Airport art

IAH: 5 Thing We Love About George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Airport guides, , , ,

Our “5 Things We Love About...” series celebrating features and amenities at airports around the country and the world lands at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

The airport is located about 23 miles north of downtown Houston and is served by more than two dozen airlines offering flights to about 185 non-destinations.

Keep in mind that some of the amenities we list may be temporarily unavailable due to health concerns. We’re confident they’ll be back.

If we miss one of the things you love about George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), be sure to leave a note in the comments section below.

5 Things We Love About George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)

1. The art at IAH Airport

The Houston Airport System owns one of the largest collections of public art in Texas and a good amount of that art is on display at IAH Airport.

Travel Light – by The Art Guys
Moonwalking Cow – Silvestri
https://player.vimeo.com/video/188034019

2. Live music at IAH Airport

The Harmony in the Air performing arts program at IAH presents live concerts in Terminal A, Northside Atrium, and in Terminal D, near gate D8.

Concerts are scheduled Monday through Friday and include classical, jazz, pop, and International music. See the IAH website for schedule and concert times.

3. The IAH Yoga studio

IAH has a yoga studio for passengers in Terminal A, near Gate A3.

4. Shopping at IAH

We’ve picked up some great souvenirs in the shops at IAH

5. The Inter-Terminal Train at IAH

All five terminals at IAH are connected by an above-ground automated people-mover (the Skyway) and the underground Subway, which dates to 1981 and runs on a circuit that makes a curving and somewhat amusing round-trip every 18 minutes.

As of September 2020, the subway was undergoing some major repairs, so the video below may be the closest you’ll get to this unusual ride for a while.

The Inter-Terminal Train at IAH has a great backstory.

In the late-1970s a Disney executive who traveled through IAH on a regular basis became irritated with the unreliable tram system then operating between terminals. Not long after, a Disney-made people mover opened at IAH.

That’s why Mickey Mouse was on hand for the subway’s opening day.

Did we miss one your favorite features or amenities at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH)? Be sure to leave a note in the comment section below.

Looking ahead: Will we ever be able to travel again? And, if so, what will that be like?

Will we ever be able to travel again? And, if so, what will that be like?

No one knows for sure, but an interesting group of travel experts is going to talk about it on October 7-8 during the online Travel 2021 Summit.

I am on the agenda talking about what airlines and airports are doing to make travelers feel safe now and what air travel may be like in the future.

Want to attend? Here is a link to the Travel 2021 Summit where you can get a discount on tickets.

Early bird pricing ends September 17. 

Use code SEPT50 for $50 off the registration fee.

MSP: 5 Things We Love About Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

Airport guides, , , , , , ,

Our ‘5 Things We Love About…” series celebrating features and amenities at airports around the country and the world lands today at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

MSP sits on land that, back in 1914, was home to Snelling Speedway.

Auto racing gave way to airmail service and Speedway Field. In 1923 the airport was renamed Wold-Chamberlain Field in honor of two local pilots who lost their lives in combat during World War 1.

The airport’s first passenger service was in 1929 and in 1948 the MSP acquired its current name: Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Please keep in mind that some of the amenities we feature here may be currently unavailable due to health concerns. We’re confident they’ll be back.

5 Things We Love About Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport

1. Award-winning restrooms at MSP

Clean bathrooms are an important airport amenity. Add art and an airport’s bathrooms can become something people talk about and give awards to.

That’s what happened when several sets of MSP restrooms were remodeled to feature stunning artist-made mosaics and the latest in cleaning technology.

In 2016, MSP Airport won first place in an annual contest that crowns America’s best public restroom. That was the first time an airport loo won the award.

2. The arts program at MSP

In 2019, MSP airport presented more than 900 live music and dance performances.

MSP also has permanent public art installations and temporary art exhibits in both terminals. MSP also hosts an annual art show that features work by MSP employees and their families.

This summer, local authors began online readings from their books and Once the pandemic is over, the plan is to have monthly readings in the art gallery in the Airport Mall in Terminal 1.   

3. The Prince store at MSP


The late musician Prince is a beloved Minnesota-born icon.

In addition to a giant 16-foot-by 24-foot mural of Prince by artist Rock Martinez, MSP airport also has a Prince store in Terminal 1 where fans can buy all sorts of Prince-branded merchandise.

4. Minnesota’s Tallest Escalator is at MSP

MSP’s newest parking ramp partially opened in early August with a new attraction: Minnesota’s tallest escalator.

The escalator is 55 feet tall, travels about 100 feet per minute and is capable of transporting 9,000 people per hour.

