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Christmas week is always a big deal for airports and air travel.

This year, as usual, lines are long, people are cranky, and there’s a storm wreaking havoc with schedules and everyone’s best laid plans.

So, it’s a good bet that if you’re traveling by air this week, you’re going to spend some time being stuck at an airport. Remember to bring supplies such as books, snacks, a charged cell phone, and some extra cash to buy a few last minute gifts.

And remember to look around: some airports are hosting complimentary gift wrapping stations and many airports have scheduled holiday events and entertainment.

Here are just a few examples:

The Chicago Airport System’s schedule of “Holiday Delights” continues at both O’Hare Airport and Midway through Wednesday, December 23^rd with performances by local blues, jazz, international, R&B performers, barbershop quartets and carolers. There will also be children’s workshops and a visit from Santa Claus.

Both airports are also offering free gift wrapping, past security, on December 21 and 23 with wrapping paper and gift bags created by students from the After School Matters program.

On Monday December 21^st, Southwest Airlines and The Container Store join forces to offer free gift wrapping at Dallas Love Field, Phoenix Sky Harbor, Denver International, Saint Louis Lambert International, and Baltimore-Washington International airports. Here are some details about locations and times.

Free gift wrapping continues in various spots around Phoenix Sky Harbor airport through December 24th and through Wednesday at San Diego International Airport. Check your airport’s Web site to see if free gift wrapping is being offer there as well. Keep in mind that many airport shops also offer fee gift wrapping and many will have piles of pre-wrapped items ready to grab-n’- go.

If you find yourself hanging around Detroit Metroplitan Airport (DTW) Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday (Dec 21 – 23rd), head on over to the stage next the water feature in the center of Concourse A (near Gate A40). The airport is partnering with local Delta Air Lines folks to host a holiday karaoke event called “Sing Because you Care” between 11 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.

Anyone, or any group, that sings is being asked to donate $5 to support the local Salvation Army.

And here’s a great gift for anyone flying to or from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA): the airport light rail station opened, as promised, on Saturday, December 19^th. Just in time to save a lot of holiday travelers a lot of hassle and money.

It’s now possible to ride between the airport and downtown Seattle for $2.50.

Thanks, Santa!

Categories: Air Travel, Airport shops, Contests, Deals, Entertainment, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Getting around, Holidays, Kids, Music, Transportation
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Happy Souvenir Sunday!

Each Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com we take a look at some of the fun things you can buy at airports for under $10.

This week we picked up a few souvenirs from the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics that will be taking place in February.

Olympics souvenirs will be sold at the games of course, but they’re already for sale on-line and at the Vancouver International Airport.

Turns out you can also buy Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics souvenirs in Seattle, at a pop-up shop in the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) that will stay open through March 7^th, 2010.

But what to buy?  A good choice would be something that bears the image of Quatchi, the Sasquatch-like creature chosen to be the mascot of this winter’s games.  Or of Sumi, Miga, or one of the other sidekick creatures.

But while the USA Store on Sea-Tac’s Concourse C sells t-shirts, sweatshirts and other Olympics souvenirs, there’s not much you can buy here for under $10.

So for Souvenir Sunday we considered making an exception and raising our shopping limit above $10.

Instead, we settled for that old stand-by – chocolates – from this small section of  stickers and other small – very small – under $10 items.

Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport?  If it’s under $10, “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along.  It may show up as next week’s pick for Souvenir Sunday.

Categories: Airport shops, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday
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Here’s a  link to the airport guides I created for USATODAY.com.

The list of airports included will hopefully expand in the future, but for now the rundown includes the 50 busiest airports in the United States.

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

Baltimore/Washington International Airport

Boston Logan International Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Chicago O’Hare International Airport

Chicago Midway International Airport

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport

Dallas/Ft.Worth International Airport

Denver International Airport

Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Fort Lauderdale International Airport

Honolulu International Airport

Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport

Houston Hobby Airport

Indianapolis International Airport

Kansas City International Airport

Las Vegas McCarran International Airport

Los Angeles International Airport

Memphis International Airport

Miami International Airport

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Nashville International Airport

New Orleans International Airport

New York Kennedy Airport

New York LaGuardia Airport

Newark Liberty Airport

Orlando International Airport

Philadelphia International Airport

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport

Pittsburgh International Airport

Portland International Airport

Raleigh/Durham International Airport

Sacramento International Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport

San Antonio International Airport

San Diego International Airport

San Francisco International Airport

San Juan Luis Munoz International Airport (Puerto Rico)

San Jose International Airport

Santa Ana John Wayne Airport (Orange County)

Seattle/Tacoma International Airport

Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers)

St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Tampa International Airport

Washington Dulles Airport

Washington Reagan National Airport

As you might imagine, there were many more categories I would have loved to include in each airport profile, but the goal was to create useful, at-a-glance guides that USATODAY readers could use on the run.

Putting together the guides has been fun and a bit challenging. The challenging part has been that at airports these days, services and amenities, parking fees, etc. can change quickly. So a nice feature of these on-line guides is the comment section where travelers can share their own tips for each airport. I’ll have the opportunity to update the guides at least once a month, so many of those reader tips can get rolled into the profiles.

So please give the new USATODAY.com Airport Guides a look-see. Share a tip about your favorite airport. And let me know what airports you’d like to see added to the list!

Categories: Airport guides, Stuck at the Airport
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This time of year, you may find yourself looking around a busy airport filled with novice travelers and muttering to yourself, “This place is a circus.”

Say that at Germany’s Düsseldorf Airport this Sunday – and you’ll be right.

On Sunday, December 20, 2009 the Dusseldorf Airport is hosting an international Circus Festival with two stages and more 40 aerialists, roving performers and circus school graduates competing for prizes that include paid gigs, prize money, and trips on Lufthansa to the renowned World Festival of the Circus of Tomorrow (Mondial du Cirque de Demain) in Paris.

It’s the first time the airport is hosting the Circus Festival, but the folks there seem up to the task: in the past the airport has also hosted an airport games event that included pole vault, long jump, and javelin throw competitions.

Categories: Contests, Environment, Events
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If you’re traveling anytime during the next two weeks, it’s a fair bet you’ll find long lines and plenty of hassled travelers at the airport. But this time of year many airports are also serving up fun, freebies, and plenty of entertainment.

A few examples:

From December 16 – 24, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has an entertainment program that includes live music performances, guest appearances by Santa, and a roving game team that will be rewarding winners with discount coupons for shops, services and restaurants at the airport.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) also kicks off its annual Holiday Music series today, with a performance in the Atrium from 5 to 7pm by a group called Twisted Royalty. You can see the full series schedule here.

And on Monday, December 21^st, 2009, from 10 am until 5 pm, the Container Store is partnering with Southwest Airlines to offer complimentary gift-wrapping at some airports, including:

Dallas Love Field   -  Gate 5
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport   -   D Gates
Denver International Airport   -   Gate C41
Saint Louis-Lambert International Airport   -   Gates 14 and 16
Baltimore-Washington International Airport   -   Gates B1, B2, and B3

Categories: Airport shops, Entertainment, Events
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