The world's busiest passenger airport is getting bigger.

On Wednesday, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport opens the new $1.4 billion Maynard H. Jackson Jr. International Terminal, named in honor of the city’s first black mayor.

“The opening of the international terminal is huge for Atlanta,” said the airport's Aviation General Manager Louis Miller. “It gives international passengers their own terminal with its own entrance, it ends the baggage recheck process for Atlanta–bound passengers, and it enhances the airport’s overall capacity now and for the future.”

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The opening of Atlanta airport’s new terminal comes on the heels of some other high-profile — and pricey — terminal openings in 2011, most notably San Francisco International Airport’s $388 million renovated Terminal 2 in April and Sacramento International Airport’s $1 billion new terminal in October.

 

The airport upgrades don’t stop there. Here are six more projects you may spy next time you fly:

Las Vegas
On June 27, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas will open “T3,” a new high-tech, $2.4 billion terminal that will serve both international and domestic flights.

“Our plans for T3 include self-boarding podiums at all 14 gates, self-service kiosks equipped for customers to print and affix their own baggage tags, and a robust [free] wireless Internet system that will extend out to the ramp and allow customers to log on whether they’re inside the terminal or aboard an aircraft parked at the gate,” said Randall H. Walker, director for the Clark County Department of Aviation.

Miami
This summer, Miami International Airport will open a $180 million federal inspection area at the North Terminal that is twice the size of the existing Concourse E facility. In early 2013, the airport hopes to have the entire multibillion dollar North Terminal project completed. “What remains to be opened are three passenger gates and five of the 10 baggage claim carousels in the international arrivals area,” said Greg Chin, communications director for the Miami-Dade County Aviation Department.

A new AirportLink Metrorail extension that will speed connections to downtown Miami is being built for $506 million.

San Diego
San Diego International Airport is halfway through a $1 billion sustainable “Green Build” expansion of its Terminal 2 that is scheduled to be completed in August 2013.

“When complete, Terminal 2 will have 10 new gates, a dual-level roadway to separate arriving and departing passengers, a large, bright concessions core and the largest airport USO in the world,” said Katie Jones, spokesperson for the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.

Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport is building a $1.5 billion Tom Bradley International Terminal, which will include new concourse areas and gates that will be able to accommodate the superjumbo Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplanes. Renovations and upgrades are also underway throughout the rest of the airport.

New York
And in New York, Delta Air Lines is spending more than $160 million to renovate Terminals C and D at LaGuardia Airport and more than $1.2 billion on John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 4. The LaGuardia project may be completed by the end of 2013; the JFK project, by spring 2013.

That's a lot of airport-upgrade activity at a time when the economy remains skittish, fuel prices are still sky-high and airlines continue to scale back schedules.

“Airports are investing in modern infrastructure to ensure that their communities, and the companies in them, can successfully compete in an increasingly global economy,” said Greg Principato, president of Airports Council International -North America, an airport membership organization. “These facilities are an investment in our economic future.” 

What's your favorite airport? Your least favorite? Tell us about it on Facebook.

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New technology and an old debate over whether to allow air travelers to make cell phone calls on flights prompted some mid-air tension on a recent Delta Air Lines flight.

It ended with Talmon Marco -- the founder and CEO of Viber, a smartphone app that allows customers to make calls using voice over IP (VoIP) – being escorted off a jet late Tuesday.

Marco, 39, was en route from New Orleans to New York when he decided to call an associate using the airline’s in-flight Wi-Fi and the very app offered by his company.

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He was approached by a flight attendant and told he needed to turn off his phone, Marco recalled in a phone conversation with msnbc.com. He ended the call right away and then explained that his phone was in fact switched to in-flight mode. He told the flight attendant he made the call using the Wi-Fi service with the VoIP application.

The flight attendant told Marco that the FAA forbids the use of these applications, he said.

“She said this was a flight safety issue. That makes absolutely no sense because there’s no difference between using Skype, Viber or watching a movie on YouTube,” Marco said.

Indeed, FAA notes that airlines block the use of in-flight calling using Skype and similar applications not because of an FAA restriction, but because the carriers are “simply responding to the overwhelming majority of their customers, who prefer silent communications to the public nature of Voice-over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) calls.”

