West United States
 
Business and First Class passengers using the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International will be familiar with its labyrinth of 16 many small premium pax lounges up on the fourth and fifth floors. They are now being demolished to be replaced by four consolidated lounges. While that’s happening, expected to be an eight-month-long project, LAX has opened two “interim” lounges. First Class pax will be accommodated in a 4,000-square-foot space on the mezzanine level formerly used for food court seating.  Business Class pax will do their departure flight waiting in a temporary structure created by joining together 22 prefab units out on a vacant ramp area. They total 16,000 square feet and are designed to accommodate up to 578 pax. Buses will operate continuously to shuttle those folks roughly a half mile over to TBIT. When completed, the new lounges will be used by three airline alliances—Star, oneworld and SkyTeam with the fourth Shared-Use lounge for those airlines that are not members of an alliance.
 
Midwest United States
 
Never mind. When Minneapolis/St. Paul International announced a pilot program that would have let taxi drivers unwilling to carry flyers possessing alcohol display a different top light on their cabs, flyers fumed. The plan was developed in conjunction with the Muslim American Society. The ostensible idea: to make sure travelers went to the right cab, so they wouldn’t be refused service. Public outcry spiked the plan. “It is clear that [the plan’s] implementation could have unintended and significant negative impacts,” says Jeff Hamiel, executive director of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, the entity that runs MSP…Now that most airlines don’t serve food in the back of the bus anymore airport food concessions are flourishing. Case-in-point: Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport. Concourse D sports a new Wolfgang Puck Gourmet Express, while out on Concourse C flyers will find a new Quizno’s. Both specialize in grab-and-go eats.
 
South United States
 
This really is new, and it could make your journey safer. Miami-Dade Police have begun training all employees at Miami International Airport in Behavior Pattern Recognition™. It’s the first such effort in the country, and it will teach MIA’s civilian employees how to recognize, and report, suspicious flyers…Borders has opened a new store at Raleigh/Durham International. It’s in Terminal A, and sells books and music. 
 
Southwest United States
 
When the entire project is complete, Dallas/Fort Worth International may just be the safest megaport on the planet. The airport is constructing a perimeter taxiway system. That means fewer flights will have to cross active runways on their way to the terminal. Not only will this render things safer, but you’ll get to your gate sooner too…Got a foreign business associate, family member or friend inbound to Houston for treatment at the world-renowned Texas Medical Center? There’s a new international medical visitors center at Bush Houston Intercontinental. More than 10,000 patients arrived form overseas last year at IAH. The airport center helps ease the way for them…Airport security generating angst? Kick back with a jamoca almond fudge—cone or cup. Baskin Robbins just set up shop at Tucson International Airport, on the ticketing level near Center Pointe.
 
Northeast United States
 
Now that Southwest Airlines is flying out of Philadelphia there’s a real need for more parking spaces. PHL is creating 1,800 of them by tearing down the airport’s old overseas terminal and turning it into an economy lot.