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.
TRAVEL ALERT: With the expected impact to travel conditions from Winter Storm Xylia Frontier has enacted guidelines aimed at assisting customers scheduled to travel between 3/12 -3/15 to: Denver and Colorado Springs, CO.
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.
