Entertainment

Stuck at the Airport: Music, masks and lots of lights

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Very few people are flying right now, but airlines and airports are still in the news.

Masks – on the plane and in the airports

The list of airlines requiring crew members and passengers to wear masks, and the number of airports requiring anyone passing through to cover their mouth and nose keeps growing.

United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, JetBlue and Lufthansa are among the airlines already doing it. More will do the same.

Many of these airlines are also requiring that passengers wear masks during check-in, boarding and deplaning. And because an increasing number of airports are and soon will be requiring anyone in their terminals to wear masks, it’s a fair bet that wearing masks in airports is already the ‘new normal.’

Virtual music festival hosted by 23 airports

On May 6, starting at 5 p.m. CST, 23 airports across North America will be hosting the JetStream Music Festival, an online celebration of local music.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, located in the “Live Music Capital of the World” will be the official host airport, but the 23 participating airports will each stream the festival on their respective Facebook Live pages and each will feature a local musician from their city. Viewers will be able to tip the performers during each set.

Participating airports include:

  • Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) – host 
  • Albuquerque International Airport (ABQ)
  • Asheville Regional Airport (AVL)
  • Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
  • Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL)
  • Evansville Regional Airport (EVV)
  • Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
  • Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)
  • Jacksonville International Airport (JAX)
  • John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)
  • John Wayne Airport (SNA)
  • Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)
  • Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
  • Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
  • Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP)
  • Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
  • Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
  • Portland International Airport (PDX)
  • San Diego International Airport (SAN)
  • Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV)
  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
  • Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ)
  • Yeager Airport (CRW)

Airports lighting up

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Dulles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and many other airports are lighting up their terminals in different colors to show their support for health care workers, first responders, front line workers, hospitality workers and airport and airline employees who are helping people get where they need to go.

Here’s SFO’s color-code and its upcoming lighting schedule.

  • First responders: red, white and blue (most Thursdays)
  • Front-line workers: gold (most Tuesdays)
  • Health care workers: blue (most Wednesdays)
  • Hospitality workers: purple (most Mondays)

Cool Drive-Through Airport Amenity

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You can enjoy this airport amenity even if you’re not flying anywhere.

Like the rest of us, the community served by Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison, Wisconsin could use some distractions during the stress and strains surround the current health crisis.

So the airport decided to move up the planned opening date of a cool attraction it was planning to this week and welcome are residents to come by for the first “Flight of Lights” drive-through, social distancing-friendly light display.

The free attraction is open daily from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. through May 10, 2020. And the featured lighted displays honor health care workers and first responders, Wisconsin sports, animals and nature and non-stop destinations served from MSN Airport.

There’s even a UFO thrown in as a bonus.

Here are some snaps from the drive-through, courtesy of the airport.

LAX Airport is lonely. And wants to play

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Airports are quiet, lonely places these days.

Rightly so, given the “stay home” orders we are all following, if we can.

But, like us, airports still want to play.

So, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has put together a suitcase full of fun activities, videos and even a cut-and-play board game to keep us entertained and engaged.

First up: these cute minute-long video check-ins in with team members form the LAX PUPs (Pets Unstressing Passengers) program.

Next up: LAX at Home – the GAME

If you need a break from video games, try this ‘LAX At Home‘ board game.

The goal of the game is to be the first to travel around the horseshoe layout of LAX, which in normal times can get take a half-hour or more.

You can download and print out the playing board and more than 50 Boarding Pass cards that let you advance – not – around the board.

LAX game creators promise that playing the game you will feel as if you are at LAX: “Experience the excitement of world-class restaurants, catch a performance or check out the celebrity sightings. Just watch out for traffic, paparazzi and leave two hours before your flight.”

LAX also has downloadable coloring pages with airport themes, digital puzzles and a playlist of travel songs to keep you entertained and thinking about how much fun you’ll have when we can all get back out on the road.

Travel Tidbits from U.S. airports

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Live-streamed concerts, courtesy of San Antonio International Airport

Not many passengers are making their way to and through airports these days.

But that doesn’t mean airports aren’t engaging with their communities.

The San Antonio Airport System, which operates San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is offering the ambitious “SAT Live-Stream Concert Series” of live streaming musical performances by local artists.

The SAT Live Stream Concert Series features both well-known and new San Antonio artists and a wide variety of music styles including Texas Blues, Rock, Jazz, Country, Soul and Acoustic Pop.

The concerts are being streamed during both afternoon and evening spots to target all audiences.

“This is an opportunity to introduce some of the musicians to an entirely new audience. We already have 80 performances on the lineup and we anticipate adding even more,” said Matt Evans, Arts & Culture Manager. 

Check the SAT airport website for concert schedules and links.

San Diego International Airport (SAN) is offering streamed concerts too:

Flight of Lights at Dane County Airport

In Madison, Wisconsin, Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) kicks off its first annual “Flight of Lights” drive-through light display this weekend.  

“Flight of Lights” will feature six different light displays, including tributes to first responders; Wisconsin sports; animals and nature; tropical and nautical; and popular non-stop destinations from the airport.

The drive-through event is free and social-distancing approved for households to visit altogether, with a route right by the airport.

“Flight of Lights” starts Saturday evening April 18th and will run daily from 7:30 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. through May 10, 2020.

We’ll get photos as soon as they turn on the lights.

Nintendo’s pop-up airport lounges

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Nintendo pop-up lounge at Dallas Love Field

Calling all Nintendo fans. Or anyone wanting some entertainment while they’re stuck at the airport.

Nintendo has rolled out a cluster of pop-up game lounges at four airports just in time for the spring break travel season,

The Nintendo Switch On The Go pop-up airport lounges are at Washington Dulles (IAD), Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA), O’Hare International (ORD) and Dallas Love Field (DAL) airports.

Each lounge gives travelers hands-on time with game demos using Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite.

According to Nintendo, anyone who visits one of these Switch On The Go lounges can order Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite systems and receive a free carrying case with their order.

Another promised bonus for anyone who stops by is a free Nintendo Switch branded luggage handle wrap and a $10 coupon from Target to use on any Nintendo purchase of $75 or more – “available while supplies last.”

Nintendo pop-up lounge at SEA airport

But: We stopped by the SEA pop-up lounge on Monday, the first day Nintendo’s pop-up lounge was opened. Although the attendants were friendly and chatty and offered to take our photo, no luggage handle wraps or coupons were offered. So, if you’re interested in that, be sure to speak up.  

Look for the pop-up lounges through March 29, 2020 at these airports: