Airport Code Travel Products

Delta airline's magazine reviews airport code merchandise

2011-11-28T18:08:00.001-05:00

We're happy to be reviewed by the editors at Delta airline's magazine.

Next to pieces about Anthony Bourdain's new TV show and chic hotels, SKY writes:

"For frequent travelers, airport codes become a kind of badge of honor. Hit up JFK, LAX, CDG, and LHR all in the last month? Air Wear– designed by NYC-based graphic designer Jason Solarek–lets you show off your favorite three letters with its travel accessories–messenger and tote bags, travel mugs, Dopp kits–each featuring a unique graphic representation."

In December, if you're flying on Delta–the U.S.'s 2nd largest airline, please reach into the back seat and flip to page 22.

Please enjoy your holiday! And please write us with any inquiries about gift orders you'd like fulfilled.

http://www.MyAirportCode.com

Airlines are sharing real estate at the airport. Share your Air Wear, too ;)

2011-11-13T17:03:00.001-05:00

Starting next week, airlines will share gates and counters at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif.

Read full article at nytimes.com - click here

New Air Wear toiletry bags and change purses

2011-10-19T21:55:00.001-04:00

Air Wear now comes in toiletry bags and change purses.

View JFK toiletry kit bag / DOP kit

View JFK change purse

New Thermos bottle and can cooler products

2011-10-19T21:46:00.001-04:00

We now offer Air Wear on Thermos bottles and can coolers

What are the top 10 airports to get stuck in? The finalists are...

2011-10-08T13:00:00.004-04:00

Wired magazine published a list of the top 10 airports to have fun in. Air Wear offers souvenirs for 9 out of 10 of these hot spots.

Wired's list with links to Air Wear products:

Singapore Changi (SIN)
San Francisco International (SFO)
Reagan Washington National (DCA)
Hong Kong International (HKG)
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS)
Beijing International (PEK)
Incheon International (ICN)
Munich (MUC)
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
Vancouver International (YVR)

Space souvenirs for Spaceport America

2011-09-01T11:04:00.002-04:00

The Wall St. Journal today checks in on the status of civilian space travel. Coming in 2020: Air Wear for locations in space!
WSJ article about Spaceport America

Wired magazine features airport artwork

2011-07-26T11:34:00.005-04:00

This month's Wired magazine features four works of art in public transport spaces. Our eyes were drawn to Heathrow's Cloud sculpture. Air Wear's London LRH messenger bag would be a good place to carry one's camera and sketch pad while admiring this beauty.

New Facebook url: facebook.com/airportcode

2011-07-18T13:35:00.001-04:00

You can now more easily find us on Facebook.
Our new url is easy to remember (and type in):

http://www.facebook.com/airportcode

Australian magazine CIM features Sydney and Melbourne Air Wear travel products

2011-06-20T12:22:00.003-04:00

CIM, the Australian magazine that caters to the convention, exhibition, and incentive planners markets, published a feature on Air Wear. The magazine's 16,000+ circulation got a peak at our Sydney travel bag, Melbourne t-shirt, and New York mug.

Cool airport needs cool products: Mestia, Georgie

2011-06-05T23:09:00.004-04:00

We here at Air Wear love good design from products to architecture. We enjoyed Metropolis magazine's article on Mestia, Georgia's ski resort airport. Please find the article below. To get to Mestia, one flies into Krasnodar International Airport (airport code KRR) or Kopitnari Airport (KUT). We need to make some skis with these codes and hit the slopes.

By Michael Silverberg
Posted May 12, 2011

ARCHITECTS
J. Mayer H. / www.jmayerh.de
Mestia, Georgia

May–December romances are common enough, but who ever heard of August–December architecture? That was the unlikely life cycle of a small airport that opened on December 24 in Mestia, Georgia, an isolated ski town high in the Caucasus Mountains. Exactly four months earlier, on August 24, Jürgen Mayer H. was in Venice for the architecture biennale when he got a phone call from the Georgian goverment. The German architect, who has dedicated much of the last seven years to the Metropol Parasol—a wooden, mushroomlike complex that was finally completed this spring in Seville, Spain, after long delays—was asked to take on a building with a much shorter span. “They called and said, ‘We need an airport design tomorrow,’” he recalls. “‘Actually, yesterday, but tomorrow is OK too.”

That night, Mayer H. traded ideas with Jesko Malkolm Johnsson-Zahn, an architect in his Berlin office, sketching on paper and then sending photos of the drawings over his BlackBerry. By the next morning, they had settled on a form: a three-pronged, 3,000-square-foot folly arrayed like a chicken foot, with two slightly uplifted segments (for waiting areas and a café) on one side and a tower (for air-traffic control) on the other. The tinted-glass facade would be set between slabs of concrete, a locally favored material, making a modern-ist cake topped with a layer of white icing. The government approved, and construction began one month later.

Georgia hopes the airport will bring tourists to the mountainous region of Svaneti, whose stone towers and often impassible roads have made it a stronghold since the Middle Ages. (Those defensive towers, UNESCO World Heritage sites, helped inspire the vertical forms of the airport.) Driving from the capital, Tbilisi, takes as long as ten hours; the government-subsidized flights cut the trip to less than an hour. “Since we really want to promote this area as a touristic attraction, of course you need a good transportation possibility,” says Kate Aleksidze, the director of United Airports of Georgia. “If we would not manage to open it in December and opened it instead in June, people would be there, but we would miss the whole winter season.”

