Changes at Denver International Airport Checkpoints
Denver International Airport (DEN) is making some big changes at several of its security checkpoint lanes this week, with the goal of making traveling through the airport easier.
You can read all the details about DEN’s TSA Checkpoint shuffle here, but one new feature that caught our attention is the Travel-Lite Lane that TSA will be offering at the North Security Checkpoint. This express lane is set aside for ravelers with only one item, such as a backpack, briefcase, or purse. A great idea for those who have checked their suitcases and/or are traveling light.
Zip it! Check out the Zipper Dress made by a Southwest Airlines Ramp Agent
This dress was handmade by Valerie, one of our Employees in Phoenix who does seamstress work on the side. Valerie offered to donate the dress, which is now on display at our corporate headquarters! pic.twitter.com/miQh6BLJp0
Throughout the pandemic, Viking Cruises’ Viking.TV has been providing lectures and behind-the-scenes visits to wonderful places all over the world. We’re big fans of Museum Mondays and this week’s offering is a documentary about restoring one of our favorite places in London, Sir John Soane’s Museum, to its original state.
It was quite a Monday for some airports around the country. The day started out like this at Denver International Airport
Who else caught the dramatic sunrise in Denver today? Talk about drama! 🌄 Thanks to IG: denverdave1968 for capturing the beautiful colors over the airfield at DEN! pic.twitter.com/rd3wYBjUh0
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.
Good news — the #SFOWagBrigade is back at the airport!!! Tristan is rolling out in Terminal 3 this morning — ready for smiles, pets, and to make your heart melt. 💙 🐾 pic.twitter.com/KVxA0BJJG6
— San Francisco International Airport (SFO) ✈️ (@flySFO) October 18, 2021
Fire at DFW, No Water at CLT Airport
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) had to deal with a water main break nearby today.
The City of Charlotte has experienced a water main break in the vicinity of the Airport. There is little to no water pressure in the terminal at this time. The Airport is in contact with Charlotte Water to assess the situation.
And at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), there was a fire in one of the parking garages.
🚨 Customer Alert: There is a small fire located in our Terminal D garage. Customers are being asked not to access the garage at this time and the parking lot is temporarily closed for incoming or outgoing traffic.
We will have more information here once we receive it.
🚨 Fire Update: The fire is under control in the Terminal D garage and there are no injuries. It is available for drop-off traffic ONLY, but we are still asking customers to avoid the garage. Additional details follow in this thread ⬇️
Several vehicles sustained damage from the fire. Our DFW Team is providing claim forms on site for anyone whose vehicle was damaged, and we will also add those forms to https://t.co/GhrbmhxCv8 tonight. We will also be reaching out to owners of damaged vehicles proactively.
Winter won’t go away just yet. Winter storm Xylia wreaked havoc with roads and air traffic in the midwest over the weekend. More than two feet of snow fell at Denver International Airport as of 6 p.m. on Sunday evening.
More than 2000 flights in and out of DEN were canceled over the weekend, with hundreds more already canceled for Monday.
Here are some of the images DEN shared on Twitter on Sunday
⚠️ Blizzard conditions continue at the airport. Airlines have ceased operations at DEN for the rest of the day. Peña Blvd is currently impassable with multiple disabled vehicles along the roadways, if you absolutely must come to the airport, please use the @RideRTD A-Line instead pic.twitter.com/uEnXERcDDd
❄️It’s coming down at DEN!❄️ Predicted snowfall rates of .5 to 1 inch per hour may last throughout the day. Our crews are working hard to keep the runways and roadways clear! pic.twitter.com/n5JPijleqX
If you do have a flight scheduled through DEN or other airports in Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska, here are links to the storm-related travel alerts and flight change rules posted by airlines.
There's a travel waiver extension in place for winter weather in the Denver area. If you're traveling 3/12 – 3/17 the easiest way to change your flight or connect through a different city is through the United app or by direct messaging us here. https://t.co/uzrhIv1oA8pic.twitter.com/1e6DaAeh7y
A new exhibit at Denver International Airport (DEN) includes the work of 35 amateur and professional photographers from Colorado.
