holiday travel

100,000 free gifts for travelers at Denver Int’l Airport

Holidays, , ,

DENVER GIFTS

If you’re traveling to, from or through Denver International Airport this holiday season and purchase a meal or a gift, be sure to keep the receipt.

The airport is giving away 100,000 free gifts to passengers who spend a one-day total of $20 or more at any single or combined retailer or restaurant in the airport.

To get a gift, take your receipt to one of the giant gift boxes (located on level 6 of the Jeppesen Terminal and in the centers of the A, B and C concourses) from 7 a.m. and 7 p.m between now and January 4.

At the gift box stations you can trade your $20 receipt for a prize.

Many of the prizes are from concessionaires right at the airport, so you might win cookies and coffee, a massage, clothing, toys or a travel-related gadget. The prizes also include passes to Denver-area attractions and travel vouchers from Spirit and Frontier Airlines and a three-night stay at the Vail Cascade Resort.

So go ahead, do some shopping and snacking at Denver International Airport and leave time to trade your receipt for a gift.

Airilne travel waivers/advisories for Hurricane Arthur

Weather, , , ,
(Photo courtesy Keene Public Library, via Flickr)

(Photo courtesy Keene Public Library, via Flickr)

Here are links to some of the airline travel waivers/advisories posted for Hurricane Arthur as of Friday morning, July 4th.

As always – if you have travel plans, check directly with your airline for updates.

American Airlines

Delta Air Lines

JetBlue

Southwest Airlines

United Airlines

US Airways

Virgin America

Tips for stress-free holiday travel

Airports, Holidays, ,

Thanksgiving postcard turkey

 

During the holidays, fog, snow, extreme weather, long lines at security checkpoints and other challenges may conspire to leave you stuck at the airport longer than you planned – or ever imagined.

No need to let a delay ruin your trip. Here are some tips to help time fly by.

Get ready for battle

The best offense is a good defense and this applies all the more when traveling during the holidays. Try to get a good night’s sleep before your flight so you arrive at the airport on-time, well-rested and ready for anything. Pack snacks, a little “mad money” and your good humor.

Make technology your co-pilot

Sign up for airline flight alerts and have them sent by phone, email and/or text message. More than one delivery method can’t hurt. On Twitter, “follow” your airline and all airports on your itinerary. Increasingly, Twitter is where news, updates and alerts appear first.

Re-confirm your flight online and get a boarding pass 24 hours before your flight. Mobile boarding passes are great, but print a paper copy just in case.

Checkpoint savvy

Prepare for the security checkpoint “experience” by making sure you and your carry-on are TSA-ready. Review the prohibited items list at TSA.gov, see if you qualify for TSA PreCheck and remember there are now rules that expedite the checkpoint passage for kids 12 and younger and adults 75 and older.

Access the amenities

Many airports now have their own apps and robust websites to guide you to upscale shops, fine-dining restaurants and bars offering everything from wine and tequila flights to massages.

During the holidays, airports often offer entertainment by carolers and musical groups, There may be photo ops with Santa and his elves, complimentary gift-wrapping, and free candy canes or other treats. Retail shops at the airport may also offer special discounts. Travelers should check the airport’s website in advance to see what they may be able to take advantage of.

Here are some other ways to make good use of your time stuck at the airport:

  • Get Cultured: These days, temporary and permanent art exhibits are found at almost every airport. There’s often a brochure to guide you, but sometimes you simply have to look around.
  • Stay Healthy: Medical clinics at O’Hare in Chicago, Hartsfield Atlanta and other airports offer flu shots for those on the go.
  • Stretch: San Francisco and Dallas-Fort Worth International airports have special spaces set aside for yoga, with loaner mats included.
  • Burn Calories: Bring you own pedometer or look for the mileage markings on walking paths inside airports in Indianapolis, Atlanta, Minneapolis-St.Paul, Baltimore, New Orleans and elsewhere. And don’t forget your sneakers.

(My story: Stree-Free Holiday Travel Starts at the Airport first appeared on Travel Guard)

 

TSA has helpful hints for holiday travelers

Food, Holidays, , , ,

The busy Thanksgiving and Christmas travel season is just around the corner and it’s a given that airports will be busy airports and airplanes will be crowded. With that in mind, the TSA has gathered up some helpful hints for holiday travelers.

