King’s Hawaiian will swap your clothes at O’Hare Int’l Airport
On Wednesday, August 27, and Thursday, August 28, travelers passing through Terminal 2 at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) will have a chance to sample King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls and soft pretzel bites – and get some new clothes.
The pop-up will be offering free food samples, travel pillows, eye masks and ‘softwear sets’ of sweatpants and sweatshirts.
The catch? Anyone who wants the clothing must be willing to take off the clothes they’re wearing and swap them for the new outfit. Private changing booths will be available and all the traded clothing will be donated to a Chicago charity.
Look for the King’s Hawaiian pop-up kiosk at O’Hare Terminal 2 that looks like this:
Dogs at the car rental counter
If you’re renting a car at the airport over the Labor Day Holiday, be on the lookout for the Hertz ‘Gold Squad’ of Golden Retrievers.
Taking a page from the teams of therapy dogs that visit airport terminals to hang out with and destress passengers, the folks at Hertz are bringing the Golden Retrievers and some free giveaways to the car rental centers at select airports across the country.
Travel chaos called. The Hertz Gold Squad answered. Join Hertz Gold Plus Rewards for free perks that make travel feel golden. Join now through link in bio. #hertzgoldsquad#dogsoftiktok#travel#goldenretriever
Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B sprang into action with a clever campaign in response to a viral TikTok from an airport security line with the caption “all these people and no one knows I have 200 HEB tortillas in my backpack.”
The folks at H-E-B sent a crew to San Antonio International Airport (SAT) last week with a see-through suitcase stuffed with packages of fresh tortillas and other treats for passengers.
The company’s Instagram post on last Friday’s pop-up tortilla give-away event shows a tortilla-filled suitcase being rolled through the airport and going through the TSA x-ray machine.
Then a team from the supermarket chain hands out what was reported to be 5000 tortillas as well as branded blankets to passengers and crewmembers heading off to cities that don’t have H-E-B tortillas.
We will give this the nod as (last week’s) Airport Amenity of the Week.
Before that happens, passengers can pick up a free souvenir button on their travels through the airport.
There are three different buttons in the “Memories Created in Orlando” program. And with each one the airport says passengers will have a chance to “celebrate special occasions, share their love for MCO, and take home a unique keepsake that highlights their experience in Orlando.”
This first round of buttons is a limited-edition collection, available only until MCO’s rebranding is unveiled on November 13. Then a new line of commemorative buttons will be introduced.
You can pick up your free Orlando International Airport souvenir button at the MCO information booths from 4:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., daily.
Where You Can Find MCO Information Booths to get a free souvenir button
Terminal A
Terminal B
Terminal C
Level 3 across from Gates 1-59 security checkpoint
Level 3 across from Gates 1-59 security checkpoint
Level 2 across from Gates C230-C245 security checkpoint
Level 3 across from Gates 70-129 security checkpoint
Level 3 across from Gates 70-129 security checkpoint
While you’re there, ask if there are any Orlando International Airport trading cards to add to your collection.
Happy Friday! Here are some travel tidbits we’ve spotted over the past few days.
Airport WiFi. Free now, but it wasn’t then.
We remember when free airport WiFi was hard to come by. Now, almost every airport you visit offers free WiFi for a few hours or the entire time you’re there.
Norfolk International Airport (ORF) shared a snap of the CyberFlyer internet stations that once offered airport WiFi access for 33 cents per minute.
#TBT May 1997: ORF installs the CyberFlyer internet station — "the payphone of the 21st century". Travelers paid 33¢/min to connect to the Internet. These stations provided access to AOL, CompuServe, & the Microsoft Net.
The visitor program at Orlando Int’l Airport is now permanent
After testing it out for a year, Orlando International Airport (MCO) has made its MCO Visitor Pass Program a permanent amenity.
The pass gives guests without boarding passes the opportunity to shop, dine and hang out with friends or family post-security at Terminal C.
Want to visit Orlando International Airport without a plane ticket?
To apply for a Visitor Pass, apply at Experience MCO up to seven days in advance.
After filling out the form and agreeing to the terms of the program, TSA will notify you of your status and send you a pass after midnight on the day of your requested visit.
The list includes Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Nashville International Airport (BNA), Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), and at least a half dozen others.
Free parking for shoppers at PDX Airport
The recently opened pre-security lobby at Portland International Airport (PDX) is pretty darn swanky, with trees, stadium seating, giant video screens and a nice selection of cool shops and restaurants.
For those who want to visit the airport and check it all out (we highly recommend it), PDX is offering free parking to anyone who spends $25 in the pre-security area on Saturdays in September.
The free parking days at PDX are September 7, 14, 21 and 28.
Here’s how to get your free PDX parking offer:
Bring your airport parking ticket with you to the airport.
Shop or dine at one or more of the pre-security venues listed below.
After you make a purchase, show your ticket to one of the staff and save all your receipts. Once you’ve spent at least $25, show all the receipts to the staff at your last stop.
You’ll receive a validation coupon. Bring both the coupon and your parking ticket to the PDX parking structure and use that validation coupon to pay for your first two hours of parking.
Here are the shops and dining venues where purchases will count towards your free parking:
Swiss chocolate brand Villars is hosting a month-long activation at Switzerland’s Geneva Airport that features a life-size cow.
Visitors are invited to play a game that involves stepping into the shoes of a dairy farmer and ‘milking’ the fake cow.
In exchange, participants will receive a complimentary Villars milk chocolate bar as a gift.
According to the company reps, the goal of the fun, interactive exhibit is to highlight the process behind producing the high-quality milk that is Villars using in it premium milk chocolate.
The installation runs through September 24, 2024.
And whether or not you win the game, it sounds like chocolate sampling is part of the program.
In addition to a variety of pop-up booths from the likes of Ricola Candy and Lindt chocolate, through September 22 in the C Gates there’s a booth offering tastes of a variety of Swiss products, including Geneva chocolates, local beers, meat and fondue.
It’s definitely a step up from this creepy activation we spotting at Geneva Airport during the holiday season a few years back.
