Airport Guides

ORD: 5 Things We Love About Chicago O’Hare International Airport

We’re back with another installment of our “5 Things We Love About…” series and today we’re landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

Please keep in mind that due to health concerns, some features and amenities at ORD may be temporarily unavailable. But we’re confident they’ll be back.

Here’s a link to the airports that have been profiled in the “5 Things We Love About…” series so far. Feel free to nominate an airport you’d like to see included in the series.

And if we missed a feature or amenity you love at any of the profiled airports, le us know in the comments section.

5 Things We Love About Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is located about 14 miles from downtown Chicago. Originally named Orchard Field Airport, the airport was renamed in O’Hare International Airport in 1949 to honor Lieutenant Commander Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, a Chicagoan killed during WWII.  

1. ORD’s Aeroponic Garden

O’Hare International Airport’s aeroponic garden grows herbs and vegetables, including basil, lettuce, beans and edible flowers – all without soil. Many restaurants in the airport use ingredients harvested from this garden.

2. The Brachiosaurus at ORD

The Field Museum has been kind enough to loan ORD a skeleton model of a Brachiosaurus excavated in 1900 by one of the museum’s paleontologists. The model is 4 stories tall and 72 feet long and hard to miss in Terminal 1, Concourse B, near the entrance to the tunnel to Concourse C.

3. The ORD Shoe Hospital

The Shoe Hospital at ORD not only offers shoe shining services, they can fix broken heels, sell you shoelaces, put another hole in your leather belt and, in a pinch, fix a suitcase or a strap on your carry-on bag.

4. Art at ORD

Entertaining and iconic, “The Sky’s the Limit,” by Michael Hayden is a 745-foot-long kinetic light sculpture in the tunnel connecting Concourses B&C in Terminal 1.

5. The Fighter Plane

ORD displays a replica of the WWII F4F-3 fighter plane flown by the airport’s namesake, Lt. Commander Edward “Butch” O’Hare. Find it on the north end of Terminal 2, near gate E1.

Did we miss any of your favorite features or amenities at ORD? The yoga rooms? The day passes you can get to use the well-equipped gym at the O’Hare Hilton? Or perhaps the Farmer’s Fridge vending machines that dispense fresh salads and snacks in returnable jars?

Let us know?

MCO: 5 Things We Love About Orlando Int’l Airport

5 Things We Love About Orlando International Airport (MCO)

It’s another installment of the “5 Things We Love About…” series on Stuck at The Airport, celebrating some of the services, amenities, and features we love about airports around the world.

We’ll (try to) keep these lists to just five items. But if you want to add a note about a bonus feature you love, please add it in the comment section below.

And if you want to nominate an airport for the series, or sponsor one of the “5 Things We Love About ..” entry in the series, get in touch.

Today: 5 Things We Love About Orlando International Airport (MCO)

The Traveler – by Duane Hanson

1. The art collection at MCO

In addition to “The Traveler” (above) by Duane Hanson, MCO’s art collection includes some real treasures, including “Space, Time and Energy” by Jacob Lawrence and a series of four terrazzo “Welcoming Gardens” by Scott Parsons (below) that serve as welcome mats at the airport.

Space, Time and Energy, by Jacob Lawrence

2. MCO’s airport tower

The air traffic control tower at MCO is not only pretty and quite recognizable for its design, at 345 feet it’s one of the tallest ATC towers in the United States.

3. The atrium at Orlando International Airport

The main terminal atrium at Orlando International Airport serves as part of the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport. The atrium also features a water fountain, palm trees, high ceilings, and plenty of natural light. All rare amenities at an airport.

4. MCO’s carpet – and matching socks

MCO’s airside carpet is quite photogenic and so popular that the airport has socks to celebrate the carpet. The airport has several other MCO-themed socks as well. You can’t buy them: the airport saves them to use as prizes for online contests and for surprise giveaway events in the terminal.

We don’t even have any of theses socks in our our sock drawer.

5. An aquarium, a giant screen + photo op spots

MCO has a 3,000-gallon food court fish tank containing eels and 40-50 fish. If you’re lucky, you might get to see a fun show when the tank is cleaned.

Other cool attractions we love at Orlando International Airport include the 36-foot-long hi-res video screen outside the Magic of Disney store in the atrium (across from security checkpoint for gates 70-129).

