Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Airport art & amenities to look for during Thanksgiving travel

Art, , , ,

Exhibition celebrating public art at Miami Int’l Airport

From now until July 2025, Miami International Airport (MIA) is celebrating local public art with a photography exhibition in the Gate D31 Gallery.

Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places: Celebrating 50 Years features 23 images of large-scale, integrated art commissions located countywide, from MIA to PortMiami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and several private-public partnerships on county land.

Santa’s mailbox at Lehigh Valley Int’l Airport

Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in Allentown, PA has a mailbox set up where kids can drop off letters to Santa.

The mailbox is in the Wilfred M. “Wiley” Post, Jr. Concourse (beyond the TSA Checkpoint) until Tuesday, Dec. 3rd.

Festival of Trees at Charlotte Douglas Int’l Airport

Those 20 decorated trees on the Concourse A Expansion at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) aren’t just pretty. They’re doing some good.

CLT’s Festival of Light features trees decorated in various themes including, “Tis the Season to Travel,” “Christmas Around the World,” “White Christmas,” “Queens Court,” “A Few of Our Favorite Things,” “Construction Fit for a Queen” and “Bon Voyage.”

The tree display is coordinated by HMS Host, CLT’s food and beverage concessionaire and each tree has a QR code that passengers and employees can use to donate to a charitable organization, including Second Harvest, Big Brothers Big Sisters, American Cancer Society, Make-A-Wish and Autism Speaks.

A second QR code lets everyone vote on their favorite tree through Dec. 28. The winning team will receive a trophy.

New & cool at Charlotte Douglas Int’l Airport

Airport Terminals

The Stuck at the Airport team loves art and amenity-rich airport expansions and Phase II of the Concourse A Expansion opening at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on September 17 looks great.

The 200,000-square-foot expansion adds 10 new gates, bringing the airport’s total number of gates to 124. The new gates will add seven for Delta Air Lines, two for Frontier Airlines and one common-use gate.

Eat and drink in CLT’s new gate area

In addition to an outpost of local favorite, Great Wagon Road Distilling, travelers will find Crown Diner, serving breakfast, burgers, salads and sandwiches. The airport’s third branch of Dunkin’ is here, as well as Market Place, offering snacks, beverages and other essentials.

Delta Air Lines plans to debut a 15,000-square-foot Sky Club here by the end of 2024.

Art and aviation history on display in CLT’s new gate area

By Gate A31 you’ll find a life-sized, 14×40-foot DC-9-82 T-Tail embedded in the terrazzo flooring.

Weighing in at 5,000 pounds, the “Mad Dog” was salvaged from Roswell, New Mexico, reimagined by MotoArt Studio in Los Angeles, and assembled at CLT as a hard-to-miss centerpiece.

Learn about the Wright Brothers’ “First in Flight” story on the way to the gate area. A light wall and the sound of the Wright Flyer accompany passenger movement. Four terrazzo lines, each marked by a bronze plaque, indicate the distances of the Wrights’ first powered flights.

And hanging from the mezzanine level is Val Britton’s 950-square-foot installation, “Where Earth Meets Sky,”

And don’t forget CLT’s new Overlook Area, just down the road from the terminal.

Reopened in June 2024, the CLT Airport Overlook has an unobstructed view of takeoffs and landings on the airfield, play areas, and exhibits about aviation history in the Carolinas.

The CLT Airport Overlook is also home to a retired U.S. military fighter jet: an F4 Phantom II that flew during the Vietnam War and the Cold War.

The new Overlook at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Observation Decks, ,

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) has a new 600,000-square-foot Airport Overlook, or observation area.

We can’t wait to visit and check out the wide array of cool amenities and take advantage of the great views of the airfield, the skyline and the terminal.

This is the airport’s fifth official Overlook since 1937. The last one was closed to make way for a new taxiway and runway. And this one is a keeper.

Here’s a list of what visitors can do and see at the new Overlook at Charlotte Douglas International Airport:

The main attraction is an unobstructed view of takeoffs and landings on the airfield. But the Overlook also hosts exhibits about aviation history in the Carolinas and descriptions of planes and equipment visitors might see. Not sure what’s what? There are also explanations of how things work, such as what makes it possible for a 747 to fly and how runways are built and named.

Playgrounds, Aircraft Display and a Memorial

The Overlook has space for food trucks and includes two aviation-themed playgrounds with plane-shaped climbing structures, an air-traffic control tower with a slide, a mini fuel truck, a baggage cart and a runway. Additional amenities include covered picnic tables, plenty of parking and shaded areas, a pet relief area, bike racks and restrooms with baby changing tables.

But wait, there’s more.

The CLT Airport Overlook is home to a retired U.S. military fighter jet: an F4 Phantom II that flew during the Vietnam War and the Cold War. A memorial for the 37 people who died when USAir Flight 1016 crashed near the airport on July 2, 1994, is here too.