Read the rest of the article on Mestia, Georgia's ski resort airport

London-based writer Louise Driscoll reviews Air Wear. THX! (...for once, I'm not referring to an airport code)

2011-05-25T21:11:00.003-04:00

Say it with… airport codes: Air Wear puts the destination on your travel gear
by Louis Driscoll

May 20th, 2011

They say you can tell a lot about a person by the places they choose to fly to.

New York-based brand, Air Wear is inspiring jet-setters with a favourite destination to show it, with travel gear featuring their city name of choice, its latitude and airport code.

It is like joining an “elite club”, explains Air Wear’s founder, Jason Solarek, whose brand is based around the philosophy “you are where you go”.

Solarek took his inspiration from his earlier years as a newspaper reporter where he would often travel frequently. It was a time, he says, when he wanted to “share his pride” for his hometown in Rochester (NY).

“Airport codes signal that you are in the know. People see the signal you’re sending, nod, and think, ‘so that’s where you’ve been,” he says.

Air Wear products also tap into the idea that there is a story to tell behind every airport experience or destination – whether someone would like a memento of a special holiday spot or a reminder of home.

“For the popular cities, such as LA, the palm tree shirts are cliché. We are offering a new keepsake with high novelty value,” says Solarek.

With airports becoming destinations in their own right (Singapore Changi airport is just one example with a cinema, spas, gardens and museum), it is perhaps no surprise that the mainstream crowd are choosing to make a statement by wearing their favourite airport name on a baseball cap, or slung over their shoulder.

Read full article at terminalu.com

'Aerotropolis' article from Wall St. Journal

2011-02-27T18:33:00.006-05:00

This Wall St. Journal article by Greg Lindsay talks about the importance of airports in building cities, much like he and co-author John Kasarda did in their book Aerotropolis.
Here at MyAirportCode.com, we'll put designing a ICN airport code on our to-do list.

FEBRUARY 26, 2011
Cities of the Sky
From Dubai to Chongqing to Honduras, the Silk Road of the future is taking shape in urban developments based on airport hubs. Welcome to the world of the 'aerotropolis.'

By GREG LINDSAY

To arrive at midnight at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport, as I did recently, is to glimpse the pulsing, non-stop flow of the new global economy. The airport, which runs full-tilt 24/7, is packed at all hours. Nigerian traders bound for Guangzhou mix with Chinese laborers needed in Khartoum, Indian merchants headed to clinch a deal in Nairobi, and United Nations staff en route to Kabul.

Dubai's recent financial woes have forced the tiny Gulf state to scrap or scale back some of its more outlandish development schemes, including The World, an artificial archipelago shaped roughly like a world map. But one project has not flagged: the new concourse for Terminal 3. With construction continuing around the clock, the annex to what is already the world's largest building is desperately needed to accommodate the fleet of 90 Airbus A380s ordered by Emirates, Dubai's government-owned airline.

Read full article at WSJ.com - click here

Haneda, Japan (HND) airport opens 20 minutes from Tokyo

2010-10-24T18:31:00.005-04:00

To help celebrate Japan's launching of Haneda (HND) airport, we are launching Haneda airport Air Wear travel bags, t-shirts, and more - click here.

From the Wall St. Journal

BUSINESSOCTOBER 20, 2010
Japan Offers Long-Awaited Alternative to Narita
By MARIKO SANCHANTA

TOKYO—Narita International Airport has long been the scourge of frequent fliers and business travelers because of its distance from Japan's capital, but now Tokyo is offering an alternative after decades of delay.

On Thursday, Haneda Airport—a mere 20 minutes from downtown Tokyo—is set to open its doors to scheduled international flights and increase its capacity by 40%, in a move that analysts have called the "big bang" in aviation liberalization in Japan.

Despite Japan's reputation for efficient infrastructure, the country has lagged behind its Asian peers when it comes to its main international airport, which is located among rice paddies about 90 minutes from central Tokyo.

Traditional Japanese tea lounge is seen inside the new international terminal building of Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan. The terminal is due to open on Oct. 21.

"If Narita disappeared, I wouldn't mind," said Hiromichi Shirakawa, an economist at Credit Suisse in Tokyo who travels abroad six or seven times a year. "Access to Haneda is so much easier. Think of the opportunity cost of travel time: it takes over an hour [to go to Narita], versus 15 minutes" to reach Haneda, he added.

Haneda, which had been operating just a handful of international charter flights to Asian destinations such as Beijing and Hong Kong, plans to unveil its new international terminal Thursday. The introduction of scheduled international service will be staggered from Oct. 31, and by next spring, passengers will be able to fly from Haneda to Paris, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, Singapore and Bangkok, among other destinations.

The new runway will create an additional 110,000 landing slots a year, 60,000 of which will be used for international flights. By 2013, the government aims to increase international slots to 90,000.

Japan has consistently been left off the top-10 international-airports list, which is dominated by Asian gateways. In 2010, Changi Airport in Singapore, Incheon International Airport in South Korea and Hong Kong International Airport were the top three airports in the world respectively, according to the Skytrax World Airport Awards.

Part of the impetus to expand Haneda was to raise Japan's competitiveness against its Asian peers, particularly as low-cost carriers in the region are flourishing. Because of regulations, Japan has the highest landing fees in the world: It costs 770,000 yen, or about $9,400, to land a Boeing 747-400 at Narita, compared with 70,000 yen at Heathrow Airport in London.

Members of the information desk work in the departure lobby of the new international terminal building of Haneda Airport.

The government hopes the changes at Haneda will encourage more visitors to Japan, chiefly from Asia. It signaled a shift in policy when the Democratic Party of Japan came into power last year. Narita had been the brainchild of Japanese bureaucrats when it opened in 1978, and efforts to expand Haneda had, for years, been shelved because of the political controversy it would cause.

