Environment

Tidbits for travelers: Free Wi-Fi & free photos with Santa

Air Travel, Airlines, Airports, Environment, Events, free Wi-Fi, Fun Stuff, Music, Wi-Fi, ,

Free Wi-Fi on Delta Air Lines

From now till January 2, 2012 passengers on Wi-Fi equipped Delta airplanes will be able to use the in-flight Gogo Wi-Fi for free for 30 minutes each flight.

It is a partnership with eBay, so you can continue shopping on that one site for the entire flight.

More info on free Wi-Fi on Delta Air Lines here.

Holiday music at JFK and LGA airports

Jazz trios, quartets and quintets from the New York Pops orchestra and up to 25 members of the performance choir from the Choir Academy of Harlem will entertain American Airlines passengers with holiday music at LaGuardia and JFK International Airports during the next few weeks.

In LaGuardia Airport, performances will be in the Central Terminal Building, American Airlines Concourse D, Gate D5.

• Dec. 14, 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Trio
• Dec. 20, 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Trio
• Dec. 22, 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quartet

At JFK International Airport, the concerts will be held in American Airlines Terminal 8, Concourse B Lobby by Gates 14 and 16.

• Dec. 16, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quintet
• Dec. 19, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Choir Academy of Harlem Performance Choir
• Dec. 20, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Choir Academy of Harlem Performance Choir
• Dec. 22, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quintet
• Dec. 23, 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The New York Pops Jazz Quintet

During their performances, The New York Pops will offer travelers an opportunity to win tickets to an upcoming concert at Carnegie Hall.

Photos with Santa


Southwest Airlines, Clear Channel Airports and Microsoft Windows are teaming up to offer free holiday photos with Santa at 19 airports around the country through December 24th.

Look for the holiday-themed kiosks , Santa and a “Windows 7 Elf” at some of the Southwest Airlines gates at these airports:

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Denver International Airport (DEN)
Detroit Metro Airport (DTW)
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL)
General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport (STL)
Logan International Airport (BOS)
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY)
Nashville International Airport (BNA)
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX)
Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
San Antonio International Airport (SAT)
San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
Tampa International Airport (TPA)

Dance video booth at Las Vegas airport

Airports, Environment, Music, , ,

Here’s a fun – and funny – airport amenity that you’ll only find at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas: a Dance Heads Video Booth

Located near Gate D-5, this booth looks like a photo booth, but is actually a video booth that lets you pick from one of 45 songs (Elvis – of course – Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, James Brown and others) then superimposes your face over animated videos of dancers. Then it makes a recording. For $10, you get a DVD copy of the “performance.” Extra copies, $10 as well.

If you try it out, be sure to send a copy along to StuckatTheAirport.com.

Rocking chairs at Sea-Tac rocked out

Airports, Environment, ,

As airport amenities go, rocking chairs are highly appreciated offerings.

Rockers at Boston Logan Airport

You’ll find rocking chairs at airports in Boston, Houston, Charlotte, Philadelphia and many other cities, but right now the rocking chairs that were set out by the giant window in the Central Terminal at Sea-Tac International Airport are gone.

“They have been so popular they have been loved to worn out,” Sea-Tac spokesperson Perry Cooper told StuckatTheAirport.com. “We had four and we are ordering several more this time because they were so popular and we want to have extras as well.”

Cooper says the new rockers should be in the terminal in time for holiday rocking.

 

Rockers at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport

(Rocking chair at St. Louis Airport)

Free “Catch Me If You Can” show at JetBlue’s T5

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If you’re traveling to or through JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at JFK airport on Thursday, August 11, 2011, boy are you in luck.

At 3:30 pm, cast members from the Broadway musical Catch Me If You Can will be presenting a free performance featuring six excerpts from the musical.

The musical is based on the film that was based on the life of Frank W. Abagnale, Jr., who forged checks, posed as a pilot, a doctor and a lawyer, and generally lived the high life until getting busted by a determined FBI agent.

Here’s a sneak peek:

Bee farming at O’Hare Airport

Environment, Food, Fun Stuff, , , ,

Bee farmers seem to be busy as their bees these days, setting up beehives on hotel rooftops and, now, at some U.S. airports.

A growing number of Fairmont Hotels in North America, including the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle, the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto and the Fairmont Vancouver Airport have their own hives and honey-producing bees.

Close to a dozen airports in Germany host bee hives and monitor them for signs of pollution caused by air traffic.

Now comes word that Chicago’s O’Hare Airport is hosting 33 hives belonging to Sweet Beginnings, a non-profit group that helps ex-offenders and others find permanent jobs.

The group hopes to set up hives next at Midway Airport and eventually sell the airport-made honey at shops inside the airport.

Sweet!

Park yourself at Amsterdam Airport

Air Travel, Art, Environment, , ,

If you’re going to get Stuck at the Airport, you’d be lucky to get stuck at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

Amenities include a great play area for kids, a top notch art collection, plenty of lounge chairs for napping, an observation deck, free Wi-Fi (for an hour), a library and lots more.  You can even get married at the airport.

So I was pleased – but not surprised – to learn that the airport was rolling out something new: an in-airport park filled with greenery and gadgetry.

Here’s the story I wrote about the park for msnbc.com travel.