For visitors who didn’t get enough photos at area theme parks, there are photo ops spots outside of several stores, including an astronaut at the Kennedy Space Center shop store and minions and a velociraptor at the Universal Store.

And don’t even get us started on the airport souvenirs.

Stay tuned for more in our “5 Things We Love About ….” series.

Want to nominate an airport or sponsor one of the entries? Leave a note in the comment section and we’ll be in touch.

Here are 5 Things We Love About: Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP)

Welcome to another installment of our new “5 Things We Love About…” series celebrating some of the services, amenities, and features we love about airports around the world.

To keep things moving along we are keeping this series to just five things we love about each airport.

If you want to nominate an airport for the series or add a note about a feature you love about an airport beyond the five items we here, please add it in the comment section below.

And if you want to sponsor one of the “5 Things We Love About..” entries in the series, get in touch.

5 Things We Love About Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina.

1: ToonMobile

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) is the first and, so far, the only airport in the United States to offer free live-streaming of ToonMobile, a compilation of kid-friendly content from Warner Media’s Cartoon Network.

GSP also a live stream of the CNN Airport Network that includes live sporting events such as NCAA March Madness Tournament games, professional football, and basketball.

2: Bespoke beer

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport partnered with local brewery RJ Rockers Brewing Company to create a special beer.

The Flight Line GSP craft brew is “infused with the energy and optimism of Upstate South Carolina and its namesake airport,” and is available only at GSP.

3: Airside Garden

GSP’s outdoor garden is located post-security and features a water and sculpture garden with benches and cafe tables surrounded by a grove of trees and hedges. The garden is an original feature at the airport and dates to 1962, with a refresh in 2016.

4: Art. Lots of art.

GSP has more than a dozen pieces of art throughout the terminal and most of it is inspired by and reflective of the region.

5: GSP’s sense of humor

Here’s a fun video GSP airport shared on May 4th. Charming, right?

Stay tuned for more installments of “5 Things We Love About ..” and please nominate your favorite airport or airport amenity for the series.

If you want to sponsor one of the installments, get in touch.

Miami International Airport Guide

EPSON MFP image

What’s cool, What’s where at MIA Airport

Located near downtown Miami on 3,230 acres of land, Miami International Airport (MIA) was founded in 1928 and is now the country’s third-busiest airport for international passengers and one of the busiest airports in the world.

MIA serves more than 45 million passengers a year with a line-up of more than 100 air carriers offering flights to more than 160 destinations, including more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport.

MIA on social media

MIA website

MIA Mobile App

Airport maps

MIA on social media: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram

General Information: (305)876-7000/ (800)825-5643

Address: 2100 NW 42nd Ave, Miami, FL 33126

Checkpoint savvy at Miami International Airport

MIA has 10 security checkpoints, including two that operate 24 hours: Checkpoint 2 (Concourse D) and Checkpoint J1-Central.

Passengers can access all terminals and concourses, except Concourse F, from any checkpoint.

Park at Miami International Airport

Parking options at Miami International Airport include:

Garage: The Dolphin Garage serves North Terminals D and E. The Flamingo Garage serves Central Terminals F and G and South Terminals H and J. Electric charging stations available.

Daily parking rate $17.00 (January 2020).

Valet: located in Departures, on the 2nd level of both Dolphin (North) and Flamingo (South) garages.

0-3 hours: $18 (first day); 3-24 hours: $30. (January 2020)

MIA’s Cell Phone Waiting lot has 60 spaces and is located just off LeJeune Road, heading north or south.

Getting to and from Miami International Airport

Ground transportation options at Miami International Airport include car rentals, taxis/shuttles/limos and public transportation.

Car rentals at MIA: More than a dozen car rental agencies are in the MIA Car Rental Center, which is accessible via the MIA Mover, located on the 3rd level between the Dolphin and Flamingo garages.

Public transportation at MIA: Options include the Metrorail (Green and Orange lines) to a wide variety of Miami-Dade County destinations); TriRail; the Miami Beach Bus (Fare: $2.25) and other Metrobus routes.

Getting around Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport has three levels: Baggage claim is on Level 1; Departures, check-in and ticketing are on Level 2; and moving walkway between terminals are on Level 3.

Moving walkways travel from the Central Terminal to the MIA Mover Station, which connects to the Rental Car Center.

