11,000 Airports Added

It has been a while but we have been working hard over here. We have recently added approximately 11,000 new landing facilities (airports, heliports, seaplane bases, etc.) to Airport Guide making this the world's largest airport database at over 45,000 airports.

Tips on Hiring Taxis at Airports

After a long and tiring flight, the last thing you want to worry about is the possibility of being defrauded by greedy, illegal and unscrupulous taxi drivers. Airports in unfamiliar countries are often vast and confusing places, even for seasoned travelers. It's wise to learn as much about the value of the currency as possible, so look online to check the latest exchange rates and try to become familiar with the terminology. Looking after your spending money will obviously be one of your main priorities as a traveller, after securing your most affordable airfare, and sourcing the best possible accommodation for your money.


Groups of persistently hustling taxi drivers are to be found at all busy places, even at the world's best airports and the most secured ones. It's a good idea to avoid them at all costs, for your personal safety. Ask airport officials for location of the main taxi ranks. At Miami, for example, official advice is to find a taxi cab that is clearly marked with the words "taxi" or "taxicab" prominently displayed on both sides of the vehicle. The licence number must also be clearly visible in at least six locations within the car, as should the driver's identification documents. This advice is valid for taxis in most cities, in the west.


Knowledge is power. It's a good idea to prepare for the trip by reading accounts on popular travel websites, where other people review and write about their experiences. They can provide you with a wealth of useful information, such as how much to expect to pay for your journey. Most taxi firms are metered, although sometimes it can be a good idea to agree a flat rate at the start of your journey if it is some distance. Make sure you have plenty of cash in the local currency as your driver will find it annoying if you don't have any, and you will find it stressful. Be polite and don't forget to give a tip if you think he or she has done a good job. How much will depend on the location, but between five and ten percent should be adequate. Lastly, relax and enjoy your stay!

Rate Your Airports

You are now able to rate your airport in over 30 categories for travelers and pilots.
On every airport page there is a Ratings & Reviews tab. So what are you waiting for? Go to your favorite airport and rate away on Airport Guide.

A Somewhat Stress-Free Airport Departure is an Achievable Dream

Traveling through an airport is no piece of cake, but if you prepare for everything well in advance and decide to travel light, the odds are that things will go swimmingly. Every traveler's dream is to get from the sliding doors, through check-in, past security, and to the plane in ten minutes. With everything from security checks to problems with your ticket as possible curve balls, your airport adventure has a 50/50 chance of being an experience from hell. Instead of clicking your heels together and wishing it all just came true for you, it's a good rule of thumb to be prepared. Like a well-oiled machine, using these tips will help runs things a little more smoothly when you're trying to catch your flight.

Take Carry-On Luggage Only

USA Today highly recommends traveling with carry-on luggage exclusively. This eliminates wasting time on check in and saves time by avoiding the huge wait for luggage. Weight limits for many airlines have been decreased. Some airlines have a weight limit of 50 pounds total for checked luggage. You might as well pack carefully and save time with an efficient carry-on package.

Keep Electronics Secure

When you are at the airport, be careful not to use a Wi-Fi public hotspot with insufficient encryption. If you do, someone could possibly discover your personal information and try to use it. When you use a public wireless network, you should assume that anyone can access your computer. Lifelock's experts provide advice on how to secure your computer and protect your data from hackers while using a wireless device.

• Use a Firewall -Those users who have Windows XP with Service Pack 2, Windows Vista and Windows 7 have firewalls built into their operating systems.


• Hide Your files – Check the network's website and read their privacy statement to learn about the type of encryption they use. If they lack this information, you would be wise not to use the network. If you don't have an operating system with encryption tools, consider getting one.


• Don't Type Personal Information – When on a public network, don't ever enter your credit card, banking information, social security number or password.
  


• Disable Wireless - If you are not using the Internet, simply turn off your wireless network.

Dress For Success

USA Today also recommends dressing for the easiest passage through security. Avoid metallic jewelry and other metallic items. Wear shoes that easily slide off. Shoes with complex lacing and buckles can leave you barefoot and hopping around for more minutes than they're worth. Don't forget to wear socks to protect your feet from being totally bare and exposed to airport bacteria. Make sure you have a convenient, but safe, place to stow your ID and boarding pass, which may be asked for more than once.

