Air New Zealand

Fresh airport amenities. And Super Bowl plans.

Events, , , , ,

SEA Airport gets a retro arcade

A retro-arcade-themed gaming center with food and beverages just opened at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

And we’re planning to get to the airport extremely early for our flight this week so we can test it out.

The arcade, in the SEA N Concourse, is called Sky Gamerz and it has food and drinks as well as retro games played on vintage Atari 2600 consoles including Miss Pac-Man, Dig Dug and Donkey Kong.

Airlines adding Super Bowl Flights & the New Orleans airport is ready for them

The Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles are heading to New Orleans to face off in Super Bowl LIX on February 9.

Whether or not they have tickets to the big game, thousands of fans will be heading that way too. And the major airlines are adding flights to help them get into and out of The Big Easy.

Some of those flights have special custom numbers for those in the know.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) is ready to welcome the fans.

And some flight deals for people – and their pets

The Stuck at the Airport team has February flights plans that include Sydney, Australia, so we’re pleased to see that Air New Zealand has a flight sale starting January 28, with discounted economy fares from cities like Los Angeles to Sydney starting at just $848 and from San Francisco to Sydney at just $998. Premium Economy and Business class tickets are on sale too.

Bark Air – which offers flights for dogs and their people – has a flight news too.

Bark Air is a charter air service for dogs and their humans operating flights between New York and Los Angeles, Paris and London using Gulfstream G5 and G4 jets and flying to and from secondary airports, such as Westchester County Airport in White Plains (HPN), Van Nuys Airport (VNY) near Los Angeles and Standsted Airport (STN) near London.

Air fare on these flights start at $6,000 for a pet and a person, but over the President’s Day weekend, February 13-17, Bark Air is offering some less expensive flights at $1000 and below on larger CRJ-200 aircraft between New York Teterboro Airport (TEB) and Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL).

Bridgerton fan? Taketh a look at British Airways’ new safety video

Safety videos, , ,

Are you a fan of the historical romance TV series Bridgerton, or just bored with staid, straightforward airline safety videos?

Then taketh a look at this new genre entry from British Airways titled May We Haveth One’s Attention.

The charming, entertaining and, most importantly, educational, video is a wee bit over 5 minutes long and features more than 40 British Airlines staff. The video will run on the airline’s long-haul flights starting August 1 – but you can enjoy it right here.

And while we’re on the topic of safety videos, let’s take a moment to remember fitness instructor, TV personality and imp, Richard Simmons who starred in this Air New Zealand “Fit to Fly” safety video more than a dozen years ago.

Travel Tidbits for a busy holiday weekend

Animals, , , , ,

The Memorial Day weekend is traditionally one of the busiest travel times. And this year is no exception.

AAA projects 42.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this Memorial Day weekend, a 7% increase over 2022.

Many people will be driving to their destinations this weekend, but AAA says nearly 3.4 million travelers are expected to fly.

That’s an increase of 11% over last year and 5.4% more than in 2019.

“This Memorial Day weekend could be the busiest at airports since 2005,” says AAA.

So if you’re flying somewhere, pack your patience – and some snacks.

Therapy Cat at SFO Airport

San Francisco International Airport’s team of certified stress-relief animals, the Wag Brigade, includes dogs, a Flemish giant rabbit named Alex, and a Juliana-breed pig named Lilou.

Now the team has a new member: Duke Ellington Morris, known around town as ‘Duke the Cat.’

Duke is certified as a therapy cat by the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and has been visiting area hospitals and other sites for many years.

Look for Duke and other SFO stress-relief animals wearing their “pet me” vests.

Air New Zealand’s amenity kits feature products inspired by Māori knowledge

Air New Zealand’s new onboard amenity kits now feature skincare products made by Aotea on Aotea/ Great Barrier Island that inspiration by traditional Māori herbal practices.

The products include native New Zealand ingredients, such as Kawakawa, Harakeke, and Mānuka, and are available to customers traveling in business premier and premium economy cabins.

“My grandmother was a Rongoā Māori (Māori medicine) practitioner,” says Aotea founder Tama Toki, “She would treat us kids with what we found in the bush and the Aotea range is an expression of that upbringing. It’s a privilege to be able to see this part of our culture onboard Air New Zealand flights.”

Watch Air New Zealand’s new domestic safety video

Safety videos,

Oh what we’d give to be on an airplane watching a safety video right now.

Better yet, one of the charming and quirky safety videos that Air New Zealand puts together.

With borders closed due to COVID-19, most long-haul flights to and from New Zealand have been grounded and international visitors are staying home.

So Air New Zealand teamed up with Tourism New Zealand for this new safety video being shown now on domestic flights.

In the video we see various destinations across New Zealand vying to be named the 8th Wonder of the World.  And, of course, we see the important safety instructions for flyers.

