Guest Blogger -Rana
If you’re flying out of Miami International Airport, pack your brown bag and a sandwich. This airport leaves much to be desired on the culinary front. Concourse C & D have a greasy cafeteria-style Cuban restaurant and Concourse E has a CPK asap, Chili’s Too, Au Bon Pain, and Burger King. Thank GAWD for Starbucks in those concourses. For the full gastronomically delightful list click here. 
March 18th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
This is true of all too many American airports. First they don’t feed you on the plane and second the food in the airport is often overpriced and pretty bad. Don’t count on buying your sandwich in the concourses for the above reasons, bring one from home or a good deli. But you can’t take liquids through security of course, so you have to buy drinks at the airport or wait for the in-flight service. I generally buy bottled water in the concourse to avoid dehydration on the flight.
These days with so many canceled or delayed flights, don’t just take food for your flight, bring at least a couple of chocolate bars and snacks in case you’re stuck at the airport.
I don’t know what people traveling with babies do any more. Breast feed I guess.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
In answer to Michael, it’s tough traveling with young children. Getting through security is crazy — they want the shoes and coats off babies and toddlers too! Then you have to get everyone’s shoes back on with a toddler wanting to “do it myself” (20 minutes later…)
Plus, you can’t take any fluids for them totaling more than 100 mls (? 4 oz?). You have to restock water and juice supplies on the other side — assuming you have time after spending an hour getting the family through security.
I suppose if you formula fed you’d need to bring powdered formula and then buy water and prepare bottles at the other side of security.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:53 am
We were on a plane yesterday to NYC and there was a screaming baby seated with a tired mother in front of us. I remarked to Richard that it is utterly ridiculous that airlines have not created child-like play seats, with toys and interactive capability to keep them engaged. There should be 5-10 of these seats available on every aircraft. The airline that learns to cater to travelling mom’s will take a better part of the market share. Lack of creativity!
March 19th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Rana, you know i love your idea! Maybe Virgin would try it? But all of the other major carriers in the US (not that Virgin is yet major) are total messes. My wife, baby, and I have received mostly friendly/average service when flying, but in 2 instances (on UAL) we were treated terribly when we made ‘baby’ requests (ie weren’t allowed to preboard on a flight, received disbelieving look when we asked for water and juice for baby — we wanted to water down their sugary juice)….
I hope someone does something like you mention, but I think the solution eventually is going to be lower cost jet shares (prices are dropping and eventually will get near biz/first class)… that may then make large carriers ‘realize’ that there are profits in treating families xtra special. (like business travelers)
March 20th, 2008 at 10:50 am
Mr. Campus,
Agreed! Vigin, Delta, Singapore, Quantas, even Jet Blue – wake up! Creative Class members have kids and they have money to spend. How much will it cost o install a few play doolittle thingies into a seat? A bit more than the .0000075 oz bag of pretzels yes, but travelers are willing to pay a premium for this. I bet airlines claim it’s a matter of safety. In case the plane goes down, no one wants to get stabbed with a plastic, colorful, baby toy!