Know TSA Rules

TSA has many rules regarding security. Those who are not aware of them can slow down the process for everyone else. The TSA rules, which can be downloaded for viewing, change frequently, so it's a smart idea to regularly keep up on them. The categories for prohibited items are:

• Sharp objects


• Sporting goods


• Guns and firearms


• Tools


• Martial arts and self defense items


• Explosive and flammable materials, disabling chemicals and other dangerous items


• Other items

See, airport experiences don't have to be so hard. A well-planned, well-prepared traveler is a happy one. Heeding these tips will help you go from stop to stop in no time and off to your destination.

New Airport Detail Pages Design Released

Hi everyone,

I haven't written in forever but I have been hard at work. Today, I released a redesigned template for Airport Guide and a completely redesigned page layout for the detailed airport pages. Go ahead and search for an airport and tell me what you think. FYI, I am making tweaks to the page daily so don't be alarmed when you see it change from one day to the next.

Mike

Travel Blog Added to Airport Guide

Hi everyone,

I just wanted you to all know that I have added a Travel Blog to AirportGuide.com.

If AirportGuide.com is going to be a great travel resource, then I feel it is time to start a travel blog. In this travel blog, we will not just talk about airplanes and airports but all travel. This includes rail travel, road trips, cruises, ferries, etc., etc.

To make this work, I am calling on all of you, to submit your original articles for incorporation into this blog. This means that these articles can't be found on other web sites as we don't want to be penalized for duplicate search content. And YES, you can include a link back to your site in the article, provided it is to a travel-related web site. The only requirement I have is that the articles be written in proper English.

I know some of you are asking what's the catch. Well, as with everything on AirportGuide.com, there is no catch except that I have the final say on what does and does not make it. I want a travel blog with a variety of unique articles and you probably want links back to your sites. It's a win-win for everyone.

Please send your submissions to articles@airportguide.com

Welcome to the AirportGuide.com Travel Blog

Hi everyone,

I just wanted you to all know that I have added a Travel Blog to AirportGuide.com.

If AirportGuide.com is going to be a great travel resource, then I feel it is time to start a travel blog. In this travel blog, we will not just talk about airplanes and airports but all travel. This includes rail travel, road trips, cruises, ferries, etc., etc.

To make this work, I am calling on all of you, to submit your original articles for incorporation into this blog. This means that these articles can't be found on other web sites as we don't want to be penalized for duplicate search content. And YES, you can include a link back to your site in the article, provided it is to a travel-related web site. The only requirement I have is that the articles be written in proper English.

I know some of you are asking what's the catch. Well, as with everything on AirportGuide.com, there is no catch except that I have the final say on what does and does not make it. I want a travel blog with a variety of unique articles and you probably want links back to your sites. It's a win-win for everyone.

Please send your submissions to articles@airportguide.com

AirportGuide.com Latest Updates

The redesign that I have been working on since the last update in August has been focused mainly on fixing little bugs I have run across over the last year. I still haven't tackled the redesign of the detailed airport information page but that is definitely the next major update. That page is so complex and affects so many other areas of the site that I have to take the time to do it right or get it as close to perfect as I can get the first time through.

The one major enhancement I have made though has to do with updating fuel prices. On any detailed airport page you can scroll down to the FBO and fuel information. There you will see a bright green button to update any fuel prices. The process is now efficient, easy, and fast.

Let me ask a question of you. Is there anything you really like or dislike on the site right now? How is the navigation? Is it easy / difficult? Anything you feel should be on the site that you don't see now? Is there too much information or not enough?
Please tell me so I can take these ideas into consideration as I keep enhancing it.

Mike

Redesign Update

Hi all,

The first thing I would like to say is thanks for sticking with me. I haven't communicated nearly enough but I have been working hard on the site. Unfortunately, I have not yet implemented a lot of what I'm planning to do. Work and family commitments have slowed this process down.

AIRPORT GUIDE ON YOUR SITE - At my own peril with the search engines, I have decided to redo my link structure to make it easier for you to add links to your favorite airport right on your web site. The new linking is http://AirportGuide.com/id/XXXX where XXXX is the ICAO, IATA, or FAA ID. You can read more about direct linking in the development blog.

BAD LINK FIX - I started working again on the site today and noticed that the video and Buy Now link for the LogTen Pro logbook for Mac, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad was not working. I have fixed it now so you can try out the LogTen Pro links.

