Posts in the category "Free Stuff":

This is Customer Appreciation Week at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL) and there’s a full schedule of fun underway, including live music, giveaways, special appearances in the terminals and “random surprises” for passengers riding the shuttles to and from the airport parking lots.

It all looks like a lot of fun, but my favorite events will be taking place on Friday, May 10th, when reps from Explore St. Louis will be on duty handing out one of the city’s signature food items, pre-packaged Gooey Louie cakes and passengers will able to get their pictures taken with (a cardboard cut-out of) St. Louis rock & roll icon Chuck Berry.

Chuck Berry, courtesy St. Louis Convention and Visitor’s Commission. Photo by Dan Donovan

In addition to daily live music performances, here are few other highlights of the week:

Tuesday, May 7 is Mascot Day. Look for the mascots from the St. Louis Cardinals (Fredbird), the St. Louis Rams (Rampage), the St. Louis Blues (Louie) and Six Flags WB characters Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny.

Wednesday, May 8, is Airlines Day, and carriers will be handing out candy and other giveaways.

Here’s a link to the full schedule of Customer Appreciation Week at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

Categories: Events, Food, Free Stuff, Music
Comments Off

Results from a study Tripadvisor is calling the “TripBarometer” are out today with some insights on trends in travel and the hospitality industry garnered from the responses of more than 35,000 people.  Among the highlights:

The folks at the (somewhat creepy) site MeetAtTheAirport.com have done a survey as well and come up with the top five U.S. airports “to make a hot connection.”

On the list: Orlando International Airport, Miami International Airport, Newark-Liberty International Airport, Boston Logan Airport and Philadelphia International Airport for a variety of silly reasons.

If you’re heading to or through Miami International Airport this weekend and want to ‘hook up’ with some deals and prizes – including the chance to win two tickets for a free Royal Caribbean Cruise – be sure to check out out the airport’s free Spring Break events, which include DJ music, a sand sculpting demonstration,  a chance to play the Nintendi Wii surfing game, beach ball giveaways, photo booths, discounts at shops and restaurants throughout the airport and an entry into that free cruise contest. Details here.

Categories: Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Travel tips
Comments Off

Another site for travelers to bookmark:

Are you on LinkedIn? It’s a good way to connect with others in your field and now it’s another place to go to chat about travel issues and read articles related to travel. This week LinkedIn introduced “Jet: The Business Traveler Network,” which includes a running, curated, feed of news articles from around the web.

Sometime it really pays to go out for to eat South American cuisine

Leave to LAN Airlines to knock people’s socks off. On Wednesday representatives from the airline showed up at Bocanova Restaurant in Oakland and gave everyone in the restaurant – 200 people – tickets to South America! Last year, the airline did the same thing for a restaurant full of people in New York City.

Jealous? The airline is also giving away tickets to South America to people who don’t eat out in Oakland or New York but are on-line. As part of its “Only in South America” campaign, the airline is giving away tickets daily from January 25-30 on www.facebook.com/LANAirlinesUSA.

Categories: Air Travel, Contests, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff
Comments Off

On a tour of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport – my home-base airport – on Friday, I spotted a few new amenities, including this handy water bottle refilling station, that can fill up to three bottles at a time:

And this sign, at the airport’s Quiet Gate, reminding travelers that they can download free books.

Categories: Books, Free Stuff
Comments Off

Passing through Denver International Airport earlier this week I noticed a restaurant in the B Gate area that had an under-construction storefront but was full of people. On closer inspection, it turned out to be the new airport venue: Crú A Wine Bar and, while they were waiting for the liquor license to come through, they were inviting passersby in for complimentary meals off menu.

We tasted the oatmeal and the breakfast tortilla and took a look at menus that include a wide variety of appetizers, individual-sized pizzas, cheese plates, sandwiches and desserts designed to accompany wine they’ll be serving by the glass, the bottle and in tasting flights.

The manager welcoming travelers in for the complimentary meals told me that he hoped they’d have the official opening – and the license – by December 26th, but Denver International Airport sent out a release saying Crú A Wine Bar was open, so it seems like the paperwork is now in order.

Categories: Food, Free Stuff
Comments Off