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.
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) October 29, 2020
Working on Halloween?
Denver International Airport (DEN) is sharing some Halloween-themed Zoom backgrounds.
It's #spookyseason and we're ready to haunt your Zoom/Team meetings🎃👻🪦. Download one (or all) of the DEN backgrounds to spice up those virtual meetings! Check out all of the backgrounds on our Facebook page: https://t.co/65LJ6dXK39pic.twitter.com/eHgXYU5t3w
Bone-jour! Remember our friend Red Skeleton? He has risen from the dead and is excited to explore and meet new people at ICT. Follow along to see where Red is each day until Halloween. 💀#RedSkeletonICT#AirportTwitterpic.twitter.com/QtJ5Fnno8t
Who wants to come near a skeleton anyway? But seriously, keep 6 ft. away from others while in the terminal. There are social distancing labels on the floor to guide you.#RedSkeletonICT#AirportTwitterpic.twitter.com/PkTDfjIcCE
Red wants to remind you to wear a face mask, keep 6 ft. away from others, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer! There is a vending machine located on the main floor if you need a face mask or PPE supplies. #RedSkeletonICT#AirportTwitterpic.twitter.com/rmaBlzHdfr
We may not be flying much, or at all, right now but airports are still doing their thing with music, art, and tasty food and drink.
We appreciate that. And we’re paying attention.
Denver International Airport (DEN) has launched the Taste of DEN series offering recipes from the chefs at popular restaurants at the airport.
In the first episode, Tom’s Urban Kitchen & Brewery Chef Robert Garton cookes up a Prime Rib Dip Sandwich. A video from DEN’s Root Down Kitchen is promised next.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Hortencia and Rachel from the art and programming team at Dallas Love Field (DAL) Airport were kind enough to put together a video showing us how to make traditional paper flowers.
Throughout her Performing Arts Residency at SAN Margaret Noble is offering a series of downloadable audio-visual works as part of her [Sky][Muse] collection.
The first set is called ‘Compass’ and includes two ‘experiences:’
Have you been through an airport security checkpoint recently?
We have. And it has us worrying that as passenger numbers increase TSOs and travelers will too easily revert to the pre-COVID checkpoint mentality and not pay attention to social distancing and safety.
That’s why we’re not even waiting until Friday to declare the ‘Airport Amenity of the Week.’
We’re giving the nod to Denver International Airport (DEN), which is the first airport in the U.S. to begin using the VeriFLY app to let passengers reserve a checkpoint time and then travel to the gates in a reserved train car.
Here’s how it works:
Travelers download the VeriFLY app (only available for iPhone for now), create an account, and then reserve a time to through the checkpoint on their travel date. There’s a 15-minute show-up window and there are a limited number of reservations per hour.
Passengers must fill out a health survey within 24 hours of their flight. Then, on the day of their flight, they go to the designated VeriFLY lane at the south screening checkpoint at their reserved time.
A touch-less, electronic gate will scan the access code on the app. And temperatures will be taken before passengers move to either a standard or Precheck TSA screening lane.
Once through security, passengers using the VeriFLY system will travel to their respective concourses in a reserved train car. For social distancing, only 12 VeriFLY travelers will be allowed in the train car at a time.
Face masks/covering are, of course, required for all travelers.
We hope – and expect – more airports will begin using this system.
Today we are giving some love to Denver International Airport (DEN), from it whipped marshmallow-peak tents to the aliens we’re sure are somewhere in – or below – all those acres.
Keep in mind that some of the features we love at DEN may be temporarily unavailable due to health concerns. We are confident they will be back.
If we’ve missed an amenity you love at Denver International Airport, leave a note in the comments section below. The same goes for suggesting an airport you would like to see featured in a future “5 Things We Love About…” episode.
5 Things We Love About Denver International Airport (DEN)
1. The DEN Tents
The 21 “tents” that make up the main terminal at Denver International Airport are described as echoing the peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Native American teepees, billowing thunderheads or, perhaps, canvas-covered wagons toiling westward over the Great Plains.
2. The art at DEN
DEN is known for its unusual and eclectic art collection.
One favorite is “Mustang”. Nicknamed, Blucifer, the blue 32-foot cast-fiberglass sculpture with neon red eyes is hard to miss on the Peña Boulevard approach to the airport. “Mustang” was created by Luis Jiménez who, sadly, died after a piece of the sculpture fell on him while he was working on it.
DEN has more than 100 dogs and one actual cat in its CATS (Canine Airport Therapy Squad) program.
4. DEN’s Talking Gargoyle
“Notre Denver,” by Terry Allen, is an artwork featuring two cast bronze gargoyles sitting inside suitcases that watch over the east and west baggage claim areas.
These two gargoyles are charming, but they don’t talk. And due to construction at DEN, this work is in storage through 2021.
But DEN’s talking gargoyle, named Gregoriden, is on duty.
He’s set on a timer and says something to passersby every 5-10 minutes. Visit him on level 5 in the terminal near Southwest baggage claim.
5. DEN’s Gate Expansion Project
The gate expansion project at DEN will add 39 new gates across all three concourses. Better yet, the project is adding a post-security outdoor patio on each concourse featuring pet relief areas, outdoor seating, and fire pits.
It is definitely a sign of the times. And the airport amenity of the week.
To help passengers and employees comply with the face mask covering requirement at Denver International (DEN), the airport now has two vending machines that sell face masks as well as sanitizing wipes.
The vending machines are stocked with:
Two-pack disposable mask with one gel sanitizer packet and two single-use alcohol towelettes: $6/package
Two-pack KN95 mask with one gel sanitizer packet and two single-use alcohol towelettes: $12/package
Travelers will find the vending machines at the North end of Level 6 near the restrooms on the west side and on the South end of Level 5 around the corner from Boulder Beer Tap House on the west side.
Several DEN airport shops are now selling face masks and other hygiene items as well.
DEN isn’t the first airport in the United States to install a vending machine stocked with masks and sanitizing items.
DEN’s event will take place in the center of the Jeppesen Terminal on Friday, January 31 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Adoptable puppies from Denver’s Dumb Friends League will play in Denver International Airports’ fifth Puppy Bowl. Members of DEN’s Canine Airport Therapy Squad (CATS) will serve as “rufferrees”.
The rules? Who cares – these are puppies.
Here are are few photos from past DEN Puppy Bowls, including some of the fun giveaways travelers can take home.