AIRPORT SEARCH UPDATE - I have updated the Airport Search Form search capabilities. This search is found in the top left area of the main content on most every screen. Anyway, the search is really cool now in that it will take any number of words or portions of words and perform an AND search on them. So what does this mean to you? In the past you could only search on a single word and use wild card characters on either end of the word to find something. Now you can type something like Angeles heli and find two records that contain both words in any combination of the ICAO ID, FAA ID, IATA ID, Name, City, State, Country, and Type.

You will also notice that the headers are links. Clicking on any of them will sort the list by that column. A column heading in green, like Country shown below, is the column sorted on.

ICAO	FAA	IATA	Name	City	State	Country	Type
	98CA		Everest & Jennings Helistop Nr 1	Los Angeles	California	United States	Heliport
	8CL5		R I Ai Canoga Park B/2 Helistop	Los Angeles	California	United States	Heliport

AIRMEN CERTIFICATED DATABASE - I just updated the airmen certificated database. It's such a massive database that I have been letting it slide for the other items above. Well, it was time so have fun searching.

DETAILED AIRPORT PAGE - This is next on my list. I want to completely update the layout of the detailed airport pages. I have received feedback saying thanks for having all of the information in one place BUT I have also received feedback saying too much information. Here's my take on this. All of the information is important but to different sets of people, therefore, the goal is to maintain all of the information but display it so it is right there but out of the way. You will see what I'm talking about when I get around to this page.

There are so many more items on my plate here that I don't want to mention them for fear of my well-funded and well-staffed (at least 1 full time person) competitors implementing before me. Stay tuned as there is much coming......

If there is anything you would like to see or any changes to the site to make it easier to use, please tell me about it.

Happy flying and remember to keep the dirty side down,

Mike

The Site Redesign Continues

Hi all,

I have been watching how people have been using this site and the questions they ask and have come to the conclusion that my redesign over the last 8 months has helped in some cases but hasn't solved the simple problem of finding what you need quickly. AirportGuide.com has so much information and so many different ways to interact with it that it can be difficult at times to figure out the best approach to accomplish something.

That being said, I am continuing to refine the user interface to help you find what you want quickly. When the volcano blew up in Iceland last week, my traffic went through the roof because I had recently added worldwide airport delay pages. That idea came from an AirportGuide.com user.

Any of you can come up with a great idea that will show up on this site. If you have one, please let me know.

Anyway, it's back to the redesign for me.

Mike

New Site Design Deployed

Well, after months of work, the new look and feel of Airport Guide has been deployed.* Please tell me what you think, good or bad.

I would like to point out a few new features to look for.

• At the top of every page you will see a pulsating red button. Click on it and a pull down window deploys with Airport Delay maps. I love this feature!
• You will notice a question mark in a small circle next to many titles and fields throughout the site. Just click on it for help and definitions on that section.
• All of the site navigation has been moved into a horizontal green bar with drop down menus. This should provide you a more friendly user experience when trying to find your way around the site.
• Speaking of navigation, I found that people coming to the site were not really sure where they should go since the site is now catering to both pilots and travelers. The site is now broken into six main areas:

• • Pilot Information - This area encompasses the original Airport Guide where you can Browse Airports, perform an Airport Search (you can actually do this on every page now in the upper left of the page) and see detailed information about an airport such as runways, frequencies, approach plates, FBOs, etc. You can also search our Certificated Airmen, Navaids, and other databases (coming soon) and get Customs Forms to name a few.
• • Pilot Resources - Here you can try out some great pilot logbooks, read the entire FARs and AIM, update FBO and fuel information, review NTSB Accident Reports, use Aviation Calulators, and read interesting aviation related white papers. There is more than I can list here but keep checking back as I will be constantly adding to this area. If you have any ideas for what you would like to see in this area please tell me.
• • Pilot Store - You need supplies so this is where you look for them. There is an Aircraft for Sale/Auction page as well as a full blown aviation store with most any pilot supply you could need including:

• • • Aviation Parts
• • • Headsets
• • • Flight Bags
• • • Jackets
• • • Aeronautical Charts
• • • GPS
• • • Pilot Courses
• • • Logbooks
• • • Gifts

• • Traveler Information -
• • Travel Planning -
• • Travel Store -

* Note: The detailed airport pages are undergoing their own redesign and should be deployed within a week.

Site Redesign Almost Ready

AirportGuide.com has been undergoing a 4 month site redesign to address our traveler visitors as well as our pilot visitors. I may be wrong but I believe we are the first site to take it to this level of catering to both groups.

As I start to transition to the new site this week, please be patient. You may notice some pages have changed and some haven't. This is a result of selectively replacing pages as they are proven to work.

