San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the latest airport to open a Sensory Room for passengers.
Designed for Neurodiverse travelers and their families, the interactive room offers a variety of experiences.
Spaces include an ‘Activity Area’ with both analog and digital options, a ‘Calming/Soothing Area’ for contemplation and wonderment and a life-size ‘Cabin Experience’ featuring a realistic, full-scale aircraft interior mock-up which allows families to acclimate to the experience of flying before boarding their actual flight.
Look for SFO’s Sensory Room post-security in Harvey Milk Terminal 1, which can be accessed from any SFO terminal via connecting walkways.
The SFO Sensory Room will be open daily from 5:00 am to 11:00 p.m and will not be staffed.
SFO is pleased to offer a new Sensory Room in Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Designed especially for our neurodivergent travelers, the space features interactive experiences to help guests prepare for their trip and alleviate pre-flight anxiety. Learn more: https://t.co/TgqEsatFVZpic.twitter.com/FAV1BPSnSs
— San Francisco International Airport (SFO) ✈️ (@flySFO) December 16, 2024
In addition to offering 60 miles of beaches, a boardwalk, oodles of restaurants and shops, and attractions ranging from about 90 golf courses to a cool Ferris wheel, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, prides itself on being sensory-friendly.
Here are some of the ways they do this:
*More than 150 local businesses have taken a sensory-friendly pledge to create an inclusive environment and have trained their staff members in ways to make that happen.
*Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) participates in the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program. Airport and airline personnel – and other travelers – know that anyone wearing a sunflower lanyard might need special assistance or extra patience on their journey. The airport also offers a Quiet Room in the baggage claim area where families can decompress before or after a flight.
*Many Myrtle Beach restaurants, attractions and hotels offer discounts and special services to members of the Autism Travel Club ($10/year). For example, wait staff at participating restaurants are trained to seat guests in a quiet space, to expedite meals and checkouts as needed and to handle potential sensory overload situations with understanding and compassion.
Now there’s another tool in the Myrtle Beach sensory friendly toolkit.
A new children’s book, “Splish, Splash, Squawk! Finding Joy in a Sensory-Friendly Vacation,” created in partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach and author and illustrator Lynda Farrington Wilson, explores some of the challenges faced by families with children on the autism spectrum.
The book tells the story of Maris the parrot who, armed with her trusty telescope and heart full of compassion, watches over the families vacationing in Myrtle Beach.
(This is a slightly different version of a story we wrote for NBC News)
What makes a happy camper this summer? S’mores, sing-alongs and — lately — streaming.
The pandemic nudged millions of people toward outdoorsy trips and experiences, and many are now hooked. But they’re increasingly demanding a decent Wi-Fi connection wherever they pitch their tents or park their RVs, and campsites are providing it.
Wi-Fi at campgrounds has become “the fourth utility behind water, sewer and electric,” said Tim Rout, founder and chief solutions officer at AccessParks, a San Diego-based broadband provider for RV parks and campgrounds.
“Six or seven years ago it was a ‘nice to have’ service so people could load their email or check their bank account,” said Rout. “Now people expect the same quality of service in RV parks that they get at home.”
Who wants to be connected when camping?
About 40% of campers say Wi-Fi availability influences where they decide to camp, said David Basler, chief strategy officer for the Outdoor Hospitality Industry trade group. “Generationally, this increases to 65% in Gen Z and millennials and 45% in Gen X campers,” he said.
Searches for Wi-Fi-equipped U.S. properties on the campsite booking platform Hipcamp are up 110% year over year, according to founder and CEO Alyssa Ravasio, who said the number of such sites grew by 30% over the past year. Most Hipcamp hosts that provide Wi-Fi don’t charge guests extra for it, Ravasio added.
Wi-Fi is now offered at 82% of U.S. campsites, OHI estimates, slightly ahead of laundry and even shower facilities. It was the most commonly provided amenity last year among privately operated camping properties surveyed recently by The Dyrt. The camping information app found Wi-Fi being added at a faster rate (nearly 16% of campsites added it from 2022 to 2023) than pickleball courts (12%), dog parks or kayaks and canoes (each at 10%).
