Airports

Tidbits for Travelers

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at PHL Airport

Now through October 15, 2024, watch for events at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) celebrating Hispanic and Latino culture.

The lineup includes craft workshops, salsa dance lessons, heritage talks and samplings of churros and other foods from around the world. See the full schedule here.

JetBlue plans to open lounges in NY and Boston

JetBlue is (finally) joining the airport lounge world with newly-announced plans to open a lounge at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) Terminal 5 in late 2025 and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) Terminal C soon after.

Who will be able to use the JetBlue lounges?

JetBlue says complimentary access to the lounges will be available to holders of a new premium JetBlue credit card, TrueBlue Mosaic 4 members and passengers flying in Mint on transatlantic flights.

TrueBlue Mosaic 4 members and premium JetBlue credit card holders will be able to bring in a guest for free. Annual passes will be available. Day passes and guest passes will be available for purchase by “eligible customers” based on space availability, according to JetBlue. More details to come.

Places we’d go: National Comic Book Day

National Comic Book Day is coming up on September 25 and that makes it a good time to visit the Charles M. Schulz – Sonoma County Airport (STS) in Santa Rosa, CA, where we encountered fun statues of Lucy and Snoopy.

The Charles M. Schulz Museum is nearby, with 3 changing gallery spaces and permanent exhibitions that include Schulz’s recreated studio, a Christo-wrapped Snoop dog house The Peanuts Tile Mural by Japanese artist Yoshiteru Otani featuring an image of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown composed of 3,588 Peanuts comic strip images printed on individual 2 x 8-inch ceramic tiles.

The museum also has a skating pavilion open to the public.

Which airports do travelers love the most?

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It turns out that Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) can win passengers’ hearts even without the promised aircraft viewing area with a pool announced on April Fools Day a few years back.

In the J.D. Power 2024 North America Airport Satisfaction Study, MSP ranks highest in passenger satisfaction in the ‘mega-airport’ category, followed by Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

John Wayne Airport, Orange County (SNA) ranks highest among large airports, followed by Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Kansas City International Airport  (MCI).

Indianapolis International Airport (IND) ranks highest among medium airports (for the 3rd year in a row), Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) ranks second and Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) ranks third.

“Huge air travel demand has not slowed down in North America, despite the steadily rising costs of flights, ground travel, hotel rooms and pretty much anything you can buy in an airport,” said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. “Most travelers are still enjoying the experience. However, we are starting to see a breaking point in consumer spending, with the average spend per person in the terminal declining significantly from a year ago.”

The annual study calculates traveler satisfaction with North American airports in seven categories. In order of importance, those categories are ease of travel through the airport; level of trust with the airport; terminal facilities; airport staff; departure/to airport experience; food, beverage and retail; and the experience arriving at and leaving the airport.

The full lists are posted below so you can see where your favorite ranks this year.

Where is the world’s busiest airport?

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Airports Council International (ACI) World tallies airline traffic numbers each year and the trade group just released the official list of the busiest airports in the world in 2023.

A preliminary list was released in April. And, as it did then, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) tops the list for passenger traffic, followed by Dubai International Airport and Dallas Fort Worth.

Eight airports from the top 20 rankings are in the United States. And, according to the report, the biggest jump in the top 20 rankings is Incheon International Airport. The airport soared from the 99th position in 2022 to the 20th spot in 2023.

See the full list below of the 20 busiest airports in 2023.

Greetings from Nashville Intl Airport (BNA)

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The Stuck at the Airport team spent the weekend exploring Nashville International Airport (BNA) and testing out the airport’s brand new BNA PASSport gate pass program from our base at the new Hilton BNA Nashville Airport Terminal.

The hotel is on the plaza between the terminal and the covered parking garage. Just outside the hotel is an aviation-themed playground, a large fenced area for dogs, chair swings and other spaces to hang out before or after a flight.

Our corner room was super comfy and quiet. And it provided a great perch to watch airplanes coming and going from the gates.

The hotel has a lovely restaurant and a lobby bar that features occasional live music. On the 9th floor, there’s a well-equipped fitness center with views of downtown and the airport. And, on the 10th floor, the hotel’s best feature: the BNA Sky Pavilion. The rooftop has a pool, a fire pit, indoor and outdoor seating, a bar and great views of the runways, the downtown skyline and the surrounding area. While we were there, we even spotted fireworks off in the distance.

The BNA PASSport program

BNA debuted its guest pass program, called BNA PASSport, on July 1 and is issuing 75 visitor passes a day to non-ticketed passengers.

We used our pass on Friday evening to explore the airport’s restaurants, bars and shops.

We had dinner and stopped to listen to live music on at least four stages in various airport restaurants and bars. The airport’s ‘drinks to go’ policy meant we could easily mosey with our cocktails from one stage to the next. And the fact that bottles of really great Tennessee whiskey are sold in seemingly every airport gift shop made us a wee bit sorry we were traveling with only carry-on luggage.

Stay tuned for the story of the surprise in-store event some passengers were treated to during our BNA visit.

Visit this airport, & others, without a plane ticket

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This month Nashville International Airport (BNA) joins the list of airports with a guest pass program.

The BNA Passport guest pass program allows a non-ticketed guest to go through the TSA security checkpoint like a ticketed passenger into the secure side of the airport.

No more than 75 visitor passes a day are being issued. But those who do get them can greet an arriving passenger at the gate, hang with a friend or family member until they need to board their plane or take the opportunity to explore the art, shops, and dining at the airport without lugging around a carry-on bag or worrying about catching a flight.

The Stuck at the Airport team has already applied for a pass and will be touring the airport on Friday. So stay tuned for our report.

In the meantime, here is a list of other airports with guest pass programs. Each program has its own rules, but for BNA’s guest pass program and those below, you’ll need to fill out an online form and give some personal information, usually name, birthdate and gender.

