The Stuck at the Airport dessert team is delighted to learn that St. Pete – Clearwater International Airport, where the airport code is PIE – is celebrating National Pie Day on Tuesday, January 23 by giving away, you guessed it, free pie.
Travelers and guests will be able to grab a free mini pie at PIE in a PIE-branded box between 9 am and 11 am in the airport’s bag claim area.
Bonus activities include the chance to enter a contest to win two ticket vouchers on Allegiant Air and a stay at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, plus photo ops with a local TV celebrity and PIE’s new sand sculpture.
Sweeter Travel Starts with PIE! That’s why we’re giving away FREE mini pies on National Pie Day, Tues, 1/23. 🥧 Look for us in the baggage claim area for free pie, a selfie with our sand sculpture, and the chance to win free @Allegiant tickets. 🛩 https://t.co/4r3yKpoANFpic.twitter.com/0pFw4gOzqQ
— St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (@iflypie) January 16, 2024
[This is a slightly different version of a story we first prepared for The Points Guy site.]
Airplane etiquette frowns on passengers taking home the blankets, the pillows, or the plates meals are served on. But some items are perfectly OK to swipe from your next flight.
Delta Air Lines’ ‘secret’ airplane trading cards
Delta Air Lines says that when they’re not busy preparing for a flight or flying the plane, their pilots are happy to pass out a collectible trading card featuring one of the airplanes in their fleet to “any customer that asks nicely.”
The carrier says there are 11 card types in the current collection and six total Delta collections since the beginning of the program, which has been active for more than 20 years.
Airplane Wings
If you are a kid – or an adult – stepping on a plane for the first time and a pilot or flight attendant hands you a small wing pin with the airline’s insignia on it, that’s going to make an impression.
Delta, Alaska, and Southwest Airlines still have airplane wings for kids and first-time flyers. Most are plastic, but the wings Alaska Airlines hands out are metal.
KLM’s little Delft houses
Long-haul business class passengers on KLM get to take home one of the more unusual and collectible items: a miniature Delft house.
The little blue-and-white houses are in the shape of historic and notable buildings in the Netherlands or abroad and are filled with Bols Genever, a liquor made with corn, rye, and wheat.
KLM commissions a new little house each year and releases it in October to coincide with the anniversary of KLM’s founding in 1919. This year’s house – the 104th in the series – portrays Valkenburg Station, the oldest existing railway station in the Netherlands.
Salt and pepper shakers
Airlines know that many passengers pocket salt and pepper shakers. And some carriers have fun with that.
Virgin Atlantic’s salt and pepper shakers say “pinched from Virgin Atlantic” on their feet.
Caught red handed? 😲
If you’ve walked away from one of our flights with a 'new' salt and pepper shaker, take a peek at their feet and you’ll be in for a surprise. pic.twitter.com/m6INViFl81
And the little see-through airplane (above) filled with salt and pepper on Condor Airlines (remove the propeller for pepper) says “aeroplane souvenir” on the underside.
Amenity kits
Premium passengers on international flights are issued some swanky amenity kits.
United’s new Polaris amenity kits are filled with products from the Therabody wellness brand. And Emirates has a collection of Bulgari amenity kits for First and business-class passengers with a wide variety of upscale products, including an engraved Bulgari mirror.
Dublin Airport (DUB) takes the Christmas holiday seriously.
The Stuck at the Airport holiday team thought it was cute when we saw the notice that the Dublin Airport was going to shut down on Christmas Eve to make sure the skies were clear for Santa.
But we didn’t think that was for real.
Turns out it was. Not only does Dublin Airport shut down flight operations on Christmas Eve to make sure the air space is fully clear for the arrival of Santa, but the airport holds an annual ceremony to bless the planes on Christmas Day. And Dublin Airport has been holding a plane blessing ceremony each Christmas Day since 1947.