Pies and cakes are OK to take through airport security checkpoints, but the TSA reserves the right to give those food items addition screening. Because there are always questions about what other items will clear the security checkpoint this time of year, it appears that the TSA has updated its sample list of liquid, aerosol and gelled items you should leave home, ship ahead or put in your checked baggage if you’ve got more than 3.4 ounces.

That list includes:
Cranberry sauce
Cologne
Creamy dips and spreads (cheeses, peanut butter, etc.)
Gift baskets with food items (salsa, jams and salad dressings)
Gravy
Jams
Jellies
Lotions
Maple syrup
Oils and vinegars
Perfume
Salad dressing
Salsa
Sauces
Snowglobes
Soups
Wine, liquor and beer

Notice that snowglobes are on the list.

For a long time snowglobes were not allowed in carry-on baggage, but the TSA has revised its position on these items and now snowglobes that “appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces (approximately tennis ball size) will be permitted if the entire snow globe, including the base, is able to fit in the same one clear, plastic, quart-sized, resealable bag, as the passenger’s other liquids, such as shampoo, toothpaste and cosmetics.”

You can find more tips here and you can read more about the TSA’s snowglobe decision and concerns about pet tornadoes here.

I tell all to the Roaming Gnome

Fun Stuff, ,

Travelocity’s Roaming Gnome is a busy fellow. But I’m honored that he took time out to include me in a series of holiday interviews in the Window Seat blog.

 

RG: Where are you off to this holiday season? New York City? Tahiti? Poughkeepsie?

HB: Our family gathers in a suburb of Washington, D.C., where Christmas morning comes fast on the heels of that age-old holiday tradition: Christmas Eve poker.

RG: As the expert – if you had to be stuck at an airport during the holidays – which one would you choose? (I’d go wherever there’s frozen yogurt!)

HB: As an airport aficionado and creator of StuckatTheAirport.com, nothing pleases me more than being stuck at an airport during the holidays. For people-watching, any airport would fit the bill, but beyond that, I’d want to be somewhere such as Philadelphia International Airport, where there are plenty of shops and usually a good schedule of planned holiday entertainment,

RG: What’s the one thing you can’t travel without? Me- my wit and good looks of course!

HB: I always pack a lightweight silk sleep sack, because especially during the holiday travel season, you just never know where you might end up sleeping. Two other lightweight must-haves: my patience and my sense of humor.

RG: What’s your favorite travel tip? I always say leave early in case there is a line at the airport bar.

HB: I keep an extra $20 bill tucked into a corner of my wallet. It’s my “mad money:” If I get really irritated or weary – or mad – while traveling, I use that $20 to buy myself a frivolous treat.

RG: Brilliant! Mad money could come in handy for my favorite guilty pleasure – airport and travel shopping. (I own a neck pillow in every color.) How many gifts will you be purchasing from SkyMall and/or Hudson News this year?

HB: Oh! For years, I’ve done all my holiday shopping at airports. That used to mean everyone got a shot glass and a pack of gum. The shopping scene at most airports is much better these days, so friends and family no longer heckle my gifts.

RG: Fun travel fact: I easily fit in overhead compartment bins. What’s your fun travel fact

HB: I’ve been touring and writing about airports for more than 15 years, so can tell you where the best restaurants – and restrooms – are at almost any airport.

And… I too would fit easily into overhead airplane bins, but flight attendants don’t usually let short people travel that way.

RG: No, I don’t suggest it for humans – it’s a bit stuffy.  I’ve traveled at various times of the year, but holidays are my favorite times. When else can you see holiday sweaters and poodles on layovers? What’s your best holiday travel story?

HB: Unable to sleep while on a Christmas weekend get-a-away at a park lodge in Washington state, I grabbed a book and settled in by the grand fireplace in the lobby. About 5 a.m. I was joined by a slow moving, somewhat-Santa-looking fellow who poured me a cup of hot coffee from his thermos and then took off. Not sure if he left by the chimney..

RG: That was either my friend Santa, or one of my fellow garden gnomes.  Santa and gnomes have similar beards.  Shall we spend Spring Break together? I do a wicked cannonball.

HB: And I once won second place in an oyster-eating contest where the goal was to be the fasted to eat a dozen oysters- with your hands behind your back.

RG: I’d like to try that!  My hands are cemented to my sides, and I love to eat!

