All power to the passengers

In a recent e-mail, Joan Saz, a Post-Gazette reader from Franklin Park, wondered why the electrical outlets along the outside walls of several US Airways departure gates at Pittsburgh International had been covered.

"Until a couple of weeks ago, a row of chairs was placed against the outside walls of the terminal, where two people per plug were able to put in their laptop/cellphone powercords. I frequently found these plugs to be useful, as did many other people, particularly now that we have to wait so long and often flights are delayed."

Ms. Saz was in a US Airways departure area on Jan. 12 and was surprised to find that the chairs along the glass wall had been moved to create a passageway and that the wall sockets had paper taped over them. When she asked, gate personnel told her the sockets were covered for safety.

Safety? Was the concern that rechargers might block the space if they were permitted to use the plugs? Would they draw too much power? Might the open plugs be a danger to small children?

The reality is with more travelers increasingly dependent on a variety of personal electronic devices to make the most of their time in transit, access to electric power becomes ever more important. That's more of a factor as many airports such as Pittsburgh International offer WiFi access throughout the terminal, so travelers can log on from anywhere.

Unfortunately for all their advancements, few laptops run longer than an hour or two on their internal batteries, and travelers who forget to recharge their phones, PDAs or DVD players before heading for the airport may find themselves craving a "juice" bar.

Why then would the airport be blocking access to outlets?

We contacted JoAnn Jenny, director of communications at the airport, who was surprised to learn that wall sockets were being covered. She explained that covering wall plugs was not an airport policy and that the airlines control the seating configuration at their departure gates.

Ms. Jenny followed up with US Airways officials, who said while the outlets in several departure areas had indeed been taped over, it was a local decision rather than a company-wide policy. Furthermore, in view of passenger complaints, the outlets have been opened again so passengers can use them.

Of course, since those banks of seats were moved, users will have to stand by the window, sit on the floor, or drape a power cord across a walkway, none of them ideal situations.

Airports around the world are beginning to address the needs of power-parched passengers. Some, such as Atlanta, are adding additional outlets for passenger use. Others, such as Albuquerque and Chicago O'Hare, have set up free work stations with power strips in the gate and concourse areas.

Several, such as Jacksonville, Houston, St. Louis, Seattle and San Francisco, have franchised power stations, where passengers can recharge their devices for a fee that ranges from $3 per 30 minutes to $4.50 for a rapid charge. At these locations, customers don't have to wait around while their unit is repowering since it's locked in place with a fingerprint reading device.

Other airports, including JFK and LAX, are installing "power poles," 8-foot-tall columns financed by display advertising and offering free electricity.

Ms. Jenny mentioned that several airport projects are under way that will improve power access for passengers. Several pay phone alcoves in the airside terminal main concourse will be replaced with strips of electrical outlets and a narrow counter where travelers can stand and recharge their devices.

In addition, it's considering installing "power poles" elsewhere in the terminal. "But they won't be in the departure gate areas," Ms. Jenny explained, "because there are already plenty of outlets located along the front walls." Assuming they aren't covered up.

Until then, air travelers in need of a power surge will have to figure out where to recharge when they arrive at any airport. Hints: Look for plugs in locations where they'd be accessible to cleaning crews, on columns and behind partitions. It's also wise to take along a three-outlet extension cord in case you have to sit far away or share an outlet with others.

On a separate note, Dr. Lisa Pawelski of O'Hara, a "faithful PG reader," phoned about my Jan. 28 column, which offered advice about what to do if you find yourself taking a cold to the airport.

"I enjoyed your article," she said, "and the information was accurate, but I think you missed a most important point. Paragraph one in my article would have been to wear a [medical] mask. While not a perfect solution, it will cut down on your infecting everyone three rows in front or back."

Good advice, Dr. Pawelski, and certainly a boon if more sniffling travelers followed it.