The new Airport Overlook at Charlotte Douglas International Airport is on airport property at 5130 Airport Overlook Drive. It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Admission is free.

Here are some images CLT shared of the previous locations.

Queen Charlotte returns to Charlotte Douglas Int’l AIrport

Art, ,

Charlotte Douglas Int’l Airport welcomes back Queen Charlotte

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is hard at work on Destination CLT, the airport’s $4 billion capital investment program.

And the Terminal Lobby Expansion (TLE) is a $608 million piece of that project.

The west side of the TLE opened in July, 2022. And now the east side of that section is set to open at the end of October.

This section delivers about 90,000 square feet of new space, access to the east subterranean walkway, and TSA’s Checkpoint 1, with eight screening lanes. .

Travelers through this new east side lobby area will also find large windows, terrazo flooring, bright blue tile frames for the entrances and exits, and new sculptures and murals.

Pasengers will also see an old friend.

While construction has been underway, the airport’s statue of Queen Charlotte was moved out the way and then taken offsite for a restoration and a repatina.

Now she’s back.

Last week, airport officials unveiled the refreshed 3,000-pound, 15-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Queen Charlotte, back on top of a 30-foot tall base.

The Queen Charlotte statue is now in the center of the Queen’s Court, the name for the Terminal Lobby Expansion space. Queen’s Court is also home to Queen Charlotte’s Kitchen. This is CLT’s first pre-security sit-down dining option, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as wine, beer and cocktails.

How did the Queen Charlotte get to CLT?

In the late 1980’s a local group put up $250,000 to commission an airport sculpture to symbolize the city and greet CLT passengers.

Washington, D.C., artist Raymond Kaskey won the commission and his statue of Queen Charlotte was dedicated on Sept. 18, 1990.

For many years the statue stood on a fountain in an outdoor plaza between CLT’s hourly parkng decks. She’s been been moved around and taken off site for several years to accomodate airport construction.

Here’s a video of Raymond Kaskey talking about the getting the initial commission for the project and creating the sculpture.

(All photos courtesy CLT)

Airports deal with fire, a water main break, and the return of the dogs

Animals, , , ,

It was quite a Monday for some airports around the country. The day started out like this at Denver International Airport

Wag Brigade back at SFO

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) announced that the SFO Wag Brigade, a team of certified stress-relief animals, is back on duty in the terminals after a 20-month absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The San Francisco SPCA certifies all participating animals through their Animal Assisted Therapy (ATT) Program. And, prior to returning to SFO, all Wag Brigade animals were recertified. We hope that means LiLou the airport therapy pig that used to visit SFO about once a month will return soon too.

Fire at DFW, No Water at CLT Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) had to deal with a water main break nearby today.

And at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), there was a fire in one of the parking garages.

Let’s hope things go smoother on Tuesday.

Travel Tidbits from airports & museums

Museums, , , ,

Happy Friday! Here are some travel tidbits we’ve been keeping in the inbox all week

Fresh murals at Charlotte Douglas Int’l Airport

CLT Airport is greeting passengers on Concourse C with four new murals by two local artists

Amy Bagwell’s two murals “Our Days” at gates C4 and C7 were inspired by her travels through the airport.

And Ruth Ava Lyons’ “Interplay I” and “Interplay II” at gates C10 and C15 focus on the wonder of the natural world and issues surrounding the delicately balanced constellation of ecosystems worldwide.


The Places We’ll Go: World Chess Hall of Fame

We’re making lists of places we’ll go once we can go places.

On the list: The World Chess Hall of Fame, in St. Louis, MO.

Not only is the World Chess Hall of Fame home to the World’s Largest Chess Piece (20 feet tall), but through May 16, 2021, the museum is hosting an exhibit of work by Keith Haring. In addition to Haring’s works and photographs of the artist, the exhibit includes bespoke street art chess sets from Purling London and newly-commissioned pieces by Saint Louis artists, all paying homage to the late pop culture icon.

More ways to mask up at airports

Health, , , , , ,
Courtesy Ashley Chung

More ways to mask up at airports

A few weeks back we celebrated Mask Monday with some fun “Wear your mask” reminders from airports.

Since then, many airports have gotten in touch to show off their branded masks and the creative ways they are reminding travelers to mask up.

Here’s a sampling. Let us know if you have one to add.

Here’s how Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) encourages passengers to mask up.

Here’s a snazzy mask from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

This one, from McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, glows in the dark! (You can buy one at Mr. Boxer in the C Concourse)

These are from Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)

This snazzy mask is for sale in the gift shops at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport (ICT)

And the masks below, along with everything else you see pictured, are from Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) and are for sale in the GSP online store.

Have an airport-branded mask to show off? Send it along.

CLT: 5 Things We Love About Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Uncategorized, , , ,

We are missing traveling around the country and the world.

So Stuck at the Airport has kicked off its long-planned series celebrating the features and amenities at airports.

