Airport shopping

Souvenir Sunday: chocolate knives from Zurich Airport

Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs,

Sunday is Souvenir Sunday at StuckatTheAirport.com; the day we look at some of the fun, inexpensive souvenirs you can buy at airports.

This week’s pick: chocolate Swiss Army knives found at Zurich Airport.

You can’t pack the real thing in your carry-on anymore, but when you’re hungry, these might prove quite handy.

Do you spend time poking around airport shops when you’re waiting for a flight? If you find something fun, inexpensive and “of” the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along.
If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, I’ll send you a fun airport-related souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday – all the time

Airport shops, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs

Each Sunday, StuckatTheAirport.com celebrates airport souvenirs that are inexpensive, offbeat and “of” a city or region

Favorites include the lobster cap for sale a Boston Logan Airport

Lobster Hat

Gebra models lobster cap for sale at Logan Airport

The chocolate hockey pucks for sale at Pittsburgh International Airport

PIT Chocolate hockey puck

And the Space Noodles for sale at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Now some other people are embracing the airport souvenir.

Jeffrey Tucker writes “In praise of the airport tourist trap” in a Christian Science Monitor blog and the folks at Sherman’s Travel put together a list of their Top Airports for Shopping.

Souvenir Sunday at Copenhagen Airport

Air Travel, Airport shops, Layover, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, ,

Now that Christmas is over we can turn to another important holiday: Souvenir Sunday.

Lucky for us, this holiday comes around every weekend and gives us the chance to shop for and celebrate fun, offbeat and inexpensive souvenirs we can find when we’re stuck at the airport.

And you just never know when you’re going to be stuck at an airport.

A few weeks back, Clark Massad got stuck at Copenhagen Airport for a few hours as he was trying to make his way home to Paris from New York. Massad had been in New York for the reception of the world’s first in-flight gay and lesbian weddings, which were held on an SAS flight originating in Stockholm. (I was on that flight and you can read my report of that historic event here on StuckatTheAirport.com.)

But, good traveler that he is, Massad went souvenir shopping while he was stuck at Copenhagen Airport

Here’s his shopping report:

“These hats were not technically for sale, but I found them to be quite funny and good photo subjects so I discreetly snapped them.”

Copenhagen Airport xmas hats

“These felt coasters and trivets in beautiful, bright colors were only 4€ each! [About $5.25].I bought six of them to scatter around the house or on the table for parties. Unfortunately, I later realized they are German made, not Danish…”

Copenhagen Airport souvenirs

“These guys were just cute and I love the way they are arranged on the shelf.”

Copenhagen Airport souvenirs

All wonderful souvenirs of course…. but thank-goodness Clark found these: Copenhagen’s “Little Mermaid” statue.

Copenhagen Airport souvenirs

Thanks, Clark, for sending along these great Souvenir Sunday finds!

Do YOU look for great souvenirs when you’re stuck at the airport?  If you find something that’s inexpensive (around $10), fun, offbeat and, ideally, “of” the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along.  If your souvenirs are featured on Souvenir Sunday you’ll receive a special airport or airline-related souvenir.

Some holiday helpers at the airport

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If you end up getting stuck at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport or Denver International Airport during the busy holiday travel season, go hang out in the lobby.

Courtyard by Marriott has set up Lobby Zones at each airport complete with comfy seating and complimentary charging outlets.  Atlanta’s Lobby Zone will be open until December 31; Denver’s until January 31.

During this holiday season, many airports have also set up free gift wrapping stations. So if you’re stuck at the airport, go ahead and take care of the last minute shopping and let volunteers wrap those gifts for your before you get on the plane.  If you shop at San Diego International Airport this year, Volunteer Airport Ambassadors will wrap your gifts in this fun paper featuring artwork created by area students.

Souvenir Sunday at Boston Logan International Airport

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Each Sunday here at Stuck at The Airport is Souvenir Sunday – the day we take a look at some of the fun, inexpensive souvenirs you can find at airports.

Souvenir at Boston Logan Airport

This week’s souvenirs come from the Travel Basics shop in Terminal E at Boston Logan International Airport.  Located pre-security, the store offers exactly that: travel basics such as shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant, greeting cards and a good selection of basic office and art supplies.

