free movies

$3 movies are great. But films are free at these airports

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Saturday, September 3 has been declared National Cinema Day. And movie theaters around the country are celebrating by selling $3 tickets for all movies, all formats, all day.

Moviegoers will need to pay taxes and any ticketing service fee extras. But they won’t pay any upcharges for movies screened in IMAX, RPX, 4DX, or other special formats.

3,000 theaters with more than 30,000 screens will be participating in National Cinema Day on September 3, including many of the major chains.

If you haven’t been in a ‘real’ movie theater since, say, before the pandemic, this is a chance to see the latest blockbuster films on the large screen for cheap. Many theaters are also promising exclusive previews and special in-theater promotions.

$3 is a great movie price. Free is better.

$3 is a great price for a movie, but if you’re traveling this weekend, the Stuck at The Airport film reviewer reminds you that films are free, anytime, at a handful of airports in the United States.

Portland International Airport (PDX)

Portland’s non-profit Hollywood Theatre hosts a free 22-seat microcinema, the aptly-named Hollywood Theatre at PDX, at Portland International Airport on Concourse C. The theater showcases about an hour’s worth of films by Oregon filmmakers. And the run-down changes quarterly.

The Summer 2022 offerings include this short film about the world’s only Contact Lens Museum, located in Forest Grove, OR.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has a free video art gallery located pre-security on the departures level of the International Terminal. Four new films are presented each month. And each film is 20 minutes or less in duration.

August 2022 was emerging filmmakers month and the videos are by filmmakers from the School of Cinema at San Francisco State. You can watch excerpts of those films here.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)

The see18 Film Screening room at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport shows free film shorts around the clock. The current content is drawn from Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) and TED.

The screening room is also used for art exhibitions, live performances, and special event programming.

What other airports have free movies?

Singapore’s Changi Airport shows free full-length films in movie theaters located in Terminals 2 and 3.

Let us know of other airports offering free movies.

Denver Int’l Airport’s open-air plaza reactivated

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Here’s a great sign that airports are coming back to life just in time for summer travel.

Denver International Airport (DEN) is reactivating the open-air public plaza between the main Jeppesen Terminal and the Westin Hotel.

Over the years, the plaza has hosted everything from outdoor movies and skating rinks to a beer garden, a concert space, and a miniature golf course.

The pandemic put a halt to that. But now the plaza is once again being used to offer a relaxing outdoor space where travelers and locals can get some fresh air and relax before, after, or between flights.

As we head into the busy travel season, DEN has once again turned the plaza into an outdoor oasis offering lounge seating, grass-like turf, native plants, and trees.

Entertainment options include live jazz performances, cornhole, and, soon, free miniature golf.

On select Fridays from 3-6 pm, the Jazz on the Park series will present a variety of local jazz bands in the plaza. Here’s the schedule:

·       June 3, Danny Showers Trio

·       June 17, Tenia Nelson Trio

·       July 1, Danny Showers Band- “A Salute to America”

·       July 15, Tenia Nelson

·       Aug. 12, Danny Showers Trio

·       Aug. 26, Paul Trunko and Steff Kull

A free nine-hole miniature golf course will open daily from June 17 through July 17. The hours will be from 10 am to 7 pm.

No question about it, this is definitely the Airport Amenity of the Week.

Free chat + Free movies on Alaska Airlines

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Alaska is one of the airlines offering  travel waivers for passengers affected by winter weather this week, which means you may have to wait to try out the airlines’ newest perks:

Free use of iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger on Gogo-equipped flights.

The option is offered in a beta version right now and should be fully functional by January 24th, the airline promises.

Also free (through March 31, 2017): access  – on your devices – to the all the entertainment offered to Alaska Airlines passengers during flight, including Hollywood movies and popular TV shows.

The airline’s new Premium Class service also debut this week on some routes, offering passengers who have purchased this perk extra legroom, early boarding, complimentary snacks and alcoholic beverages. About 40 percent of Alaska’s fleet has been retrofitted with the new premium class section seating so far and the airline promises that 90 of the fleet will offer this option by the end of 2017.