The ride – up or down – takes 1 minute and 15 seconds.

All rental car services, off-airport parking shuttles and all bus services are in the new Silver Ramp.   

5. Animal ambassadors at MSP

98 therapy dogs – and a therapy cat named Stitches – serve as animal ambassadors at MSP airport, helping reduce travelers’ stress.

Bonus: The hotel at MSP Airport

MSP Airport has a hotel located between the inbound and outbound roadways at Terminal 1 with direct access to Concourse C via a skyway.

The 291-room, 12-story Intercontinental MSP Airport has two restaurants, a cocktail bar, a TSA checkpoint (currently closed due to COVID), a fitness center, a thermal pool, and a collection of work by local artists.

One thing MSP Airport does not have is an aircraft viewing area with an outdoor pool.

That was a great April Fools Day joke from 2018 that we’re still wishing might come true.

Did we miss one of the amenities you love at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP)?

If so, please leave a note in the comments section below.

And be sure to take a look at the other airports in our “5 Things We Love About...” series.

BOS: 5 Things We Love About Boston Logan International Airport

Airport guides, , ,

Our “5 Things We Love About …” series highlights some of the great features and amenities at airports around the country and the world.

Today we land at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).

Keep in mind that some of amenities may be currently unavailable due to health concerns. We’re confident they’ll be back.

If we missed something you love about Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), please leave a note in the comments section below.

And if you have a suggestion for the next airport to be featured in our “5 Things We Love About…” series, we want to know!

BOS: 5 Things We Love About Boston Logan International Airport

“Flybe” by Jacob Kulin

1. Art at Boston Logan Int’l Airport

The public art program at BOS features both permanent pieces and temporary exhibitions and includes the Sports Wall, which celebrates sports championships and the Boston “T” Party exhibit, which invites travelers to take selfies and, of course, share them.

2. Rocking Chairs at BOS

Like many other airports now, Boston Logan International Airport has rocking chairs scattered about. Here, some of the rocking chairs are plain white while others are painted by artists.

Boston Logan Rocker

3. Shopping at Boston Logan Int’l Airport

Stuffed lobster at Boston Tops shop at Logan Airport

We love shopping for souvenirs at Boston Logan International Airport.

In addition to all the fun Boston-centric and lobster-themed gifts available, it is also possible to pick up live lobsters to-go at Legal Sea Foods. (Although this is one of the amenities temporarily unavailable due to COVID concerns.)

4. Family Friendly amenities at BOS

BOS has nursing pods in each terminal and Kidport play spaces in several terminals.

If your kids (or you) can’t sit still in a restaurant or can’t agree on what kind of food to eat, Boston Logan is one of the airports where you can have AtYourGate deliver food to you from eateries across all terminals.

5. The 9/11 Memorial at BOS

The Logan Airport 9/11 Memorial at Boston Logan International Airport honors the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. These two planes departed Logan Airport for Los Angeles on September 11, 2001 and were hijacked by terrorists who flew them into the World Trade Towers in New York.

The memorial was dedicated on September 9, 2008 and is 20-by-20-foot glass cube that glows with a soft light at night. Inside the cube are two glass panels etched with the names of the people who were on each flight.

The memorial is in a small, park-like area between Terminal A and the Hilton Boston Logan Airport and is open 24 hours.

STL: 5 Things We Love About St. Louis Lambert International Airport

Airport guides, ,

[Updated August 30, 2020 with two ‘bonus’ items]

Our “5 Things We Love About…” series celebrating features and amenities at airports around the country and the world lands today at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL).

The airport is named in honor of Major Albert Bond Lambert, who learned to fly with the Wright Brothers and in 1911 was the first person in St. Louis to receive a private pilot’s license.

Keep in mind that some of the modern-day amenities we love at STL may not be available or accessible due to health concerns. We’re confident they’ll be back.

If we miss one of the STL features you love, be sure to leave a note in the comments section below.

And be sure to take a look at the other airports in the “5 Things We Love About...” series as well.

5 Things We Love About St. Louis Lambert International Airport – STL

1. The Historic STL Terminal

In 1956, famed Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki’s iconic arched terminal opened at Lambert.

Yamasaki also designed the original World Trade Center in New York City and many other iconic buildings.

The signature terminal at STL was originally built as a multi-level facility with a grand ticketing hall topped with three 30-ft high domed, concrete vaults.

The STL terminal expanded in 1965 with a fourth identical dome.

That original mid-century design has been credited with influencing the designs for other iconic terminals, including the TWA Terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York (now the TWA Hotel) and Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., both designed by Eero Saarinen. 