Travel Basics at Boston Logan

Even better – everything is tagged with incredibly reasonable prices.

For example, I found this 99-cent bottle of shampoo being sold for…. 99 cents!

Shampoo at Boston Logan Airport

The shop is located across the corridor from Dine Boston. The full-service restaurant and bar has a sassy serving team and a menu that gets refreshed every few months with dishes by well-known local chefs.

Worried you won’t have time to sit down and enjoy the meal? Not to worry: your restaurant receipt gets you express service at the security checkpoint.

Want to know more about the services and amenities at Boston Logan International Airport?

See my Boston Logan International Airport Guide.  It’s one of 50 airport guides I created for USATODAY.com. The guides are updated monthly and include tips from travelers, so feel free to share your airport finds.

And don’t forget: Stuck at the Airport wants your souvenirs!

The ideal souvenir for Souvenir Sunday is something you can buy at an airport that’s inexpensive (about $10), “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat.

If you spot something that fits the bill, please take a photo of the item and send it along.

If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, you’ll receive a special souvenir.

Souvenir Sunday: treats from Narita Int’l Airport

Air Travel, Airport shops, Fun Stuff, Layover, Shopping, Souvenir Sunday, Souvenirs, , , , , ,

It’s Souvenir Sunday: the day we take a look at some of the fun, inexpensive, “of” a city items for sale at airports.

This week’s treats come from Tokyo’s Narita International Airport.

This sumo wrestler doll caught my eye –

Narita Airport doll

As did these dainty containers filled with face cream:

Narita Airport Face Cream

But my pick for Souvenir Sunday this week is this timeless gag gift.

Proof – in any language – that corny is universal.

Narita Airport "pull my finger" gag gift

Ultimate airport souvenir: $200,000 bottle of gin

Airport shops, Layover, Shopping, Souvenirs,

The holidays are – ready or not – just around the corner.

So you and Santa better start putting your heads together to start finding gifts for everyone on your list.

If you know someone who’s been very, very good and who likes very, very expensive gin, then the folks at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) have made it easy.

The international duty free store at the airport is currently exhibiting – and selling – one of five bottles of Bacardi’s Bombay Sapphire Revelation super premium gin.

YVR_Revelation Gin

The price: $200,000 for the specially-designed, translucent blue decanter shaped like a giant gemstone with a stopper decorated with diamond and sapphires. (Profits will benefit charity.)

One bottle not enough? The four other bottles are on display in airports in London, New York, Dubai, Singapore, and Sydney.

By the way, I’ve been very, very good.

Jerky store at George Bush Intercontinental Airport

Airport shops, Food, Shopping, , ,

IAH TRAIL BOSS JERKY

By rights, this should wait for Snack Saturday, but here you go:

The Texas Trail Boss Jerky store, a specialty shop selling all sorts of – you guessed it – jerky meats, has opened at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

Located in Terminal A, the shop stocks jerky made from turkey, beef, pork and bison (What? No salmon jerky?) in a variety of flavors, including spicy, original, garlic and others.

As someone who doesn’t eat meat – let alone jerky – not sure I can give an authentic Yum!, but I’m definitely in favor of one-off shops that reflect the local culture.

Cigars and pashimas at the airport

Air Travel, Airport shops, Airports, Exhibits, Fashion, Layover, Shopping, Smoking, , , , , ,

I spent the day walking the aisles of the exhibition hall at the annual conference of  ACI-NA: Airports Council International – North America, being held this week in Pittsburgh.

I’ll be writing a column for USA TODAY on some of the intriguing services and amenities on the horizon for travelers, but wanted to share a few tidbits from the day.

The folks from the upscale Graycliff Cigar Company have set up two cigar lounges at Nashville International Airport and are in talks to expand the idea to several other airports.  The company, which also markets gourmet coffee and fancy watches, has a cigar maker on duty here making cigars from several kinds of tobacco.

Graycliff cigar maker at ACI-NA

Graycliff cigar maker at ACI-NA

And here’s a factoid I learned today:

Airport shops run by the Hudson Group sell more than 100,000 rayon, Pashima-style scarves a year.

Pashima scarves at ACI

Laura Samuels of the Hudson Group with scarves

More tomorrow….