Airline Trading Cards

How to get airport and airline trading cards

Airports, ,

February 24 is National Trading Card Day, but if you’re a traveler you can celebrate anytime.

That’s because many airports and airlines have trading cards that are free for the asking year round.

Airports Council International-North America, the membership organization for airports, created the trading card program for airports back in 2014.

More than 100 airports now have their own trading card, each bearing an image of the airport and the airport code on one side and a series of facts about the airport on the reverse.

And over the years some airports, including Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), have issued more than one version of their cards.

At some airports, the therapy dogs have trading cards too.

These are the cards recently created for the therapy pups at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) Airport.

Airline trading cards

Airlines have very popular trading card programs as well.

The list includes Alaska Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

@united

Step two: ask your pilot for one on your next flight #AircraftTradingCards #Aircraft #AvGeek #Travel #UnitedAirlines

♬ original sound – ava

How to do you get an airport or airline trading card?

Just ask.

If the cards are in stock and available, and you ask nicely, you can get a card for free.

Airports usually have their trading cards at the information desks.

If available, therapy dogs handlers will have trading cards for their pups with them in the terminals.

On airlines, it’s often the pilots, first officers and sometimes flight attendants that have trading cards, if they’re available.

Do you collect aviation-themed trading cards? Leave a note about your collection in the comment section below.

Alaska Airlines trading cards + Where we’d go

Airlines, ,

How to get Alaska Airlines’ new pilot trading cards

Airports have them. Delta Air Lines has new ones. Even the therapy animals that roam airport concourses have them.

Now Alaska Airlines has issued a new set of trading cards that you can collect too.

On World Pilot’s Day (April 26) the carrier debuted a new 8-card collection of commemorative trading cards celebrating current liveries.

The carrier last issued new trading cards more than a decade ago and those cards were printed on cardstock.

These new cards are more snazzy, with a holographic film and lenticular coating that transforms the aircraft image into what the airline promises will be a “multi-dimensional experience.”

Want some of Alaska Airlines’ new trading cards?

So how do you get your hands on these cool new airline trading cards?

According to the airline you just need to ask the pilot or a member of the flight crew on your next flight if they have cards on hands. Keep in mind though, that limited quantities of the cards are being produced and are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Let us know what you score.

For a full history of all of Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air pilot trading cards, take a moment to visit the World Airline Historical Society site, which traces the airline’s collectible cards back to 1966.

Where we’d go: Kinectic Sculpture Race in Baltimore at AVAM

The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland is a whimsical, magical museum that collects, displays and celebrates art produced by self-taught individuals.

AVAM also hosts some wonderful and wacky events, including a Kinetic Sculpture Race, which is celebrating its 25th running on Saturday, May 3.

According to AVAM, for this race, “Kinetinauts and their multi-terrain machine wonders brave 15 miles of seemingly impassable obstacles, from water circuits and pits of mud to the city’s bumpy byways…FOR NOTHIN’ BUT THE GLORY.”

Check out this video from a recent race.

And let us know where you’re going.

(AVAM images courtesy AVAM)