Brown

Dr. Batchelder

Portland FRINQ

Winter 2019

Portland International Airport: The Second Best

Many occasional travelers see an airport as only the transition to a set destination. For some travel enthusiasts, airports can fully determine the entire mood and experience of a trip. Because airports are, periodically, an essential component to traveling, Portland International Airport (PDX) has made an effort to make their facility the utmost best. Portland’s desire for a quality airport hasn’t gone unnoticed. In one case, Condé Nast Traveler, a luxury and lifestyle magazine, has ranked the city of Portland of having one of the best airports in the United States because “Oregon's airport gets a lot of love from our readers” in many ways (Condé Nast Traveler). Some skeptics of Condé Nast Traveler’s ranking may question what components are needed to determine what’s the best airport. Some qualities of PDX that ranks it higher than other airports in the United States is that it’s friendly to the environment, easily accessible, it supports local shops and eateries, it has good customer service and it’s a cozy and stress-free place to relax before a flight. When dealing with the stress of travel, Portland International Airport assuages an exasperated traveler and leads them to their desired destination.

One characteristic of the city of Portland that has set an example for other cities is its eco-friendliness. This attribute of Portland has been very beneficial to the environment of surrounding the area and its residents and visitors. Portland is known for being a “green city” by reaching many feats such as banning plastic bags from most stores, encouraging alternative modes of transportation and many other countless acts. Because Portland is always aspiring to be a greener city, an initiative that was taken was to make the airport more eco-friendly. One of the many steps that were taken was to start to use renewable energy. In 2007, PDX was using “10 percent of its energy from renewable sources and is shooting for 100 percent eventually” (Hewitt). The Port of Portland also chose for the airport’s jets to use “advanced biodiesel engines” (Hewitt). This is a step up from having regular engines because biodiesel engines are non-toxic and are also renewable. Another accomplishment that was made to make a greener PDX was to start composting the food waste that’s produced from the facility. In the same year that renewable sources were starting to be used (2007), the airport started to collect “pre-consumer waste (from the kitchens) and post-consumer waste (off the plates) and sends the scraps to a local facility for composting. Some of the compost comes back to the airport for landscaping. All the concessionaires are participating, as are the airport hotels and flight kitchens” (Hewitt). Like any other large facility, the Portland Airport produces copious amounts of food waste and by composting, it will make a decent change to the environment. Because not every item in the food court areas of PDX are compostable, there have also been changes made for the recycling/waste bins such as adding messages saying “food scraps only” to decrease the rate of accidental contamination (Sorensen). Making these eco-friendly changes have caused a great degree of satisfaction from many in the community and has also set a great example to other major cities’ airports.

The Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light rail system had been the solution for the opposition of the construction of the Mount Hood Freeway because in the year of 1972, the “Southeast Legal Defense, filed several claims against state highway officials in an effort to stop the freeway's construction and the state's purchase of right-of-way property” which had later caused for the “District Court Judge James Burns to rule that the route for the freeway had been illegally selected and halted further development” in 1974 (Ballestrem). After the fight against the Mount Hood Freeway had been won, Portland’s light rail system started to be constructed and was in service in the late ’80s. Even though the MAX cured a lot of the stress of transportation, there was one destination that still caused anxiety: the airport. Flying causes copious amounts of stress and finding a successful way to transport to the airport adds even more nervousness to the entire experience. Many travelers find a person to drop them off, take a bus or shuttle, or just settle to pay an excessive amount of money to leave their car at the airport parking garage. After the success of the MAX light rail, the idea of an extension to the airport was under great consideration. Because “92 percent of the callers (of the Tri-Met hotline) supported the idea”, TriMet started in 1997 to make plans for the extension of the Red-Line to Portland International Airport (Rose). After time was allotted for construction and an estimated “$25 to $30 million” was spent, the extension of the light rail was in service in the early 2000s (Rose). After the MAX red line was extended to the airport, there has been a decrease in stress and money spent by travelers who use this mode of transportation. For many non-local PSU residents, the MAX red line has been a blessing because since many students don’t have a car, a cheaper way to commute to the airport is always greatly appreciated.