In other words, many passengers don’t want to be trapped next to someone talking on a cell phone.

Back on the Delta flight, another crew member joined the discussion and acknowledged it was not an FAA issue but rather a violation of the terms of service with Gogo, the provider of the in-flight Wi-Fi, Marco told msnbc.com. When he continued to engage the flight attendants on the issue, they told him he was being difficult.

“They handed me a brochure by Delta that says you are being disobedient or something like that and when I took a picture of this, they said, OK, now we’re going to call the cops on you,” Marco said.

“I wasn’t rude, I wasn’t loud, I wasn’t combative or noisy. I wasn’t hitting anybody. I was just your average passenger.”

When the plane landed at LaGuardia, two Port Authority police officers escorted Marco off the plane, he said. But when he explained what happened, they told him they didn’t have an issue with what he did and released him, Marco recalled.

He now wants an apology from Delta. He says that if carriers don’t want passengers talking on the phone – even if it doesn’t pose a danger to the flight -- they should make that clear and explain the reasons. Marco personally doesn’t have an issue with somebody talking next to him on a cell phone if they’re not loud, he said.

In response to the incident, Delta said that the use of any voice application, such as a Web-based VoIP service, is prohibited by Gogo’s terms of service.

“Delta fully supports a ban on cell phone voice transmissions. We are not, however, opponents of in-flight data transmissions (i.e. text and e-mail messages) provided they do not interfere with flight deck navigational equipment,” Delta spokeswoman Leslie Parker wrote in an e-mail.

Meanwhile, you can bet some passengers will always ignore the rules regarding gadgets on flights.

A new Airfarewatchdog.com poll of more than 1,200 people found almost a quarter, or 24 percent, of air travelers don’t always comply when asked to turn off their electronic devices before take off.

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US Airways has joined other major U.S. carriers by offering non-elite frequent flyers access to priority travel services for a fee.

The "PreferredAccess" option is now available for purchase when customers check in online. The access upgrade offers fast-track check-in, security lanes and boarding, where available.

Elite members of Dividend Miles, US Airways' frequent flyer program, receive the same benefits for free.

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"We know that our customers' time is important to them and are happy to offer a service that helps them get on their flight more quickly," said Andrew Nocella, US Airways' senior vice president of marketing and planning in a news release. "PreferredAccess allows customers to experience a more convenient airport experience, be seated on the plane faster and have greater access to overhead bin space, similar to our Preferred members."

Prices for PreferredAccess start at $10 per passenger, per one-way direction of travel. Similar programs at American, Delta and United start at $9 per passenger.

Specifically, customers who purchase the option will receive:

• Priority Check-in — Dedicated lanes at airport ticket counters for service and checked bags.
• Priority Security Lane Access — Dedicated airport security checkpoint lanes, where available.  
• Priority Boarding — Zone 1 boarding, after Envoy, first class and Dividend Miles Preferred members, at all airports and dedicated boarding lanes, where available. Currently, US Airways offers PreferredAccess boarding lanes at most gates in 21 cities. Cities that currently offer separate boarding lanes for elites and customers who purchase PreferredAccess are: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Frankfurt (Germany), Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York (LaGuardia), Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Tampa and Washington, D.C. (Reagan National Airport).

US Airways plans to expand dual-lane boarding to an additional 39 cities by the end of summer.

This article, "US Airways Offers Option to Buy Priority Airport Access," first appeared on CNBC.com. 

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At home, American kids often balk at any dish beyond chicken nuggets and PB&J, only to surprise parents by diving mouth-first into exotic cuisine while traveling. Surrounded by new sights, sounds, smells and tastes, children’s ideas of “normal” are challenged and they are often more willing to try new foods on the road.

With limited options, children are sometimes willing to eat a new dish out of sheer hunger. Other times, they see local kids gobbling up escargot or sushi, and therefore take a bite, too. Or they get so swept up in the thrill of eating something outlandish, they chomp right into a fried cricket and then giggle with delight when Mom and Dad recoil.

