A few months back, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) joined the list of airports offering mobile food ordering. The OrderSEA program works with the Grab and At Your Gate programs, offering pick-up and gate delivery options from more than 16 airport food outlets.
As a bonus, some travelers who order gate delivery find the At Your Gate delivery person accompanied by a Gita-branded robot like the one at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) named Nom Nom.
Now that it has been on site a while, SEA wants the Gita robot to be part of the permanen team. So they’re asking the public to help choose a name.
Have any ideas?
Share your creative robot names! 🤖 With a few months under its tires, our OrderSEA food delivery robot wants its own special SEA identity. So it’s time for a new name and we need your help. Learn how to submit a name idea and read our naming guidelines → https://t.co/pN1tcUvs08pic.twitter.com/uOAdguu0ef
Called Zoom Zone and located in Terminal B between Gates 24 and 25, the 600-square foot space was created with support from Zoom (Zoom Video Communications Inc.) and has an aviation theme.
Features of the Zoom Zone include a Pin Screen, a Bird Climber, a Zoom Plane, and a Kinectic Butterfly. There’s also an Alphabet Airplane that invites kids to open airplane window shades and discover objects representing destinations.
Zoom Zone is officially OPEN! 🥳 The lovely folks of @Zoom, @PurpleMuseum and @HenselPhelps made this aviation-themed play space possible, and they joined us today for a joyous ribbon-cutting ceremony alongside City Councilmember @RaulPeralez.
— Mineta San Jose Int’l Airport – SJC (@FlySJC) October 28, 2021
Nature Photos at IND Airport
Camouflaged Spider by Ronda Hamm
Indianapolis International Airport (IND) is hosting a new photography exhibition titled Indiana, Naturally through December 2021 in both the Ticketing Hall and in cases in Concourses A and B. The exhibition is part of a larger, ongoing cultural collaboration between the Indianapolis Airport Authority and the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Here are a few of the images. See more here.
Blue Sky Coreopsis by Jeanette Jeanette JaskulaZalman Wainhaus, Somewhere Silent
We can tell travel is inching back to ‘normal’ because airports are hosting fun events and encouraging travelers to stick around and engage.
Two great examples: Indianapolis International Airport (IND) welcomed the Sweets & Snacks Expo to town (yes, that’s a thing!) with an in-terminal chocolate sculpting demonstration.
And as part of its ongoing Elevate Love Project, El Paso International Airport (ELP) has motivational messages on restroom mirrors.
We are excited to welcome the @CandyUSA Sweets & Snacks Expo 🍬🍭🍫 to #LoveIndy! Check out this chocolate sculpture masterpiece of @ESC_Chocolate mascot, Elinor the Elephant 🐘 welcoming conference attendees as they arrive. pic.twitter.com/dOCpvx64OO
A Twitter message from El Paso International Airport (ELP) on National Selfie Day sparked our curiosity about the writing on the restroom mirror in the photo.
It turns out that is part of the airport’s Elevate Love Project, so named to fit with the airport’s call sign ELP.
“Our staff submitted their positivity and we placed them on the mirrors to boost the mood of anyone who sees them,” explains, ELP Education and Graphics Specialist Asa Aguilar. “We have had great responses from the public and many people have submitted to this initiative.”
Here are some samples of the messages and the selfies people have shared. Great idea!
We were also curious about the bird in the photo. And we are pleased to learn that this is Red T. Hawk, El Paso International Airport’s mascot and ambassador.
We think every airport should have a mascot and we’re pleased to add Red T. Hawk to our list.
College basketball fans arriving at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) this week will find some special art, music, food, and exhibits, courtesy of the city’s trademark Hoosier Hospitality.
In addition to a custom-wrapped INDY car in the airport’s Civic Place, there are digital displays of cascading basketballs and the #LoveIndy statue for photo ops.
Eat, Drink and Shop
Pop-up retail stores in the pre-security Civic Plaza and Concourse B are selling NCAA apparel and gear, as are other retail stores throughout the terminal. And, for that special souvenir, Scoreboard, in Concourse A, is selling an Indiana University basketball made with Swarovski Crystal.
Hungry fans can stop in for the famous St. Elmo shrimp cocktail at Harry and Izzy’s or at Shapiro’s for local delicatessen eats. And the new Sun King Tap Room is serving its “Hoops There It Is” specialty beer – wheat ale with peach.