"Haneda will mark its first step toward becoming a 24-hour international hub," said Sumio Mabuchi, Japan's transport minister, in a speech last weekend.

Read full article

Vancouver airport (YVR) featured in Metropolis magazine

2010-10-23T21:55:00.005-04:00

We enjoyed seeing Vancouver's airport in Metropolis magazine. We like the new 'living' wall.

OCTOBER 2010 • METROPOLIS OBSERVED
Green Monster
To beautify an airport eyesore, all it takes is 27,000 plants, a high-tech maintenance system, and constant vigilance.

By Tim Newcomb
Posted October 20, 2010

DESIGNERS: Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture
www.sharpdiamond.com

PROJECT: Vancouver International Airport Living Wall
Vancouver, British Columbia

Flying is a fairly miserable experience even in the best conditions, and the drab, confusing, and downright ugly architecture of many airports certainly doesn’t help. Which is why Randy Sharp, the landscape master planner of Vancouver International Airport (YVR), in British Columbia, felt compelled to do something about a massive blank concrete wall confronting international travelers arriving via the city’s new light-rail system. For this 56-foot-tall, 39-foot-wide eyesore, Sharp envisioned a vertical landscape that would create “a more soothing, relaxing environment for passengers,” he says. “Airline companies want people relaxed, so this is a piece of environmental art.”

Sharp is no stranger to creating living walls. He and his firm, Sharp & Diamond Landscape Architecture, built Canada’s first one, at the Vancouver Aquarium, in 2006. But that piece spanned about 500 square feet. The YVR wall is more than four times that size—indeed, at 2,173 square feet, it is the biggest green wall in Canada and one of the largest in North America. More daunting than its sheer size, however, was the location—facing north. “Heavy shade on a north-facing location is a limiting factor for most green-wall plants,” Sharp says. “Climbing plants in the heavy shade are too thin and do not produce lush, dense foliage.” And fruiting plants were out of the question, since the airport does not want to attract birds. So Sharp, inspired by a lush canyon wall he saw on a trip to nearby Saturna Island, selected a range of hardy native species—including green and silver versions of Japanese euonymus and licorice fern—and arranged them in long curving patterns that reference the flight paths of planes.

View full article

Airport EATeries

2010-09-26T21:10:00.006-04:00

We all know that the place to EAT is Wenatchee, WA (its 3 letter code).
;)

Best Airport Eateries
Wall Street Journal
SEPTEMBER 25, 2010
—Jackie Cooperman

Fed up with indecent cuisine and infuriating service, enterprising restaurateurs are bringing gustatory pleasure back to travel, opening airport wine bars and plying flyers with charcuterie on the run.

Vino Volo wine bars and shops, at 10 airports including Seattle-Tacoma International, Washington Dulles, Baltimore BWI and New York's JFK. AMBIENCE: The wine bars are sleek and quiet; the attached wine stores have helpful salespeople. EAT: Marcona olives roasted with rosemary; smoked salmon rolls with crabmeat; braised pork tacos with fresh cabbage slaw. DRINK: The wine flights: World Value Reds, Shades of White. vinovolo.com

Read full article - click here

The stories behind oddly named airport codes. PEE? SUX?

2010-09-22T18:37:00.010-04:00

Rick Seaney, who runs a website named FareCompare.com, wrote an article featured on ABC News Travel about the history behind some notable airport codes. He mentions the story behind LAX, ORD, PHX, CVG, and more. It's a fun read. MyAirportCode.com offers products for many of the cool locations he mentions (sorry folks from PEE, still no Air Wear available).

The Wacky Logic Behind Airport Codes
How Do They Come Up With Airport Codes? Rick Seaney Explains

Column By RICK SEANEY
FareCompare.com CEO
Sept. 22, 2010 —

Most of you fliers out there are familiar with JFK, LAX and DFW -- the airport codes for New York's Kennedy, Los Angeles International and Dallas-Ft. Worth. But how many of you have flown to SUX?

Yes, SUX - the airport code for Sioux City, Iowa. Luckily, residents there have a sense of humor; instead of bemoaning their unfortunate appellation, they celebrate it: the airport's website sells souvenirs including t-shirts and caps emblazoned with the bold SUX logo.

It could be worse. It appears a kindergartner might have had a hand in picking some of these airport codes: Russia's Bolshoye Savino Airport is stuck with the unlovely designation PEE, while Brazil's Poco De Caldas Airport has to live with POO. Then there's Rotorua, New Zealand ROT while Louisiana's Barksdale Air Force Base is just plain BAD.

Ever wonder how these codes came into being and what they mean? I'm going to tell you, plus I'll give more examples of truly weird ones. Like FAT and GRR.

For more air travel news and insights visit Rick's blog at: http://farecompare.com

First things first: FAT is the airport code for Fresno, Calif. (and from what I understand, the locals aren't crazy about it); and while GRR may sound like an anger management therapy center, it's actually the code for Gerald R. Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Where do these codes come from?

The assignment of these codes is administered by the Montreal-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the codes cover locations (mainly airports) around the globe.

A lot of these codes are no brainers: LGA stands for LaGuardia in New York, HOU is for Houston's Hobby Airport and SLC is for Salt Lake City.

History of Airport Codes

But what about, say, LAX -- where did that "X" come from? It goes back to the early days of passenger air travel when airports simply used the same two letter codes that the National Weather Service used for cities, never dreaming they'd ever need more letters for more combinations. When they did, some airports simply added an "X" to their name, and that's why you have LAX or PHX for Phoenix.

