Airport guides

5 Things We Love About London Gatwick Airport

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Our ‘5 Things We Love About’ series highlighting features and amenities at airports around the world continues with London’s Gatwick Airport (LGW).

We have airport mascot Gary Gatwick to help highlight some of the amenities.

1. CONVENIENCE

Most travelers only think of Heathrow Airport when they think of booking flights to London.

But getting to central London from Gatwick Airport is really quite easy. And fast.

Gatwick is about 30 miles south of central London and the non-stop Gatwick Express rail service makes the trip to London’s Victoria Station in just 30 minutes. And Victoria Station is very centrally located.

On the train, travelers will find free Wi-Fi, power sockets, and places to store suitcases.

There’s even a “Delay Repay” offer if you’re arrival is delayed by at least 15 minutes.    

 Thameslink trains also make the journey easy from Gatwick Airport to London Bridge and other destinations.

2. HOTEL OPTIONS AT GATWICK AIRPORT

For quick naps or a freshen-ups once you land, the YotelAir London Gatwick Airport, located landside in the South Terminal, offers super-compact ‘cabins’ for stays as short as four hours.

Gatwick Airport also offers travelers the choice of staying overnight at the Sofitel London Gatwick or the Hilton London Gatwick, both owned by the Arora Group. We found rates at both hotels lower than at the corresponding properties at Heathrow.

3. FIRST AIRPORT GIN DISTILLERY

The world’s first airport distillery is at Gatwick Airport.

You’ll find it tucked in the corner of the Nicholas Culpeper Pub & Dining venue, which is located pre-security in Gatwick’s North Terminal.

The distillery produces small batch, bespoke London Gatwick Airport Gin that is used in many of the specialty cocktails at the restaurant.

If the distiller is on site, you might get even get invited in for a tour and a taste.  

4. GOURMET DINING AT GATWICK

Juniper & Co, located post-security in the North Terminal, offera a menu featuring high-quality, locally sourced ingredients.

There’s a kid’s menu; a curated bar menu that includes a map showing how far away some the specialty gins, wines, beers, and juices are made; a breakfast menu; and an all-day menu with dishes using a wide range of locally-sourced ingredients.

Super fresh meals are made with salmon from H. Forman & Son (48 miles from Gatwick), Wells Farm bacon, sausages, and eggs (farmed 26 miles away), artisan bread freshly baked by Flour Station (60 miles from Gatwick), and a great cheese plate made with a great assortment of local cheeses.

5. AIRPORT MASCOT GARY GATWICK

For entertainment and engagement, Gatwick Airport has a mascot named Gary Gatwick.

A small version of the teddy bear mascot can be spotted out and about in the city, the region, and around the world. But in the airport, a full-size Gary Gatwick will often be found in the terminal and at special airport events.

5 Things We Love About HEL – Helsinki Airport

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Beyond, or perhaps we should say despite, its great airport code – HEL- Helsinki Airport, operated by Finavia, offers travelers some charming and thoughtful amenities in its new main terminal.

Here are some snaps from a tour on our way home from a week exploring Finland after joining Finnair on the first flight from Seattle to Helsinki.

Here are 5 of the amenities we loved.

Welcome to Helsinki

Passengers entering the arrivals hall – and those waiting for their friends or loved ones to arrive – are greeted with a calming indoor garden with live plants.

Thoughtful, automatic sanitizing

Is that handrail clean? In most airports, we don’t know. But at Helsinki Airport you can grab on with confidence because the handrail is automatically sanitized all the time.

Art with a sense of place

‘Aukio’ (by Gate 40) is an oasis where passengers can wind down and experience Finnish nature.

The curved 360° LED screen is a projection, soundscape, and interactive wall offering a journey through Finland’s nature and its four seasons. The landscapes change every 10 minutes, the speakers play nature sounds, and an interactive screen lets visitors create art with snowflakes, the Northern Lights, or autumn leaves.

Souvenirs

Airport shops offer everything from Finnish clothing and accessories by Marimekko to licorice-flavored liquors, reindeer pate, and bear meat. (If that’s your thing…)

Christmas Cabin

Santa’s year-round home is in Finland, Finns and others will tell you. So it makes sense that Helsinki Airport has a Christmas Cabin right there in the terminal.

Inside is a faux sauna, a storybook, Scandinavian-style furniture and decorations, and a Book of Names so that Santa knows who has been good or bad.

CRP: 5 Things We Love About Corpus Christi International Airport

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We are back with another episode of “5 Things We Love About,” highlighting the features and amenities of airports around the country and the world.

Today we are landing at Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP) in South Texas. CRP is served by three airlines – American Eagle, Southwest, and United Airlines – and is the airport area visitors use on their way to and from sport and bay fishing, the USS Lexington, and the Texas State Aquarium.

Here are some of our favorite amenities at Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP).