If the TSA clears you, you’ll get instructions for getting through the checkpoint without a ticket to fly.

Airports with Guest Pass Programs

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass Program

The MSY Guest Pass Program at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY),

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW): DTW Destination Pass

Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing, MI: the LAN Visitor Pass,

Flint Bishop Airport (FNT) in Flint, Michigan: FNT Visitor Pass program

OC Air Pass at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA,

ONT+ Visitor Pass Program at California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP): PSP Stay and Play Pass

Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco, WA offers the PSC Pass

Philadelphia International Aiport offers the PHL Wingmate Pass

Tulsa International Airport (TUL): TUL Visitor Pass Program

Orlando International Airport (MCO): Experience MCO Visitor Pass

Did we miss any? Let us know.

Should there be a National Museum of Pop Culture? + a PDX airport trial run

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Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP)

Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP), home to exhibits and experiences celebrating rock and roll music, science fiction and other expressions of popular culture, wants to The National Museum of Pop Culture.

And this week a bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to get the process in motion. The bill will have to pass through congressional committees before it can be voted on by the House of Representatives and the Senate, and then the President would have to sign the bill into law. But we’re confident that will happen.

While that process is going on, we encourage you to visit the museum when you’re in town to see exhibits that include Massive: The Power of Pop Culture, Hidden Worlds: The Films of Laika, Hendrix: Wild Blue Angel, Fantasy World of Myth and Magic – and much more.

Help test out the new main terminal at PDX Airport


Portland International Airport (PDX) will open its new main terminal sometime in August. But first, they need to test it out.

As part of that process, the airport is seeking volunteers for a PDX Dress Rehearsal on Saturday, August 3. Volunteers will serve as pretend travelers and test out the check-in and security systems and share feedback.

As a bonus, the airport is giving volunteers a $50 gift card.

Sound like fun? Register here by July 15.

More airport libraries, please

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Little Free Libraries and Take a Book/Leave a Book racks can be found at more and more airports.

And the Stuck at The Airport literature department is all for it.

We especially like this one: a Children’s Lending Library at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) that is the brainchild of an actual child.

The library at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is filled with novels by Dutch writers in 40 languages, as well as photography books and music by Dutch musicians and composers. 

New York’s Albany International Airport (ALB) has The Writers Institute Room – a glass-enclosed lounge where you can sit and read or pick up a free book to take with you on your travels.

But wouldn’t it be great if there was an airport that had a full-fledged library branch on-site? Like this one that was once at Nashville International Airport (BNA).

ATL is the world’s busiest airport. Again.

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On Monday, Airports Council International (ACI) World unveiled the preliminary list of the top 10 busiest airports worldwide for 2023 and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) once again tops the list.

ATL welcomed 104.7 million passengers in 2023, an 11.7% increase over the 2022.

Dallas Forth Worth International Airport (DFW), which has for years taken the second-busiest-airport spot, dropped to third busiest, edged out out Dubai International Airport (DXB).

While 5 airports in the top 10 rankings for total passenger traffic are in the United States, the shuffle at the top showcases “significant shifts driven by the resurgence of international air travel,” said ACI.

Tokyo Haneda (HND) is in the top 10 rankings at number 5 for 2023, which is a giant leap from its ranking of number 16 in 2022.

ACI estimated that the global total passenger forecast for 2023 will be close to 8.5 billion, reflecting a healthy recovery of 93.8% from pre-pandemic levels.

The airport rankings are based on data gathered from over 2,600 airports across more than 180 countries and territories globally.

Here are the rest of the Top 10 Busiest Airport rankings:

Is it OK for both SFO & OAK airports to have ‘San Francisco in their names?

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The Port of Oakland, which operates Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK), wants to add “San Francisco” to its official name to raise awareness about its location on the San Francisco Bay.

If the plan goes forward, the new name will be San Francisco Bay Oakland International Airport instead of Metropolitan Oakland International Airport (OAK).

The airport code OAK and the airport’s visual branding will stay the same.

“Market research and interviews with airline partners have shown that routes have not performed as well as they should have due to the lack of geographic awareness, making air carriers reluctant to sustain and add new routes in Oakland,” said Port of Oakland Interim Director of Aviation Craig Simon.

Here’s a short video explaining OAK’s name modification plan. Port Commissioners will vote on the plan at their April 11, 2024, Port Board meeting. If they approve it, OAK staff will start moving forward with the formal renaming.

SFO: “Not so fast, OAK”

As you may imagine, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) isn’t happy with another airport adding ‘San Francisco’ to its name.

“SFO has operated since 1927 and has used the name ‘San Francisco Airport’ or ‘San Francisco International Airport’ for most of its history, making it immediately recognizable to customers,” SFO director Ivar C. Satero said in a release. “Given this history, we anticipate the new name being considered by the Metropolitan Oakland International Airport will cause confusion for the public, either through a misunderstanding of its physical location or its perceived relationship to SFO. This concern is only compounded considering SFO’s status as a major international gateway.”

What do you think? Should SFO and OAK both have “San Francisco in their names?

SFO will rename its International Terminal for Diane Feinstein

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The San Francisco Airport Commission approved a resolution to rename the International Terminal at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) for the late Senator and former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who died in September.

Feinstein was a big supporter of the airport. She advocated for the construction of the airport’s first International Terminal, which opened in 1983 and played a major role in making sure BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit service, was extended to SFO.

While we’re at SFO

The SFO Museum shared this image of a model airplane to mark the anniversary of the first Pan American Airways scheduled flight, which took off on January 16, 1928 from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba.

The museum notes that the eight-passenger plane made the 90-mile trip in just under 90 minutes and that the fare was 50, or about $887 in today’s dollars.