Also note that this is just the beginning as I have a ton of ideas to implement. Look around the site and you may see glimpses of what is to come.

As always, if you feel you have a new feature, data source, web tool, idea, etc., that would be a good fit for this site then please contact me.

Thanks! --Mike

Site Redesign

Sorry I haven't written in a while but I have been overwhelmed with the work on this site. It may look quite comprehensive to most of you but the truth of the matter is that only about 10% of my vision is functioning right now.

I read all feedback that users of the site have been providing to me and find I agree with most comments. Some comments such as
- Less is more
- I like all the information on one page
- I wish you had terminal maps
- etc.

The first two seem a bit contradictory but I have though of a way to have all airport information on one page without cluttering it up. This will take some time to get right but it will be worth it when it's done. The bottom line is I'm performing a COMPREHENSIVE SITE REDESIGN to enhance the user experience.

I am adding a full-blown weather section so you will never have to look at another site no matter what your weather needs are.

Airport Parking has now been added to 138 major airport pages. Look for the Red button in the upper right of the page. Also, look for a dedicated parking page in the future.

There are so many more things I'm working on that I can't list here. Just keep checking back to see the improvements.

Remember to keep the dirty side down. :)

Mike

Airport Info Popup for Your Site

I just realized that when I put up the direct linking blog post last summer, I forgot to tell you about another little popup feature I created for YOUR websites. It's a small popup screen with basic airport info. This will keep visitors on your site and if they want more info they can just click a link.

So here is how it all works.

MINI POPUP
http://AirportGuide.com/search-mini/XXXX
where XXXX is any 3 or 4 letter airport id (ICAO, FAA, or IATA)

To link to John F Kennedy airport in New York use the following:
http://AirportGuide.com/search-mini/KJFK

If you are at a smaller airport with only three letters as the identifier such as Hendersonville, North Carolina’s 0A7 just type the following:
http://AirportGuide.com/search-mini/0A7

Flight Status Added

You can now check your airline flight status by Airline Name and Flight Number or by Departure and Arrival Airports. Just click on the Flight Tracker link in the Navigation Menu.

International Airports Now Online

After many months scrubbing data, I am finally confident enough to put the international airports online alongside the US data. There is not as much information out there for the international community so bear with me as the airport pages are modified and tweaked over the coming months.

If you have a good source of data for any international area such as the UK or France, I would be more than willing to talk about an arrangement to get this data supplied on an ongoing basis.

If you see any issues with the data please let me know. Otherwise, enjoy!

International Airports Being Added

Ever since the United States government stopped releasing the DAFIF data to the public, it has been very hard to build a complete list of international airports. I apologize for the time it is taking to get the international airports up on AirportGuide.com but I want to let everyone know that each airport's codes are being verified prior to posting them on the site. There are over 10,000 airports outside of the FAA's jurisdiction so this will take a while but as I always say 'don't waste your time doing it if you don't plan on doing it right.'

To that end, as the international airports are released onto the site, I will be adding the links to the countries on the Browse Airports by Country page. Initially, the list of airports will not be complete for a country but you will be able to watch the list grow over time as I release more and more airports into the database.

If you have any questions about what I am doing, have suggestions on how to speed this process along, or just have a recommendation for the site, please feel free to contact me.

Country List Added

A list of world countries has been added to the site to allow airport browsing by country. We are diligently scrubbing data from multiple sources before we make it available online. As data is added for each country, the link on the Airport Country page will become active.

International Airport Update#2

I have been working many long hours on cleaning up the international airport data and unfortunately it was much worse than I thought. Ever since the US government stopped publishing the international data in 2006, it has been a very tedious and laborious process.

So here are the plans for the release. As soon as I can I will be releasing the basic airport data with the name, location, etc. Definitely no frills here but it will be enough to get you the basic airport data. The one thing I must verify first is that the ICAO and IATA identifiers are correct. There have been quite a few changes over the years and I want to make sure this is accurate.

In the meantime, I will be building up the database in the background and slowly adding items such as airport diagrams, approach charts, and other detailed information to the website so check back often.

If anyone reading this has a good for international data that is known to be clean please tell me.

And as always, if you have an aviation product that you think would integrate well with this site, such as a flight planner, please contact me so we can discuss it. I'm always looking for ideas to make this site the best aviation site on the web.

Thanks,
Mike

International Airport Update

I just wanted you to all know that we are probably within one week of releasing international airports on Airport Guide.