Airport Terminals

Dolly Parton Int’l Airport + more travel tidbits from airports near you

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There’s a Change.org petition underway to change the name of Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Dolly Parton International Airport.

The petition calls Parton a “national treasure” and a Tennessee legend and points out that Dolly Parton is not only a celebrated artist “who encourages love, acceptance, and goodwill through her music,” but she is also a philanthropist “known for her countless contributions to society.”

Therefore, the petition reasons, “it is only fitting that an institution as significant as Nashville International Airport carries the name of such a remarkable woman.”

If the petition succeeds, the organizers point out, “We could all be Departin’ from Parton.”

 

 

More – much more – live music at Long Beach Airport

Long Beach Airport (LGB), which has proclaimed itself “America’s coolest airport,” is getting cooler.

The airport’s LGB Live! music series is expanding from 40 to more than 160 live performances a year.

The expanded LGB Live! program kicks off Thursday, March 27, with a performance by Acoustic Soul Express and will feature performances from professional artists and acclaimed youth performers.

LGB Live! performers are vetted and paid. Performances are typically held post-security for ticketed travelers from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays, with additional shows during busy travel seasons. Exact showtimes, along with information about bonus pre-security performances can be found on LGB Live!

Happy 30th birthday, Denver International Airport

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Thirty years ago, on February 28, 1995, the future staff of StuckatTheAirport.com was having a hard time leaving Denver’s Stapleton International Airport.

It wasn’t that we loved that airport so much.

It was because operations were switching over from Stapleton to the brand new Denver International Airport (DEN) facilities, 19 miles down the road. And, as workers were, literally, rolling up the rugs and stacking up furniture, computers were shutting down and flights were getting later and later.

Those of us who received food vouchers for our delayed flights were having a hard time spending them at the one concession still open that was selling soda and juices for $10 a pop.

Eventually, our flight took off and Denver International Airport (DEN) opened for business.

The airport, which is now the 3rd busiest airport in the country, celebrated its 30th birthday on February 28 and shared some great images, an informative timeline plus a cool timelapse video of the airport’s impressive growth over the years.

Take a look. And let us know your favorite amenities, and if you’ve encountered any aliens from other planets, at Denver International Airport.

Travel Tidbits from Airports Near You

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Winning snowplow names at Bradley Int’l Airport

A second-grade class and a fourth-grade class from Windsor Locks, Connecticut, chose the winning names for two new snowplows at Connecticut’s Bradley International Airport.

The winning names: Snowbelle and Blizzard Wizard.

The story of how Salt Lake City International Airport saved its World Map

This is a great story of the heroic effort to save an iconic world map at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) first installed in the 1960s.

When the new terminal was being built, the map was removed and word was that it was too complicated to save it and that the map wasn’t coming back.

But it did!

Do you have a vintage photo of standing on SLC’s World Map? Please share it.

Travel Tidbits from Airports Near You

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A lot is happening at airports around the country this week. Here’s a round-up of some of what we’ve spotted so far.

First – see if you can catch this deal:

Low-cost Icelandic airline PLAY is offering flights from the U.S. to Iceland for $99 and to London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Paris for $109 from October 24 through 31. Book it here.

This deal is valid for flights booked from November 2024 through January 2025.

Trick-or-Treat at the airport? That could be fun.

In some cities, they do safe trick-or-treating events at the mall. But in Canton, Ohio, kids will head to the Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) on Halloween.

Greeting card vending machine at OAK

The Stuck at the Airport shopping team loves creative airport vending machines. Here’s a new one at OAK airport that dispenses greeting cards.

SLC Airport still celebrating Phase 3 opening

We can’t wait to visit Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to see the new art at amenities that opened as part of the Phase 3 redevelopment.

Fresh art at Bush Intercontinental Airport

And this week Bush Interncontinal Airport (IAH) opened a lovely Terminal D West Pier.

Central Tunnel – and more – lands at Salt Lake City International Airport

Airport Terminals

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) unveiled Phase 3 of its SLC Redevelopment Program, which includes the Central Tunnel, Concourse B Plaza, 12 concessions, 5 Delta Air Lines gates and new art and history installations.

Central Tunnel

The key new element is the Central Tunnel connecting A and B Concourses featuring a large-scale art installation by Artist Gordon Huether titled “The River Tunnel.”

This art installation reflects the rivers that flow through the state’s mountains and canyons. Huether even provides a Spotify playlist with more than 100 songs for the artwork.

As passengers exit The River Tunnel, they enter the Concourse B Plaza where there is an extension of The Canyon and the Northern Light oculus art installations by Huether.

Northern Light weighs 3.1 tons and is fabricated from 500 glass rods and 300 dichroic glass panels.

World Map returns

The Concourse B Plaza is now home to The World Map that once graced the floor of Terminal 1 in the original airport.

The World Map was created by Dallas stoneworker Julius Bartoli based on drawings by Ashton, Evans & Brazier and installed in Terminal 1 in 1960.

And a dinosaur!

A secret until opening day, SLC has made space for “Ally the Dinosaur,” a gift from the Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU).

The replica fossil skeleton of Allosaurus fragilis—Utah’s state fossil—is the quintessential Late Jurassic carnivorous dinosaur. The giant animal roamed Utah’s landscapes 150 million years ago and is now one of the most popular dinosaurs worldwide.

New Concessions

This new phase at SLC includes a dozen new concessions as well.

Dining options include Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen; Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers; Maggiano’s Little Italy; Sunday’s Best; The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; and Thirst.

Shops include Cotopaxi; iStore Express; Relay; Travel Right; The Canyon; and Weller Book Works.