We’re ready for Santa too! Flight operations at Dublin Airport will cease on Christmas Eve after the last flight arrives at around 23.00, ensuring the air space is fully clear for the arrival of Santa’s sleigh after midnight. 🎅 https://t.co/EmvJnz6Ep9
Christmas Day is the only day of the year when Dublin Airport is closed. But we still had a skeleton team on duty to deal with emergencies – and also to escort airport chaplain Father Des Doyle as he carried out the annual blessing of the planes. 🎄 pic.twitter.com/8bJem1SHLx
Like Santa, the Stuck at the Airport amenities team keeps an annual list. Ours makes note of the airports that offer travelers great new amenities and events throughout the year.
Here’s what made our list this year.
(Our list of Best Airport Amenities of 2023 first appeared on The Points Guy site this year in a slightly different version).
1. A whole new airport terminal for Kansas City, Missouri
In February, Kansas City International Airport (MCI) opened its long-awaited and much-needed new 40-gate terminal. The $1.5 billion facility dazzles with a massive check-in hall, glass jet bridges, great art, and a wide array of locally branded shops and restaurants, including a barbecue restaurant with the only wood-burning BBQ pit in an airport.
2. Love in the airport
The Clark County Clerk’s Office in Las Vegas once again brought its pop-up marriage license kiosk back to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), for Valentine’s Day. That meant couples could skip a visit to the license bureau downtown and go directly to their wedding ceremony.
New Year’s Eve is already a popular day to get married in Sin City, but this year the date – which can be written as 1-2-3-1-2-3 – is considered especially lucky.
3. April Fools’ Day airport pranks
Many airports go all on on April Fools’ Day. And this year was no exception.
Denver International Airport (DEN) promised the DEN Red Eye, the world’s first airport Ferris wheel. And Minneapolis International Airport (MSP) introduced an only-in-Minnesota amenity: the Lutefisk Fresh vending machine.
4. Airport childcare
In July, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) became the first airport to open a childcare center on-site, in a surplus part of the terminal once used by US Airways.
The center won’t take care of your kids while you pop into an airport bar for a pre-flight cocktail, but PIT’s onsite childcare center is a welcome amenity for airport employees. Several other airports offer subsidized childcare for the kids of employees in nearby facilities. And some airports, including Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX), are actively working on studies and facilities that expand childcare options for employees.
5. More Visitor Pass Programs
Orlando International Airport (MCO) joined the list of airports that offer an airside visitor pass.
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) joined the visitor pass party in October with the introduction of its Wingmate Guest Pass Program, which comes with a bonus of dining and shopping deals from PHL merchants.
6. Flush with pride: BWI has America’s Best Restroom
7 All LAX terminals are now connected post-security. Finally.
This year one of the more irritating roadblocks to smooth connections at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) fell away when a post-security walkway opened between Terminal 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT).
It is now possible to access all of the LAX terminals once you pass through security at one terminal.
8. Fort Wayne International Airport loves its customers. And feeds them.
Year-round, Hospitality Hosts at Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA) welcome passengers with a (wrapped) cookie from a nearby bakery. But this year, during Customer Appreciation Week in October, the airport treated passengers to free, fun food each day.
In addition to a popcorn bar, a caramel apple bar, a hot dog bar, and a walking taco bar with all manner of toppings, the airport presented passengers with a coffee and hot chocolate bar.
9. Baggage gargoyles return to Denver International Airport
In 1995, an art piece titled “Notre Denver,” by Terry Allen made up of two bronze gargoyles sitting inside suitcases was installed in the east and west bag claim areas at Denver International Airport (DEN). They are tasked with making sure DEN baggage arrives safely. However, the decorative duo spent about five years in storage due to airport construction.
In October the gargoyles returned to their perches, just in time to protect passengers’ holiday luggage. Unfortunately, there appears to be no plan to bring back DEN’s chatty gargoyle, which made an appearance in 2019.
10. Free books at Miami International Airport
A handful of airports around the country, including Oregon’s Eugene Airport, have free short story dispensers on site. Others, such as Philadelphia International Airport, have kiosks or book nooks where passengers may swap a paperback for another or download free digital books.
Miami International (MIA) is the newest airport to hop on the book exchange program.
In mid-December, MIA debuted its colorful Books with an Altitude Library in the airport’s South Terminal, between gates H5 and H7. The Miami-Dade Public Library system seeded the library with a donation of 1000 books and passengers are now refreshing the selection with their exchanged books.
