Flights

The plan to substantially expand the Harford County Airport at Churchville in terms of runway capacity and number of flights per day has resurfaced, though in a more subdued form than had been pursued a little more than a decade ago. In short, the plan involves roughly doubling the width of the main runway to 75 feet and extending it by 1,000 feet to 3,200 feet, while closing two ancillary runways. Buildings on the property would also be upgraded. With a substantial portion of the airport on agricultural land, the Harford County Council made changes to the zoning regulations for agricultural districts to facilitate planned changes - thus allowing the airport owners to avoid the costly and oftentimes contentious process of having major upgrades approved through the county zoning appeals process.

With the BWI Marshall Airport terminal as a backdrop, Democratic members of Maryland's congressional delegation took turns Friday bashing mandatory federal budget cuts they said could harm not only air travel but local businesses that rely on passenger traffic. "Sequestration is no way to run a country," thundered Rep. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore, his words echoing off shiny floors and windows as people with suitcases scurried by. "I told my staff this morning, 'I didn't come to Washington to throw my constituents under the bus.' " The U.S. Department of Transportation is facing a $7 billion cut, with $600 million of that money coming from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Passengers aboard a recent flight from Denver to San Diego might have noticed a whole lot of shakin' going on. The Harlem Shake, that is - a viral dance craze sweeping across the nation from sea to sky? The video shows passengers dancing in the aisles of a Frontier Airlines flight cruising along at more than 30,000 feet. According to The Catalyst , a Colorado College student newspaper, the students were traveling from Colorado Springs for an ultimate frisbee contest. While a spokeswoman for Frontier Airlines has said the seat belt sign was off and no passengers were in danger, the FAA is reportedly looking into the incident.

"I flew a mother and two young daughters, probably 4 and 7 years old, and as we took off I heard this shrieking from the back of the plane," said Lin Caywood, a 12-year pilot. A mother and recent grandmother herself, Caywood thought the kids were upset about the flight, and banked to circle back to Frederick Municipal Airport for a quick landing to calm the hysterical children. "Then I caught a look at them, and they weren't upset," said Caywood, a Baltimore native and graduate of Poolesville High and Hood College.

A blizzard was expected to dump a couple of feet of snow across New England through midday today, and while Baltimore was largely spared, the storm delivered some wintry precipitation and headaches for travelers. At Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, dozens of flights to and from the Northeast were canceled, leaving some travelers scrambling to brave snowy roads in rental cars. Others landed there Friday from points north, escaping ahead of the expected 2 feet of snow, only to find limited options for getting anywhere else.

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines will be starting daily nonstop service between Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport and Las Vegas on April 25. The flight, announced Wednesday, will leave BWI at 7:30 p.m. and arrive in Las Vegas at 9:22 p.m. The return flight departs Las Vegas at 11:47 p.m. and lands at 7:20 a.m. Spirit, which shifted its operation to BWI from Reagan National Airport outside Washington last September, also...

When it comes to the Super Bowl, Ravens fans are ready to go. Literally. In less than 24 hours since winning the AFC Championship, fans have booked just about every flight out of town to New Orleans. “[Demand] is overwhelming…” said  Buzz Levin, owner of The Travel Committee, a group and corporate travel agency based in Owings Mills. Levin said his company doesn't normally work with the general public, but being based locally and seeing the enthusiasm of the Ravens nation has caused him to make this Super Bowl an exception.

New Orleans may be the Big Easy, but for Ravens fans following their team to the Super Bowl next month, it's also likely to be a Big Expense. "I think we got the last hotel room in the city. It has a full two stars, and it's $600 a night," Ravens fan Neal Moorhouse said with a laugh. "Beggars can't be choosers. " Moorhouse, who wears a Mexican wrestler get-up to attend games as his alter ego, "Carne Cabeza," was among the fans who immediately started making travel arrangements to New Orleans for the Feb. 3 game once the Ravens won the AFC championship Sunday night.

For Ravens fans considering a visit to New England to see the AFC Championship game at Gillette Stadium, there's good news and bad news about planning your trip. If you absolutely must go to the game, there's a good chance you will be able to get a ticket. As of Tuesday morning, StubHub showed more than 2,000 available, starting at about $215 each. Also, a limited number of tickets will go on sale Thursday starting at 10 a.m. at ticketmaster.com. But if you were thinking about getting to the game by charter bus, the options are limited.

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines announced Tuesday that it will be adding daily nonstop seasonal service from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to Myrtle Beach International Airport beginning April 25. Spirit, based in Florida, operates Airbus A319 and A320 jets on its routes, with 145 to 178 seats each. The flight from Baltimore will depart at 10:45 a.m. The return from Myrtle Beach will depart at 5:20 p.m. Paul Wiedefeld, executive director of BWI Marshall, welcomed the addition, noting that the Myrtle Beach route opens a new nonstop market and gives Florida vacationers another option for low airfares.