The My Colorado: Architecture exhibit includes images of architecture in Colorado’s urban settings, the Eastern Plains, and the Rocky Mountains. Look for the display on Concourse A, just beyond the bridge security checkpoint, for up to a year.
If you don’t think you’ll be traveling through Denver International Airport soon, you can see all the images online and in the video below.
Here are some of the travel tidbits we’ve gathered so far this week.
Delta extends middle seat block
Most other airlines have stopped blocking the middle seats. But Delta Air Lines says it is extending its policy of blocking middle seats on all flights through April 30, 2021. Perhaps others will do the same.
“We want our customers to have complete confidence when traveling with Delta, and they continue to tell us that more space provides more peace of mind,” said Bill Lentsch, Chief Customer Experience Officer, in a statement. He added that the airline will “continue to reassess seat blocking in relation to case transmission and vaccination rates.”
SkySquad partners with At Your Gate
As Valentine’s Day approaches, here’s a nice match-up of airport services.
SkySquad, a service that provides airport assistance services from the curbside to the plane door, and from the gate to the curb, is partnering with airport food delivery company At Your Gate.
SkySquad’s customers include families with young children, seniors, pet owners, and anyone who needs a helping hand through the airport.
The company currently operates at Washington’s Reagan National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). The partnership with At Your Gate extends the SkySquad services to JFK, Newark, Boston, and Philadelphia airports. At those airports At Your Gate staff will step in to escort SkysSquad customers through the terminals.
Bonus United Miles for donations during Black History Month
In honor of Black History Month, United Airlines, Chase and Visa are giving bonus miles for donations made to select non-profits that provide educational opportunities to Black students and which support human and civil rights policies.
Now through March 15, 2020, United Explorer and United Club cardmembers will receive five miles for every dollar up to $1,000 donated to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and The United Negro College Fund. More details here.
New Centurion Lounge at Denver Int’l Airport
American Express has opened its 14th Centurion Lounge. This one is at Denver International Airport (DEN) on the Concourse C Mezzanine, near Gate C46.
The new lounge is 14,000-square-feet (the second-largest Centurion Lounge location to-date) and has some enticing amenities, including Italian-inspired cuisine, a live-action cooking station, a Craft Beer Bar with seasonal selections from Colorado breweries. The lounge also includes a new feature: a game room with pool and shuffleboard tables, and other activities.
This big game will take place on Friday, February 5 from 10 a.m. MST to 11 p.m. MST.
The mini football “stadium” will be filled with six Australian Shepherd puppies that will up for adoption on a first-come, first serve basis through Denver’s Dumb Friends League, a socially conscious animal welfare organization.
Denver International Airport (DEN) now has its first outdoor deck, thanks to the airport’s $1.5 billion Gate Expansion Program.
The deck is located on Concourse B, at the far western end of the concourse.
In addition to outdoor seating, the deck has fire pits, a pet relief area, and beautiful mountain views. Concessions will soon be available on the deck as well.
Along with the outdoor deck, DEN unveiled four new gates on Concourse B that are being used by United Airlines. These new gates are the first of 39 new gates and new passenger amenities that will roll out across three concourses.
The first new set of gates has six hold rooms, new restrooms, a nursing room, new seating, and a pet relief area.
“The new gates on B-West provide a glimpse into the future of DEN’s concourses,” said DEN CEO Kim Day. “It won’t be too long before the expansion work is completed on each concourse and we complete upgrades throughout each concourse, enhancing the experience for all passengers to enjoy.”
We’re declaring the virtual information booth an official trend at airports.
Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) rolled out its Virtual Information Booth back in May 2020. The super social distanced system lets travelers connect with a volunteer Airport Ambassador in a remote location via a live video feed.
In July 2020 Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) introduced a pilot virtual assistant program in Terminal 2. That system lets passengers have real-time conversations with customer service agents over a touch-free tablet at the real-world information booth.
Two more U.S. airports now have virtual information booths as well.
