that flight may be marketed to sell 2 more seats than the aircraft holds. Depending on the route and aircraft type, airlines may choose to oversell by as little as one or in excess of a dozen. Again, this happens because if they only sell to capacity, and the people that don’t show up end up getting refunded, that’s lost revenue. Of course, there are many situations where airlines won’t oversell a flight at all because the odds of everyone showing up are very high.

There are other reasons that your flight could end up oversold. There can always be a last minute swap to a smaller airplane for operational reasons. If there’s a cancelation or an irregular situation, airlines could overbook flights that they might not normally overbook in an effort to get everyone where they need to go. It is also possible that the weather may impact whether or not a flight can be oversold.

The good news is that it is very rare for a passenger to be unwillingly removed from a flight because it was oversold. Most of the time it’s a win-win situation:  when flights are missed, the airlines are able to ensure full flights, and nearly all the time, airlines will find passengers who will happily volunteer for a later flight in exchange for incentives such as some cash or flight vouchers. So listen up the next time you’re in the gate area.  When you hear, “Seeking volunteers,” will you raise your hand?  It could be worth it!

News release from Allegiant:

ALLEGIANT ANNOUNCES NEW NONSTOP SERVICE TO NEW YORK CITY FOR AS LOW AS $41 AND A FREE FLIGHT GIVEAWAY FOR LOCAL TRAVELERS

ASHEVILLE, N.C. June 28, 2016 — Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) today announces new, nonstop flights to New York City via Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from Asheville Regional Airport (AVL). In conjunction with the new route that will launch just in time for the holiday travel season, the company is celebrating with a “Christmas in July” Facebook sweepstakes to give away seats on the route’s inaugural flight.* Allegiant is offering one-way fares on the new route for as low as $41.**

“We’re very excited to once again be growing in Asheville, a community in which our convenient, nonstop service has been very well received,” said Jude Bricker, Allegiant chief operating officer. “We know that a low-cost, nonstop flight option to New York City is something that local travelers have been asking for, and now they’ll be able to use these flights to travel to The Big Apple just in time for the holiday travel season.”

The new year-round flights will operate four times weekly and will fly nonstop between Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Flights begin Nov. 17, 2016. The new route will add to Allegiant’s current nonstop service from Asheville to Washington D.C. and four cities in Florida including Fort Lauderdale, Orlando / Sanford, Punta Gorda and St. Pete / Clearwater

Additionally, Allegiant today launches its “Christmas in July” sweepstakes to provide 12 lucky winners with seats on the inaugural flight from Asheville to New York City for themselves and a guest. Local travelers who would like to enter to win can do so on Allegiant’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/Allegiant. The “Christmas in July” sweepstakes is part of Allegiant’s ongoing $1 Million Summer, a promotion in which the company is giving away $1 million in airfare throughout the summer. For more information on Allegiant’s $1 Million Summer, visit Allegiantair.com/blog/million.

“Allegiant continues to grow in western North Carolina, and the addition of New York City on their route map is exciting,” said Lew Bleiweis, A.A.E., executive director of Asheville Regional Airport. “We encourage area travelers to start planning holiday travel to New York, and we look forward to welcoming more visitors from The Big Apple, as well.”

Allegiant offers a unique travel option to Asheville travelers. Focusing on low-cost leisure travel, the company provides customers with low base fares averaging nearly half of the cost of the average domestic round-trip fare. Allegiant’s innovative business model has allowed the company to grow from one aircraft and one route just over a decade ago, to providing convenient, affordable service in over 100 communities nationwide.

*About the free flight sweepstakes:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and residents of any Canadian province not including Québec, 18 and older. Void elsewhere and where prohibited. Sweepstakes ends July 9, 2016. Subject to complete Official Rules at http://gofly.us/cfDZ301C0qj.

**About the introductory one-way fares:

Seats are limited. Price includes taxes and fees. Fares are one way and not available on all flights. Must be purchased by July 1, 2016 for travel by Feb. 14, 2016. Price displayed reflects purchase by debit card; purchase by credit card subject to surcharge not to exceed $8 each way per passenger. See Allegiant.com for details. For optional services and baggage fees, please visit Allegiant.com. Additional restrictions may apply.

About Allegiant

Las Vegas-based Allegiant (NASDAQ: ALGT) is focused on linking travelers in small cities to world-class leisure destinations. The airline offers industry-low fares on an all-jet fleet while also offering other travel-related products such as hotel rooms, rental cars and attraction tickets. All can be purchased only through the company website, Allegiant.com. Beginning with one aircraft and one route in 1999, the company has grown to over 80 aircraft and more than 300 routes across the country with base airfares less than half the cost of the average domestic roundtrip ticket. For downloadable press kit, including photos, visit: http://gofly.us/YFuyb.

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When Allegiant announced that they were starting a summer seasonal non-stop flight from AVL to Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI), it was great news for WNC air travelers!  A quick and easy flight to the Washington, D.C. area has been on our “wish list” for many years.

After the announcement, we learned that some travelers did not know that BWI is an easy gateway to Washington, D.C.  So, we decided to investigate.  A team of AVL staff, a representative from our Convention and Visitors Bureau, a representative from Allegiant and several local media personalities boarded the inaugural flight to BWI from AVL on May 19, 2016.  Our mission?  Document the experience of flying non-stop from AVL to BWI, and share the details about how easy it really is with travelers in our region.

Was the experience easy?  Was it efficient?  Would we do it again?  Yes, yes and YES!

Here’s what we learned:

1. The non-stop flight to BWI from AVL departed on Thursday morning, May 19 at 8:45am, and just 59 minutes later, we landed in Baltimore.  A one-hour flight – so easy!
    
2. When we walked off the plane, the airport was welcoming and easy to navigate.  A quick walk (literally a few minutes) later, we exited the terminal and found shuttle buses waiting for us.  The BWI shuttle buses that run between the airport and the MARC station (Maryland Transit Administration commuter rail) operate every 6 minutes.  We hopped right on the bus.
    
3. Five minutes later, we arrived at the MARC/AmTrack station.  (Side note – this train station offers connections to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City and more.)  The commuter train (the “MARC Red Line”) travels directly to Washington, D.C.’s Union Station.  The trip is about 30 minutes, and these trains leave the station about every hour.  We waited a little while, and then hopped on the train and headed to D.C.
    
4. When we got to Union Station (the train station in Washington, D.C.), we walked outside and … Tah, Dah!  The Capitol Building was a few blocks ahead.  We made it to Washington, D.C. in just a few hours.  And everyone agreed that the trip was super easy.

Once we got to D.C., we were reminded about the city’s historic grandeur.  There are so many amazing sights to see, from the Capitol Building and the Supreme Court, to the Washington and Lincoln Monuments.  War Memorials are everywhere, and in between the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial are many Smithsonian Museums (like the Air and Space Museum and the Natural History Museum).  There’s the Washington Zoo, The White House, Arlington National Cemetery, and more.  Most of the museums, the zoo and tours of the government buildings are free.  Washington, D.C. is a wonderful place for a long-weekend getaway, or a week-long family vacation.  Here’s a link to more information about things to do when you visit D.C.:  WASHINGTON.ORG

The non-stop flight from AVL to BWI/DC area is a wonderful addition for WNC travelers this summer.  Don’t wait – book soon!  ALLEGIANT.COM

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