2. The art collection at STL

St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) has an art museum feel, with ten major works on temporary or permanent display in both terminals.

One of the most notable art pieces at STL is Zhu Wei’s China China bronze statue (above), on loan from the Gateway Foundation.

Here’s a sampling of some of the other artwork you’ll find at STL in the Lambert Gallery (in Terminal 1) and on Concourses A and C.

The Confluence, by Joan Hall. Gate C5 in Terminal 1


<
Nucleic Life Formation – by Amy Cheng


3. STL’s Historic Black Americans in Flight Mural

August 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of the dedication of the impressive and important Black Americans in Flight mural.

The 5-panel mural is eight feet tall and 51 feet long. It pays tribute to African-American achievements in aviation from 1917 onward.

You’ll find it on the lower level of Terminal 1, outside of security, near Exit 11.

4. STL’s Red Rocking Chairs

Rocking chairs are one of the calming amenities travelers most enjoy when they’re stuck at the airport.

At some airports, the rockers are white or plain brown. Elsewhere, they’re painted by artists and each is different.

At STL Airport the rocking chairs are bright red and emblazoned with the STL logo.

Is it the cardinal red of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team? Maybe. But these rockers are hard to miss and clearly very, very comfortable.

5. The bonus views

In the 1960s, Lambert International Airport was the home to a McDonnell Douglas facility that built the Gemini space capsule.

Today, there’s a Boeing plant on the STL property that builds the U.S. Air Force’s F-15 Hornet jet fighter, which can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.5. The plant also produces the T-7 Air Force trainer jet and the Navy’s MQ-25 refueling drone.

Passengers landing at STL are sometimes treated to the sight of a military or Boeing test pilot making a vertical ascent.  

Like this:

Even more thing we love at STL Airport

Here are two extra bonus items we love at STL Airport: Vending Machines for Ted Drewes Ice Cream and the Glatz Monocoupe.

Ted Drewes Ice Cream Machines at STL

If you live in St. Louis – or have visited – you’re probably a fan of Ted Drewes frozen custard. Lucky thing, then, that there are four Ted Drewes vending machines at STL airport. Two are in the Southwest Airlines Terminal 2 near Gates E10 and E20. Two other machines are in the historic Terminal 1, by Gate A15 and Gate C15.

StuckatTheAirport.com first wrote about the arrival of the Ted Drewes vending machines at STL airport back in 2015.

The Glatz Monocoupe at STL

In STL Terminal 2 you’ll find a Monocoupe 110 Special on display.

The “Glatz” Monocoupe, as it is known, is on loan from the Missouri Historical Society and was manufactured by the Mono Aircraft Corporation of Moline, Illinois in March 1931. The plane has been on display at STL since 1998.

Did we miss one of your favorite features or amenities at STL? Be sure to leave a note in the comments section below. And let us know where our “5 Things We Love About …” series should land next.

STL Airport’s Black Americans in Flight mural turns 30

Aviation history, ,

Make sure to see this historic mural at STL Airport

August 13, 2020 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the dedication ceremony unveiling the Black Americans In Flight mural that now hangs in Terminal One (T1) at St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL).

The five-panel mural is eight feet tall and 51 feet long. It pays tribute to African-American Achievements in Aviation from 1917 onward.

Included in the historic mural are 75 portraits, 18 aircraft, five unit patches, and one spacecraft.

In 1986 the Committee for the Aviation Mural Project Success (CAMPS) commissioned St. Louis artist Spencer Taylor to create the mural.

The initial assignment was to honor St. Louis African-American pilots that flew in World War II, also known as Tuskegee Airmen. But Taylor worked with another local artist, Solomon Thurman, and expanded the mural to include the much broader story of African-Americans in aviation and the history they made.

Notable people featured in the mural

A few of the notable people you can spot in the mural include:

Capt. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. On September 2, 1941, David became the first African-American to solo an aircraft as an officer of the U.S. Army Air Corp.

Capt. Wendell O. Pruitt. A St. Louis native, Pruitt was one-half of the famed “Gruesome Twosome.” Capt. Pruitt along and Capt. Lee Archer are considered the most successful pair of Tuskegee pilots in terms of air victories. Both men were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Capt. Marcella A. Hayes. Hayes is the first African-American woman to complete U.S. Army pilot training in 1979. Following her training, she became an Army helicopter pilot.

Capt. Edward J. Dwight, Jr.  He is the first African-American candidate for NASA’s space program.

