TSA's Jan Mayangitan Perfectly Combines Polite and Professional

When you're in the midst of travel, it can be hard to find time to sit down and draft a letter, much less remember to send it after your travel is complete. When a PDX passenger makes the effort to send a follow-up note, you know their experience was extraordinary.

For one traveler, TSA's Jan Mayangitan fits the bill. “Jan was very polite and professional," they wrote. "He was incredibly kind and took the time to communicate with professionalism and compassion. Please hire more people like him!”

To recognize those airport employees that truly stand out as extraordinary, we host the PDX People customer service awards each quarter -- learn more about this quarter's event below. Want to nominate an employee who embodies the PDX People values and serves as a shining example of great customer service? Submit a nomination now.

PDX Quarterly Awards Set for Tuesday, Jan. 26

Our next virtual awards ceremony to recognize outstanding customer service champions will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 26 from noon to 1 p.m. Add it to your Outlook calendar now!

This quarter's celebration will feature an update from Port of Portland Chief Operations Officer Dan Pippenger and a self-care segment from Briana Thornton of Aesthete Tea, a woman- and QBIPOC-owned organic loose leaf tea and herbal blend brand, based in Portland and sold at Tender Loving Empire. Briana will host a demonstration about using tea as a ritual to bring a sense of routine back into one’s life, especially during COVID-19.

Every nominee receives special appreciation for their outstanding efforts and the PDX People working committee selects 10 employees – one from each of our airport industries – to win the exceptional honor of a PDX Quarterly Award for customer service. Bookmark this link to watch the live event.

Missed the last virtual awards ceremony? View the recording of our previous awards ceremony or read about the winners on the PDX employee website.

Concourse Connector Now Closed Until 2023

In case you missed it, the Concourse Connector is now officially closed. When you’re helping passengers, make sure they carefully check their boarding passes and use the security checkpoint that matches their gate location. To help you respond to passenger inquiries, we put together some commonly asked questions and answers. See our Concourse Connector FAQ.

With the closure of the Concourse Connector, the existing pet relief area is also permanently closed. However, two new pet relief areas have opened near Gates C4 and D2. As a reminder, there is also a pet relief area outside the terminal near the MAX light rail station. Learn more about this change and other PDX Next impacts.

TSA Express Lane Now Open to All Connecting Passengers

Did you know that all connecting passengers can now use the express lane at the B/C and D/E security checkpoints? Both checkpoints are now open 24/7 for passenger use, whether or not they have TSA Precheck privileges. As a reminder, TSA is also keeping a lane open around the clock at both checkpoints for PDX employee use.

Media Coverage Explores Future of Travel in 2021

New York Times: 9 Ways the Pandemic Will Change Travel in 2021
With 2020 behind us and vaccinations against the coronavirus ramping up, would-be travelers wonder what to expect in the coming year and beyond. It’s unclear which changes to the landscape will be in place in the future, but some answers are starting to come into focus. An emphasis on safety and health, trends like “worcations” – long trips facilitated by remote work – and flexible cancellation policies are all part of the changing face of air travel.

NBC News: 2020 Was Brutal for Airlines, 2021 Could Be Even Trickier
Pandemic-pummeled airlines are retooling for 2021, trying to keep industry jobs on life support while strategically streamlining and dangling rock-bottom rates in hopes customers will return. To stay afloat, airlines have to embrace new technologies, retire older, less fuel efficient planes and overhaul longstanding business models. The hope is that if they hunker down, they can catch a ride on what's expected to be a surge in pent-up demand when widespread travel resumes.

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