Fun Stuff

Recap: April Fool’s pranks from airports and airlines

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In case you missed these, here are some of the April Fool’s pranks cooked up by airports and airlines this year. If I missed one your favorites, please let me know and I’ll try to add it.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airpot has some great amenities, so it may not have seemed odd to tell travelers that an aircraft viewing area – with a pool – would soon open:

Here’s how the airport described what was in store.

“The space – located near Terminal 2-Humphrey – will bring aviation enthusiasts even closer to the action, while having access to amenities like rentable floaties, private changing rooms, an old-fashioned concessions stand and a full-service bar. While open to anyone interested in a unique experience, we expect travelers with longer layovers will choose to enjoy some pool time as well, and get a taste of Minnesota summers.”

Admission will be a very reasonable $15 a day. Drinks, treats and floaty rentals are additional. If the pool is successful, the airport plans to install a larger pool near Terminal 1-Lindbergh in 2019.”

At Orlando International Airport, this already very real-looking sculpture by artist Duane Hanson seemed to come alive on April 1 and re-located to various spots around the terminal:

Denver International Airport, which has dogs – and one cat – in its Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS), shared (fake) news about adding Norbert the turtle to the team:

Not to be outdone, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport posted a photo of its new airport therapy animal, Aquino the Chameleon,

Southwest announced it own version of Alexa:

Emirates shared news of a transparent lounge coming to its 777x planes, starting in 2020:

Virgin Australia announced in-flight spin classes:

Hong Kong Airlines posted this fun news about its newest in-flight amenity:

Jetstar Airways promised on-board karaoke:

Thomas Cook showed off its newest aircraft:

And Swoop Airlines, the low budget carrier from Canada’s WestJet, let travelers know that it  planned to charge travelers by the minute for time spent in the airplane lavs. Toilet paper?  That will be an extra charge.

 

https://youtu.be/giIdoB2sd7Q

Look down: airports showing off their floors and their socks

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Every so often, the #AirportThrowdown thread on Twitter sets off on a fun topic.

This week it was all about flooring. And socks. (Thanks, Denver Int’l Airport for sending out the alert!)

How to get one of United’s Olympic athlete superhero action figures

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Olympic figure skater Nathan Chen as United Airlines superhero action figure King Quad. Courtesy United

United Airlines is so excited about being the official airline of the United States Olympic Committee that it has made superhero action figures of six athletes competing in the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and another half dozen action figures of United employees who do the magic on the planes and behind the scenes to fly the athletes to the games.

https://twitter.com/united/status/959188072272486401

The athletes portrayed as action figures are:

Air Raider: freeskier Gus Kenworth

Artic Angel: snowboarder Jamie Anderson

Ice Lightning: short track speed track skater J.R. Celski

The Rocket: luger Erin Hamlin

King Quad: figure skater Nathan Chen

The Fury: sled hockey player, Nikko Landerson

(“Ice  Lightening” and “Winged Wonder” action figures)

There are also six superhero action figures portraying United employees, including one named Storm Tamer, representing an airline operations expert and my favorite, Departicus, who represents a customer service agent.

https://twitter.com/united/status/958800249346076672

Want an action figure of your own?

In celebration of the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, United is giving out athlete action figures to customers at its hubs on Friday.

Look for the life-sized mannequins of the sponsored Team USA athletes at these spots. At each airport, the airline will be giving out the 100 action figure corrosponding to the life-size mannequin on site.

Houston (IAH): North Terminal, past gate C3

Dulles (IAD):  IAD: Intersection in C Concourse, en route to the trains

Denver (DEN): Concourse B, central plaza

Los Angeles ( LAX): Second level, Terminal 7 just above security

San Francisco (SFO) Rotunda near the food court

Newark (EWR) C3 Concourse

Chicago (ORD): Gate B12

At each airport, the airline will be giving out the action figure corrosponding to the life-size mannequin on site.

The airline has also been giving out action to figures to travelers at Penn Station in New York City who take a photo by the Team USA wall and then share the photo on social media (#TeamUnited).

 

 

 

 

Take a (cool) seat at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Airport

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Here’s a fun new amenity at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport: State of Wisconsin-shaped Adirondack chairs, complete with edges of cheese as end tables!

Look for the chairs in Concourse D.

