This is somewhat off topic for this thread, but I figured CarmenOM might know the answer since you volunteer out at the airport. Has a schedule been announced for when Air Force One is coming in Thursday? I'm flying out Thursday night and it would be cool to get out there and see the plane come in. I'm wondering if the little viewing area above the D gates will be accessible or if they'll close that off. And what about that viewing area in the middle of the field that you can drive into off Longfellow Ave, I would think they'd close that down for sure, but that would be an ideal spot to watch the plane land. In my experience, Air Force One usually lands on Runway 4, which goes right by that viewing area.

I think the Trump is attending is at Target Center at 7pm, so I'm guessing they'll come in sometime in the early evening unless he's attending another fundraiser or something beforehand.

Don't forget that when Trump arrives, some of the highways between the airport and downtown will be closed to all traffic, although the route and times won't be announced. You probably should allow extra time to get to the airport (maybe unless you're taking the light rail) and have some alternate routes planned in case it's a big mess.

Sorry, but I�m out of town right now, so can�t ask around about the plans for Thursday. If I get any emails about it I�ll post here.

As announced today by MAC, MSP is planning to consolidate its safety and security functions (airport police headquarters, etc., not TSA airport security checkpoints) at the airport within the next several years. It will be a $77 million project that was suggested by TSA. LAX and DFW are apparently already starting to do this.

The Strib article mentioned MAC decided to "reprogram" their construction plan because the original theory that North could handle everyone non-Precheck proved wrong at certain days/times. And, with the Wings office now closed and being demolished, in a few weeks they'll have more queuing space - which was the original concern with the construction planned for South. So, this week's "back to the original config" is indeed permanent.

I almost regret that in that the South PreCheck only (including CLEAR with PreCheck and IIRC the elite PreCheck line) configuration is going away in that it worked for me (and was generally uncrowded after the mess the first week) as most of my flights seem to (unfortunately as I like the C SC better, at least until DL renovates all the good features away) leave from F or G. [It's not great for the low C gates unless you need to go to the DL SkyPriority counter anyway, for example to check a bag, but for high C and the A/B gates, it's almost as close to use the airside connector between G and C at the rear of T1 general parking.]

PSA: The MEA is over and the airport supposedly isn't as busy, BUT it took me over twenty minutes this morning to get through South TSA security with CLEAR and PreCheck. Many people with CLEAR were going to the regular nonPreCheck lines in an attempt to save time.

ALSO, the restrooms in the F/G SC are closed for renovation and the lines for the lavatories outside are going into the terminal.

The floor project has big patches of departures level landslide closed off (and the South skyway remains closed, including the area where it used to be possible to go down near the DL counters.

What a mess!

UPDATE and BAD NEWS for MSP and MSP flyers: The TSA airport security checkpoint from the new IC hotel at the airport is scheduled to close on November 18 (shortly before the big surge in Thanksgiving holiday travel bey kettles and the FOTSG crowds). It's currently open from 5:30 am to 10:00 am daily. Of course, if it closes, one of the big advantages of the hotel will be lost, although the limited hours aren't good for either hotel guests of MSP frequent travelers who view this checkpoint as a trick to use when other lines are expected to be long. Note that it cannot be used by passengers with bags to check.

There's also apparently some current discussion about whether Checkpoint 10, the "skyway" entrance at the back of the parking garages attached to T1 (and a natural entry point from someone arriving at the airport by light rail) will remain open during its limited hours of 5:30 am to 1:15 pm. This one is also for those with no checked bags and is frequently used by airline crewmemebers.

Apparently the airport's CEO and Executive Director just learned of the plans to close the new IC checkpoint. He and MN US Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobachar are begging TSA to maintain staffing levels here and return airport security employees who have been deployed to the southern border. Current numbers are reported to be 658 total full time and part time employees assigned to MSP airport (T1 and T2 combined). The other side of the argument regarding the hotel's checkpoint is that on Tuesday (ONE data point and on a low travel day) only 37 passengers (what about airline crew and airport workers?) of 36,800 (round number is surely an estimate) used the hotel's direct entrance to T1.

This was reported in today's print edition of the StarTribune as well as local TV news.

The therapy cat Stitches is scheduled to work as an airport animal ambassador on Friday afternoons from 3 to 5 in T1.

With all due respect to MSP, I think SFO's Liluane (can't remember the name, the therapy Pig) is much more impressive. Not criticizing the global feline lovers community, but I've always found cats finicky, unresponsive and temperamental, not ideal traits for an ambassador.

The pig is adorable, assuming that it doesn't fly as an ESA or even enter airport lounges except in the form of bacon, but the painted fingernails wouldn't be acceptable to or tolerated by all the dogs and dog lovers that inhabit the DL forum lounge here on FT.

I saw him yesterday. He was in his stroller, facing back (away from people), trying desperately to melt into the seat and not be seen. I felt sorry for the poor thing. On the other side was the wonderful older boxer named Sugar, who was more than happy to pass kisses and get as much attention as she could get.

So you *can* have too much publicity. Poor kitty, but it was nice that the big old doggy was hanging around ready to deflect some of the attention. It sounds like it was a mob scene. Was this in the main concourse or some other very obvious location? Perhaps the owner should hide a bit during the next few shifts to give Stitches a break from the excessive media-fueled attention, although with various high-travel holidays coming up, this could be difficult and somewhat counterproductive for an animal volunteer whose purpose is a bit of airport terminal therapy and emotional support to stressed travellers.

PSA: The IC hotel TSA security checkpoint has been closed.

BTW, this makes the entire hotel project less attractive to potential customers.

In your opinion. Lots of airport hotels have success that don't have dedicated checkpoints.