The Virtual Information Desk at Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) is near the Southwest Airlines baggage claim belts 1-5. Passengers can get help from a Pathfinder staff member stationed in a safe, remote location.
We are launching a new way to safely assist passengers!
Our Virtual Information Desk near @SouthwestAir Baggage Claim goes live on Monday. Show up at the desk and get your questions answered, daily 6am-10pm, from our Pathfinder team in a remote location. #MDOTinnovates#airportspic.twitter.com/Q0Qi2S96se
During this holiday season, Denver International Airport (DEN) is testing a new Live Agent program. DEN’s program will let passengers interact with a live customer service agent via video, text messaging, and live chat.
At two information (one in the center of the terminal, near arrivals; one in the center of Concourse C) passengers can use iPads to contact a customer service agent for a virtual face-to-face interaction.
The pilot program, in partnership with Recursive Labs, also allows a traveler to use the camera on their smartphone to show the Live Agent where they are in the airport so the agent can help with directions.
The contactless mobile platform lets travelers browse menus, order, and pay for their meals before picking up the order.
The program is put together by MIA, concessionaire Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports (URW) and Grab, and is available on MIA’s mobile-friendly website or mobile app. Food venues are searchable by food type and airport terminal. And orders are scheduled for pick-up at pre-set times, so customers don’t have to wait in line.
At Denver International Airport (DEN), the new Eats Delivered program works with At Your Gate. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, passengers can order meals from seven participating restaurants (so far) and have the meals delivered to them anywhere in the terminal, including baggage claim.
Eats Delivered food delivery service now at DEN! 🍔Download the AtYourGate app (coming soon to Google Play) 🥗Order from 1 of 7 participating restaurants 🥞 Pay over the app 🍕Food will be delivered in approx 30 mins or less 🍜Enjoy your mealhttps://t.co/1XRXFQ6nSV. #DENeatspic.twitter.com/Ta0FpL1tQe
And this week American Airlines, British Airways, and oneworld announced the launch of an optional coronavirus (COVID-19) testing trial on select flights from U.S. cities to London Heathrow (LHR).
The tests will be free. They’ll be available to customers on American Airlines Flight AA50 from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to LHR; on British Airways Flight BA114 departing New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to LHR; on BA Flight BA268 from Los Angeles (LAX) to LHR.
This part of the program starts on November 25.
The testing includes:
An initial at-home test to be taken 72 hours before departure from the US
A second test upon arrival at LHR
A third test to be taken three days after arrival in the UK
The testing program will then be expanded to American Airlines Flight AA106 from JFK to LHR, on a date yet to be announced.
TSA Talks Turkey. And pie.
And in case you are flying somewhere this Thanksgiving holiday, keep in mind that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a list of foods you may and may not bring as carry-on.
The “yes you may” list includes baked goods, meats (frozen, cooked, or uncooked), stuffing, casseroles, Mac ‘n Cheese, fresh vegetables and fruit, candy, and spices.
The “pack in carry-on” or “have someone else bring it” list includes dishes such as cranberry sauce, gravy, wine, canned fruit or vegetables (the cans have liquid), jams and jellies, and maple syrup.
Denver International Airport (DEN) is well known for its public art collection. And one of the most notable pieces is the 32-foot fiberglass blue ‘Mustang’ sculpture by Luis Jiménez that’s on the Peña Boulevard approach to the airport.
Now there’s a new hard-to-miss sculpture welcoming people to the airport: Luminous Wind.
The 27-foot-tall ‘Luminous Wind’ sculpture is at the 61st and Peña Light Rail Station, which is the stop right before the airport station.
Created by artists Laura Haddad and Thomas Drugan, Luminous Wind includes 952 prismatic clear acrylic rods.
The rods are inspired by the grasses of the plains landscape and radiate out from a stainless steel sphere that sits on a giant tripod.
During the day sunlight reflects off the rods.
At night the dandelion-looking sculpture offers passersby a different light show each evening, thanks to programmable LED nodes that light up the rods.
As a bonus, the scupture’s light patterns are tied to a wind sensor. That turns the sculpture and its nightly shows into a barometer that visualizes wind patterns.