Here’s a link to the airports we’ve profiled in the “5 Things We Love At …” series so far.

Want to nominate an airport to be featured in the series and/or sponsor one of the episodes? Get in touch.

Today join us in celebrating 5 Things We Love About Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT).

As always, if we missed your favorite thing at CLT, please add a note in the comments section below. And keep in mind that some amenities mentioned may be temporarily unavailable due to health concerns, but we are sure they will be back.

5 Things We Love about Charlotte Douglas International Airport

1. The Rocking Chairs at CLT

CLT oozes charm with its signature rocking chairs.

The welcoming amenity first debuted at CLT in 1997 and since then hundreds of airports around the country have added rocking chairs of their own.

CLT also has towering Ficus trees in the terminal and a piano just waiting for volunteers to sit down and serenade passengers.

2. Selfie Stations at CLT

To add a bit of fun to layovers, CLT has several #TakeMySelfie stations in the terminal.

You will find giant CLT letters on the wall at Checkpoint E; a colorful vintage postcard on the Concourses A/B Connector; and a Queen Charlotte mural in the Concourse A Expansion. 

3. Shopping at CLT

Take a look at some of the fun gifts and souvenirs you can pick up at CLT.

4. CLT’s Airport Overlook

CLT’s Airport Overlook is a large area near the airport (7300 Old Dowd Road) with parking, picnic tables, and benches. It is a perfect spot for watching aircraft take off and land.

Inside the airport, the best place to get great views of the Charlotte skyline is from Concourses D and E.

5. Art at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

The work of at least 14 artists, many of them local, is featured at CLT airport. Here are just a few of our favorites.

Charlotte is known as the Queen City and there’s a statue of Queen Charlotte by Raymond Kaskey in the garden area between the East and West Daily Parking Decks.

On the Concourse A Expansion near Gates A21 and A22 is Refik Anadol’s “Interconnected.” The piece is a series of three massive LED screens with ever-changing digital artwork modeled on real-time airport operations data.

It looks abstract, but the work is translating particles representing flight arrivals, departures, baggage movements and airport parking into millions of pixels.

And there’s there’s Journey 1 and Journey 2, by Ráed Al-Rawi. Charming!

Fresh airport eateries in Las Vegas, Detroit, Los Angeles, Seattle and Charlotte airports

Food, , , , , ,

More reasons to go the airport hungry.

Pret a Manager landing at U.S. Airports

Several U.S. airports will soon have branches of U.K.-based grab-n-go coffee and sandwich chain Pret a Manger. The cahin is known for its freshly prepared foods and organic coffee.

There are currently “Pret” shops in Chicago and a few other east coast cities, but at the end of May, a Pret opened in Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport in the Terminal 3, E Gates.

In June, a Pret will open at Los Angeles International Airport’s Tom Bradley International Terminal. In July a Pret will pop up at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

New places to eat at Detroit Metro Airport

There are some new restaurants in Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport’s (DTW) North Terminal. 

The restaurants include: 

Cantoro Italian Market Trattoria, a local, family owned and operated Italian market crossed with a modern corner store; 

Air Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffett’s airport restaurant with a local twist;

Detroit Street Café featuring Zingerman’s Coffee;

And Atwater Brewery, a Detroit favorite, that debuted downtown in 1997 with the mission to bring German brew-styles to the area.

DTW says these restaurants are the first of a phased dining redevelopment project to open. Cantoro Italian Market Trattoria opened on April 18 and is located pre-security in baggage claim. Atwater Brewery opened on June 1 and Air Margaritaville & Detroit Street Café featuring Zingerman’s Coffee opened on June 5.

Skillet sizzles at SEA-TAC Airport

Whether or not your flight is taking off from the North Satellite at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, you might want to make your way out there to have a meal at Skillet.

Born in a food-truck and a favorite in several Seattle neighborhoods, Skillet has brought many of its menu favorites to SEA airport. The entrees include brunch favorites such as Fried Chicken & Waffle, homemade Doughnut Holes and the gluten-free and vegetarian-friendly Chilaquiles.

I guess I’ll have to forgive them for closing the Skillet in my neighborhood…

Kitten Cuddle coming to Charlotte Douglas Int’l Airport

Animals, , ,

August 8 is International Cat Day.

To mark the day, Charlotte Douglas International Airport has scheduled a Kitten Cuddle on Wednesday, August 8 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Atrium in front the 1897 Market.

The plan is to have at least 10 kittens on site and available for cuddling, so there should be plenty of cats to go around.

The kittens are coming to CLT courtesy of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control, which currently has more then 250 cats and dogs available for adoption.

Animals in the airport are nothing new at CLT.

While the Kitten Cuddle is a first for the airport, the CLT Canine Crew is mde up of 31 four-legged volunteers who are often on duty to greet passengers. Look for the pups wearing “Pet Me” vests.

‘Lil Rocky Balboa the Griffon, courtesy CLT