Because it’s expensive to travel in most cases, the common idea for a cheaper experience is to travel light, and for many that travel this way, there is little to no room for food to be packed. With no packed food, hungry travelers’ last resort is to eat at the food establishments that the airport has given. Eating at the airport concessions isn’t everyone’s dream, but PDX has made it a better experience for all to enjoy. By following the true nature of Portland, PDX has taken initiative to have a wide range of eateries and many of which are local so that every hungry traveler feels good about their eating experience. Another attribute of these establishments is that multiple businesses such as Café Yumm!®️ and Bambuza Vietnamese Kitchen offer gluten-free and vegan options to cater to specific customers’ needs. This accomplishment was noticed and Portland was “recognized as the winner of excellence in 2017 ACI-NA Concession Awards” by working to “incorporate local flavor that represents regional businesses in the community of Portland while providing a supportive and professional atmosphere to ensure success for all business partners” (Plus Company Updates). Receiving this award of excellence shows the hard work that was put in to make the concessions of Portland’s Airport one of the best. Portland International Airport also has many local shops such as House Spirits Distillery and Pendleton so that businesses in the community are supported by the customers. One of Portland International Airport’s strong suits is that it’s in touch with what the community wants. A few things that the airport has succeeded to give the community is local shops and restaurants being incorporated into the facility so that the users of the airport are contributing more to the community by shopping locally.

There are many different hiring positions that could be filled in an airport, so there is an abundant amount of people from the community that are employed. Because every airport has services that mostly rely on customer service, it can greatly affect a traveler’s point of view of the facility whether it be the appearance of the areas or the interactions that are made with the employees. Because of the feeling of unsafety in airports in the early 2000s, many focused on the improvement of their facilities such as security and feeling welcome. In the case of Portland International Airport, in 2001 the airport worked with 94 maintenance workers by hiring “The Effectiveness Institute, of Redmond, Wash., to provide a two-day "people-skills" seminar for $11,980. The company, hired from time to time to provide related workshops for PDX employees” (Strom). Having this two-day seminar caused the maintenance workers to have more of an understanding of their job and to be able to more successfully execute it. After this experiment, it was asked: “How good of a job is PDX doing at maintaining an attractive facility?... The answer: 81 percent of respondents said “good” or “very good” (Strom). The reports of this experiment of customer service fully showed that The Effectiveness Institute greatly improved the airport by working with the custodial workers with the seminar and more strengthening could possibly come to other employees. Because Portland International Airport is always working to strengthen its customer service, having the ability to fully communicate to the users of the airport allows for a more personal and enjoyable experience while reinforcements can occur.

Airports are a place for transitions to a destination, but in many cases, copious amounts of time are spent in the facility. When there are activities to do and places to relax, having some extra time at the airport isn’t so bad. For Portland, its airport has many spacious areas to relax in and there are also some activities to do. One attraction of the airport is its movie theater. The Hollywood Theatre, a non-profit organization, is “ is a 17-seat free microcinema showcasing short films by Oregon filmmakers. The program is updated quarterly” (Hollywood Theatre). This organization allows members from the community to submit their original work to be shown at the Hollywood Theatre. Having a community member’s work shown at the airport can show non-locals the artistic abilities that Portland’s population has. PDX also included a holistic day spa, The Dragon Tree, in 2009. This spa “offers a variety of services to still the mind and mend the body. The Dragontree is the perfect place to receive massage, facials, acupuncture, waxing, Ayurvedic counseling, and herbal consultations or to gather with friends and family and receive foot treatments, head, neck, & shoulder massages, and hand treatments. All treatments are tailored to each individual's specific needs with the intention of creating the space for true healing to occur” (Biotech Week). Having a spa was the perfect idea to include in an airport due to the abundant amount of stress that occurs to many travelers. Portland International Airport has made successful decisions to include establishments that can relieve stress and entertain a traveler before their flight.

