Fun Stuff

A marvelous mascot at Japan’s Centrair Airport

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It’s not unusual for airports to have mascots, but I’m especially charmed by mascot at Chubu Centrair International Airport near Nagoya, Japan.

 

Centrair Airport mascot

The mascot appears at the information desk, in signs, posters and in airport advertising. But to my delight, the mascot also appeares in many forms of souvenirs for sale in the aviation-themed shop in the pre-security Sky Town shopping mall on the top floor of the airport.

centrair airport mascot

Centrair Airport

Of course, now I need to make a list of airport mascots. Please help me get started by sharing any that you know about in the comments section below.

Reno-Tahoe Int’l does Burning Man

Fun Stuff, Holidays, , ,

Reno-Taho International Airport is helping ‘burners’ with their Burning Man experience.

The Burning Man festival is underway and Reno-Tahoe International Airport is part of the experience for the more than 18,000 “burners” who fly in and out of the area for the event.

Last week, the airport helped move things along on some of the busy arrival days by offering free group yoga, Burning Man artwork displays and therapy dogs dressed up for the occasion.

On Monday, when the burners start to go home, the airport will also offer entertainment and assistance, including big plastic bags for wrapping suitcases encrusted with dust from the Playa,  bins for disposing of all the garbage burners need to remove from the festival site and a drop-off spot for the bicycles many bring to get around the festival grounds. Those bikes get fixed up and donated to local groups.

 

All photos courtesy Reno-Tahoe International Airport.

Have you been to Burning Man? Share photos of your airport experience getting to and from the festival.

Airports join police lip sync challenge. And rock it.

Fun Stuff, Music, ,

Police departments at some airports around the country are joining the viral police lip sync challenge that is sweeping the country.

And from the looks of it, everyone is having lots of fun.

The airport police lip sync videos I’ve found so far come from the San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and the Orlando Melbourne International Airport (MLB), which says it is “#MLBproud of our brave police officers and their epic lip sync skills.”

If you learn of other airport police lip sync videos, please let me know and I’ll add them to the collection.

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/SAAirportPD/videos/236141510317717/

Freebies + cool offers to take advantage of now

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Like the free ice water that made South Dakota’s Wall Drug famous, free stuff is a great treat when you’re on the road or out and about in your own town.

Here are few free offers and cool deals to take advantage of this weekend and into next week:

Free Museum Admission

On the first full weekend of each month, anyone who has flashes a Bank of America, Merrill Lynch or U.S. Trust credit or debit card and a photo ID gets free admission to more than 200 museums, science centers, gardens and other attractions participating in the Museums on Us program around the country.

Free food 

PotBelly Sandwich Shop is offering a bunch of free food items to members of its free-to-join Potbelly Perks program August 6-12.

Air fare deal

Need to bring a few suitcases of cash to the Cayman Islands? Or just want a great deal on a flight to this vacation destination?

From August 3 to 11, Cayman Airways is celebrating its 50th anniversary with some great discounted fares, plus extra perks such as 3 checked bags and lounge access, for flight from Miami, Tampa and New York booked for travel September 7 through November 7.

Fun hotel package for Pearl Jam fans

Not free – but fun: In Seattle,  The Edgewater over-the-water hotel has put together a package with the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). The Rock the Suite package includes tickets to the museum’s Pearl Jam: Home and Away exhibition, overnight accommodations at the hotel’s Pearl Jam Suite, and signature Pearl Jam cocktails in the  Six Seven Restaurant & Lounge.

Pearl Jam fans should also note that there’s a free Pearl Jam exhibit put together by the Museum of Pop Culture in the-presecurity area of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

Know of a great freebie for travelers? Please send it along.

Heathrow Airport’s Pride flag made of 6,000 kisses

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Photo courtesy Heathrow Airport.

To celebrate Pride London, Heathrow Airport commissioned a unique version of the iconic rainbow flag: this one is made entirely of colored kisses planted by 6,000 international passengers.