While you’re at MKE, you can also play ping-pong for free.

The table has been at the airport since 2011, when Milwaukee hosted the U.S. Table Tennis Open. The table at the airport was such a big hit, that they decided to keep it in place permanently.

Goat yoga at Denver International Airport

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Airports around the country are bringing out the big guns (in most cases, Santa and his elves) to help entertain travelers during this busy and often stressful travel week.  But Denver International Airport will likley win “Airport Amenity of the Week” for the highly entertaining and stress-busting goat yoga session it offered passengers.

Take a look:

For the next few months you’ll find a goat-free, pop-up yoga studio at Denver International Airport where a smal fee gets you a private space and instructional videos.

There are also free yoga studo spaces at San Francisco International Airport, Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway Airports, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Miami International Airport and several others.

 

 

 

 

Alaska Air Celebrating National Ugly Sweater Day

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Today – Friday December 15 – is National Ugly Sweater Day and to celebrate Alaska Airlines is giving early boarding priveleges to anyone wearing a holiday sweater – ugly or not – on flights throughout their system.

To get the ugly sweater party going, the airline is also going to give an ugly sweater just like the one in the picture above to every passenger on two selected flights today.

Sounds like fun!!

Your ugly sweater gets you early boarding on one airline

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If you’re traveling on Alaska Airlines on December 15 this year, be sure to wear your ugliest holiday sweater.

That’s because the airline is participating in National Ugly Holiday Sweater Day (yes, of course that’s a thing) and inviting passengers wearing festive holiday sweaters (the more outrageous, the better…) to board their flights early on December 15.

On that day, your ugly sweater will get you early boarding on all Alaska flights in their network and on Virgin American and Horizon Air flights as well.

To help set the mood, the airline is playing festive holiday-themed boarding music all month long.

“This fun promotion not only allows guests to board early on that day, but gives people another opportunity to dust off that ugly holiday sweater hanging in the back of their closet,” said Natalie Bowman, managing director of marketing and advertising at Alaska Airlines.

If you see an especially festive ugly sweater – or a gate hold full of them – on December 15, Alaska is encouraging travlers to post photos and vidoeos on Twitter using the hashtags #UglySweaterDay and #MostWestCoast.

And, of course, to arrive at the airport extra early.

 

Free ice-skating at Denver International Airport

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Here’s a contender for Airport Amenity of the Week:

Free ice-skating (with complimentary ice-skate rental) is back at Denver International Airport from November 24 through January 7, 2018.

The 38-by-60-foot rink (which will be bigger than last year’s rink) will be  located in the pre-security area DEN Plaza and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., with holiday decorations, a lounge, storage cubbies and a wide variety of entertainment and family-friendly music playing in the background.

 

JFK Airport gets a pop-up FAO Schwarz toy store

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Your next seatmate may be a … giant plush toy from an iconic toy shop.

Just in time for holiday shopping, a 300-square-foot FAO Schwarz pop-up shop has opened in Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The shop is FAO Schwarz’s first-ever travel retail store and it will only be at the airport through December 31, 2017.

The pop-up shop will sell a holiday collection that includes classic items, ranging from oversized plush animals to vintage toys and the infamous floor piano.

 

Alaska Airlines offers early boarding for (some) football fans

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It’s getting harder and harder to snag a spot in the group of passengers that boards the airplane early, but during the 2017 football season Alaska Airlines is once again offering that perk to passengers departing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport who are wearing the number 3 football jersey worn by Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback who serves as the carrier’s “Chief Football Officer.”

The perk started earlier this month, with the Seahawk’s first pre-season game, and will continue through the end of the regular season.

So dress accordingly.

This is Russell Wilson’s fifth year as Alaska’s Chief Football Officer  and as part of his duties Wilson helps the airline support youth and education programs and various charities, including the Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation, Strong Against Cancer and Wilson’s Why Not You Foundation.

Wilson also appears in some commercials for Alaska Airlines. Here are a couple of the corny-but-cute latest, featuring Russell Wilson as a talk-show host.

 

https://youtu.be/y95YGoKzgoU?list=PLgt56E62MhBvCzt1nvk-AW0W3pyGMhQOw

https://youtu.be/dsdDtU6wGjg?list=PLgt56E62MhBvCzt1nvk-AW0W3pyGMhQOw