Souvenir Sunday

Souvenir Sunday: wacky plane + Extreme Post-its

It’s Souvenir Sunday – a day to look at some cool things you can buy at airports and gadgets that are good for the road.

This week’s treats come from El Dorado International Airport in Bogota, Colombia. And from the folks who make Post-its.

At the airport in Bogota, I spotted – and now regret not buying – this offbeat airplane souvenir with wacky passengers, including chickens in the windows and a lady sunbathing on the wing. I may have to make a return trip to secure this travel souvenir.

And there’s a new version of those ever-useful Post-its.

These are called Extreme Notes and the suggested use if for everything – wet walls, pipes, cloth, wood doors, etc – except paper.

I always travel with a pad of sticky notes because they come in handy for all sorts of things: I often use them as “Do Not Disturb” signs in hotels that don’t have door hangers and I put them over the peep holes on hotel doors. I’ll start using the Extreme version now and likely sleep much better on the road.

Souvenir Sunday at Frankfurt & Austin Bergstrom Int’l Airports

Today is Souvenir Sunday – a day to look at some of the fun things you can buy – or just look at – when you’re stuck at the airport.

This week’s treats come from Frankfurt Airport, where I ended up spending the night on my way home from a visit to Florence, Italy, where I spotted these champagne cork-shaped seats at a bar in the Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR).

At the Frankfurt Airport, I came across plenty of Christmas-themed souvenirs, including nutcrackers and ornaments shaped like pickles. Why pickles? Evidently the tradition of hiding a pickle-shaped ornament in your Christmas tree and giving an extra present to the first person who finds it orginated in Germany.

And lucky travelers on one special Southwest Airlines flight from Austin Bergstrom International Airport to Chicago last Thursday got some great souvenirs.

The airline teamed up with Austin-based jeweler Kendra Scott and gave all passengers on the flight a free drink, goodie bags and gift boxes filled with – you guessed it – jewelry! – at baggage claim delivered by a yellow-clad Santa.

If you see a great souvenir when you’re stuck at the airport, please take a photo and send it along. If your photo is featured on Souvenir Sunday I’ll send you an aviation-themed souvenir.

 

Souvenir Sunday at Quito International Airport

It’s Souvenir Sunday – the day StuckatTheAirport.com takes a look at inexpensive, locally-themed items you can find at airports around the world.

This week’s treats come from the Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Ecuador.

Shops inside the airport sell many items from the region, but the airport recently opened a socially responsible store offering agricultural products grown and provided by the families living near the airport.

The new shop is called Nuestra Huerta – which means ‘Our Garden’ – and is located in the Airport Center building, across the street from the airport passenger terminal.

16 farmers and their families from the Puembo, Pifo, Tababela, Yaruqui and Checa communities are running the shop, which sells fresh produce, such as strawberries, avocados and lettuce, as well as honey and a variety of bagged snacks.

International passengers may not be able to fly home with a head of lettuce from Quito, but honey, snacks and many other items will certainly travel – and the shop is certain to be popular with arriving passengers and those who work at the airport.

 

Souvenir Sunday: airline-branded gifts

Getting ready to start shopping for the road warriors in  your life?

Don’t forget the on-line web pages for airline and aviation gear, including model airplanes, travel gear, gadgets and a variety of fun and offbeat items.

In the United Shop, you’ll find all manner of Polaris-related items, including those comfy Saks Fifth Avenue duvets ($59.99) and upcycled messenger bags made from banners that advertise Polaris service.

The Delta Shop has lots of apparel, toys, drinkware and other branded items, including this Boeing 717 1/100 model, which sells for $350.

And the Alaska Airlines shop sells everything from branded golf balls, glassware and apparel to model airplanes and a pilot hat for kids.

 

Not a fan of these airlines?  Check the website of your favorite carrier and there’s likley to be a section for swag.