Working while camping
The Dyrt found 29% of campers worked while camping last year, up from less than 24% in 2022 and 2021, even as more employers mandated a return to in-person work. Some campers may have been “quiet vacationing” — working from a remote destination rather than taking off to fully unplug.
Rout said AccessParks’ business was already growing before the pandemic. “But since more people flocked to the outdoors and RV sales accelerated, there is a younger, more professional demographic in campgrounds — more families, more Zoom calls with work, distance learning, etc.,” he said. “Since then, our growth has dramatically increased due to the demand for fast broadband Wi-Fi.”
At least one Montana campground relies on Wi-Fi for a camera system that monitors the area for grizzly bears, Rout added.
Wiring up
Marley Behnke said Wi-Fi was already installed at the campground in Grayling, Michigan, that she bought in late 2022. In addition to letting guests stay connected and share details from their adventures with loved ones, “there are apps that provide real-time updates for activities, facilitate food delivery, organize scavenger hunts and enable interactive games,” she said.
Wiring a campsite for high-speed broadband comes with challenges like ensuring the signal can make its way through uneven terrain, trees and metal RV bodies and withstand extreme weather. Depending on property size and the type of service offered, installation might run anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000, Rout said, though campgrounds can typically recoup the expense by raising prices by little more than $1 a night.
While middle- and lower-income travelers are especially keen to camp this summer, Deloitte researchers say, camping demand is up 7% in a year when high-income travelers comprise a greater share of this season’s leisure travelers overall. The “glamping” (glamorous camping) sector is forecast to grow by more than 15% each year through 2029, according to Arizton market research.
“I’ve got kids who have not grown up camping consistently, so I definitely need a posher camping experience,” said Sommer Nyte, 46, a Bellingham, Washington, realtor who recently bought a new pop-up tent trailer. Wi-Fi is on her wish list alongside pools, boat rentals and programming for families with children.
Internet connectivity isn’t sweeping every campsite, though.
While the RV Industry Association found about 60% of private sites offered Wi-Fi as of 2022, only 3% of public ones did.
We’re heading into another few weeks of record-breaking holiday travel and on our last few flights it seemed everyone was sick.
As the Centers for Disease Control – and your mother – will tell you, keeping your hands clean and washing them often with soap and clean, running water is one of the most important steps to take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others.
But in some public restrooms, the height of the sinks presents a hand-washing challenge to kids and short people.
That’s why the Stuck at the Airport hygiene team is delighted every time we encounter one of the Step ‘n Wash self-retracting step stools in an airport restroom.
At last count, close to 100 airports around the country have installed these handy stools in some or all of their restrooms. So keep an eye out for them when you’re traveling this season.
It’s only Monday, but we already have a nomination for Airport Amenity of the Week.
Singapore’s Changi Airport, which already wows travelers with free amenities that include butterfly and cactus gardens, movie theaters, and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, now offers free bicycle rentals to passengers with layovers in Singapore.
The year-long program offers layover passengers free two-hour use of a bicycle to explore outdoor attractions in the airport’s vicinity, including the Jurassic Mile, a free outdoor display of more than 20 life-sized dinosaurs and pre-historic creatures that stretch out over half a mile.
Layover passengers can cycle along the Changi Airport Connector cycling path that links to Singapore’s wider park connector network and visit beaches, Bedok Jetty – a popular fishing spot, the East Coast Lagoon Hawker Centre and nearby residential neighborhoods
To make it easy to explore Singapore on a layover, the airport has mapped out four different routes lasting two to six hours and provides pay-per-use shower facilities by the bike return point.
Want to go for a bike ride on your Changi Airport layover?
To take advantage of Changi Airport’s free bike rentals, you’ll need to have a layover of at least 5 1/2 hours but less than 24 hours between flights.