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Theodora Sutcliffe, author of TravelswithaNineYearOld.com, has been on a round-the-world tour with her now 11-year-old son, Zac, for more than two years. During their travels, Sutcliffe says, Zac has sampled such unusual eats as camel, dragonflies, grubs, snake, raw oysters, foie gras, eel and, “lots of different types of innardy things.”

Not all children would be as adventurous as Zac, of course. Sutcliffe suggests parents open the door to adventurous eating in a foreign locale by starting with the sweet stuff. She recommends loading up on unusual fruits at the local market or heading to the gelato shop to taste crazy flavors.

Fun-looking and colorful foods also appeal to traveling children. Keryn Means, who blogs at WalkingOnTravels.com, says, “On a trip to Kyoto last spring, my then 20-month-old son sat with us at a sushi bar watching the conveyor belt go round and round. Suddenly he perked up and pointed at a plate. It was a roll filled with nothing but salmon roe (large fish eggs). We shrugged and grabbed the plate for him. He demolished it in no time, making happy sounds and even saying ‘yummy, yummy’ as he let each salty bubble burst in his mouth.”

Family doctor turned childhood feeding specialist Dr. Katja Rowell advises parents to model tasting something new in front of children. Sharlene Earnshaw, mom of 5-year-old twins and editor-in-chief of the family travel site Trekaroo.com, did just that when traveling through the Sonoran Desert. “I decided to order cactus to accompany my entree," she says. "My kids were worried that I would have a tongue full of thorns, but once the waiter brought out my meal and my children saw it looked like squash, they were eager to try cactus for themselves.”

Tara Kennedy-Kline, a blogger and family coach at MultilevelMom.com, has had great success getting her boys (ages 11 and 13) to taste new foods on vacation by holding crazy food-eating contests. Whichever family member eats the most outrageous item at each meal earns bragging rights and a few bucks to spend on souvenirs.

Kennedy-Kline has encouraged her sons to further expand their gastronomic horizons by creating wacky food reports. They take photos of the unfamiliar foods tasted during their travels and paste them to a poster board to share with classmates after returning home. Their mom says this has been particularly effective, “because they are so excited about grossing out their friends.”

Whatever you do, Rowell says parents should avoid a food stand-off, which could take away from the fun of vacation. It is tempting to insist children take at least one bite of new foods, but she warns this may have the opposite effect. “Abundant research shows that pressuring kids to try new foods backfires,” she says. This is especially true of extremely picky eaters. These children, Rowell says, tend to be, “stubborn, cautious and don’t like to be told what to do.”

For more tips for getting picky eaters to try new foods on the go or at home, check out Rowell’s site TheFeedingDoctor.com.

How do you get your kids to try new foods? Tell us about it on Facebook.

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It probably happens more often than we’d like to admit. The plane lands, everybody jumps up and, in the mad dash to deplane, you leave something behind.

If it’s a book or a magazine, it’s probably no big deal, but these days, it seems more of those items are iPads, e-readers and other pricey personal electronics.

“People are busy and many of them now carry two or three devices,” said Sean Glynn, vice president of marketing for Credant Technologies, a data-protection company. “They use them to do some work, they stash them in the seatback pocket and forget them when their plane lands.”

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Joseph Folz knows the feeling all too well, having left his iPad on a Delta flight to Atlanta late last year. “Usually, I gather up all my things and put them in my briefcase before I deplane but I totally forgot it,” said the general counsel for Porsche Cars North America. “As soon as I got home and opened my briefcase, you can imagine the first word out of my mouth.”

And it’s not just airplanes, says Glynn, whose company has conducted surveys on lost devices at airports, shopping malls, ballparks and other venues. Last June, for example, the company surveyed five airports — Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas and Phoenix — and found that travelers left a total of 979 laptops, tablets, smartphones and USB sticks behind during the previous month alone.

Of those, more than one-third (365) were tablets and smartphones. “You’d be surprised how many people will walk off to the bathroom and leave them unattended,” said Glynn.

Airplanes present a different problem. Even if they’re not left unattended, newer mobile devices are so small, they’re easily hidden behind papers or trash and forgotten in the rush to deplane. According to The Wall Street Journal, airlines are now warehousing hundreds of tablets, as many as half of which are never reclaimed.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your odds if your device goes missing. Taping a business card to its case and registering it with the manufacturer are easy ways to provide contact information, while apps, such as “Find My iPhone” or “Find my iPad” allow you to track the location of your device, lock it or send a message in the hopes someone has it.