Read full article - click here

Safi - the inflight magazine for Afghanistan's airline

2010-08-21T20:49:00.009-04:00

The Wall St. Journal wrote this past week about Safi, the inflight magazine for Afghanistan's airline. Articles cover topics such as "heroin addicts, photos of bullet-pocked tourist sites and ads for mine-resistant sport-utility vehicles".

I don't know how many souvenirs are sold in Kabul, but every heroin addict driving a mine-resistant SUV is encouraged to wear their KBL t-shirt when they travel.

Please find our Kabul, Afghanistan travel and souvenir items here

Article excerpt:
By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS

KABUL—Safi Airways, a start-up Afghan airline, ventures where few air carriers dare to go: Its in-flight magazine tells the ugly truth about the place where you're about to land.

American Airlines' magazine lists the 10 best pizza parlors in America. United Airlines has a spread headlined "3 Perfect Days: Amsterdam," presumably perfecting its 2007 article, "3 Perfect Days: Amsterdam."

In the seat pocket in front of you on Safi, you will find an article on Kabul heroin addicts, photos of bullet-pocked tourist sites and ads for mine-resistant sport-utility vehicles.

Safi Magazine Articles

View Slideshow

Courtesy of Safi In-Flight Magazine
In a piece in the magazine headlined, "Live Entertainment in Kabul: Dog Fighting," the writer says dogs in Afghanistan don't fight to the death, just until one proves dominant. "They are usually pulled apart before they can inflict serious damage on each other," the article assures passengers.

More photos and interactive graphics
The airline provides this insider's tip about one of the city's leading luxury hotels: "The rooms are individually air-conditioned, accessorized with amenities you will find in 4-star hotels abroad, sheets are clean, view from the room is nice, and—after the suicide bombing that took place—security measures have been implemented."

Read full article

Sarah McLachlan to perform at JFK airport

2010-07-27T14:44:00.002-04:00

Maybe we can get Sarah to perform in an Air Wear JFK t-shirt...

NY HEARD & SCENEJULY 22, 2010
McLachlan Concert Tour Takes Off at JFK

After performing in sold-out arenas, playing in an airport terminal may seem like a downgrade, but not for the singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.

In anticipation of her new album, "Laws of Illusion," Ms. McLachlan will kick off JetBlue Airways' Live from T5's 2010 concert series next Thursday at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

Fifteen of Ms. McLachlan's fans not scheduled for a flight that day will have the chance via Facebook and radio stations to win tickets to the airport performance.

"Look at the music industry today; musicians have to be more creative with their music," explained Chad Issaq, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Superfly Marketing Group, which is presenting the concert series. (Other acts haven't yet been announced.)

Read full article

Send us your pics

2010-07-15T20:20:00.003-04:00

Have a favorite spot? Send us your pics. Please e-mail them to: jason@myairportcode.com

Virgin Airline's in-flight magazine Voyeur features Air Wear travel items

2010-07-10T10:55:00.005-04:00

View Air Wear website

View Virgin Blue's in-flight magazine website

About Voyeur magazine:

Virgin Blue Voyeur is the free in-flight magazine provided for all Guests flying with Virgin Blue, Polynesian Blue and Pacific Blue Airlines. The magazine editorial is designed to keep both business and leisure travellers entertained throughout their flight, and engaging their imagination. From beautiful island getaways to how the latest entrepreneur made their millions. Short listed as one of the best travel and leisure magazines it has been one of the fastest growing magazines on Roy Morgan for the past 12 months.

Quick Facts
Frequency: Monthly
Australian Circulation: 77,342 (CAB audit)
Readership: 288,000 (Source: Roy Morgan Single Source Australia, January - December 2009)
Core Target: AB/C business and leisure travellers and frequent flyers
Content: Culture, Travel, Business, Technology, Food and Drinks, City Guides

New design for New York City JFK airport code souvenirs

2010-06-17T20:29:00.004-04:00

I gave our JFK design an update today. You're invited to view the new NYC souvenirs here

Delta's new terminal at JFK

2010-06-17T17:07:00.004-04:00

We're glad that Delta is getting a new home, although keeping the original Pam Am Worldport building (above) would be nice, too.
Either way, we hope the new building will offer JFK airport code t-shirts, bags, and more.

Delta Close To New Digs
JFK Terminal Plan Expected in 60 Days
By DOUG CAMERON And ANDREW GROSSMAN
Wall St. Journal
JUNE 16, 2010

Delta Air Lines Inc. is close to announcing the renovation of its outdated terminals at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport amid an intensifying competition for the city's business-travel market.

The airline has been in talks for months with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey about funding a move that is expected to include demolishing the former Pan Am Worldport—an iconic terminal at JFK famous for its saucer-shaped roof—to make way for new facilities.

Delta President Ed Bastian said at an industry conference that an announcement is expected within 60 days involving the Port Authority and "several other players."

Delta is close to a plan to renovate its JFK terminals that will likely include demolishing the iconic building that once housed the Pan Am Worldport.

"It is the worst facility that we operate," Mr. Bastian said of Delta's two JFK terminals, which date to the early 1960s, acknowledging that they contributed to relative weakness in securing business travelers.

Read full article

New Air Wear display board for showcasing product range to stores and consumers

2010-05-26T17:03:00.005-04:00

This is our new samples board. This purpose of this piece is to show stores and customers in one 'piece' our product and design offerings. The board shows many of our products, with multiple design approaches including block lettering and barcode lettering.

What do Bob Marley, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Turkish singer Tarkan have in common?