Advance reservations for free bike rentals at Singapore’s Changi Airport are available here.
Coloring is a great travel activity for kids and adults and can reduce the stress of waiting at the airport or spending hours on a plane.
Many airports offer free aviation-themed coloring books (and sometimes colored pencils) at information booths in the terminals or on their websites, where individual pages can easily be downloaded.
Many have pages of airplanes that can be colored and an assortment of games.
Here are some examples. Check the website of your favorite airport to see if they’ve got a coloring book too. And let us know if we missed your airport’s coloring book so we can add it.
Cool New Kids’ Play Area at Portland International Airport
The family travel team at Stuck at the Airport knows that traveling with kids can be trying.
That’s why we’re delighted to see airports adding or refreshing play areas with creative and engaging features.
The latest on the scene is at Portland International Airport (PDX). There, the Tillamook County Creamery Association has created a cool new kids’ play area on Concourse E.
The 600-square-foot space has steps, slides, and a flying van designed with children ages 3 to 8 – and people of all abilities – in mind. The bouncy flooring is made from post-consumer recycled materials and the mural on the wall is by illustrator Josephine Rais.
The Tillamook Market, also on Concourse E, serves up meals made with Tillamook’s famous cheese and other locally-sourced ingredients, scoops of Tillamook ice cream, exclusive branded merch, and grab-and-go favorites including famous Tillamook Cheese Curds.
Freshful Fridge at Santa Barbara Airport
Stuck at the Airport is 100% in favor of healthy food options at all airports.
And we’re big fans of the Farmer’s Fridge salad vending machines offering fresh meals at more than 20 airports.
The trend is growing.
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) has a new Freshful Fridge vending machine filled with locally-sourced snacks, salads, and beverages. Look for it in the SBA baggage claim area on the first floor.
Something fresh has arrived! SBA is excited to announce the opening of Freshful Fridge.
Freshful Fridge is a smart fridge that offers snacks, salads, and beverages that are all fresh, locally sourced, and delicious. Check it out in the baggage claim area on the first floor! pic.twitter.com/k4t7EsRKoc
For a while now, Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) has been placing caps on the number of departing passengers and flights. The action is an effort to deal with staff shortages that are causing long lines, canceled flights, and giant baggage backups.
KLM, Schiphol’s biggest customer, and a handful of other airlines aren’t happy about those flight caps and have filed a suit against Schiphol.
Beginning “no later than 2025 – 26,” Schiphol will ban aircraft takeoffs between midnight and 6 am and all aircraft landings between midnight and 5 am.
Private jets and the noisiest airplanes will no longer be welcome at Schiphol. And plans for an additional runway are being scrapped.
“ We need to be sustainable for our employees, the local environment, and the world,” said Ruud Sondag, Royal Schiphol Group CEO. “I realize that our choices may have significant implications for the aviation industry, but they are necessary. This shows we mean business.”
KLM said in a statement that while it believes “operations should be in balance with our surroundings and the climate,” the airline is “astonished” that Schiphol is “unilaterally putting forward proposals that will have far-reaching consequences for airlines, without involving the industry parties in this process.”
Instead, KLM said, it would prefer “to work with the rest of the aviation industry on developing further measures to reduce CO2 emissions and noise pollution.”
And in July the US Department of Transporation issued a notice encouraging US airlines “to do everything in their power to ensure that children who are age 13 or younger are seated next to an accompanying adult with no additional charge.”
Airlines Beginning to Pay Attention
On Monday United Airlines announced a new plan to make it easier for parents and children under 12 years old to sit next to each other without paying an extra fee. That includes passengers who purchase Basic Economy Tickets,
The airline said the policy will extend to customers who purchase Basic Economy tickets. That category usually doesn’t allow seats to be assigned until boarding.
United says a new seat map feature that finds available adjacent seats at the time of booking makes this new policy possible. The seat map program will first review all available free Economy seats and then opens complimentary upgrades to available Preferred seats if needed, according to United.
