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We’re on a Cunard ship. (But just for a visit)

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Cruise season in Seattle is well underway with most of the 298 scheduled sailings offered by almost 10 different cruise lines heading north to Alaska.

The newest additon: the Cunard Line’s newly refreshed Queen Elizabeth, which is spending its first home port season in Seattle. The vessel set sail on Thursday for the first of eleven 7- to 12- night sailings from now through September.

Founded in 1840 and now owned by the Carnival Corporation, Cunard is synonymous with elegance, luxury, bespoke experiences and service.

On the refreshed Queen Elizabeth, there’s all that plus a new wellness cafe and a Harper’s Bazaar-branded series of spa treaments.

The Stuck at the Airport cruise review team had a chance to tour the ship while it was in port. Here are a few snaps from our visit.

If you do cruise out of Seattle, keep in mind that the Port of Seattle, which operates the cruise terminals and the airport, offers complimentary luggage transfer between your cruise ship and your airline at the end of your cruise. 

The Port Valet luggage transfer services means cruise passengers who disembark in the morning and don’t have to fly out till later in the day don’t have to drag bags with them through the city, find a place to store them or stand in line to check bags the airport.

It’s both a great cruise amenity AND a great airport amenity.

Swank new ways to fly + cool new places to fly to

Airlines, Uncategorized, , , ,

This week there was news about new planes with upgraded interiors and a bevy of “let’s go!” new routes.

Earlier this week we shared photos and notes about the new seasonal Edelweiss Air flight from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to Zurich.

Alaska Airlines also announced that flights between Seattle and Rome will begin in May 2026. The carrier points out that the ‘Emerald City; will be connected to the ‘Eternal City’ for the first time.

With Hawaiian Airlines, Alaska Airlines recently launched flights to Tokyo Narita and in September will begin flying to Seoul, South Korea.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) celebrated new seasonal nonstop service to Athens Airport (ATH).

American Airlines woos with the ‘premium’ Boeing 787-9 aircraft

And this week, to much hoopla, American Airlines began flying one of its new 787-9P ‘premium’ aircraft, with an inaugural flight on June 5 from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Sadly, the Stuck at The Airport team, sadly, wasn’t on that first flight. But we look forward to hopping on board soon to experience all the new creature comforts.

Here’s a short video of the new interior that the airline shared a few weeks back.

And here’s an important public service announcement

(Image courtesy Clark County Dept of Aviation)

Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and the #WhatsMyName Foundation introduced a safety campaign that is important to remember every time and anywhere you hail a rideshare.

The foundation was created to honor Sami Josephson, a young woman kidnapped and murdered by a fake rideshare driver in 2019. The campaign uses the letters of Sami’s name to spell out the tips that could save your life.

Here are the tips to remember:

S: Stop before you get in a vehicle and go over the safety rules in the app

A: Ask your driver “What’s my name?” to confirm that they are the driver assigned to you. (Don’t say, “Are you ….”)

M: Match the make, model and license plate of the car with the one displayed in your rideshare app.

I – Inform a friend or family member of your ride details. Rideshare apps offer a real-time tracking app. Use it.

After 16 years, SAS resumes flights between Seattle & Copenhagen

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(Photo courtesy Port of Seattle)

SAS returns to SEA

It’s always good news when an airline adds a new route and an airport picks up a new or returning customer.

But the relaunch of SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) flights on May 21, 2025 between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and SAS’s main hub at Denmark’s Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is especially notable because the carrier starting serving SEA in the 1960s and last flew direct flights between Seattle and Denmark 16 years ago, back in 2009.

Here’s a photo from the Port of Seattle showing airport officials presenting SAS representatives with a framed photograph of SEA Airport in 1966.

SAS will now operate five weekly nonstop flights (Mon, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun) between SEA and CPH on a seasonal schedule, through the end of October.

The carrier will use an Airbus A350-900 for the first five weeks of service and switch to an Airbus A330-300 at the end of June.

The StuckatTheAirport team is heartbroken to have missed the inaugural SAS flight from SEA to CPH. But we were able to attend a celebration hosted by SAS and the Port of Seattle at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle.

