OTG

Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology landing soon at Dallas Love Field

Courtesy Hudson

Now that ‘contactless’ is king, travel retail brand Hudson is rolling out airport convenience stores that will use Amazon’s ‘Just Walk Out’ technology.

The first Hudson Nonstop shop will open at Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL) sometime in the first quarter of 2021. And more airport ‘nonstop’ locations are promised for later in the year.

Here’s how it will work:

Travelers will gain access to the store with a credit card and shop as they would in a ‘normal’ store by picking up items they want to buy. Then, instead of going to the cashier stand, a shopper can just walk out of the store with their items. The high-tech store automatically adds the charges to the card.

The 500-square-foot Hudson Nonstop shop at Dallas Love Field will be located post-security, by Gate 10. For sale will be Grab & Go food, beverages, snacks, electronics, PPE items, and health and beauty items. And while the shopping will contactless, there will be staff on hand to clean and sanitize surfaces, restock shelves and, most likely, reassure customers that ‘Yes, you CAN just walk out with that stuff.”

Hudson is not the first to employ ‘Just Walk Out’ technology in an airport.

Courtesy OTG

Back in March 2020 — unfortunately just as COVID-19 began shutting down travel — OTG began using the technology at one of its CIBO Express Gourmet Markets in Newark Liberty’s Terminal C. EWR now has two CIBO locations offering this contactless shopping option, with more in the works at EWR and other airports.

Courtesy OTG

JetBlue’s charming Marine Air Terminal at LGA

Marine Air Termional at LGA – courtsey Library of Congress

In New York, JetBlue moved all of its LaGuardia Airport flights to Terminal A – the historic Marine Air Terminal – in December 2017.

Courtesy JetBlue

18 flights a day now operate out of this space, which offers passengers a private-terminal feel, a Mamava nursing pod, a CIBO Express Market with plenty of New York-themed souvenirs and Salotto, a farm to table Italian restaurant created by the airport hospitality company, OTG.

To celebrate the first year of operations at the LGA’s Marine Air Terminal, JetBlue and OTG hosted a terminal tour and tasting lunch at Salotto.

Here are some snaps from the day.

Historic rotunda at LGA Marine Air Terminal – Harriet Baskas

Passengers enter the Marine Air Terminal at LaGuardia through the historic rotunda and pass under “Flight,” a circular Works Progress Administration (WPA) mural by artist James Brooks that was completed in 1942, covered over in the 1950s, but restored in 1980.

Courtesy JetBlue

Check-in and the security checkpoint areas are just beyond the rotunda.

photo Harriet Baskas

A CIBO Express market with plenty of grab-n-go items and New York- themed souvenirs is on the short ramp leading up to the gate areas.

Cibo Express at JetBlue Marine Air Terminal A at LaGuardia. Photo Harriet Baskas

Lounge seating, the 4-gate hold area and OTG’s farm to table Italian restaurant, Salotto, are at the top of the ramp.

Photo Harriet Baskas


In addition to an extensive list of cocktails (starting with an aperol spritz; end with an espresso martini), Salotto’s menu offers a wide range of appetizers (try ricotta toast or the meatballs), sandwiches and more than a dozen varieties of good-sized Neopolitan-style, fresh-made pizzas that range in price from $9 to $16.

Which airport boasts one of world’s largest tequila bars?

Today – July 24 – is National Tequila Day and if you happen to be passing through Newark Liberty International Airport today you can celebrate in United Terminal C at the bar appropriately named Tacquila – which claims to be one of the largest and most exclusive tequila bars in the world.

Operated by OTG – the folks who brought tablet-ordering to airports – Tacquila features over 150 tequila bottles, including rare and ultra-luxury brands such as Clase Azul Ultra Anejo and Casa Dragones Joven.

Several other airports, including Charlotte Douglas International (which has a Tequileria in the artrium), have tequila-themed bars, but you’ll find tequila on the shelf at most every airport bar.

So drink up – but be responsible about it.

 

Why you should go to Newark Airport hungry

There is now a very sweet, very fresh and very good reason to go to the airport hungry – if you’re flying through United Airline’s Terminal C and Newark Liberty International Airport.

United Airlines and OTG are finishing up a $120 million “re-imagining” of Terminal C at EWR, creating 55 new restaurants, bars and food markets. One of the new venues – the Mélange Bakery Café – includes what is likely the first 24-hour production bakery inside an airport.

The staff there is not only creating croissants, macarons, gourmet chocolates, bagels, doughnuts and other pastries for café customers, but for all the food outlets in the terminal.

It’s a tall order, and consulting Chef Jacques Torres (aka “Mr. Chocolate) wasn’t quite sure the staff of two executive pastry chefs and team of round-the-clock bakers could pull off making everything fresh on the premises in an airport, but during an opening celebration on Tuesday Torres said, “It works! It’s unusual for an airport, but the beauty is everything goes from the oven to the store, just like the bakeries in France.”

Here’s what Melange plans to bake each day: more than 1,000 croissants, assorted pastries and buns; more than 1,200 hand-rolled New York-style bagels (including rainbow bagels); 600+ muffins; 200+ hand-crafted chocolate bars; 12 types of macaroons; 10 varieties of doughnuts, such as Passion Fruit and Maple Bacon, six varieties of sweet and savory eclairs and lots of cupcakes.

Find Mélange in the Global Bazaar on the C1 Concourse in United’s Newark Liberty Terminal C, by Gates 90-91.

 

Spotted at United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty Airport

This week I had the pleasure of touring the restaurants and shops at United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport with Eric Brinker from OTG, the company that has been transforming traditional airport concourses into snazzy iPad-adorned destinations.

Stay tuned for a more detailed report on what’s there- and especially what’s about to be there – but as it’s Friday I wanted to share these two pictures of items I spotted on my tour.

Above are some fun candies sold alongside vinyl records and turntables at the gift shop next to the CBGB L.A.B.

Below, LEGO airplanes you can buy with cash – or United airlines miles – at the Miles Shop inside the terminal. You can also use your miles to pay for food and drinks purchased in the terminal.