A new park-like space at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport offers a breath of fresh air for weary travelers.

Airport Park, which opened Wednesday, features a post-security “haven of tranquility” that employs imagery and technology to help set the tone. Photos of famous parks and projections of butterflies adorn the walls. The piped-in sounds of animals, bicycle bells and kids at play create a park-like soundtrack. Wooden picnic tables, chaise lounges, trees and chairs upholstered in “ivy” complete the scene.

Hungry travelers will find food and beverage nearby. Travelers who want to work will find power outlets. Those who want to get some exercise can ride stationary bicycles that generate energy to recharge portable gadgets.

The welcoming indoor/outdoor green spot is the newest addition to the airport, which already invites travelers to spend their dwell time at a casino, a library or at the airport’s branch of the famed Rijksmuseum.

For those who find the indoor park too much of a tease for the real thing, there’s also an outdoor terrace with real greenery and trees, benches, picnic tables, views of the airfield and that much sough-after airport amenity: fresh air.

It’s “a good example of how airports around the world are increasingly upgrading the airport experience in order to become a preferred hub for travelers,” said Raymond Kollau of airlinetrends.com, an Amsterdam-based consumer trends research agency.

Kollau concedes that parks won’t be popping up inside airports everywhere, but said Schiphol’s new park is “relevant and fun.”

 

Fish valet and other posh airport amenities

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Spas, saunas, swimming pools, giant slides and sunflowers. That could be a list of swanky amenities to look for at upscale resorts or hotels. But it’s actually a sampling of some of the Posh Airport Amenities I featured in a slide show for Bing Travel.

Here’s a sample.

Fairmont Vancouver Airport fish valet

Travelers at Vancouver International Airport can take care of dry cleaning, shoe-repair and medical/dental services during a layover in the terminal. But those heading home from a fishing trip with a 100 pound halibut in tow can seek out the services of the Fish Valet and the special “visiting fish” freezer at the on-site Fairmont Vancouver Hotel.

Hong Kong airport gold course

There’s a putting green in the terminal at Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport, but the USGA-approved, nine-hole Sky City Nine Eagles Golf Course adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 out-poshes that. Nine Eagles has a Thai restaurant, club house, putting greens, and plenty of night golfing opportunities. Soon Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport will have a golf course next door too.

LAX Theme Building

When it comes to posh airport bars, GateGuru data analyst Zachary Einzig gives high marks to the Encounter Restaurant, perched on top of the recently-restored Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Inside, the Encounter’s space-age décor is something the Jetsons would appreciate. Outside, the views of the airfield are out of this world.

There are more… check back to find out which airports offer libraries, saunas, exotic gardens, bike rentals, museums, breweries, make-your-own sundae machines, and weekly tributes to Frank Sinatra.

Have a favorite posh airport amenity? Please add your comment below.

Sneak peek at Environmental Steward-ess

Air Travel, Art, Environment, Exhibits, , ,

Under the name “Recycle Runway, ” Nancy Judd makes couture fashion out of trash. One example: this western-style cowgirl skirt and vest made by weaving pages from old phone books. Pages from old directories have also been applied to the cowgirl hat and vintage “pee-wee” cowgirl boots. Used CDs create the silver accents on the outfit.

cowgirl outfit made of old phone books

Judd’s work has been displayed at airports in Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Albuquerque. And later this month, 18 eco-trash couture garments will go on display at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Of special interest will be this flight attendant uniform titled Environmental Stewdard-ess.

Judd_Environmental_Stewardess

Judd says:

“The uniform, hat and purse are sewn from worn-out leather seat covers from Delta planes. The cape is made from replaced safety cards, Sky Magazines, old plane tickets, and pretzel wrappers all cut into strips and sewn onto worn pillow cases. The cape was then lined with a discarded Delta blanket. Both the cape and purse appear to fly in the wind thanks to armatures created from metal wire used for yard signs during the last presidential election. Recycled aluminum cans were used to create the vintage Delta symbol on the purse, hat and belt.”

Earth Hour at the airport

Airports, Environment, Events, , , , ,

This Saturday, March 26, 2011, lights will go out in homes, buildings, towns and cities around the world as part of a coordinated effort to raise public awareness of climate change and the need for energy conservation.

Several airports are joining the effort.

 

At LAX, the 100-foot-tall LAX Gateway pylons that illuminate the entrance to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), will light solid green for one hour before Earth Hour. During Earth Hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., the pylons will be turned off and then resume their color-changing display at 9:30 p.m.

Toronto Pearson International Airport will also be marking Earth Hour this year by reducing lighting in terminals, parking garages and support buildings, turning off or reducing HVAC systems, turning off high-speed moving walkways in Terminal 1 and taking other energy-saving measures.

Singapore’s Changi Airport will switch off all decorative lights, dim non-critical operational lights in much of the airport.and give out battery-less flashlights to travelers who take a simple energy quiz.

London Luton Airport will be switching off lights in many parts of the airport, including its illuminated logo on the front of the terminal building.

And at the Budapest airport they’ll switch off the entire airstrip for Earth Hour. According to Earth Hour organizers, “We have been assured that airport staff are well prepared for the temporary black-out, which will take place under strict national and international control to ensure the utmost passenger and aviation safety.”

Let’s hope so!