Ronald E. McNair, Ph.D. McNair was a specialist aboard the fatal launch of the Challenger space shuttle in January of 1986.

Mae C. Jemison, M.D. She is the first African-American female astronaut.

In 2017, STL held an event to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the mural’s installation. COVID-19 means no formal ceremony or event can take place now, for the 30th anniversary.

If you can’t visit STL right now and see this mural in person, you can find more information about it on the STL website. There’s also a report on the time Lt. Colonel Marcella Ng (formerly Capt. Marcella Hayes) visited St. Louis and got her first chance to see her portrait in the mural and meet with one of the artists.

SAT: 5 Things We Love About San Antonio International Airport

Airport guides, , , ,

Our “5 Things We Love About...” series celebrates features and amenities at airports around the country and the world.

Today we’re landing at San Antonio International Airport (SAT).

Keep in mind that some of the amenities we love at the San Antonio International Airport may be temporarily unavailable due to health concerns. We’re confident they’ll be back.

Roy Rogers and Dale Evans stopped by San Antonio International way back when

1. Art and music at San Antonio International Airport

“¡Adelante San Antonio!” by Dos Mestizx, Suzy González and Michael Menchaca

SAT presents live concerts and events and is home to a wide variety of temporary art exhibitions and permanent public art.

2. Kids play area at SAT

This new play area at SAT is located in Terminal A.

3. The Pet Relief Areas at SAT Airport

SAT has three service animal and pet relief areas. The two indoor areas feature red ornamental water hydrants, turf grass with multiple drains, waste bags, benches, and mirrors.

4. The Pups & Planes program at SAT Airport

The Pups & Planes dog therapy program at SAT Airport is part of the airport’s Ambassador Program. Volunteers and their pups visit the terminals on rotating schedules.

5. SAT’s Travel Safety Campaign

San Antonio International Airport (SAT) and other airports in Texas have a new campaign to restore consumer confidence in air travel and to inform travelers of new safety protocols and enhanced health procedures.

One piece of the campaign is a free downloadable coloring and activity book. San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is featured in the book, along with Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP), Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Dallas Love Field Airport (DAL), El Paso International Airport (EL), George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB), and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU).

Did we miss any of your favorite features or amenities at San Antonio International Airport (SAT)?

If so, please leave a note in the comments section below.

And take a moment too to visit some of the airports in our “5 Things We Love About...” series.

Aviation memorabilia at John Wayne Airport (SNA)

Aviation history, , ,
Hang gliders on display at John Wayne Airport (JWA)

One nice perk of visiting lots of airports is getting to see great art and history exhibits, even if your trip doesn’t leave much time to hang out in many museums around town.

We miss that right now. But we are glad airports continue to share their fresh exhibits with us online.

A great example:

In California, the John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County now has an exhibit featuring aviation memorabilia and historical artifacts highlighting the history of women in aviation.

The displays include items that date back to the early 1900s.

The exhibit is put together by the Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots and tells the history of women pilots and aviation pioneers including Amelia Earhart, who was the first president of the Ninety-Nines.

Why “Ninety-Nines“?

The group was established in 1929 by 99 women pilots. The group name represents the 99 charter members who became the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots.

Look for this exhibit at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in the Vi Smith Gallery on the Departure (upper) Level in Terminal C across from Gate 14.

(Photos courtesy John Wayne Airport)

Travel Tidbits – Out of the Inbox edition

Contests, , , , , , ,

Enter these sweepstakes

Baseball is back. (Sort of). And Alaska Airlines has a fun promo running with the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants.

Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants fans – or anyone – can enter to win one million miles as part of Alaska’s Million-Mile Home Run Sweepstakes. Register with your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number, or sign up to get one free.

As a bonus, each week of the season Alaska Airlines will also pick one winner to receive air travel and tickets to 2021 Spring Training.

We also found an easy to enter sweepstakes from Bojangles. Prizes include $2,500 in cash, a $500 hotel gift card, a $500 gas card, a $500 rental car gift card, and $500 to spend at Bojangles.

Giant Robots at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport

Ten-foot-tall robots, a whole family of them, are now ‘living’ in the Phoenix Airport Museum’s Terminal 4 Gallery at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).

The robots are part of an installation titled “Electro-Symbio Phonics for Phoenix,” by Nam June Paik.

What you’ll see: a mother, father, and child robot in an athletic pose with arms raised nearly touching the ceiling. Their heads, appendages, and torsos consist of 63 televisions blitzing with fast-paced video clips of sports highlights, popular culture, and desert imagery.

Ready to reconsider cruising?

