Get the scoop on CAK's latest blog post's here. http://www.akroncantonairport.com http://www.akroncantonairport.com/welcometosocialcakwi-1 http://www.akroncantonairport.com/welcometosocialcakwi-10 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:40:36 -0500 I am so excited that we've launched Social CAK! We've been planning this one-stop shop for everything social for about six months. I couldn't be more thrilled with the results! The cool thing about Web 2.0 is how interactive and intuitive it is. The downside is that it is also fragmented. Each platform is seemingly competing for its own dominant space in the social universe. That's why we created Social CAK; to allow CAK fans to view and access everything we are doing in new media. Simple, fun and free. What a great combination! A couple of snappy new features I'd suggest you check out include- the Prez Says and our expanded Inside CAK blog platform. We are involving more savvy CAK insiders in sharing our unique brand of business with you. Please join President and CEO Rick McQueen for a "no holds barred" live chat every third Wednesday of the month. Ask what you like of our top dog. He's all ears and wants to get your insights and answer your questions about the airport. Then, check out the expanded Inside CAK blog. Hear from other insiders including a private pilot and operations and safety manager about what really makes the airport tick. Finally, sign up for a seriously great prize from our partners at Frontier Airlines! They were so excited about the launch of Social CAK that they are offering $500 in Frontier Airlines bucks to use towards your next flight to Denver or beyond! How sweet is that?    We hope you like Social CAK too. Let us know what you think @CAKairport, www.facebook.com/akroncantonairport or in response to one of our multiple blog posts. Thanks and happy surfing! http://www.akroncantonairport.com/untitled-4 http://www.akroncantonairport.com/untitled-41 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:45:29 -0500 If someone approached you in a public place and wanted to film a conversation with you and upload it to YouTube, would you do it? This may sound like an invasion of privacy but that's what life has become. I remember toting around my dad's old video camera that recorded directly on VHS tapes. It weighed about 10 lbs and would make my shoulder ache after just a few minutes of using it. But now, we have video cameras that fit into our pockets, not to mention cell phones that take video. Here at CAK, we've uploaded dozens of customer testimonials to YouTube. It just takes few minutes to talk to them about their experience. We use our handy dandy Flip which uploads the video to YouTube in minutes. We first housed these testimonials on YouTube because they were too big to keep on our web site. But now, storing them on YouTube may be the bigger benefit. Check out Grant from Massillon who has nearly 2,600 views and Joe from Twinsburg with 1,500 views. Somebody obviously is watching our vids or these two guys have a lot friends. We'd like to go even deeper with our testimonials. We recently started asking passengers about their first time at CAK. What were they surprised by? Why did they choose CAK over other airports? What did they think of their experience? If you'd like to be in one of these videos, let us know and I will personally meet you in the terminal before your next flight with the Flip. Or if we approached you in the lobby and asked about your first time at CAK, would you tell us? Why or why not? http://www.akroncantonairport.com/untitled-3 http://www.akroncantonairport.com/untitled-32 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:05:28 -0500 If you follow @CAKairport on Twitter you may have seen our tweet about the great weekend deal that Traveline Travel was offering to the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas last month. Lucky for me, my close girlfriends also happen to be followers on Twitter and took the initiative to snag up this deal and use it to surprise me with a 28th birthday trip. We were able tofly from CAK-LASon Frontier Airlines, (via Denver) watch DIRECTV the entire way, and still arrive in time to hit up a great dinner at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill, re-connect with old friends, and learn to play (and win) at the blackjack tables.On my flight out I happened to witness a Frontier flight attendant who went out of her way to ensure the comfort of a passenger who had the unfortunate luck of having to travel with a leg brace on. After take off, the flight attendant helped to rearrange her seat assignment to allow her to extend her leg out throughout the flight.  