The River Tunnel is NOT filled with water

Contrary to what the airport announced on April 1 (April Fools Day), the tunnel is not filled with water.

And it does not have Disney-type boats instead of moving walkways with paddles provided to passengers who want to row their boats.

Though that would be fun…

New & cool at Charlotte Douglas Int’l Airport

Airport Terminals

The Stuck at the Airport team loves art and amenity-rich airport expansions and Phase II of the Concourse A Expansion opening at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on September 17 looks great.

The 200,000-square-foot expansion adds 10 new gates, bringing the airport’s total number of gates to 124. The new gates will add seven for Delta Air Lines, two for Frontier Airlines and one common-use gate.

Eat and drink in CLT’s new gate area

In addition to an outpost of local favorite, Great Wagon Road Distilling, travelers will find Crown Diner, serving breakfast, burgers, salads and sandwiches. The airport’s third branch of Dunkin’ is here, as well as Market Place, offering snacks, beverages and other essentials.

Delta Air Lines plans to debut a 15,000-square-foot Sky Club here by the end of 2024.

Art and aviation history on display in CLT’s new gate area

By Gate A31 you’ll find a life-sized, 14×40-foot DC-9-82 T-Tail embedded in the terrazzo flooring.

Weighing in at 5,000 pounds, the “Mad Dog” was salvaged from Roswell, New Mexico, reimagined by MotoArt Studio in Los Angeles, and assembled at CLT as a hard-to-miss centerpiece.

Learn about the Wright Brothers’ “First in Flight” story on the way to the gate area. A light wall and the sound of the Wright Flyer accompany passenger movement. Four terrazzo lines, each marked by a bronze plaque, indicate the distances of the Wrights’ first powered flights.

And hanging from the mezzanine level is Val Britton’s 950-square-foot installation, “Where Earth Meets Sky,”

And don’t forget CLT’s new Overlook Area, just down the road from the terminal.

Reopened in June 2024, the CLT Airport Overlook has an unobstructed view of takeoffs and landings on the airfield, play areas, and exhibits about aviation history in the Carolinas.

The CLT Airport Overlook is also home to a retired U.S. military fighter jet: an F4 Phantom II that flew during the Vietnam War and the Cold War.

Opening day for the new main terminal at PDX airport

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Oregon’s Portland International Airport (PDX) opens its doors today on a swanky new main lobby in the terminal that everyone will love.

The Stuck at the Airport team visited a few days before the space opened. Here are some (more) images from our tour.

The old carpet is back. In some places.

There are plenty of places in the airport that are carpeted. But PDX has brought back the social media-famous old carpet patten in a handful of spots in the terminal.

Stadium seating and giant video screens

Two sets of stadium seating with wood benches face each other in the middle of the main terminal lobby. Behind them – over the security checkpoints – are giant video screens with art and imagery of Oregon landscapes.

Art abounds in the new main terminal at PDX

Live trees, a 9-acre wooden roof and live plants

The new main terminal at PDX feels like a park with dozens of trees, a 9-acre timber roof, thousands of plants and lots of places to sit down and enjoy it all.

Snaps from Portland International Airport’s new lobby

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Construction has been going on for more than three years.

But the temporary walls come down on August 14.

And that’s when travelers at Portland International Airport (PDX) will see the new airy, tree-lined pre-security lobby, the massive, vaulted wood ceiling, new and returning shops, lots of art, the latest technology at the security checkpoint, and many other new amenities.

And they’ll know the wait was worth it.

StuckatTheAirport.com got a preview of the lobby at Portland International Airport.

Here are some snaps from our tour.

The center of the new lobby has two sections of stadium seating that will be great for hanging out with friends and family before going through security. This is also where performances will take place. We spotted a grand piano off to the side.

At the top of each section are small lounge areas with – hooray – sections of carpeting that bring back the well-loved and Internet-famous old carpet design. So get ready for a new stream of foot selfies with the #PDXCarpet tag.

Stay tuned for more about the new lobby area at Portland International Airport.

SFO opens the final section of Harvey Milk T1

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The final section of Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is now open.

This phase of the Terminal 1 re-do offers travelers a new north check-in lobby for Alaska Airlines and Delta Airlines and a new mezzanine-level security checkpoint.

Travelers will find new museum galleries, additional aircraft gates, a third airport yoga room, new concessions, and the final piece of the connecting walkway that now links all SFO terminals post-security.

What to look for in the new Harvey Milk T1 section

This week Alaska Airlines moves its check-in area, flights and baggage services from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 and begins using a new automated bag drog technology in the Terminal 1 lobby.

Passengers may now use the new security checkpoint on the T1 mezzanine level. This new checkpoint is accessible from the Terminal 1 Air Train station and will surely become the ‘secret’ way into the airport, now that all terminals are linked post-security.

A common-use lounge, the Club at SFO, opens on June 25. Alaska Airlines will open a new flagship lounge in Terminal 1 in late July. Till then, Alaska Airlines is keeping its T2 lounge open.

The SFO Museum has opened a lovely “Photo Alley” gallery and there are several new concessions, including Green Apple Books.

In Madison, WI: snaps from Dane County Regional Airport’s terminal expansion

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Wisconsin’s Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) is celebrating the completion of its $95 million, 90,000-square-foot south terminal expansion, which includes a beautiful inlay mosaic showing the area’s five lakes.

Other amenities include a new children’s play area, free-to-use meeting rooms and a nice new pet relief area.

We already love MSN airport because it is home to two kiosks that dispense free short stories and because the overall design of the facilities is inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, who lived and worked in this area for many years.

It’s great to see the prairie-style architectural features carried on into these newly expanded terminal areas.

All photos courtesy Dane County Regional Airport