Bwi

Cuts in federal screeners and an influx of summer travelers have brought long security lines back to Baltimore-Washington International Airport, praised just a year ago as a model for moving passengers smoothly through security. From the airport's Burger King to its souvenir shops, irritated passengers in recent weeks have waited in bottlenecks to pass through BWI's security checkpoint. The lines resemble those seen shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks, when the airport hired Groucho Marx impersonators and jugglers to entertain weary passengers.

The description at the TLC website for "On the Fly" gives a pretty good sense of the up-with-Southwest-Airlines tone that permeates this reality TV series premiering at 9 p.m. Thursday. " On the Fly gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the large-scale operation and personal customer stories at Southwest Airlines," the promotional copy says. "Each episode introduces viewers to Southwest Airlines employees who must think on their feet as they cope with weather delays, irate passengers, and more surprising situations.

Before year's end, Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport will be part of a passenger prescreening program that allows low-risk travelers to keep their belts and shoes on and their laptops in their bags as they go through security checkpoints. But the airport's largest carrier — Southwest — will not participate, as it concentrates instead on its $1 billion merger with AirTran and the consolidation of their ticketing systems. Southwest and AirTran account for roughly 70 percent of BWI's traffic.

Some of the bravest people in the world can be found at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic. Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. The Dalai Lama. These and many other figures are featured in a photo exhibit organized to honor human-rights defenders around the world. Part of the airport's upper concourse, just off the main atrium of the international terminal, has been transformed into a photo gallery to display the traveling exhibit "Speak Truth to Power," which runs through May 31. The exhibit was organized by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, a Washington-based nonprofit organization that was formed in 1968 in memory of the former U.S. senator and attorney general, who was assassinated that year at age 42. It is based on a book written by Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and president of the RFK Center.

If you don't have a hotel reservation for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, it's probably too late. Perhaps time your visit for just before or just after the games begin Feb. 12. You can also fly to Seattle and drive to Vancouver. $219 Continental Seattle $455 Northwest Vancouver $469 United Vancouver Restricted roundtrip fees as researched online Tuesday, the day before the Travel section goes to press.

The average fare at Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport increased more than 13 percent percent in the second quarter to $289.25, compared to $254.54 for the same quarter last year. Nationally, average fares were $341, up more than 13 percent from $301 in the second quarter of last year. Fares at BWI were lower than those at other airports in the region. Average fares at Dulles airport in Northern Virginia were $424.05, a 10.7 percent increase from $383.22 last year.

Southwest Airlines is offering members of its Rapid Rewards frequent flyer program double points on flights to/from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Travelers must register for the promotion before booking their flights and traveling by Nov. 7. Southwest's promotion also offers double points for travel to Denver and Phoenix. BWI recently announced that the airport had its best July ever, in terms of the number of passengers, serving some 2.2 million fliers.

Newsflash: Airfares are up. Ok, so you’re not surprised but you are feeling a hot flash of excitement. Know why? Because according to a Bureau of Transportation Statistics report released today, airfares at Baltimore Washington Thurgood International Airport are among the lowest in the nation. In the ranking of the Top 100 Airports , BWI came in at no. 83 with an average domestic airfare of $284, compared with the national average of $337 in the last quarter of 2010.

Thanks to competition between AirTran and Southwest Airlines, you can choose from more than a dozen daily flights from Baltimore to Orlando, Fla. A little more than $200 — less if you catch a sale — gets you to Disney World and back. The market works — but only as long as regulators set rules to keep it strong. And if the government doesn't do just that by intervening in Southwest's proposed acquisition of AirTran, watch fares from Baltimore to Orlando and many other places take off like a Boeing 737. "Travelers in Baltimore could potentially really feel the loss of competition there," says Diana Moss, a vice president at the American Antitrust Institute in Washington who closely follows airlines.

A Carroll County man was arrested Tuesday morning at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport after a Transportation Security Administration agent detected a 45-caliber handgun in his luggage at a checkpoint. TSA spokesman J. Kawika Riley said the man was trying to pass through the screening area at Pier C when an X-ray machine operator noticed what appeared to be a weapon in the passenger's carry-on luggage. A Maryland Transportation Authority police officer was summoned to the scene to conduct a search and found the handgun, Riley said.