“The video assists in supporting the recovery of international tourism once borders reopen, ” says Air New Zealand Chief Customer and Sales Officer Leanne Geraghty. “We know the decision-making process for visitors to come to New Zealand will be different into the future – so we need to be building the appeal and desire now in international markets in anticipation of borders reopening. It’s important to keep New Zealand as a visitor destination top of mind.” 

Take a look and let us know what you think. We’ve also added some of our favorite ANZ safety videos and TV commercials from the past.

Airports & airlines sacking single-use plastic

Environment, , , , , ,

Our story about airports and airlines getting rid of single-use plastics first appeared on CNBC.

Business and leisure travelers concerned about climate change and “flight shame” may do their part by purchasing carbon offsets and adjusting the number of trips they take on airplanes.

Airports and airlines are trying to save the planet too with a wide range of sustainable initiatives that include cutting down the use of single-use plastics and making reusable water bottles essential travel amenities.

BYOB at SFO Airport

In 2019, San Francisco International Airport (SFO), launched an ambitious Zero Waste Concessions Program designed to significantly reduce the amount of single-use disposable plastics used at the airport.

Noting that in 2018 nearly four million slow-to-biodegrade plastic water bottles were sold at the airport, in August 2019 SFO became the first airport in the nation to ban the sale of single-use plastic water bottles.

SFO now actively encourages each passenger to bring their own reusable water bottle with them to the airport and get free water from one of the hydration stations in the terminals.

Bottled sodas, teas and juices are currently exempt from the policy. And bottled water is still being sold, but only in approved packaging made from recyclable aluminum or glass, or in compostable packaging.

Single-use plastics banned at other airports too

Airports in a growing number of other cities in the United States, and around the world, are getting serious about sustainability projects that are good for the environment and, in some cases, the bottom line.

“Whether through their participation in the Airport Carbon Accreditation program, implementation of more sustainable business practices, or even by the elimination of drinking straws and other single-use plastics, airports are taking a variety of approaches to be good neighbors in their communities,” said Scott Elmore, Vice President, Communications & Marketing for Airports Council International – North America

In February 2019, Glasgow Airport offered all 5,300 people working in an around the airport free, reusable bottles.

In September 2019, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) announced a campaign to phase out all single-use plastic straws at the airport.

In October 2019, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) announced that at least 55 airports in the country had banned single-use plastic items such as straws, plastic cutlery and plastic plates.

And January 1, 2020, is the deadline for Dubai’s two airports, Dubai International Airport (DBX) – the world’s busiest airport for international travelers – and Dubai World Central Airport (DWC) to be entirely free of single-use plastics such as plastic cutlery, drinking straws, meal packaging and bags.

“Along with our partners, including global brands such as McDonalds, Costa Coffee and Starbucks, we are committed to not only removing single-use plastics but in their place providing appropriate and importantly sustainable alternatives,” said Eugene Barry, Dubai Airport’s Executive Vice President – Commercial, in a statement.

Barry says finding replacements for plastic bottles remains a challenge for the airports, so for now bottle recycling efforts are being beefed up.

Going forward, a bill passed by the Atlanta City Council and waiting for the mayor’s approval is set to ban single-use plastics in the city and at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) by the end of 2020. Following the new law shouldn’t be too much of a reach: ATL’s guidelines for increased sustainability already seek to divert 90% of the airport’s total waste from landfills.

Not all airports are nixing the plastic water bottles, though.

In its food court, Portland International Airport (PDX) eliminates a great deal of plastic with its Green Plate Program that gives travelers the option of having meals served on reusable plates with reusable utensils.

But the airport’s environmental team hasn’t pressed to impose a ban on plastic bottles because “not every traveler chooses to tote around what can sometimes be a very expensive refillable bottle,” said PDX spokesperson Kama Simonds, “Further, what if travelers to our airport were unaware of the ban? This could have unintended consequences of either leaving folks with less hydration and/or potentially having a sugary drink as the option, which isn’t healthy.”

Airport vendors and airlines doing their part

HMSHost, which operates dining venues in more than 120 airports around the world, says it is on track to honor its commitment to eliminate plastic straws in its North American operations by the end of 2020.

The company has already eliminated plastic cocktail stirrers and currently only provides straws on request in its casual dining restaurants.

In September, Alaska Airlines kicked off a “FillBeforeYouFly” initiative, asking passengers to help reduce the use of single-use plastic bottles inflight by bringing their reusable water bottles to the airport and filling them at airport hydrations stations before their flight.

In November, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) introduced sustainable meal packaging that includes paper with a coating made of organic plant-based plastic instead of oil-based plastic as well as cutlery made of plant-based plastic.

And earlier this year, Air New Zealand removed individual plastic water bottles from its Business Premier and Premium Economy cabins and switched to compostable plant-based coffee cups made from paper and corn instead of plastic.

The airline is encouraging passengers to bring their own reusable cups on board aircraft and into lounges. And, in a truly tasty move, ANZ is running a test program to serve coffee and ice-cream in edible, vanilla-flavored cups made by New Zealand-based twiice.