airline lounges

DEN’s new Capital One Lounge +SFO’s newest exhibit

airline lounges, , , ,

Traveling to or through Denver International Airport (DEN) soon?

Certain Capital One cardholders and anyone willing to buy a $ 65 single visit pass can now spend their airport dwell time in the comfy Plaza Premium Lounge on Concourse A, on the mezzanine level near Gate A34.

Amenities include local artwork, plenty of comfy seating areas, private workspaces, phone booths, shower suites, a parents’ room, relaxation rooms, and plenty of tasty offerings for food and drink.

As with its other lounges, some of the dishes and drinks are very local. Here, for example, there’s a Colorado Ground Bison Sloppy Joe on the menu, draft beers curated by Cerveceria Colorado and some specialty cocktails created by Denver’s Yacht Club Bar.

(Images courtesy Denver International Airport)

SFO Museum presents Kay Sekimachi: Weaving Traditions

The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is offering a new exhibit featuring the work of pioneering fiber artist Kay Sekimachi.

Her weavings feature a wide range of media and techniques, including on- and off-loom textiles, stitched-paper forms, and molded fiber bowls.

The exhibit, Kay Sekimachi: Weaving Traditions, presents a retrospective of Kay Sekimachi’s extraordinary woven art from the collection of Forrest L. Merrill and is at SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1

(Photos courtesy SFO Museum)

After 95 years, Midway Airport gets a lounge

airline lounges, ,

Chicago’s Midway Airport getting its first lounge

Each year, more than 22.7 million people fly through Chicago’s Midway International Airport (MDW).

But while they can access amenities that include a yoga room, permanent and temporary art exhibits, and a wide variety of dining and shopping outlets, there is no independent or airline-affiliated lounge.

And in the airport’s 95-year history, there has never been one.

But this time next year that should change.

The Club, which operates lounges in close to 20 US airports, is coming to MDW and will offer complimentary food and beverages and what is promised to be an “inviting, relaxing environment.”

The Club MDW will located in the airport’s Central Market area, at the intersection of Concourses A and B. And, like the other lounges in The Club’s network, will be available to all travelers, regardless of airline and class of service. Access will be available via the Priority Pass program or a $50/per visit fee.

A look at Alaska Airline’s new lounge at SFO

airline lounges, , , ,

We stopped by the new Alaska Airlines lounge in Terminal 2 at San Fransico International Airport (SFO) to see for ourselves what the space was like.

Sadly, the sourdough toast cart wasn’t open for business during our visit. Instead, we indulged in a made-for-us Americano and treats from the serve-yourself candy bar. There are jars filled with Ghirardelli chocolate, Jelly Belly beans, and fortune cookies from the Oakland Fortune Cookie Factory. We tried them all.   

Besides the great airfield views, the best part of this lounge may be the San Francisco Giants-themed children’s play area. This space has adorable, kid-sized baseball-inspired furniture. There’s a wall of baseball bobbleheads. And an interactive display of different types of pitches.

Travel Tidbits from Airports Near You

airline lounges, , , , ,

Flooding at EWR Airport

Awful flooding images from the Northeast Wednesday evening. This one shows flooding inside Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).

More airports getting robots to help deliver meals

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) now has a two-wheeled, semiautonomous robot named NomNom helping to deliver food and beverage ordered online as part of the www.LAXOrderNow.com program.

NomNom is a cargo robot that can carry up to 40 pounds of food at a time. It follows behind delivery staff from AtYourGate, which delivers food ordered via LAX Order Now. The robot can move at speeds up to 6 mph and uses a series of cameras and sensors to recognize and follow its handler throughout the airport.

Alaska Airlines’ New Lounge at SFO

The new Alaska Airlines lounge in Terminal 2 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has some amenities we’re very anxious to see in person. In addition to serving Bay Area brews and wines from local vineyards, the lounge has a sourdough toast cart (!), a candy bar that includes Ghirardelli chocolate, Jelly Belly beans, and custom fortune cookies from Oakland Fortune Cookie Factory. There’s even a San Francisco Giants-themed children’s play area. The photos below are from Alaska Airlines; we’re going to have to visit in person to get our own.

British Airways testing robot bartenders in two lounges

airline lounges, ,

More airport robots are coming to serve you.

A Briggo robotic barista serves up specialty coffee drinks from two automated Coffee Haus spots in Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and from one located in San Francisco International Airport (SFO) adjacent to the security entrance inside Terminal 3.

Now comes word that throughout February, a robot bartender will be serving drinks at the British Airways lounges at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and at San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

BA has installed the Barsys 2.0, a smart automated cocktail-making machine. Customers order a drink by clicking a button on a screen. Then they place a glass on a small conveyor belt and the robot bartending machine does the rest.

No doubt, without the witty bartender banter.

British Airways’ First and Club World customers traveling from San Francisco and Newark will be able to sidle up to the robotic bar and choose from 30 cocktails and a variety of customizable drinks. Two special cocktails are on the menu: one called Silicon Galley; the other Echo-Whiskey-Romeo.

Not visiting either of these British Airways lounges this month? Looks like you can buy your own robot bartender for under $1000.

Here’s how it works.