Big news for families! Now when you make a reservation that includes children under 12 and there aren't enough open seats next to each other, select adjacent Preferred seats will automatically become available at no charge. https://t.co/PkGBtlm0xbpic.twitter.com/kw76GpBqus
Other airlines may follow suit by adjusting their policies to follow United’s lead.
For now, Delta Air Lines’ website says the carrier “strives to seat family members together upon request” and urges passengers who can’t find seats together to contact Reservations for help.
American Airlines’ website says”if you’re unable to choose seats, don’t want to pay for seats, or chose a Basic Economy fare, our system will detect that you’re a family traveling. The system will search for seats together automatically before the day of departure. We’ll try our best to keep you together, but if seats are limited, we’ll assign seats so children under 15 are next to at least 1 adult.”
Alaska Airlines’ site states that “if are unable to obtain seat assignments together for your family, we will make every effort to seat at least one adult with any young child (age 13 and under) from the same party.”
Like other carriers, JetBlue’s statement on family seating urges families to book early. But says “if seats together are not available, please let our airport gate crewmembers know when you arrive at the airport. They will do their best to find a seating solution. We cannot guarantee that seats together will always be available.”
Hawaiian Airlines has inked a deal with Starlink, the SpaceX satellite network, to provide complimentary high-speed internet onboard flights between the islands and the continental U.S, Asia, and Oceania as early as next year.
The airline plans to equip select Airbus A330 and A321neo aircraft, as well as an incoming fleet of Boeing 787-9s, with Starlink’s satellite internet connectivity service.
“We waited until technology caught up with our high standards for guest experience, but it will be worth the wait,” said Hawaiian Airlines President and CEO Peter Ingram, in a statement.
Free Coloring Books at O’Hare and Midway Airport
If you are passing through Chicago’s O’Hare or Midway Airport anytime soon, be sure to stop by an info desk to ask for one of the free activity and coloring books. The books are available in English and Spanish and can be downloaded as well.
Admission is free to all Indiana State Parks on May 1. That also happens to be the Hoosier State’s free fishing day as well.
Throughout the week, anyone who checks in using the Indiana State Nature Passport becomes eligible for a grand prize that includes a 2022 State Parks Pass, a $50 gift card for camping, and a subscription to Outdoor Indiana magazine.
Indiana also has a Culinary Trails Passport and throughout May, anyone who checks in on the I Scream for Ice Cream Trail is eligible to win a gift card from one of the trail stops, courtesy of Indiana Foodways Alliance.
Here are some of the attractions and news announcements we’re reading about this week.
A Masterpiece Moment in a Museum
During the pandemic, we discovered Bank of America’s Masterpiece Moment digital series. The videos celebrate great works of art from museums across the United States.
Each video, hosted by a leading museum director, shares insights and commentary on a piece they have selected from their collection. Here’s the latest:
https://youtu.be/HrCeSMKWNkE
Sky Squad Lands at BWI Airport
SkySquad is a travel tech company that arranges for a ‘helping hand’ at airports. The service is designed to offer assistance to families, seniors, pet owners, or anyone who needs some help navigating the travel experience, and now travelers at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) can book it.
With fees starting at $49, the concierge-style service provides assistants who can greet customers at their car door to help them unload luggage and then guide them through the check-in and checkpoint process and out to the gate.
Sound like something you or someone you know could use? SkySquad is also available at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG). Next up: Ft Lauderdale.
New PDX Coloring Book
There’s a lot of construction going on at Portland International Airport (PDX) right now, which can add an extra layer of stress to anyone’s journey.
To make getting through PDX easier and more fun – especially for families with kids – PDX has put together a new coloring book with whimsical characters and some fun facts about the airport.
The text is in English and Spanish, and each booklet has images that match larger counterparts on the walls and on the giant post-it notes throughout the terminal.
We’re making this an early nomination for “Airport Amenity of the Week.”