2010-05-20T16:36:00.005-04:00

They've all called home a location that we're shipping today. We're sending out:

Toronto messenger bag

Kingston messenger bag

Istanbul mug

Metropolis magazine explores how cutting 2 lbs from an airplane seat can make planes fuel efficient

2010-05-17T21:54:00.005-04:00

MARCH 2010 • MAGAZINE
Grn Air
Southwest Airlines’ new “green” plane flies on a message of savvy environmentalism and even savvier marketing.

By Suzanne LaBarre
Posted March 17, 2010
At Southwest Airlines’ media day last fall, the company’s CEO, Gary Kelly, introduced the plane that would supposedly revolutionize air travel. What he wanted to talk about more than any-thing, though, was pleather. “We’re testing two different materials” for the airplane’s seat covers, Kelly explained to reporters in a hangar next door to the company’s Dallas headquarters:
E-Leather, “an ecofriendly, lightweight, and scuff-resistant man-made alternative to traditional leather,” and Izit Leather, “a lightweight product that’s economical. It’s recyclable. It’s durable.” The latter, he continued methodically, as if reading a quarterly earnings re-port, “also has the appearance and the touch of leather.” The airline industry might be on the brink of failure—profits shrinking, fuel prices mounting, Green-peace nagging—but, by God, the pleather feels real.

Read full article - click here

Theme building at LAX to reopen soon

2010-04-20T13:02:00.006-04:00

Air Wear is sold at LAX in Terminal 4, a short walk from the Theme building. We're happy to read the building will re-open soon.

View LAX t-shirts, travel bags, and mugs

New York Times
April 17, 2010
In Los Angeles, the Saucer Is Ready to Land Again
By JENNIFER STEINHAUER
LOS ANGELES — Before they face traffic on the 405 freeway, grab an In-N-Out burger or zip off to Rodeo Drive to see whatever they think is there, visitors who arrive here through LAX first stare up at the futuristic spider-shaped building at the center of the airport, welcoming them to the edge of America.

The structure, the Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport, is one of the most famous emblems of this city, right up there with palm trees, surfers and the Hollywood sign.

For the last three years, it was shrouded in scaffolding after a 1,000-pound chunk fell off one of the upper stucco-covered arches and landed on the roof of a restaurant. No one was injured, but the need for serious renovation was highlighted.

As the building was being repaired, and retrofitted to better withstand earthquakes, it served as a disorienting eyesore, rather than a welcoming icon.

Its completion was delayed several times, to the consternation of airport officials.

But now the $12.3-million project is nearly done — all but some roof treatments and a few coats of paint — and it will soon be back to its former glory, only with earthquake protection.

Maintaining the Theme Building’s midcentury flying-saucer shape while correcting for significant flaws in the design that threatened its structural integrity was a major challenge for architects, engineers and contractors.

Read the full article - please click here

Tel Aviv mug from Air Wear

2010-04-19T17:14:00.008-04:00

We're shipping a Tel Aviv Air Wear mug to Alison in Seattle

View all Tel Aviv travel bags, mugs, t-shirts, and more - click here

Air Wear gift certificates shipped to Cape Air airlines

2010-04-12T13:28:00.006-04:00

We just shipped gift certificates to Cape Air airlines in Massachusetts. They are giving the Air Wear cards to employees as part of an employee appreciation event. Sounds like a cool company to work for. ; )

www.capeair.com

blogs despoke and Spot Cool Stuff feature Air Wear

2010-04-01T10:55:00.008-04:00

Thanks to the blogs despoke.com and Spot Cool Stuff for giving Air Wear a shout out. We found SCS's write up entertaining:

Well, there’s lots of fun to be had combining airport codes. Get an airline ticket from San Vito, Costa Rica to Helsinki, Finland to Anderson, USA and then to Baku, Azerbaijan and your luggage tag would read TOO-HEL-AND-BAK.

As for single airport codes here are Spot Cool Stuff’s five favorites:

#5 SEX – Sembach, Germany

Want to send your luggage away for a weekend of debauchery? Apparently this airport is ideal.

#4 FAR – Fargo, North Dakota, USA

The thing of it being that Fargo is indeed not close to much of anything.

#3 SUX – Sioux City, Iowa, USA

Sioux City isn’t really that bad.

#2 FUK – Fukuoka, Japan

Spot Cool Stuff’s former home airport; our admittedly juvenile selves had to snicker a bit whenever we checked a bag to there.

#1 YYZ – Toronto

All airports in Canada have an airport code that starts with Y. Most have some logic to them; eg. YQM is Quebec’s Montreal airport. But for some inexplicable reason Toronto is YYZ. We love the randomness of that. YYZ is also the only airport code to become the title of a popular song, an instrumental from Canadian rock band Rush. The song is meant to capture the spirit of the Toronto airport, from the stop-and-go nature of waiting for flights to the roar of jet planes. Click below to hear snippets of two versions of YYZ-the-song: the first is the 1981 Rush original, the second is a more mellow version from The Vitamin String Quartet (which does cool classical music renditions of every Rush tune from their album Exit… Stage Right as well as covers of popular hits from Metallica, Michael Jackson and Queen among others, though now we are really getting off topic).

Click here to read the full post at SCS

A more discreet way to say you're interested in SEX...

2010-03-26T12:35:00.005-04:00

We should send Louann Brizendin a SEX sticker. We wonder where she'd put it.

From CNN

Love, sex and the male brain

By Louann Brizendine, Special to CNN
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Louann Brizendine: Male and female brains mostly alike, but some profound differences exist
Men's sexual pursuit area 2.5 times larger than the one in the female brain, she writes
She says testosterone drives the "Man Trance"-- or a glazed-eye stare at breasts
Brizendine: A wife's pheromones cause "Daddy Brain." Later, "Lovable Grandpa" or "Grumpy Old Man"?
Editor's note: Dr. Louann Brizendine is a member of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the National Board of Medical Examiners, and a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. She is founder and director of the Women's Mood and Hormone Clinic. She wrote "The Female Brain" and, just released, "The Male Brain." Brizendine will appear on HLN's "The Joy Behar Show" Friday at 9.