And the odds may be even better for air travelers, says Tony Anscombe, senior security evangelist for AVG Technologies, a security-software provider. “If you leave something in the seat pocket of an airplane, you’re more likely to get it back because it’s in a fixed location,” he told msnbc.com. “If you leave it in the back of a taxi and it drives off, you have no contact with it.”

Of course, those odds are predicated on the premise that whoever has your device is honest and interested in reuniting it with its rightful owner. Cynics will scoff but, as Joseph Folz will attest, it happens.

As Folz tells it, he’d been home for about six hours when Latrice Hall, a Delta gate agent, called and said, ‘I have a very strange question — did you happen to lose anything today?’ After he told her about his iPad experience, she said a passenger had found it on a subsequent flight, turned it in to a flight attendant, who gave it to Hall upon returning to Atlanta.

“Latrice called every passenger who had sat in seat 6C on that aircraft that day until she found me,” said Folz. “I was blown away that three people who didn’t have to do anything all went to some trouble to do the right thing.”

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The major American airport that delivers the most seamless experience isn’t on any coast. It wins over fliers with shopping and dining options, the ease of check-in and security, and the friendliness typical of its city hub.

Slideshow: See where the best and worst airports are

So breathe a sigh of relief if you’ve booked a flight through Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; Travel + Leisure readers have crowned it America’s best airport.

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In our first-ever airport survey, we asked readers to rate America’s 22 major airports in seven categories: flight delays; design; amenities; food and drink; check-in and security; service; and transportation and location. The best-scoring airports have tackled these issues head-on, refurbishing terminals and adding amenities that make the worst airports look evermore outdated by comparison.

Case in point: Travel + Leisure readers affirmed that if you’re looking to avoid the worst flying experiences in the United States, bypass airports in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, which are hobbled by outdated infrastructure, overcrowding, chronic delays and demoralized staff.

You’d also be wise to time your flight as early in the day as possible and seek out alternate airports or regional airports when possible. Baltimore (BWI), for instance, ranked much higher than Washington Dulles airport, with Travel + Leisure readers considering it the best airport for on-time departures. Another highly rated airport, Charlotte (CLT), got high marks for everything from Wi-Fi access to its convenient location.

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Travel + Leisure readers penalized certain airports for locations that appear chosen without the advice of urban planners. Availability of public transportation could help offset a bad location; San Francisco, for instance, was acknowledged for the transit options. And if it was easy to grab a taxi, or the terminals had large and easy-to-read flight boards, that airport got points as well.

When it came time to complain, readers went beyond the issues of check-in process and baggage handling to single out the lack of play facilities for children at many airports as well as lackluster spa facilities. Travel can be stressful enough, and based on reader responses, there’s a demand for more drop-in airport spas where you can get a quick neck, back or foot massage while waiting out that flight delay.

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Tired of flipping through the pages of that dog-eared guidebook? The folks at Frommer’s suggest you tap, click or flick instead.

On Tuesday, the longtime guidebook publisher unveiled a new line of digital travel guides that take advantage of the touchscreen capabilities of the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Based on the company’s Day by Day print series, the initial launch covers seven destinations and is designed to serve as a combination pre-trip planner, daily guide and post-trip journal and photo album.

“There are many, many different ways of interacting with the content,” said Ensley Eikenburg, associate publisher. “It can take you from thinking about a destination to giving you real, on-the-ground information to providing a place to store the memories of your trip.”

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Unlike the company’s traditional guidebooks, the series takes an itinerary-based approach — one or two days in Los Angeles, one or two weeks in Spain, etc. — and augments it with interactive maps, slideshows of destination highlights and even five-day weather forecasts.

You can also bookmark pages, make journal entries and tap on approximately 1,000 links, both internal and external, to explore hotels, restaurants and other items of interest. And for those who have both an iPad and an iPhone (or iPod touch), the purchase price ($9.99–$14.99) includes access to the guide on both devices.