Above the North Terminal Concourse D, MIA’s Skytrain runs from one end of the concourse to the other, with 4 stations tops.

Wi-Fi at Miami International Airport

Complimentary Wi-Fi (with advertising) is available throughout MIA via the MIA-WiFi Network. Other services are available via Boingo for a fee. Power charging stations are located throughout the airport.

Relief areas at Miami International Airport for pets and services animals

For pets and service animals, MIA has enclosed areas with synthetic grass, fire hydrants, disposable bags, and sinks.

Pet/service animal relief areas at MIA are located post-security in Concourse D, F, G and J. Outdoor areas are at the arrival level in Concourse D, E, and J.

Pet therapy program at Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport’s pet therapy program, the Miami Hound Machine, brings certified dogs and their owners into the airport to de-stress and hang out with travelers. The team’s schedule and appearances are shared on the MIA’s social media accounts.

Play area for kids at Miami International Airport

Plane Fun is a unique, interactive children’s area. Located Concourse E, near Gate E5 and accessible from Concourse D as well. 

Lounges at Miami International Airport

In addition to VIP clubs and lounges at MIA for American Airlines and for other airlines that welcome guests based on ticket category, membership or credit card affiliation, there is a Military Hospitality Lounge pre-security on the 2nd level of the airport, and a Club America lounge that offers days passes.

Dining at Miami International Airport

MIA has a wide variety of dining options, including venues such as Bongos Cuban Café, Café Versailles and Café La Carreta venues offering Cuban and other local and regional cuisines.  Including. MIA’s restaurants, cafes, bars and grab-n-go options also include Air Margaritaville, Shula’s Bar & Grill, and Viena, the farm-to-table restaurant on the 7th floor of the Miami International Airport Hotel. See the full list of food options at MIA Airport.

Shopping at Miami International Airport

There are a wide variety of shopping options at Miami International Airport. Local and unusual shops include Bayside Brush (hairbrushes and grooming essentials), Books4Travel, Britto (Brazilian pop-artist-inspired gifts and accessories), Cuba Crafters (hand-rolled cigars), Cubavera and Havana Collection (fashion) and many shops selling Miami and Florida-themed souvenirs. Tip: My Ceviche (North Terminal, Concourse D) packs Florida Stone Crabs to go.

Quiet spaces at Miami International Airport

Travelers at Miami International Airport will find a yoga room in Terminal H.

A non-denomination chapel is located on the first level of Terminal D, between arrivals and Carousel 22. A quiet multisensory room is located on Concourse D, post-security, adjacent to TSA Checkpoint 4.

Art and exhibitions at Miami International Airport

Miami International Airport has a robust Art in Public Places program, as well as site-specific and temporary art exhibitions. Some highlights include two murals by the Brazilian artist Carybé in the South Terminal that were once displayed at the American Airlines terminal New York’s JFK Airport; Jen Stark’s “Meltdown” over the North Terminal entrance from the MIA Mover; and Christopher Janney’s 72-foot-long Harmonic Convergence in the Skyride Connector.  

Vintage film clips at Miami International Airport

Historical airport footage and archival footage of celebrities such as Bob Hope arriving at Miami International Airport run continuously on the screens of a bank of old-style flight monitors on MIA’s Concourse F.  The clips are from the Wolfson Moving Image at Miami Dade College and  include vintage footage of MIA from 1950s and 1960s; celebrities arriving at the airport from the 1950s to the 1980s; home movies filmed in Miami between the 1920s and 1960s; and the 1940s

Other amenities at Miami International Airport

Other passenger amenities at Miami International Airport include spas, water bottle refill stations, and standalone MIAmamas pods for nursing mothers on each concourse, post-security.

Hotel at Miami International Airport

The pet-friendly Miami International Airport Hotel (MIA Hotel) is inside the airport terminal, on Concourse E, at the Departure level. Day rates are available form 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Air Margaritaville is adjacent to the lobby; the Viena farm to table restaurant is on the hotel’s 7th floor.

Activities and attractions nearby Miami International Airport

Staff at the MIA Information Center on the 2nd level of Central Terminal E can offer ideas on what to do near Miami International Airport if you have a long layover between flights.

Gray Line has a shuttle running between the MIA Airport and the Dolphin Mall ($10/roundtrip, includes vouchers and discount coupons.)

The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau website also offers a complete listing of attractions in the area.