Officials at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport shut down two concourses for about an hour Monday morning, while investigators tried to determine the nature and source of an unusual odor. All checkpoints reopened by 10 a.m., after investigators removed what they believe was a can of pepper spray from a trash bin. Investigators discovered the item, which they are still processing, discarded in a trash can near the security check point at Concourse B. A passenger may have tossed the aerosol can before going through security, officials said.

A woman from Columbus, Ohio, was charged Monday after a stun gun was found in her carry-on luggage at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. A Transportation Security Administration officer detected the stun gun, which was the size and shape of a smartphone, and contacted a Maryland Transportation Authority Police officer, who confiscated the weapon. The woman was issued a citation and allowed to board her flight, the TSA said. Candy.thomson@baltsun.com Text TERPS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun Terps sports text alerts

Maryland Transportation Authority Police arrested a Florida man Sunday morning after security agents found a loaded handgun in his carry-on luggage at BWI Marshall Airport. Michael Menlo Smith, 58, was found with a 9 mm Glock 17, loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, and two magazines with another 10 rounds each, according to police and the Transportation Security Administration. Police confiscated the firearm and ammunition and arrested the man. There was no impact on airport operations, according to TSA. Smith told police he forgot the firearm was in his luggage, spokesman Sgt. Kirk Perez said.

Readers of a major travel magazine ranked Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport sixth out of the 22 largest U.S. airports for customer service and convenience. Travel + Leisure graded airports in seven categories: flight delays; design; amenities; food and drink; check-in and security; service; and transportation and location. Minneapolis was rated No. 1, followed by Charlotte, N.C.; Detroit, Orlando, Fla.; and San Francisco. Of BWI, the magazine said: "Fly through Baltimore, and you stand one of the best chances that your flight will take off and not be canceled.

Solar power will never replace jet power at BWI Marshall Airport, but officials believe the clean energy generated by newly installed roof panels atop the daily parking garage could boost the airport's image and bottom line. The solar panels are part of a $19.4 million package of upgrades to conserve energy, shrink the airport's carbon footprint and reduce water consumption, said Paul Wiedefeld, executive director of Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. "Two things drove this project: the environmental impact and the savings," Wiedefeld said Thursday.

Among the knives, real and toy pistols, and other dangerous weapons seized at BWI Marshall Airport, this one stood out: A curving 7-inch arc of jagged teeth with a brass knuckle-style grip. A blogger for the Transportation Security Administration coined the nickname "debrainer" as he enshrined the nasty-looking utensil in the TSA's informal hall of fame. That's the weirdest thing officers said they have confiscated in recent months from carry-on baggage at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, used by more than 22.2 million passengers last year.

Council seeks participants in BWI Air Cargo Forum The BWI Development Council is seeking representatives from the air cargo industry to participate in its Air Cargo Forum. The group's goals include encouraging the expansion of airfreight at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Information: 410-859-0124. BWI Pathfinders sets volunteer orientation BWI Pathfinders will hold an orientation from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 for people interested in volunteering to assist airport patrons.

After two years of comfort-testing its new jets on human bodies of all shapes and sizes, Southwest Airlines was ready to let 153 of its most important bodies — paying customers — aboard Wednesday morning at BWI Marshall Airport. The maiden flight of the Boeing 737-800 series jet touched off a noisy celebration for the folks bound for Fort Myers, Fla. The ground crew was giddy with excitement at 7 a.m. as it laid out a spread of doughnuts and coffee for the first passengers, most of whom had no clue they were making Southwest history.

Longer and more comfortable, and able to make flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Hawaii, the first of Southwest Airlines' new Boeing 737-800 jets is set to arrive in Baltimore next week. The new cabins are the company's first redesign in a decade, with seating tested by people with 20 different body types — from the very short to the very tall. Robert Jordan, the airline's chief commercial officer, said the jets herald "the Southwest of the future. " Southwest will take delivery of 33 of the 800-series planes, which cost about $84.4 million each, this year and 41 next year.