File this under: you can’t win if you don’t play.

Several airports around the country are holding contests and drawings that include free airplane tickets as the prizes.

The deadline is Wednesday, Dec 1, 2010 to enter Indianapolis International Airport’s “Show us your favorite things @ IND” You Tube contest.

To enter: make a short video (three minutes or less) showing what you like best about that airport.

The airport will choose five finalists and post those videos on the airport’s YouTube channel for public voting.

The grand prize is a free trip to Orlando or Tampa. Two runners-up will receive flip camcorders.  Entries must be uploaded by midnight on December 1.  Official contest rules are posted at www.indcontest.com.

Las Vegas International Airport’s Korean Air ticket giveaway ends Dec. 8th, 2010 around noon Pacific time, so you still have about a week to enter your name for a chance to win one of two pair of round-trip tickets between Las Vegas and Seoul.

Portland International Airport is giving away a pair of tickets from Portland to Toronto as part of its Holidays Take Flight celebration.  Deadline entry is January 2, 2011.

And Kansas City International Airport is giving away a pair of tickets Kanasas City to one of 44 nonstop destinations.

(See list – and rules here). Deadline to enter is January 10, 2011.

Good luck – and don’t forget to bring home some souvenirs for StuckatTheAirport.com.

Categories: Air Travel, Contests, Uncategorized
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Passengers traveling though JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday afternoon (Dec 1^st) will be treated to one of the airline’s “surprise” Live from T5 concerts.

The a cappella group Straight No Chaser (SNC) will perform a holiday-themed concert in the post-security Marketplace at 1:30 p.m.

The concert isn’t open to the public, but on its website SNC is offering 50 winners and their guests special access to the post-security event.

To win tickets, here’s what you need to do:

1. Tweet: “Want to win tickets to see @sncmusic’s at JetBlue’s T5 on December 1st? RT!”
2. Send an email (using the subject line “SNC T5″) with a link of your tweet to sncwebcrew@gmail.com with  this information:

· Full Middle Last Name

· Date of Birth

· Male/Female

· Passport/driver’s license

· State or country the passport or license is issued in.

There’s no deadline for this contest posted on the SNC website, but if you’re a SNC fan in the New York area, don’t dawdle.

Categories: Air Travel, Airports, Contests, Entertainment, Events, Free Stuff, Music
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On Sundays, StuckatTheAirport takes a look at offbeat, inexpensive and locally-branded items you can buy at airports.

This week I found an item I’m betting will show up in electronics stores in Heathrow, Gatwick and all other airports in Great Britain any moment now – if it hasn’t  already.

For a few years now, my travel gadget wish list has included some of these rechargeable batteries from USBCell. They eliminate the need to tote around yet another charger because there’s a USB port under the cap that lets you recharge the battery on a USB plug on your computer or with a USB adapter.

I’ve been waiting for the price to come down on these batteries; they’re a bit pricey (about $18 a pair). But I may have to go ahead and buy a few packets now because  the company has jumped on the Royal Wedding bandwagon and issued William-and-Kate-branded rechargeable batteries.

Corny but cute, yet very eco-friendly.

Santa, are you taking notes?

[Note: This Souvenir Sunday post isn't a benefit-to-me promotion in any way, but when I asked MOIXA Energy for a photo of the royal batteries, they offered to set up a 20% discount code ("Royal120") for StuckatTheAirport.com readers. If you buy some, let me know how they work and what sort of conversations they ignite at the airport.]

And..

If you find a great inexpensive (about $10), offbeat, “of” a city or region souvenir when you’re stuck at the airport, please take a photo and send it along. If your item is featured on Souvenir Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com, I’ll send you a set of ANA (All Nippon Airways) Relax and Refresh aroma cards or some other fun travel souvenir.

Categories: Air Travel, Airport shops, Airports, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs
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Southwest Airlines is sponsoring an ice-rink in downtown Denver this winter and that means free ice-skating for all.

The Southwest Rink at Skyline Park is next to the historic Daniels and Fisher Clocktower and will be open weekdays from noon to 10 p.m. and weekends from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Don’t have your own skates? No problem. You can rent skates at the rink for just $2.

Pillows? You’ll have to bring your own.

Photos courtesy Flickr Commons.

Categories: Air Travel, Events, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff
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You may still be eating Thanksgiving leftovers at your house, but at Indianapolis International Airport they’ve already moved on to Christmas.

On Saturday, Santa Claus will arrive at the airport at 11 a.m. and hang out for a few hours in the airport’s pre-security Civic Plaza.

While he’s there, he’ll pose with kids for free digital pictures.  There will also be a cookie and ornament-decorating station as well as a chance to enter to win tickets for entry to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis and other attractions. And everyone who enters the contest ‘wins’ free parking.

Categories: Air traffic control, Airports, Entertainment, Events, Kids
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