Southwest Airlines has been in the news lately for the carrier’s decision to end its open seating policy, add premium-style seating and begin flying red-eye flights.
So, it’s a good time to look at another Southwest Airlines seating story. This one is all about what the airline has been doing with old aircraft seat leather.
After a seat refresh in 2014, Southwest Airlines had 43 acres of surplus seat leather. Rather than throw it in the landfill, the airline created the Repurpose with Purpose program.
The ongoing program not only recycles and repurposes Southwest Airlines’ old seat leather, but it also provides employment, skills training and other community benefits.
Through October 2024 an exhibit at Denver International Airport (DEN) displays some of the diverse and creative items being made.
Look for the exhibit at DEN Airport on Concourse C, Mezzanine (upper level), and at Baggage Claim 1, East Side.
 The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen more than 18 million passengers at U.S airports over the Memorial Day travel period, which stretches from May 23 to May 29, about 6.4% more than in 2023.
If you’re one of the holiday travelers, here are some fresh art and amenities to look for at airports along the way.
Art at LAX Airport
It’s been about a year since LAX finally created an airside connection between all its terminals. That means ticketed passengers don’t have to go back through security to make a connecting flight in another terminal and can access all of the airport’s shops, dining venues and art.
Among the newest art installations at LAX is “Flora (Flores amplificati), by Laura Hull.
For the installation, Hull digitally manipulated and layered photographs of plant life commonly found in Southern California to create a digital mural printed on vinyl. Look for it in the hallway that connects Terminals 1 and 2 post-security.
Find a full list of all the permanent and temporary artwork at LAX on the LAX Art Program site.
(Laura Hull, “Flora (Flores amplificati),” Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports)
Beer – and more – at Bradley International Airport (BDL)
Beercode Kitchen & Bar has opened at Bradley International Airport (BDL) near Hartford, CT just in time for the busy holiday weekend. The gastropub is open in the Gates 21-30 concourse and is the first sit-down restaurant on that concourse. It’s open by 4 am daily for breakfast and has a lineup of local craft beer and other beverages.
Creatively Remade art objects at Denver Int’l Airport
Denver International Airport’s (DEN) newest exhibition, Creatively Remade: Upcycled Art and Design, features a wide range of art, fashion and functional objects made from materials that would have otherwise been discarded.Â
The exhibit stretches through several areas of the airport, including Ansbacher Hall (before A-Bridge security), Concourse B East between gates B60 and B62, on level three of Concourse C, and east and west baggage claim.
Certain Capital One cardholders and anyone willing to buy a $ 65 single visit pass can now spend their airport dwell time in the comfy Plaza Premium Lounge on Concourse A, on the mezzanine level near Gate A34.
Amenities include local artwork, plenty of comfy seating areas, private workspaces, phone booths, shower suites, a parents’ room, relaxation rooms, and plenty of tasty offerings for food and drink.
As with its other lounges, some of the dishes and drinks are very local. Here, for example, there’s a Colorado Ground Bison Sloppy Joe on the menu, draft beers curated by Cerveceria Colorado and some specialty cocktails created by Denver’s Yacht Club Bar.
(Images courtesy Denver International Airport)
SFO Museum presents Kay Sekimachi: Weaving Traditions
Her weavings feature a wide range of media and techniques, including on- and off-loom textiles, stitched-paper forms, and molded fiber bowls.
The exhibit, Kay Sekimachi: Weaving Traditions, presents a retrospective of Kay Sekimachi’s extraordinary woven art from the collection of Forrest L. Merrill and is at SFO’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1
Halloween happens mid-week this year and many airports around the country took the opportunity to celebrate this past week.
The Los Angeles Airport Police (LAXPD) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) hosted a Trunk-or-Treat Halloween event on Saturday (Oct 28) for the community with games, food, and decorated Halloween-theme police vehicles.
On Sunday, passengers at Denver International Airport (DEN) were treated to a parade of therapy animals from the Canine Animal Therapy Squad (CATS) all dressed up in their Halloween gear.
More Halloween events at airports near you
There will be lots of Halloween happenings at airports throughout this week as well. Here are a few to get us started. Let us know what we’re missing.
