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
Big headaches Wednesday night for United Airlines and its passengers due to a major system outage that led to widespread delays and ground stops across the country.
The airline said the issue was related to a technology glitch.
The issue was resolved late in the evening, but it may take days for all travelers on delayed and canceled flights to get to their destinations.
Alaska Airlines announces new flights and a new livery
Alaska Airlines is making news left and right. This week, the carrier announced new routes to London and Reykjavik from Seattle starting in Spring 2026, adding to previously announced new service to Rome, also set to begin in Spring 2026.
The airline also unveiled a new livery for its 787-9 aircraft and announced that by Spring all Dreamliners in its fleet will be flying with this new design.
Already, there’s debate over the new livery.
Some people love it. But others are disappointed because the smiling face of the Inuk man known as “Chester” – which has been a staple on the tail of Alaska Airlines’ aircraft for years – is nowhere to be seen.
What do you think?
London. Reykjavík. Rome. A bold new global aircraft design. A premium experience. And endless possibilities for international travel! Be the first to book this fall by joining our early-access list: https://t.co/wr6S8d9j8w
There used to be a couple of vending machiens filled with fun and unusual Asian treats in the waiting area outside international arrivals at Seattle-Tacome International Airport.
An equally cool – maybe cooler – concession has taken its place.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), which calls itself ‘America’s Friendliest Airport,’ was surely the funnest airport to be at this week during an anniversary party commemorating the purchase of the rural airport in 1935.
90 years ago, ‘Sky Harbor’ was nicknamed ‘The Farm’ time because of its location. And back then, the purchase price was $100,000.
At the airport’s 90th birthday party, local leaders presented a proclamation and made some speeches.
Then it was time for a 90s-themed dance party and a parade of airport Navigator Buddies from the pet therapy program dressed in neon, as rock stars, as movie characters from “Clueless,” sports heroes, and more.
After all the dancing was over, airport personnel and the pups paraded through Terminal 4 and then boarded the PHX Sky Train to Terminal 3.
PHX has been celebrating its 90th anniversary all year with monthly events hosted in the Culture Corner, located post-security in Terminal 3. Check here to see if something will be happening next time you’re visiting PHX.
Other anniversary activities at PHX include trivia with Amelia, the Airport’s mascot and music through the decades as part of the weekly Traveling Tunes programming.
The Airport Museum also has a special 90th anniversary exhibition on display in Terminal 4 called “From Farm Field to Airfield,” showcasing the airport’s beginnings and its significant milestones over the years.
You can read and see the exhibit from home starting here.
And, as a nice bonus, PHX travelers can stop by the Airport Information Counters to pick up a commemorative 90th anniversary airport trading card. Super collectible!
PHX Party photos by Mark Skalny Photo, courtesy of PHX
The art show is on Concourse D, near the gates for Delta Air Lines and Spirit Airlines and features hand-pulled screen prints by Communication Design students.
Each piece offers a unique perspective on Milwaukee, focusing on the city’s landmarks and culture.
The 2025 festival takes place from August 18 to 24 and includes kite competitions and performances, including synchronized kite ballet and mass ascensions where hundreds of kites fill the sky at once. Other kite festival activities include kite-making workshops, nighttime lighted kite flying and lots of opportunities to fly your own kite.
The museum is home to more than 1,500 kites from 26 countries and includes a 300-piece Japanese kite collection and a set of WWII military kites.
(Kids with kite photo up top courtesy State Library and Archives of Florida via Flickr Commons)
This Oregon inn had us at “popcorn”
The Setting Inn Willamette Valley is a boutique retreat with an on-site wine tasting room in Newberg, Oregon, the heart of Oregon Wine Country.
We were fortunate to spend a delightful evening there a while back and loved the wine, the complimentary breakfast delivered to amenity-rich room, the indoor and outdoor gathering spots and the walkable grounds.
Now one of the inn’s new guest experiences has us contemplating a return trip.