I was reminded of the new STRETCH seating that the airline is incorporating into their aircraft. STRETCH is already available on a few aircraft, and by February 2010, the first four rows of each aircraft in the system will have an additional five inches of legroom - for a total of 36 inches of roomy seat pitch - and the ability to STRETCH out those legs prior to arriving at your West-bound destination of choice.Being approximately 5'2" tall, the extra leg room is probably less important to me than it would have been to the traveler I spoke of above, but one of the things that makes Frontier an extraordinary carrier is the way the airline treats passengers and the extra details that they work so hard to keep in place at such an incredible value. That said, my blackjack winnings have already been stretched and allocated towards a ski trip to Colorado this winter, just one of the many places that Frontier's presence at CAK makes it easy for Cleveland+ residents to get to both conveniently and affordably. http://www.akroncantonairport.com/fiveyearsfliesby http://www.akroncantonairport.com/fiveyearsfliesby3 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:15:35 -0500 I can't believe I just celebrated my fifth anniversary working for CAK. It seems like just yesterday when I arrived at the airport for the first day of my internship. I was finishing my last semester at Kent State University, when I was fortunate enough to land an internship in CAK's Operations Department. I eventually earned my Bachelor's in Aeronautics with majors in aviation flight technology and aviation management with a minor in computer information systems, and was hired on as a full-time employee.  
 Every day at the airport is a new adventure and having a commercial pilot's license gives me an appreciation for the behind-the-scenes activities that most pilots will never see. I remember the countless hours I spent watching airplanes at Port Columbus International Airport with my father while I was growing up in central Ohio. It seems logical that I would end up working for an airport. Over the past five years I have worked my way up from intern to Operations Supervisor, and as the saying goes, time flies when you're having fun.    http://www.akroncantonairport.com/autumnthecalmbeforet http://www.akroncantonairport.com/autumnthecalmbeforet4 Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:11:27 -0500 As the leaves change and the frost forces us to scrape our car windows, we in CAK operations prepare for battle. The battle I'm referring to is us vs. old man winter. Every year I'm asked, "What kind of winter are we going to have?" My response is always, "I'll let you know in April." Fall gives us the opportunity to finish the last of the mowing, painting and paving before winter. We also take the next 30 days or so to catch up on all the FAA required training for our staff. There is a lot of training involved to battle winter! You may be wondering what I mean. Well, here is a little taste- snow and ice control plan review, driver's training, airfield condition reporting and finally the ultimate-- how to plow snow (this isn't a Wal-Mart parking lot, ya know). Are we ready for battle? Of course! I wish it would hold off until January but the weather has been nice so we have the time needed to prepare. Will we prevail? Absolutely! See you after the storm in April. http://www.akroncantonairport.com/akroncantonairportno http://www.akroncantonairport.com/akroncantonairportno5 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:43:09 -0500 Do you need a great cup of joe before you depart on a flight? I do. I often hop on the earliest imaginable departure so I can be on the beach by 10 ...or in Manhattan by 9...or on the slopes by noon. I am an early bird to be sure, but part of the early morning magic is caffeine. A little pick-me-up at 4:30 a.m really helps keep me going. So, that's why I am ecstatic that MSE Branded foods, our excellent food and gift concessionaire, are now serving Caribou Coffee. Just let me tell you, I think good coffee is worth every penny. As a little holiday perk, passengers can get a cup for a buck by downloading this coupon. Enjoy your holidays and enjoy your next cup of Caribou Coffee at CAK. http://www.akroncantonairport.com/goodbyesforactivemil http://www.akroncantonairport.com/goodbyesforactivemil6 Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:29:35 -0500 It has been brought to our attention that many of our customers' families are not aware that TSA will allow our airlines to issue gate passes for 3-4 family members wishing to give their active military loved ones a farewell at the gate. That being said, there are certain requirements that need to be met in order for you to accompany them through security to the airplane. First, you must be immediate family and present valid forms of ID to the airline gate agent upon arriving with the service personnel at the airport. Secondly, the member of the military must have papers directing them to report to duty and have a ticket which was purchased by the military. This means that military going on vacations or personal travel would not qualify for family members escorting them to airline gates. Third is to be aware that you will be required to go through screening just like all other passengers.   