“The iPad is great for hanging out in your hotel room and planning your day,” said Eikenburg, “but when you’re out exploring, you can whip out your phone and follow your itinerary.”

Impressive features aside, the Day by Day series is not the first interactive, tablet-friendly travel guide out there. In 2010, Lonely Planet unveiled five iPad-based guides; today, the company offers more than 150 iPad-compatible titles, including destination guides, translation apps and travel-related games. 

Related: Travel by touch screen takes off

Together, the competing products are indicative of how well suited tablets are to travel. “People want to be dynamic when they travel,” said Jeff Orr, group director, consumer research, for ABI Research. “Not just in plotting their course but also in interacting with what’s around them. And with the on-screen real estate, you can display a lot more information than you can on a smartphone.”

They’re not, however, without their caveats, says Orr: “The catch today is that media tablets are not truly mobile devices; they tend to be used in and around the home.”

As evidence, he said consumers opt for devices capable of Wi-Fi connectivity much more than those with 3G and 4G capabilities. In fact, Orr said, in 2011, 73 percent of tablets shipped were Wi-Fi exclusive, up from 60 percent in 2010. Wi-Fi devices are generally less expensive, of course, but the numbers also suggest that people are willing to forgo Internet access during their daily rounds. 

Either way, “You can’t assume users are always going to be in a 3G or 4G or always-on [Wi-Fi] environment,” he told msnbc.com.

Fortunately, Frommer’s and Inkling, the company’s platform developer, have addressed that issue by making much of the Day by Day content available offline, meaning travelers can still access most of its features without Internet access. That’s not a problem for those with iPhones, although as anyone who has fired up an iPhone overseas will attest, roaming charges can add up blazingly fast.

Which, of course, raises the contrarian point: You can flip through that old, printed travel guide anytime, anywhere and for however long you want and you’ll never get dinged for it.

Available through iTunes and the Inkling website, current Day by Day guides cover Alaska, California, Costa Rica, France, Great Britain, Japan and Spain.

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I have a long, transcontinental flight coming up. I dread being cramped in a coach seat, but I can't afford first class. What are my chances of getting bumped up for free?

They're actually better now than ever. To cut costs, some U.S. airlines have been offering fewer flights in recent years, and coach can be overbooked. If a carrier bumps passengers, it's frequently required to provide either a substitute flight or a refund or both, per government regulations. The airline may not want to bump people if first-class seats are available.

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Read the original story on Budget Travel 

So how do carriers select the lucky few who get ferried to first class? It's all about the miles. Computers track frequent-flier and program miles and upgrade passengers automatically, based on who has earned the most. About 95 percent of those in first class on domestic flights last year were upgraded or used frequent-flier miles (sometimes with an additional fee), according to Joel Widzer, author of "The Penny Pincher's Passport to Luxury Travel."

But you need a lot of miles to qualify: Delta requires you to fly at least 25,000 a year to qualify for its entry-level Silver Medallion level. On the other hand, you can sometimes find upgrade certificates for sale online, courtesy of frequent fliers who can't use them before their expiration date. For instance, some United/Continental vouchers on eBay start with bids as low as $1.

But even if you don't travel often, simply being a member of the airline's frequent-flier program helps your chances. It indicates some level of brand loyalty. Having an airline-sponsored credit card in your name helps, too, though those may come with hefty annual fees.

Does dressing up so that you look like you'd belong in first class improve your chances of getting upgraded?

Looking polished helps, but not as much as it once did. There's one outfit that seems to work better than even the finest couture: a military uniform. In the past few years, it's not unusual to see a first-class passenger give up his or her seat for military personnel.

Any other tips for flights?

Remember that gate agents deal with a lot of demanding, obnoxious passengers, and offering a few kind words and a smile goes a long way. John E. DiScala, founder of travel-advice site johnnyjet.com, reveals that chocolate helps him get upgraded -- or at least moved to a better coach seat-about half the time. DiScala says he brings one-pound chocolate bars for the gate agents and flight crew, who have discretion on seating after the cabin door closes.

Some people swear by the sob- or celebration-story strategy. Personally, I wouldn't go this route unless you really are a newlywed, on your way to a funeral, etc. Karma, you know.