Do you think you – and the world – might be ready to embrace cruising again in a year or so? Then you might want to go all-in on Viking’s new 2021-2022 Viking World Cruise. The trip will last 136 days, with visits to 27 countries and 56 ports.

The ship sets sail in Fort Lauderdale on December 24, 2021. After visiting ports of call in Central America, transiting through the Panama Canal, and going up the West Coast of North America, the ship will cross the Pacific Ocean and visit Hawaii. From there it’s off to New Zealand and Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean before ending in London.

Too long a trip for you? There’s a shorter, 119-day sailing. The 2022 Viking World Horizons which departs from Los Angeles on January 10, 2022, and visits 22 countries and 49 ports before ending in London.

Prices (which include lots of extras, such as business class airfare and transfers to and from the ship) start at $49,995 per person for the 2021-2022 Viking World Cruise and $45,995 for the 2022 World Cruise Horizons (based on double occupancy).

DCA: 5 Things We Love About Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Airport guides, , ,

Our “5 Things We Love About…” series continues today with some of the features and amenities at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Address-wise, DCA Airport is in Virginia. But it is just a 20-minute Metro ride from the airport to the National Mall and all the free Smithsonian Institution museums.

Keep in mind that some of the amenities we love at DCA may be temporarily unavailable due to health concerns. We are confident they will be back.

And don’t forget to take a look at some of the other airports profiled in the “5 Things We Love About…” series.                           

5 Things We Love About Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

1. The views of Washington, D.C.’s monuments

Nice, right?

Aviation geeks who would rather look at airplanes than landscape and monuments know what Gravelly Point Park sits at the end of DCA’s longest runway and offers great plane spotting opportunities.

2. The Historic DCA Lobby

DCA Opening Day – June 16, 1941

Washington National Airport opened for business on June 16, 1941 with service from two airlines: American and Eastern.

Back then the facility was “ultramodern” in terms of building design, air traffic control, and convenience.

Today, the historic Terminal A lobby still feels swanky, in that 1940s way.

You’ll also find photos from the earlier era along the wall in the hallway to the west of the lobby and, nearby, an exhibit area with artifacts and information from Abingdon, a colonial plantation that once stood on the airport’s grounds.

3.  Ben’s Chili Bowl restaurant

DCA has a branch of Ben’s Chili Bowl, a landmark restaurant in Washington, D.C. known for chili dogs, half-smokes, and milkshakes.

4. The Art at DCA

Floor medallion DCA by Frank Stella
Floor medallion – Sol Lewitt
Floor medallion by Michele Oka Doner

Art is an integral part of Terminal B/C, which was designed by renowned architect Cesar Pelli.

The permanent artwork includes ten floor medallions on the concourse; 11 balustrades that overlook the concourse; 5 murals; 2 stained glass friezes and more.

5. The Rocking Chair Lobby in Terminal A

We love any airport that has rocking chairs. Don’t you?

Did we miss some of your favorite features or amenities at DCA – Ronald Regan Washington National Airport?

Let us know in the comments section below.

Travel Tidbits from an airport near you

Art, History, , , ,


Wouldn’t it be nice right now to be making your way to an airport and getting ready to visit a new city or an old favorite?

That time will come. For now, here are some tidbits from airports around the country.

Pay respects to civil rights icon John Lewis at ATL Airport

In April 2019, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) unveiled an exhibit in the domestic atrium titled “John Lewis – Good Trouble” to honor the longtime U.S. Congressman and civil rights icon.

Lewis died late last week, on July 17, and the exhibit has turned into a memorial tribute where travelers can stop and pay respects.

New Concourse E extension at PDX Airport

Courtesy Port of Portland

We shared the news last week about the opening of the new Concourse E extension at Portland International Airport (PDX).

Here’s a bit more about the project.

The extension brings the first new gates to PDX in more nearly 20 years and offers views of Mt. Hood and the Columbia Rivier.

The new concourse extension also features two aerial sculptures by Jacob Hashimoto featuring 11,000 paper kits and 450 different graphics representing Portland’s river, bridges, and neighborhoods.

Hashimoto’s PDX artwork may be familiar to travelers. He also has his work displayed at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), in the lobby of SFO Grand Hyatt.

A new concourse at Nashville International Airport too

Portland isn’t the airport that cut the ribbon on a new concourse last week.

On Friday, July 17, the first Southwest Airlines flight took off from Nashville International Airport’s (BNA) new $292 million Concourse D.

https://twitter.com/Fly_Nashville/status/1284259427462402049?s=20