(CNN) -- Although women the world over have been doing it for centuries, we can't really blame a guy for being a guy. And this is especially true now that we know that the male and female brains have some profound differences.

Our brains are mostly alike. We are the same species, after all. But the differences can sometimes make it seem like we are worlds apart.

The "defend your turf" area -- dorsal premammillary nucleus -- is larger in the male brain and contains special circuits to detect territorial challenges by other males. And his amygdala, the alarm system for threats, fear and danger is also larger in men. These brain differences make men more alert than women to potential turf threats.

Click here to read full story

JetBlue decides to 'taxi' at JFK for a few more years

2010-03-23T13:00:00.007-04:00

We're glad JetBlue is staying in NYC, and keeping up its service for JFK.

We encourage JetBlue's 900 employees to celebrate by putting on some JFK t-shirts.

New York Times
March 22, 2010
JetBlue to Move West Within Queens, Not South to Orlando
By PATRICK McGEEHAN
If running JetBlue Airways does not work out, perhaps David Barger could try his hand at professional poker.

Mr. Barger and his executive team kept city and state officials in New York and Florida guessing past dawn on Monday before announcing that they had decided to keep the airline’s headquarters in Queens rather than decamping for Orlando. Word of the official decision drew a pack of New York politicians, including Gov. David A. Paterson, to a celebration at City Hall but left people in Central Florida deflated.

JetBlue’s choice brought relief to Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and his staff, who had spent months pulling together a set of incentives to keep Mr. Barger’s team from moving nearly 900 jobs out of the city and leaving New York without a locally based major airline.

Since it started as a low-fare carrier at Kennedy International Airport a decade ago, JetBlue has called itself “New York’s hometown airline.”

Still, it took a package of tax breaks, investments and marketing programs with an estimated value of more than $30 million to persuade JetBlue to stay, according to city officials. They said the competing offer from Orlando, which offered to build a headquarters from scratch, appeared to be worth significantly more, possibly twice as much.

Read full article - please click here

Wedding Welcome Bags: We're making Nassau Bahamas Air Wear tote/beach bags

2010-03-19T12:42:00.007-04:00

A bride to be has ordered these tote/beach bags as part of her wedding welcome gift for guests. The New York based bride is getting married this spring in NAS, and will be accompanied by her family and best friends.

Click here to view NAS airport code products

New York Times: Berlin to get new airport

2010-03-09T17:34:00.015-05:00

This article is from today's New York Times. The official Berlin airport code will become BER in 2011. (Currently, it is TXL for Tegel). Air Wear offers BER bags, t-shirts, journals, and more - please click here

Berlin’s Airport: Shining Beacon or Waste of Money
New York Times
March 8, 2010

By NICHOLAS KULISH
BERLIN — To get Berliners arguing, bring up the new $3.4 billion airport rising just beyond the limits of this hip but economically strapped metropolis.

Supporters of Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport contend that it might be the salvation of a city that, despite its incredible historical resonance, has become an economic and geographic backwater. Detractors vehemently argue that the airport will be just another misguided drain of money by a local government critics say has failed to help Berlin realize its potential despite the city’s status as one of the hottest destinations on the planet.

City planners designed the airport as a symbol of their dream for Berlin, restored to greatness as the capital of a unified Germany. And so the fight now is about how Berlin has actually turned out: Germany’s cultural magnet and international beacon but also its national poorhouse, struggling to break out of a long slump. Berlin has the highest rate of residents on welfare — 18.6 percent — and received some $4 billion in state subsidies last year.

In a time of rising budget deficits, Germans are loath to bail out Greece in part because they have been bailing out their capital — and other stagnant parts of the former East Germany — for two decades.

Read full article

We're shipping Berlin and Paris T-shirts, and Berlin Messenger Bags

2010-03-02T13:28:00.004-05:00

View all Berlin airport travel products - click here

View all Paris airport travel products - click here

We're shipping an Amsterdam Airport Belgium AMS messenger bag

2010-02-09T18:57:00.003-05:00

View all Amsterdam airport travel products - click here

Just placed Mexico t-shirt order for...

2010-02-02T11:09:00.004-05:00

Zihuatanejo Mexico Airport Code ZIH black men's t-shirt solid design - click here

Zihuatanejo is north of Acapulco on Mexico's western shore.

Cool airport shirt

2010-01-22T11:15:00.003-05:00

We here at Air Wear love good design, and we're not above giving other designers of travel items some 'props'. I liked this shirt.
You can find it here:

http://babbletees.com/default/new/flughafen-toronto-airport-t-shirt.html

New picture of LAX bags in LAX

2009-10-14T12:53:00.005-04:00

My friend Ted was coming home to LA, and took this picture in an LAX airport store. Thanks, Ted!

Please find our LAX travel bag and other items here:
http://www.solarek.com/airwear/index.cfm?col=ctry&dir=asc&code=LAX

German Air Wear buyer sends us a nice thank you note

2009-08-25T15:33:00.005-04:00

We were happy to receive the following note from customer in Germany, who purchased a black Tel Aviv bag. We initially didn't offer the bag. He ordered it online via our custom order tool (located on our home page), we quickly designed it, and we mailed it out. We're glad he liked it.
///////////////

Hello Jason,

The bag arrived today. Looks really great! Thank you for the very quick delivery.