The flag started coming to life in Terminal 2 on 1st July, in the departures area, where passengers were invited to stamp their kiss in a choice of vibrant red, orange, yellow, green, blue or purple lipstick, onto the blank canvas. After the passsengers donated kisses, airport staff added more as the flag made its took a tour of the control tower, fire station and BA Crew Centre, before being sealed and placed on the flag pole.

Here’s a video Heathrow shared about the making of the flag, which will be flown over Terminal 2: The Queen’s Terminal until the end of July.

 

Brewfest at Portland Int’l Airport

Contests, Fun Stuff,

Portland International Airport is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the now-iconic Clocktower in the shop and amenity-filled pre-secrurity area of the airport. And that means lots of fun – and free stuff – for travelers, meeters and greeters and anyone who knows what a pleasant area that pre-security space can be.

Coming up Friday, June 22, from 11:30 a.m. to  1:30 pm, the plaza will be transformed into a beer garden with more than a dozen craft beers available for tasting.  The event also celebrates the grand opening of Deschutes Brewery at PDX – the beermaker’s first location opening in Oregon in 10 years.

As part of the brewfest, attendees will be able to pick up a limited edition Clocktower 30 pin, which is one of four special pin designs travelers can collect this summer.

Can’t make it to the brewfest? PDX has many other events coming up throughout the summer. See the full schedule here.

While you’re there, enter the Clocktower contest which has as its prize a “Magic Coast of Oregon”-inspired package (valued at nearly $5,000) that includes five nights at the King Suite at the Cannery Pier Hotel in Astoria, OR, a sunset cruise for two, a zipline adventure with Highlife Adventures, a helicopter tour, several other activities plus multiple gift cards and a Pendleton luggage set and blanket.  Deadline is September 9, 2018. Enter here.

I used to live on the Oregon coast and can attest to the fact that is indeed a magical place.

Sydney, Australia is full of clowns

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Business class seat or not (and thank-you again, Qantas for the business class seat), if your journey from home to your destination take 20 hours or more you want some ‘wow’ on the ground.

And Sydney, Australia is delivering.

A hike along the sandstone cliffes from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach, in the suburbs of the city, was “surftastic.”

And Luna Park – a 1930s-era amusement park on the northern shore of Sydney Harbor – was filled with classic rides, great arcade attractions and plenty of clowns.

 

More soon.

A ‘promposal’ from one airport to another

Fun Stuff

It is prom season and two airports in Florida had some fun with their electronic signs – and with Twitter.

Two Florida airports took a cue from the flirtatous ‘promposal’ that took place between fast-food restaurants Wendy’s and Burger King in Lynn, MA., and now someone has to buy an airport-sized corsage.

Charming!

Icelandair celebrating Iceland’s soccer team with stopover fun

Fun Stuff, Sports, , , ,

This year, Iceland became the smallest country ever to have its men’s soccer team qualify for the World Cup.

To celebrate, Icelandair, which sponsors the team, is launching a special soccer-themed version of its famed stopover program.

Passengers can apply to participate in Team Iceland Stopover: a selection of 90-minute, soccer-inspired experiences curated by members of Iceland’s men’s and women’s teams and taking place from May 29 through the end of June, 2018.

The experiences range from attending either a National Men’s or Women’s team match and hanging with midfielder Birkir Bjarnason at his favorite geothermal area to attending the June 16 party to celebrate Iceland’s World Cup match.

Anyone can apply to be part of the Team Iceland Stopover experiences, but there are limited spots. You’ll  need to be flying on Icelandair and your itinerary will need to match up with the program events. See the Icelandair website for more details.

May the fourth be with you -at airports and in the air

Fun Stuff,

Fans of Star Wars – in all its incarnations – are celebrating today in all sorts of way.

For travelers it means discounts and some offbeat fun:

All day today JetBlue will be sending out 25% discount codes ( a fourth off…) via social media channels.

And at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, a cast of  costumed airport employees handed Hans Rolos candy to passengers and tested then with Star Wars trivia.