Williams Gateway Open House

You may remember that our family has quite an interest in aviation. Today's AZ Republic has an article about Saturday's open house at Williams Gateway:

Free Wi-Fi, roomy, but pricey, seats to Gary, Ind., $1 sodas and — hopefully soon — Chick-Fil-A are among the new features Mesa’s Williams Gateway Airport is touting.

While hundreds of Las Vegasand Chicago-bound passengers have been flying in and out of the East Valley terminal every week, local folks may not realize what Williams has to offer, said Brian Sexton, airport spokesman.

So airport officials are staging an open house Saturday with a dozen military aircraft to ogle, including an Apache helicopter and a Harrier, free hot-air balloon rides, a climbing rock wall, bouncy castle, clowns, contests and giveaways to entice East Valley residents to stop by and have a look.

The open house also will serve as the launch pad for the airport’s new marketing campaign, “Just Plane Easy,” which pitches the benefits of free front-door parking, short check-in lines, three-minute waits for checked baggage, acrossthe-street car rentals, and free Internet, Sexton said.

While passengers can show up 30 minutes before a scheduled flight without fear of missing it, the airport still recommends leaving an hour leeway, “in anticipation of increased service,” Sexton said. But even arriving an hour before takeoff usually leaves 45 minutes to kill, he said.

So the city anted up for free Wi-Fi, and “reasonably priced food options,” such as $1 for a 16-ounce soda in the vending machines, Sexton said. And Mesa is negotiating with Chick-Fil-A to add a fast-food concession to the terminal’s dining mix, he said.

Doesn't that sound like a pleasant flying experience? The options are limited right now, and as options increase, so will the hassle; but it is still much easier than the Sky Harbor scenario. The food is in fact tasty; we often go there as an office for lunch, and it isn't just to look and talk about airplanes and flying.

Just a thought to pass on if you're looking for a way to get outside this weekend. The beautiful weather is here.