Christian Lubos
Hamburg, Germany

Martha's Vineyard beach bags and men's and women's t-shirts

2009-07-13T11:07:00.005-04:00

We are pleased now offer Martha's Vineyard beach bags, and men's and women's t-shirts.

Communication Arts magazine features Air Wear

2009-07-08T11:38:00.003-04:00

We are happy to see Communication Arts' home page feature Air Wear today. Please see attached screen shot.

Please visit Communication Arts at: http://www.commarts.com/

Communication Arts is the nation's premier advertising and design magazine.

Georgetown University magazine submission

2009-07-02T20:30:00.003-04:00

Let's see if this make it into GU's alumni magazine. Fingers crossed. : )

Out of town welcome bags: Air Wear is invited to the Wedding

2009-06-30T20:05:00.007-04:00

A future bride from New York recently placed an order for 14 beach/tote Air Wear bags. She shared with me that she'd:
"been looking for "welcome bags" for months and I wasn't all that excited about any of the bags I found- this is one that is unique and practical for male and female guests- my fiance and I love the design and I think our guests are going to love them too!" She added that she had searched the "theknot.com and they have tons of websites listed to purchase out of town welcome bags but yours is by far my favorite bag!"
We are happy that she found us, and look forward to her enjoying the items.

We are also excited that she ordered our Air Wear bag that has a white strip on it for writing a message. This area may include a message such as the location of the wedding, the year, or a thank you message from the bridge and groom.

We can make custom welcome bags for any location in the world. Please click here to e-mail us about your wedding welcome bag.

Matrix L'Oreal Gift Bags by Solarek Studio

2009-06-08T18:05:00.005-04:00

Thank you Ilham at L'Oreal for sending this picture from the corporate event in Miami.
View Miami Air Wear travel products - click here

New Shanghai China airport code products added to Air Wear

2009-06-04T18:27:00.004-04:00

A customer requested a Shanghai China airport code product, so we added this design to our offerings.
Please click here to find Shanghai China airport code products

From Newark to Nice, France: New Travel Bags and Shirts

2009-06-01T17:08:00.006-04:00

Customers contacted us and asked for Nice, France, and Newark, New Jersey (USA) Air Wear travel bags. We invite you to find the new products here:
» View Nice, France airport code travel products
» View Newark, USA airport code travel products

New pictures of LA travel bags in Destinations store

2009-05-04T18:09:00.006-04:00

This is how the Air Wear bags are displayed in LAX at Destinations.
Please note how the next shelf over offers PUMA bags. Give me about...70 years, and I'll be in their shoes!

Thank you Amber for the pics!

L'Oreal's Matrix Group Selects Air Wear's Travel Bag for Corporate Gift

2009-04-09T12:19:00.008-04:00

L'Oreal's Matrix product group asked the Solarek Studio to provide 100 custom Air Wear travel bags for an annual meetings of executives in Miami. We hope they put some sandals and suntan lotion in them and hit the beach. Above please find the black bag design which Matrix chose as the final design, and the initial yellow bag designs. About Matrix: Matrix is the leading professional hair care brand in American salons

LAX Store Increases Air Wear Product Offering

2009-03-20T12:38:00.003-04:00

We are pleased to share that our retail partner in LAX airport has increased their Air Wear product line to three items. Destinations now carries:
- LAX black messenger bag
- LAX yellow messenger bag
- LAX black tote/beach bag

New New York City Air Wear travel products added

2009-02-06T13:45:00.004-05:00

Please click here to view new JFK products (and scroll down to products in black)

New LAX Air Wear items added

2009-01-28T14:32:00.002-05:00

Please click here to view new LAX products (and scroll down to products in black)

Air Wear 'Message' Messenger Bags

2009-01-07T15:52:00.006-05:00

These bags can be written on with a name, date, organization, or left blank.

Air Wear now available on Amazon.com

2009-01-05T18:48:00.006-05:00

Please visit our Amazon.com store by
clicking here

If you don't see your desired Air Wear design, please click here to find it.

Netherland's Connect Magazine Features Istanbul Airport Code Travel Bag

2008-12-09T19:04:00.003-05:00

Carlson Wagonlit Travel's Netherland's Connect magazine featured our IST bag in their holiday issue. We hope to visit to the Netherlands--and the cover story's Vancouver--soon!

The article says:
If you have ever wanted a bag or T-shirt with the flying code, name, and geographical position of your favorite city or airport, then visit solarek.com/airwear and make your choice out of 80 destinations.

(Thank you to Laurent Weyers for the translation from Dutch.)

Airport Code Travel Items Spotted in LAX Airport Store

2008-12-09T17:33:00.004-05:00

Thank you Amber for the pics!

Shannon Ireland airport code products added

2008-11-11T19:24:00.003-05:00

Please find the new Shannon Ireland airport messenger bags, tote bags, and other products here

Stuttgart Germany Airport Code Products Added

2008-11-11T19:22:00.002-05:00

Please find the new Stuttgart Germany airport code bags and journals here

Concept Designs for Leather Air Wear Bags

2008-10-25T19:24:00.004-04:00

New York City airport code Air Wear items now available in black

2008-10-21T12:32:00.003-04:00

Please find the black New York City Airport Code travel items by clicking here

Doomsday Vault to Store Invaluable Seeds and Air Wear Products

2008-10-15T17:24:00.006-04:00

The 'Doomsday Vault' is a facility on a remote Island in Norway that is storing all the Earth's seeds in case of Armageddon. A person from a nearby island in the city of Longyearbyen recently ordered an LYR Air Wear item. I had to look up the location, and was intrigued by this city on the edge of civilization. I'm not sure how many tourist gifts exist for Longyearbyen (78 13' N!), but I'm glad Air Wear is now one of them.