Art and music too
In partnership with the Arts Council of Indianapolis, 10 temporary murals featured work by local artists on vinyl are on display in Concourses A and B.
THe party doesn’t stop there. There will also be live music at IND on Fridays and Saturdays through April 3. And, thans to the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, an exhibition of pieces from the National Art Museum of Sport (in Concourses A and B).
Stuck at The Airport’s “5 Things We Love About…” series is back for the new year celebrating more features and amenities at airports around the country and the world.
5 Things We Love About Indianapolis International Airport (IND)
From Ron Baron’s ‘Baggage Claim” at IND Airport
1. All the Art at IND
Connections, by Cameron McNall and Damon Seeley at IND Airport
IND has a wonderful collection of permanent and temporary art collections displayed throughout the airport. Many of the pieces were created by artists or poets who live in Indiana or have ties to the Hoosier state.
2. The food at IND
IND is one of those airports where you want to arrive hungry.
The “World’s Best Shrimp Cocktail is served with a signature and very spicy cocktail sauce at Harry & Izzy’s steakhouse in Concourse A. The list of other eateries with local connections includes the Sun King Brewing Co., Shapiro’s Delicatessen, and Tinker Coffee. And check out this Reis and Irvy’s robotic yogurt kiosk.
3. Racing Cars in the IND Terminal
Indianapolis is home to the Indy 500, the largest single-day sporting event in the world. So IND airport displays vintage racing vehicles from the vault at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.
Passengers will also hear revving engine sound effects in the pedestrian bridge.
4. Largest Airport Solar Farm
IND lays claim to being home to the world’s largest airport solar farm. The field of panels creates enough energy to power 3,675 average American homes per year. For more energy, the airport has human-powered charging bikes.
5. Souvenir Shopping at IND
Souvenir shopping at IND? Fun options include made-in-Indiana candy at Natalie’s Candy Jar; books by Indiana authors at INK by Hudson and, for a splurge, a crystal basketball from Scoreboard on Concourse A.
Did we miss one of the features you love about Indianapolis International Airport? If so, drop a note in the comments section below. Also let us know which airport you’d like to nominate to be featured in our series next.
Airline passenger numbers are way down. Many airports still feeling sort of empty, with many shops and restaurants closed or operating on reduced schedules. And buying a plane ticket right now comes with a lot of “what ifs” and few perks.
So, it is an interesting time to a look at the findings of J.D. Power’s 2020 North American Airport Satisfaction Study.
First, the “winners”
The survey put airports up against each other in three categories: “mega” airports with 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year; and medium airports with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.
The airports are scored on a 1,000 point scale that takes into account passenger satisfaction with factors that include terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail, in order of importance.
As with everything else right now, the coronavirus pandemic has put a twist into this year’s airport satisfaction rankings.
The overall customer satisfaction score for North American airports is up this year, to a record-high 784, which is 22 points up from 2019.
Good news, right? Sort of.
“Compared to the pre-COVID-19 environment when most airports were running significantly over capacity, the lack of crowds and long lines is actually creating a convenient experience for travelers right now,” says Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, in the study notes.
“Obviously, this lower passenger volume is not sustainable for most airports. Airport managers are doing all they can to provide a safe and clean environment to facilitate a rebound in travel,” he adds.
Here are top five airports in each category. You can see the full rankings here.
Mega Airports
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (805)
Miami International Airport (801)
McCarran International Airport (797)
Denver International Airport (793)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (793)
Large Airports
Dallas Love Field (844)
John Wayne Airport, Orange County (837)
Tampa International Airport (837)
William P. Hobby Airport (823)
Portland International Airport (814)
Medium Airports
Indianapolis International Airport (866)
Palm Beach International Airport (833)
Southwest Florida International Airport (829)
Albuquerque International Sunport (826)
Pittsburgh International Airport (826)
What about the airports at the bottom of each list?
In the mega category, Newark Liberty International Airport was at the bottom of the list, with a score of 733, just below Chicago O’Hare International Airport, which had a score of 758.
Among large airports, New York’s LaGuardia Airport (in the middle of a much-heralded make-over) ranked lowest, with a score of 712.
And for medium airports, Hawaii’s Kahului Airport was at the bottom of the list, with a 745 score.
