Lobby Bar – August 19: The Healthiest Hotel, Sky Balconies, and Instagram Fame Perks

Lobby Bar – A Collaborative Collage of FBT News and Views

Roger, Over. To commemorate National Aviation Day, Paul Riegler assembled some of his favorite photos of planes taking off into sunrises and sunsets. In one of the pictures, Riegler could tell that he was going to miss the sunset by approximately 15 minutes, so he knocked politely on the cockpit door and asked the pilot to speed up a bit. The pilot was happy to oblige, as long as we mentioned his name here, so thank you, Captain Ovuer, for photo number six.

Soul searching. Jesse Sokolow takes off for Washington D.C. in Alaska Airlines’ first class cabin. Jesse was disappointed that he didn’t receive a prayer card from the crew, but one flight attendant took pity on him and scrawled out a short inspirational poem on a stained napkin.

Aging antagonist. Jonathan Spira was at JFK the night of the gun scare and terminal evacuation; read his first-hand account of the evening. The next morning, the terminals were evacuated again when a passenger reported that a man with a rifle was making his way through security, but it turned out to just be an elderly gentleman with a cane. Despite his curmudgeonly behavior, he was deemed nonthreatening.

Broken glass. Susan M. Baer, the first woman to be named aviation director for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, died this week at the age of 65. After breaking the glass ceiling at more than one airport, Baer was burdened by debt, never able to cover the cost of a new glass roof, let alone her medical bills. She will be missed.

Health or hamburgers. Jesse Sokolow checks into the fitness themed Even Hotel New York in Times Square South. Upon entering, guests are given a Whole Foods gift card and must perform 20 pushups before receiving their keys, a set of jumping jacks to activate the elevator to their room, and 25 crunches to energize the outlets in their rooms. Failure to complete any of these will result in sad faces by the staff and a complimentary McDonalds voucher. The Whole Foods gift card would of course be voided.

Low oxygen. Delta plans to introduce its Delta One Suite in business class cabins next fall. The suites will come with sliding doors, fully lie-flat beds, wide-screen TVs, and private balconies should the passengers want some fresh air. No need to worry, there are several posted warnings to hold on tight to the balcony railing, ensuring that nobody is hurt when enjoying the view.

Instafamous. The Japanese government is looking into using preclearance facilities at foreign airports in order to speed up arrivals at its own airports. To be considered for preclearance, passengers must fly at least three times per year, and must surpass at least 1,000 Instagram followers on an account that does not feature nudity or pets.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)