Airport shopping

Souvenir Sunday: Holiday shopping at airports

Shopping, ,

Getting ready to do some holiday shopping? Don’t forget airport shops, which often offer “street pricing.”  That means products purchased at airport shops cost no more than they do in town.

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has once again put together a handy online Holiday Catalog to help travelers plan their airport shopping. Lots of Arizona-themed and locally-made items are listed in the catalog.  And, yes, cactus plants are regularly packed for travel.

In the Northwest, Oregon’s Portland International Airport (PDX) is a popular shopping destination for travelers and locals alike.

I head there from Seattle each year not only because Oregon have no sales tax, but PDX has a pre-security shopping area featuring branches of many popular local stores.

Here’s a selection of items that recently showed up in a PDX gift box I received. Included: shortbread cookies from Flying Elephants Delicatessen, a tote bag from Powell’s Books, a CD compilation of music by Portland-based artists, a whiskey sampling from House Spirits Distillery and a scarf, mug and socks from the Pendleton Woolen Mills. (Thank-you, PDX!)

 

During the holidays, not only do many airport shops have their most popular gifts wrapped and ready to go, many airports offer free gift wrapping for unwrapped items you may have tucked in your carry-on.

Heading to an airport during this holiday season? If you see something cool, unusual and locally-themed that you think would make a great gift, please snap a photo and send it along. If your item is featured on StuckatTheAirport.com, we’ll send you a travel-themed gift.

Souvenir Sunday at Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport

Souvenirs, , , , ,

Today is Souvenir Sunday, a day when we take a look at some fun, inexpensive, locally-themed items you can buy when you’re stuck at the airport.

This week’s souvenirs come from George Bush Interncontinental Airport, where shops sell a lot of astronaut and space-related items in honor of Space Center Houston.

We found a great addition to our collection of candy ‘poop’ which seems to be a staple of airport gift shops. Here we found green Alien Poop, right next to the Spaced Out Candy.

Souvenir Sunday needs you. If you find a fun, inexpensive, locally-themed item in an airport gift shop, please snap a photo and send it along. If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, you’ll receive a fun travel-themed gift.

Souvenir Sunday at Newark Liberty Int’l Airport

Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, , ,

Today is Souvenir Sunday, the day when StuckatTheAirport.com takes a look at cool, locally-themed gifts you can find at airports.

This week’s treats come from the SouveNEAR vending machines recently installed in Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport.

SouveNEAR’s  vending machines  at EWR are filled with t-shirts, jewelry, soaps, pins, patches, t-shirts, candy and a wide variety of other carefully-curated items made by New Jersey and New York artists.

Loop Collection

“We believe that travelers feel better buying gifts that support creativity and that are connected to the places they love,” said SouveNEAR co-founder Suzanne Southard, “We hope Newark passengers will feel great about supporting local creativity and taking home something that is really connected to this area.”

 

Statue of Liberty pin by The Weekend Movement

Bikes on 9th

Not heading to EWR anytime soon? Don’t fret.

SouveNEAR also has vending machines filled with local artist-made treasures in the Oakland Airport, in Missouri’s Kansas City International Airport, in the lobby of a Marriott hotel in Emeryville, CA and in the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco.

The prices for the vending-sized artworks range from $4 to $40 and most everything is also available online.

Souvenir Sunday needs your help!

If you see a cool, inexpensive, locally-themed item for sale in an airport shop, please take a photo and it along. If your sovuenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday we’ll send you a cool travel-themed souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: Chubu Centrair Int’l Airport, Nagoya Japan

Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, , ,

It’s Souvenir Sunday, a day to take a look at some of the cool, inexpensive items you can buy when you’re Stuck at the Airport.

This week’s treats from the Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya, Japan, which I visited recently for a preview of the Flight of Dreams attraction the airport built around the first 787 Dreamliner test plane.

Courtesy Flight of Dreams

Read about the Flight of Dreams project in this recent post, but take a moment to scroll below to see the  fun souvenirs I spotted in the Chubu Centrair International Airport in Nagoya.

Plush dolls portray the mascot of the airport in Nagoya, Japan

 

Aviation-themed stationary items for sale at the airport in Nagoya, Japan

Souvenir Sunday needs your help. If you see an inexpensive, locally-themed souvenir in an airport shop, please snap a photo and send it along to StuckatTheAirport.com. (Bonus points it the item is unusual or odd.) If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, we’ll send you a cool travel souvenir.

Phoenix Sky Harbor has a holiday gift catalog

Airports, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, , ,

I’m a big fan of doing all my holiday shopping at airports and this year Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport has made it super easy and ultra-enticing to head there to get presents for everyone on my list.

The airport has created its own holiday catalog featuring items available in the shops at Sky Harbor. Flip through the catalog and you’ll see the price, airport shop name and location listed with each gift idea.

Arizona-centric and local gifts are featured and you’ll find items from local retailers such as Bunky Boutique and Roosevelt Row, holiday cookies from Tammie Coe and growlers of local craft beer from O.H.S.O Brewery.

There’s even a page featuring cactus candy and a variety of Arizona-themed chocolate ‘poop’.

It is only Tuesday, but this airport holiday catalog is definitely in the running for Airport Amenity of the Week.