Wedding Traditions Change Over Time

Planning a wedding has always been a deeply personal experience for every couple. A wedding should speak of a relationship’s uniqueness and each betrothed’s personality.

Many couples feel they have to follow tradition, simply because that is how it has always been done, even though they are likely unaware of the origins of most wedding traditions. Traditions have simply endured.

However, the celebration of joining two lives in the 21st century bears little resemblance to a wedding at the start of the 20th century. Some couples opt to stay true to the traditional church ceremony and formal reception. Other couples may decide on a destination wedding where Mickey Mouse will serve as the best man or Elvis performs the nuptials.

Whether you choose traditional, contemporary or somewhere in between, always remember it is your wedding. Read more

Solar Powered Airport Hangar Helps Aviation Go Green

A new hangar at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA is helping the aviation industry go green.

Bob Hope Airport is now home to the world’s first and only (reported) solar-powered airport hangar, which made its debut last Tuesday, December 9th.

The 60,000 square-foot Hanger 25 is operated by charter flight operator Avjet. Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof provide enough electricity to power forklifts, tow vehicles and lights.

The building also provides the electricity needed to power a Boeing 757 while it is on the ground for maintenance.

Constructed from nontoxic materials, Hangar 25 feature lots of glass to allow natural sunlight into the building. It also features landscaping that is tolerant to droughts, and plumbing that helps conserve water.

The hangar, which came with a price tag of $17 million, is a joint-venture between Avjet Corp., Shangri-La Construction and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.

It has received U.S. Green Building Council’s highest environmentally friendly rating of LEED Platinum status, marking an important step toward a reduced carbon footprint for the aviation industry.

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World’s Longest “Green” Flight to Take Place December 15th

On December 15th, an Emirates Airlines plane will make the “world’s longest green flight.”

A Boeing 777-200 will be taking off from Dubai and flying to San Francisco for a 16-hour non-stop flight, as part of Emirates new effort to provide more eco-friendly service.

The flight will use several techniques to help conserve fuel and reduce the amount of energy needed to make the trip.

Before taking off from Dubai, the plane will use electrical power instead of an auxiliary power unit while on the ground.

The aircraft will receive a special pre-flight washing to help minimize drag and receive priority clearance from clearance from Dubai Air Traffic Control, allowing it to reach cruising altitude with maximum efficiency.

When the plane lands in San Francisco, it will have used a continuous descent approach to burn less fuel, and will use as little thrust as possible when landing, taxiing with a single engine on the way to the gate.

It is hoped that following these steps will save about 2,000 gallons of fuel and 30,000lb of carbon emissions. Additionally, all glass, paper and aluminum products used on board will be recycled.

The flight will be the world’s first cross-polar green flight, creating what Emirates says is a “critical connection” between Dubai and San Francisco.
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Entire Town gets Free Vegas Getaway

Las Vegas officials have decided which American town is most in need of a vacation, and they are sending the entire town to enjoy four nights in Sin City, free of charge.

Next weekend, nearly half of the residents of Cranfills Gap, Texas, population 358, will be flying out to Las Vegas for a free vacation, that is, if they are over 21 and able to get the time off from work.

The free trip comes courtesy of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority, who are providing the trip as part of a promotional campaign for Vegas tourism. Cranfills Gap was chosen from a list of over 125 small cities in America deemed in need of some rest and relaxation.

The entire trip will be filmed from start to finish, resulting in a documentary film and about half a dozen commercials.

Town residents who are able to go on the trip will leave on Saturday, December 13th. They will get to stay in Vegas for five days, all expenses paid. The trip will put Cranfills Gap on the map as the first American city to take a mass vacation together.

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Airport Karaoke Spreads Holiday Cheer

If you’re traveling through Houston’s Bush International Airport during the next few weeks, you may notice sounds of the season being sung not by a choir, but by your fellow travelers.

The airport has set up Karaoke booths for travelers who want to get into the holiday spirit and kill time while waiting for their flight. Singers will have hundreds of song titles to choose from and will also win small prizes for singing.

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Oahu to Implement Bike-Share Program

If you happen to be living or traveling in Oahu next summer, you may be able to get around on new rental bicycles that are part of a proposed ride-share program.

Starting next June, Oahu plans to launch the Momentum B-cycle project, a privately-funded pilot program with a goal is of having bike racks across Oahu located within a five mile radius of rail transit stops.

People would be able to pay to rent a bike in one place, and leave it at a designated rack at their destination. Initially, there will be ten solar-powered bike racks where riders will be able to unlock a bike by swiping either their credit card or bike-share pass.

People who paid for the service would be able to check bikes out and drop them off at locations on Oahu, making it easier for residents and tourists to access mass transit and other points of interest around the island.

Anyone who wants to use the bikes will be able to purchase a weekly, monthly or yearly pass.
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Airport Employees get Politeness Training for the Holidays

Everyone knows that air travel can be a very stressful experience, especially if you’re travelling during the busy holiday season. The combination of already tired and stressed out passengers, delayed or cancelled flights, lost luggage, crowded planes and a whole host of other problems can easily lead to aggressive outbursts from passengers and airport employees alike.

This Thanksgiving there are expected to be 24 million people traveling by air. In an effort to make the situation a little less stressful, Newark Liberty International Airport is implementing a training program to help their employees to be more polite and offer a higher level of customer service.
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More Family Lanes to Appear at Airport Security Checkpoints

The TSA is expanding family lanes at nearly every airport just in time for the Thanksgiving and the busy holiday travel season.

By November 20th, family lanes will have opened at 533 airport checkpoints by November 20th. The lanes are intended to help people who are traveling with children and will have people on-hand to assist parents.

The family lanes will allow families to move through specially-designated lanes at their own pace. The lanes will be permanent additions at security checkpoints at every large and midsize airport.

The family lanes will also feature special scanners for screening large bottles of liquids deemed “medically necessary.” Anyone who is carrying a bottle of liquid more than three ounces will be directed to the scanners in these lanes, even if they are not traveling with a family.
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Ads to Appear in Security Checkpoint Bins Nationwide

Next time you take off your shoes and jacket and place them in a bin at an airport security checkpoint, you might see an advertisement staring up at you. The Transportation Security Administration has given the go-ahead to allow airports across the nation to sell advertising space in the bottoms of security checkpoint bins

If you’ve been traveling during the past year you may have already seen ads in the bottom of security checkpoint plastic bins.

Fourteen airports were participants in the Divestiture Bin Pilot Program, which allowed vendors to advertise in bins at security checkpoints. Now the program is expanding to be nationwide.

According to the TSA, the program is geared towards upgrading the equipment used at airport checkpoints. As payment for the advertising space, advertisers purchase the plastic bins, steel tables and carts for screeners that are used at checkpoints.
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