Shannon Airport was the first airport in the world to have a duty free shop and the bar there claims to have invented the now-iconic Irish Coffee drink. And, as the accompanying photo gallery shows, the airport has had its share of celebrity visitors, including Marilyn Monroe, Bing Crosby, Fidel Castro and Gene Kelly.
Gene Kelly shopping in the Shannon Airport duty free shop; courtesy Shannon Airport Authority.
On the BBC World News program Fast Track this week, Carmen Roberts offered up “Hi-tech ways to pass time at the airport.”
I’m delighted to find out that StuckatTheAirport.com was featured in the story, along with some other “online innovations that may just prevent that air rage from bubbling over.”
In Everett, Wa. on Wednesday, Air New Zealand took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The plane is on its way to to Auckland, with a planned touchdown on Christmas Eve morning.
Sadly, I couldn’t join that first flight, so I can’t report for sure whether or not Santa is on that plane, but I do know that the plane is equipped with the new lie-down Skycouch or Cuddle Class seating in economy class, induction ovens that allow the preparation of made-to-order meals, bathrooms with wallpaper depicting book cases, chandeliers and other home interior elements (photo coming soon) and an in-flight story-time for kids hosted by the cabin crew.