The event featured a panel discussion with SAS representatives and industry leaders covering topics such as SAS’s long-standing connection with the Seattle community, its recent partnership switch from Star Alliance to SkyTeam, the reintroduction of business class cabins on SAS flights within European and other steps that fall under “the umbrella of becoming a more premium airline,” according to Paul Verhagen, SAS’s EVP and Chief Commercial Officer.

Here are some snaps of the SAS event held at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle.

Back in 2010, SAS was the first airline in the world to host same-sex weddings in the air

Gay and lesbian couples wed on SAS

Back in 2010, the Stuck at the Airport wedding reporter was delighted to be on board when SAS became the first airline in the world to host both a gay and lesbian wedding onboard a flight.

The “Love is in the Air” event took place on a flight between Stockholm and New York. Read about it on Stuck at the Airport here.

SAS hosts first same-sex, inflight wedding

New reasons to visit the National Air & Space Museum

Museums, Uncategorized

The Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. has been undergoing a major renovation since 2018, with a completion date set for July 1, 2026, the museum’s 50th anniversary.

In the meantime, fresh new galleries and exhibitions are opening in phases.

Five new exhibitions, the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater and the museum’s redesigned entrance on Jefferson Drive along the National Mall will open Monday, July 28.

The museum will bring back thousands of artifacts that have been in storage and debut many new ones.

Free timed-entry passes will still be required to visit the museum. And passes for the July 28 opening and beyond will be available on the museum’s website starting June 13.

Here are the galleries that will be opening this year on June 28, 2025 and next year on July 1, 2026, with links to descriptions of the upgrades and key artifacts to be featured.

We’re looking forward to seeing some favorites, including Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed 5B Vega (above) in which she set two records, and the Spirit of St. Louis, below.

“Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall”

“Futures in Space”

“Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight”

“World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation”

Allan and Shelley Holt Innovations Gallery

Galleries opening July 1, 2026:

“Textron How Things Fly”

“At Home in Space”

“RTX Living in the Space Age Hall”

“Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air”

“Modern Military Aviation”

“U.S. National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe”

Flight and the Arts Center

(Images courtesy of the National Air and Space Museum)

Flights we’d take on Alaska and United

Airlines, Uncategorized,

Alaska Airlines’ 1st intercontinental route: SEA to Tokyo

(Image courtesy Port of Seattle)

On Monday, Alaska Airlines celebrated its first intercontinental flight to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport (NRT).

The new daily flight, operated by Hawaiian Airlines, which Alaska Airlines acquired in September 2024, is on an A330 aircraft and is the first of 12 international wide-body flights Alaska plans to roll out by 2030.

Next up: Seattle to Seoul, starting on September 12, 2025.

Any place United’s updated 787-9 Dreamliners will fly

(Courtesy United)

When United Airlines begins taking delivery of its new 787-9 Dreamliners, sometime before the end of the year, there will be a slew of snazzy nose-to-tail upgrades throughout the aircraft.

Especially in the business class cabin.

As part of what the Chicago-based carrier is dubbing the United Elevated interior, these new Dreamliners will sport two business class suites in the first row of each business class section.

The suites will be 25% larger than standard United Polaris seats and have privacy doors, an extra ottoman seat for companions, special entrée options, wireless charging, a huge 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screen and a host of other amenities, including hoodie pajamas and slippers, new noise-canceling headphones and amenity kits, playing cards, a velvet throw pillow on the ottoman as well as Saks Fifth Avenue bedding that includes a duvet, day blanket, large pillow and cooling gel pillow.

Standard United Polaris seats will also get upgraded to suites with the addition of sliding doors and larger, 19-inch 4K OLED screens, multiple charging options for gadgets and the option to choose between seats that face the window or the center of the aircraft.

Premium Plus, Economy Plus and Economy seats are also getting some updates with the Elevated interior, including Bluetooth connectivity.

United Aircraft with the “Elevated” interior will also be among the first United widebody planes to have free Starlink connectivity for United MileagePlus members.

The carrier expects to take delivery of the first 787-9 Dreamliner with the Elevated interior before the end of 2025 with the first international passenger flights planned in 2026 from San Francisco to Singapore and San Francisco to London.