Portland is known for many things such as local coffee companies, the numerous breweries and food carts, the abundant amount of hipsters or the countless statues such as Portlandia, who was sculpted by Raymond Kaskey. One landmark that may slip one’s mind when thinking of Portland is its subtly extravagant International Airport, which is always ranked fairly high when the best airport is in question. The attributes that lead many to this ranking was PDX’s eco-friendliness, accessibility, support of local businesses, good customer service, and being homey and serene. These components aren’t necessarily weighed equally, but when put together, PDX’s qualities are much higher than other airports. This ranking shows the effort that has been put in to make PDX one of the best in the nation. Because Portland International Airport is one of the only well-known aiports in Oregon, many residents in the state travel to Oregon’s finest. Travelers that come across Portland’s International Airport should acknowledge the quality that has been put into it to make it what it is today because the semi perfection of the facility is sometimes taken for granted.

Works Cited

Ballestrem, Val. “Mount Hood Freeway.” The Oregon Encyclopedia, Oregon Historical Society, 17 Mar. 2018, oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/mt__hood_freeway/#.XGYNgehKhEY.

"The Dragontree, a Holistic Day Spa, Announces the Opening of a New Location This Fall in the Portland International Airport." Biotech Week, 14 Oct. 2009, p. 3235. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A209264748/ITOF?u=s1185784&sid=ITOF&xid=644284a2. Accessed 18 Feb. 2019.

Hewitt, William F. “The Only Way to Fly.” Planning. Vol. 73, Iss. 10, Nov. 2007, pp. 22-25, Proquest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/206706277?rfr_id=info%3Axri%2Fsid%3Aprimo. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

“Now Playing at the Airport.” Hollywood Theatre, 2018, hollywoodtheatre.org/airport/now-playing/.

Peterson, Barbara. “The Best Airports in the U.S., According to Our Readers.” Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2018, www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-11-24/the-best-and-worst-airports-in-america-readers-choice-awards-2014. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

"Portland International Airport Recognized as Winner of Excellence in 2017 ACI-NA Concessions Awards." Plus Company Updates, 1 May 2017. Business Collection, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A493457337/ITBC?u=s1185784&sid=ITBC&xid=6f2a5d61. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

Rose, Michael. "PDX light rail may lead to south-north line." Business Journal-Portland, 19 Dec. 1997, p. 1+. Business Collection, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A20317367/ITBC?u=s1185784&sid=ITBC&xid=fa7e7cab. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

Sorensen, Merideth. “Airport Food Court Composting.” Biocycle. Vol. 49, Iss. 8, Aug. 2008, pp. 36-38, ProQuest, https://search.proquest.com/docview/236952091/fulltext/20DDFF443BCB4528PQ/1?accountid=13265. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

Strom, Shelly. "Good customer service a high priority for PDX." Business Journal-Portland, 24 Aug. 2001, p. 23. Business Collection, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A77962272/ITBC?u=s1185784&sid=ITBC&xid=acae43f9. Accessed 31 Jan. 2019.

The paper is about the city Portland. The topic of the paper is food in Portland (it can include the diversity of food, food carts in Portland...). In the paper you should include this piece of information:

BEST FOODIE CITIES https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522/

Portland's rankings in best food cities is number one. I need you to include that and talk about:

· Why is Portland ranked where it is?

· Are the measures used to create the ranking valid and reliable measures?

· If there’s more than one measure used to create the ranking, are the measures given equal weight, or are some given more weight than others?

· Are there measures that weren’t used, but you think should have been used to create the ranking?

· What does Portland’s rank say about the quality of life in the city or the region, and should there be efforts to either keep the ranking where it is or change it? This paper needs 5 sources one of them should be: (1) Brews to Bikes by Charles Heying and Portlandness: A Cultural Atlas by David Bannis and Hunter Shobe. You must use one of these as background research for your paper. ( you get to choose) (2) two of those sources should be scholarly. (3) The other two could be anything