From now through October, The Setting Inn is offering a Popcorn Pairing package that includes a bottle of The Setting Wines’ 2024 barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc with two bags of small-batch rosemary parmesan popcorn from Miss Hannah’s Gourmet Popcorn, a family-owned Newberg favorite.
Cruise news: Holland America’s behind-the-scenes tours
Holland America Line’s popular behind-the-scenes tours of its cruise ships were on pause for the past few years due to a variety of health and safety reasons.
But they’re back on the paid activity list.
Available fleetwide by the end of July, each behind-the-scenes tour visits shipboard locations such as the navigational bridge, galley and engine control room, main laundry, recycling center, bakery and bars.
Holland America Line will also be marking America’s 250th birthday in 2026 with a special round-trip cruise from Boston. The seven-day “America’s 250th Celebration: Stars & Stripes Voyage” aboard Zuiderdam departs July 4, 2026, and includes a special call at Norfolk, Virginia, with access to Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown.
Bob Ross Experience at Indiana’s Minnetrista Museum
In 1887, the Ball family—makers of the famous Ball mason jars—moved their glass manufacturing business from Buffalo, New York, to Muncie, Indiana.
From 1983 to 1988, Bob Ross filmed “The Joy of Painting” in one of the homes on the property, which served as the studio for WIPB-TV.
Now, the home is the site of the Bob Ross Experience, an exhibition featuring original paintings and artifacts, and the restored television studio where the show was filmed.
Visitors can stand where Ross stood at his easel and even take a painting class from a Certified Ross Instructor.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) celebrated its 75th birthday on June 24 with parties at various airline gates, refreshments, giveaways and a special water salute by the BWI Marshall Airport Fire and Rescue Department for the 75th daily arrival.
Singapore’s Changi Airport is also celebrating a birthday
Singapore’s Changi Airport is celebrating its 60th birthday this year with plenty of fun activities as well.
#NEW: Celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday with an exciting line-up of activities at Changi Airport and Jewel! With a homecoming concert featuring local artistes, stunning horticultural displays and a charity walk – together, we make magic. Find out more: https://t.co/zxFIvQGSHJpic.twitter.com/omY2u6y6AT
San Antonio International Airport (still) has cows
Three painted cow sculptures have mooved into San Antonio International Airport and will be auctioned off in August. While the cows are hanging around, SAT is hosting a photo challenge.
CowParade has MOOOved into SAT, so we're hosting a photo challenge to celebrate! 🐄📸 Through the end of August, you can snap a picture with all three painted cow art pieces when you visit the airport. Be sure to tag SAT & use hashtag #CowParade2025 when you post to social! 🐮✨ pic.twitter.com/Sdp4KPrwb1
— San Antonio International Airport (@SATairport) June 24, 2025
Here’s a better look at those painted cow sculptures.
#CowParade2025 has MOOOved into SAT! 🐄🎨 We're excited to have 3 painted cows at our airport before they're auctioned off to benefit @CHRISTUSHealth in September.
MEET THE COWS! 🐮✨ -Stampede, Chris Celusniak -Good MOOd, Allison Gregory -Love Note to the Nations, Ashley Rogers pic.twitter.com/3XyKydjSqY
— San Antonio International Airport (@SATairport) June 10, 2025
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.
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.
Now boarding: CLT to ATH! 🇬🇷 Today, @AmericanAir launched its new nonstop service between #CLTairport and @ATH_Airport! ✈️ This seasonal route (June–September) is CLT’s longest nonstop flight yet—and it’s already making a meaningful difference for local families. Read how this… pic.twitter.com/qYx2XUDxgW
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
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.
LAS Airport is partnering with the #WhatsMyName Foundation to honor Sami Josephson, a University of South Carolina student who was kidnapped and murdered by a fake rideshare driver in 2019. Remember these safety tips next time you take a rideshare. https://t.co/JDBA6LBjYBpic.twitter.com/yNRupPehAQ
— Harry Reid International Airport (@LASairport) June 5, 2025
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
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 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.