All these requirements are pretty simple, but there has been a fair amount of misinformation in regards to the procedure to follow when requesting the gate passes. At CAK, we want to give you every opportunity to give our service men and women a send-off. We would suggest that you give yourselves ample time to check in and receive the gate passes. With the holidays fast approaching, we recommend that all our customers arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes before departure. On behalf of the CAK Family, we wish all our customers and military personnel a safe and blessed Thanksgiving Holiday. Thanks for your business and thanks for serving our country! http://www.akroncantonairport.com/airtranaddsfllandmke http://www.akroncantonairport.com/airtranaddsfllandmke7 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:06:50 -0500 Ok, can I just say it? Life is good! Our biggest carrier at CAK, AirTran Airways is growing again. This time, it's to Ft. Lauderdale (available now) and Milwaukee (commencing 1/5/10). The appeal of Ft. Lauderdale is pretty obvious- sandy beaches, access to all of south Florida (Miami, Palm Beach, Key West), cool night life and warm temperatures. As old man winter approaches, this nonstop route becomes a real no-brainer. Plus, it compliments AirTran's other nonstop Florida flights from Akron-Canton to Orlando, Tampa and Ft. Myers. On the surface, the Milwaukee flights may not seem quite as appealing. Hold your horse though, because Milwaukee is fast becoming a westbound hub for AirTran. So, beyond the totally fun things to do in Milwaukee itself, you have even more options for flights to places like LA, San Francisco, Phoenix, Minneapolis/ St. Paul, St. Louis and more. Before Frontier Airlines arrived at CAK, westbound destinations were difficult and expensive. Now travelers from throughout the region have more options than ever. Frontier over Denver, Delta via Detroit, United over Chicago and now AirTran over Milwaukee. So rejoice! New flights and more options will be yours in the New Year. Happy and travels to all. http://www.akroncantonairport.com/airbagsonairplanesha http://www.akroncantonairport.com/airbagsonairplanesha8 Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:06:53 -0400 Few of the traveling public will realize when they step on their next airplane that starting November 1 a new rule takes effect that has been phased in over the past 21 years to help comply with government crash standards for airplanes. Just like cars, airplane seats and seat belts have to withstand certain G forces. Those requirements have gone up over the years and this means that new aircraft seats will have to protect passengers from a crash 16 times the force of gravity. How much impact is that? In automobile terms, it is similar to what you would expect in a head-on collision in your car. According to the article reprinted in USA Today's Aviation site and written by Adam Hochberg of NPR (National Public Radio), loads of research has gone in to making seats and seatbelts stronger and safer. Remember when we were kids, most crashes did not have many survivors. I'm sure some of you might have thought like I did that those seatbelts would not keep you from slamming the seat in front of you, especially after viewing graphic airplane crash footage in the past. But, that was yesterday. With better designed airplanes, better flight training and some great pilots like those on the Hudson River landing, the industry has realized it's important to keep you attached to the aircraft. With this emphasis on safety, manufacturers are looking at airbags in the seatbacks as well as airbags in the actual seatbelt. In the future, you'll see these belts at bulkhead locations to prevent your head from hitting the wall. Seatbacks are also being designed to provide a sturdier cushion for restraining your body as well. None of these measures are inexpensive. One seat belt, with airbag, costs approximately $1,200.00 versus $35.00 for a regular belt. But, for all of us and our families, it's the right thing to do. These seat belts have already saved lives on general aviation aircraft. http://www.akroncantonairport.com/coolnewthingsatcak http://www.akroncantonairport.com/coolnewthingsatcak9 Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:48:49 -0400 Everyone wants to know, how do I save money NOW on my air fare? Well, our very own CAKElizabeth has begun Money Saving Mondays on our Facebook fan page. Every week, she will choose one hot CAK destination and post a great fare. Now, you will have to move quickly to take advantage of her great find, because seats are always limited at bargain basement prices. Also, don't forget that AirTran Airways is commencing nonstop flights to Ft. Lauderdale and Ft. Myers on November 4/5, 2009. Great deals are still available on these great beach destinations as well. Go to www.airtran.com to search right now. Happy travels!