There is more about Longyearbyen and the Doomsday Vault on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longyearbyen

You're invited to view Air Wear's Longyearbyen and other Norway Airport Code items - click here

National Geographic Traveler magazine in Dallas Airport

2008-10-15T16:49:00.003-04:00

I was en route this past weekend to Santa Fe, NM, and saw a copy of National Geographic Traveler on a shelf in Hudson News. I have to admit: it's fun to see our products in magazines on shelves around the country and world.

Zurich Airport Code Design Launched

2008-09-20T17:10:00.003-04:00

Please find the black Zurich airport code travel bag here ZRH .

Mumbai India Airport Code and Burlington Vermont Airport Code Designs Added

2008-09-18T18:00:00.005-04:00

Mumbai India airport code products

Burlington Vermont airport code products

National Geographic Traveler to Feature Air Wear Travel Bag

2008-09-03T16:19:00.003-04:00

National Geographic Traveler's October - November 2008 issue will feature Air Wear. The magazine will picture Air Wear New York airport code travel bag. We'll be sure to post the article once it comes out.

Destinations LAX Airport Store to Carry Air Wear

2008-09-02T16:24:00.000-04:00

We are pleased to share that the Destinations retail store in LAX airport will be offering Air Wear. Destinations, located in Terminal 4 serving American Airlines and Quantas, will sell the Air Wear LAX travel bag ($46 in store).

Air Wear items now available on black items with white graphics

2008-08-28T17:18:00.009-04:00

We are happy to announce that we have started to offer a limited number of black Air Wear items with white graphics.

These items include:
- LAX travel bag
- LAX t-shirt
- LAX tote/beach bag

We have had many requests for a black travel bag. For examples, airline stewardesses told us they need black Air Wear bags to meet company dress code requirements.

You're invited to view these new items here:
http://solarek.spreadshirt.com/us/US/Shop/

Note: these items are from SpreadShirt.com, and not our usual source CafePress.com. This is due CafePress not offering these items on black materials.

Let us know what you think. Thank you.

WanderingEducators.com Interview with Jason Solarek

2008-08-18T16:30:00.007-04:00

Thank you Jessica Voigts of WanderingEducators.com for the fun and thoughtful interview. Jessie asks good questions, such as what are the artistic concepts behind Air Wear. You're invited to read the interview here.

United Airlines Flight Attendants Blog Gives Air Wear Props

2008-08-15T10:43:00.004-04:00

This week we've been receiving a lot of hits from a site with this URL http://uafacc.yuku.com/forums/64. I found out it's a community group for United Airlines' flight attendants. We appreciate the mention. Thank you.

Pam Mandel's Blog Reviews Air Wear

2008-08-06T16:31:00.002-04:00

I enjoyed reading Pam Mandel's favorable review about Air Wear on her blog today. View blog: http://www.nerdseyeview.com/blog/

Lufthansa Magazine Features Air Wear

2008-08-01T12:34:00.003-04:00

Lufthansa magazine's August issue, which lands in plane seats August 1st, features Air Wear. The magazine shows a picture of Air Wear's New York bag, Hong Kong t-shirt, and New York mug.

Wanderlust Article About Air Wear Airport Code Products

2008-07-22T11:24:00.003-04:00

Wanderlust Travel Magazine with Air Wear Hits Shelves in England

2008-07-18T16:44:00.005-04:00

The Wanderlust issue that features Air Wear hits shelves today in the UK. In response, we've added:
- Birmingham airport code BHX
- Leeds airport code LBA
- London airport code LGW

LAX Air Wear Bags Flying West

2008-07-14T17:50:00.006-04:00

The Los Angeles LAX Airport travel bags arrived today, and they look awesome. The quality of the graphic application process has been improved, and the items look first rate.

We'll now tag these items with the hang tags (pic below), and send them to LA for placement in the LAX retail store. We'll soon find out the store in LAX so that we can share the spot.

Air Wear Hang Tags Arrive

2008-07-11T15:52:00.003-04:00

The Air Wear hang tags arrived, and they look sweet. G & P Printing on Centre St. did a nice job. G & P Printing can be reached at: 212-226-9065, or files.gp@verizon.net. Ask for Andy.

New Air Wear Hang Tag Design

2008-07-01T15:38:00.003-04:00

This is the latest Air Wear hang tag design. The front shows the branding direction that Air Wear will take in showing people surrounded by their life journeys to different international locations. In this example, the tag shows designer Jason Solarek and some of his life experiences. The back of the tag lists some of the current designs, and at the top there is a small map showing Air Wear's corporate location in the East Village. If you've read the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, then you'll be familiar with the theory that people like to see maps positioning them to what they're interacting with.

Air Traffic Controller Blog Atccti.com Displays Airport Code Designs

2008-06-27T13:13:00.000-04:00

We were pleased to see that an aspiring traffic controller custom ordered an Air Wear item. She ordered her facility identifier D01, which we transformed into the following design. She then offered to post the design and some of our other items on the traffic controller blog:
http://atccti.com/08php/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=81

We will custom design air traffic controller's facility identifiers. To make a custom request, please write: sales@airweardesigns.com

Original New York City JFK Shirt Design from 2005

2008-06-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

Original Air Wear Journal Design from 2005

2008-06-14T18:59:00.000-04:00

Early Design for Air Wear Home Page

2008-05-17T16:43:00.000-04:00

This images shows what our web site looked like this past spring. We offered 22 cities at the time. As of July 2008, we offer 80+.