1. The terminal building at CRP

In addition to the welcoming ‘waves’ at the front of the building, the gate areas of the Hayden W. Head Terminal offer passengers panoramic views of the entire airfield. In addition to commercial aircraft and business and corporate jets, passengers may spot Navy Trainers doing “touch and goes” and taxiing.

2. The Art at Corpus Christi International Airport

Where the Sun Meets the Sea” by Shan Shan Sheng is an impressive overhead blown glass piece designed for this terminal. The airport also has an exhibit filled with items on loan from the Art Museum of South Texas.

Texas Boots – ceramic – by -William Wilhelm

3. Selfie Stations at Corpus Christi Int’l Airport

4. USS Lexington Model at CRP

CRP airport is home to this great model of the USS Lexington CV-16, which is now a museum about 7 miles from the airport. According to the museum, this ship was commissioned in 1943 and set more records than any other Essex Class carrier in the history of naval aviation. The ship was also the oldest working carrier in the United States Navy when decommissioned in 1991.

Here is a detail from the model.

There is also a display of photos about the history of the airport and the airfield inside the Co-Pilot Coffee Shop, post-security. The images are from the Doc McGregor photograph collection at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History.

Gyroplane visits Corpus Christi in 1932

5. Souvenir Shopping at CRP

6. BONUS: Go Team Therapy Dogs at CRP

CRP is the training ground for the non-profit Go Team, which trains dogs and handlers. Each therapy dog has its own calling card.

Did we miss your favorite feature or amenity at Corpus Christ International Airport (CRP)? Would you like to see your favorite airport featured in the “5 Thing We Love About” series on Stuck at The Airport?

Drop a line in the comments section below.

Tune in to these airport podcasts

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Courtesy Library of Congress

Airport podcasts

If you like airports and podcasts, then you should probably be listening to airport podcasts.

We’re not sure we have them all, but we’re starting to put a list together. Let us know what we’re missing,

Here’s what we have so far.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is hosting a new podcast called the Austin Approach. They kicked it off just in time to dig into some unusual weather issues, such as snow.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) hosts Carolina Traveler. Season one episodes highlight attractions and activities in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties, as well as GSP’s economic impact on the Upstate.

At Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), airport CEO Chellie Cameron has been sharing news about the airport in Chellie’s Podcasts.

The podcast from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is called The Fly Angle. Episodes so far have covered how the airport attracts new air service, shopping at the airport, aircraft noise, and where to find great craft beer at the airport.

FWA: 5 Things We Love About Fort Wayne Int’l Airport

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5 Things We Love About Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA)

We’re back with another episode in our “5 Things We Love About…” series highlighting features and amenities at airports about the country and the world.

Today we land at Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) in Indiana.

1. Free cookies at FWA

Without a doubt, Fort Wayne International Airport has one of the best airport amenities we’ve encountered: free cookies for all arriving passengers.

On our first visit to FWA, a seatmate told us that we’d get a cookie on arrival. We thought they were making a joke. But it turned out they were not kidding at all.

The cookies are baked at Ellison Bakery, just across the street from the airport. And FWA has been handing out these delightful welcome snacks for more than 20 years.

The cookies are clearly a hit: in June 2020 the airport handed out its “3 Millionth Cookie” and debuted a new style of cookie. Now, instead of one cookie, every arriving passenger at Fort Wayne International Airport is welcomed with a package that’s filled with several miniature cookies. The flavors include Birthday Cake and Chocolate Chip and several other varieties are rotated in.

2. Local brands at FWA

FWA puts an emphasis on local brands in the airport. Chapman’s Brewing Company out of Angola, Indiana serves a touch of Northeast Indiana with locally brewed beer on tap. And Conjure Coffee brings a sampling of Fort Wayne’s local coffee scene to FWA.

3. Customer service at FWA

We told you about the cookies that the Hospitality Hosts hand out to passengers at FWA. In any airport, that would check the box for customer service.

But FWA doesn’t stop there. The airport’s Customer Service Agents (CSAs) also provide complimentary curbside luggage service, wheelchair assistance, a parking lot shuttle, and other services.

4. Hospitality PAWS

Hospitality PAWS is FWA’s certified therapy dog program.

All the pups are highly trained and certified through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs and show up with their trainers at select times during the week.

5. More to come at FWA

Project Gateway is FWA’s expansion and improvement project. On the agenda: the Parking Lot Rehabilitation Project, East and West Terminal Apron Improvement Project, and the FWA West Terminal Building Expansion. That last piece will add additional gates, a new Mother’s Room, an upgraded Children’s Play Area, and expanded ticketing area, a modernized exterior façade, and more.   

Did we miss your favorite feature of Fort Wayne International Airport? Let us know in the comments section below. And feel free to nominate the next airport to be featured in the “5 Things We Love About…” series.