Showing up late might work, but it's risky. A man sitting next to me once in business class on Air New Zealand was huffing and puffing -- he confessed to being intentionally late for every international flight, because then they rush you on the plane and into any available seat. Of course, the downside is you'll be turned away if the flight is already full.

One big  upgrade advantage is flying solo. Airlines try to put families together, and they may need your coach seat to do that. Chances are there's only one empty seat in first or business class.

Finally, before you book the flight, you may want to consider trading in your frequent-flier miles for an upgrade, though the numbers may be steep: On Delta, it takes 10,000 miles for an upgrade on domestic round-trip tickets and 30,000 miles for flights from the U.S. to Europe -- but that's not applicable on certain discount fares. That said, there are more opportunities now than ever to earn frequent-flier miles, not only by traveling but also through credit cards, hotel stays, car rentals, and online shopping sites.

"When you consider that one can earn three points per $1 spent on a credit card, 10,000 miles seems less daunting," Widzer points out.

A friend of mine ended up getting upgraded to a suite at a hotel in Vegas. She's not a high roller, so how did she land that freebie?

Just as with airlines, brand loyalty really helps. If you're visiting a chain hotel, sign up for its frequent-traveler program.

Also, according to Widzer, you're more likely to get upgraded if you book directly with the property, on the hotel's website or by phone, rather than with a third party, such as hotels.com. "Booking direct is by far the biggest thing you can do to get an upgrade," Widzer advises. If you see a lower price online, call the hotel and ask them to match it.

Unlike with the airlines, however, you are most likely to get a hotel upgrade if you travel during a low-occupancy time, such as weekends at business-oriented hotels. When vacant suites are available, the hotel may bump you up, hoping to impress you and gain future business. You also may have better luck at a new property that's angling to create good word of mouth.

The time of day matters, too. It helps to check in later, once the hotel has a better handle on its occupancy for the night. If you arrive at 8 p.m. and their suites still aren't full, they may upgrade you for free or for very little, since few new guests are likely to come and pay for them.

Another strategy DiScala says has worked for him: Befriend the bellman. "I visited Vegas at a not-busy time once and tipped the bellman well," he says, "so he gave me a free upgrade." The same tactic may work with the concierge.

What about rental cars? Is it true you're most likely to get upgraded if you book the cheapest car at first?

Yes, and here's why: The cheapest rental cars tend to sell out first, leaving the company no choice but to upgrade you. That said, the check-in clerk may try to sell you an upgrade for a discounted fee. Say no. If they don't have the car you reserved, they usually give you a better model at no extra charge. Arrive early in the day, before most people return their cars, for the best shot.

Loyalty also counts. Join a car-rental company's membership program, and you may get special offers for upgrades. You should also search online for coupons. The site carrentalupgrade.com is worth bookmarking, in particular. Some car-rental firms also run their own promotions for upgrades through organizations such as AARP and AAA. And always remember to ask: Politely requesting an upgrade is often the best, easiest bet.

Readers' best upgrade strategies

What's it take to get out of the cheap seats? We asked BT readers to share their favorite upgrade strategies.

Volunteer to get bumped: My flight from JFK to Amsterdam was over-booked and someone was in my seat. He was adamant: He wouldn't move. I was so embarrassed by his behavior that I told the flight attendant if I could catch my plane from Amsterdam to Glasgow I'd be OK getting bumped. After 15 minutes she said "follow me" and turned up a flight of stairs. I had never even seen first class before!
— Cyndi Armstrong, South St. Paul, Minn.

Speak in Romance language: My hubby and I got upgraded to business class to Ireland for our honeymoon. We just mentioned the purpose of the trip during check-in and the flight attendant did it, no questions asked. Another time, we got upgraded to a suite at a Crowne Plaza because we mentioned we were there for Valentine's Day. It was a nice surprise, since we'd scored the hotel on Priceline for a song.
— Caroline Dover Wilson, Greer, S.C.

Rent at the end of the week: Most compact and midsize cars are rented out early in the week to business travelers, so if you try to rent closer to the weekend, you have a good chance of getting upgraded because they are out of "business" cars by then.
— Megan Cushman Dezendegui, Miami

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