Holiday discounts & diversions at US airports

Air Travel, Airports, Entertainment, Holidays, , , ,

Here’s my ‘bonus’ At the Airport column on USAToday.com this week: a round-up of some of the holiday entertainment and special offers at airports this holiday season.

Even if everything goes according to schedule, getting to and through the airport can be a real headache during the hectic holiday travel season.To ease the stress and help keep passengers in good spirits, many airports offer holiday entertainment, promotions and contests as well as discount offers at shops and restaurants throughout the terminals.

Here’s a taste of what’s on tap for this holiday season.

The LAX TSA choir - really!

 

For more, keep your smartphone handy when you travel: Many performances and special offers are still rolling out on airport websites and some events are being posted exclusively on airport Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.

Prizes and promotions

This year it may pay to save some cash – and room in your carry-on – for last-minute holiday shopping at the airport.

San Antonio International Airport’s (SAT) coupon campaign is available online and will be printed on boarding passes. Those with smartphones need only show the coupon on their phones to a participating vendor to use the offer. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is also offering discounts to travelers who use their smartphones to scan barcodes on signs throughout the airport.

Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s Holiday edition of the Eat, Shop, Relax guide runs through December 31 and includes more than 80 coupons for some of MSP’s most popular restaurants, shops and services.

At New York’s LaGuardia Airport, travelers can print out or download a coupon good through January 2, 2012 for 20% off an item in a participating store or restaurant in the Central Terminal Food & Shops program.

And, as part of one of the holiday promotions taking place at Boston Logan International Airport this season, travelers are invited to write and submit a letter to Santa in the St. Nick Send Me to St. Thomas contest, which has as first prize a trip for four to St. Thomas.

Decorations, music and more

Most airports have holiday decorations strung up, but Fresno Yosemite International Airport is once again hosting a display of eleven uniquely decorated Christmas trees. This year’s theme is “An Airport Christmas…non-stop adventure” and each tree will be decorated to highlight one of the airport’s non-stop destinations.

At the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, “the holiday decorations are up and the children will be singing and dancing,” reports airport spokesperson Allan Siegel. The airport is getting ready to host its 23nd Annual Winter Festival of Music. From December 12 through December 16th, more than 1,200 children from various Broward County elementary, middle and high schools will be performing throughout the airport terminals.

The seasonal Choral Concert Program is already underway at Pittsburgh International Airport. Performances take place on the pre-security ticketing level of the Landside Terminal and feature choirs and orchestras from local schools and community groups and runs through December 22nd. A series of early morning (6:30 am to 8:30 am) piano concerts continues through December 30th.

TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez confirms that at Los Angeles International Airport, the LAX TSA choir is scheduled to perform December 20th at Terminal 4 and December 22nd in the public area of the international terminal.

Appearances by Santa are expected at a several airports, including Philadelphia International Airport, where Santa will be strolling through the airport and stopping to pose for pictures through Christmas Eve. PHL also promises passengers Victorian carolers, visits from Philadelphia’s famous Mummers, music performances, dance troupes and other entertainment.

Karaoke at the Houston Airport

Nashville International Airport will fill five stages with holiday-themed performances by the Cremona Strings Ensemble, the Pattie Cossentino Jazz Quartet, The Nashtones, Freeplay, The Billie Gaines Band and others through December 22nd and, each Wednesday and Friday through December 23rd, San Francisco International Airport’s ‘You are Hear’ program will be offering holiday-entertainment at stages located post-security in Terminals 2 and 3 and pre-security in the International Terminal. On Friday, December 23rd, the Golden Gate Bell Ringers return for a performance in the International Terminal.

At Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, a storybook-costumed character will read to children at the Red Balloon Bookshop (near Gate C12) December 22-23 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the hour and half-hour.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which offers 15 live music performances each week throughout the year, has a holiday festival line-up (December 19 through 22) that includes Bishop Sterling Lands, the Judy Lee Dancers (tap-dancers 60 and older), the Austin Jazz Workshop and the Austin Square & Round Dancers.

Passengers (and some airport employees) will help provide the entertainment this year at two airports: Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport opens the mikes for airport karaoke on December 19th and Detroit Metro Airport’s karaoke event takes place December 19-22. “It’s been a big hit in past years, and we look forward to another great week of filling the concourse with the talent of travelers and airport team members while also collecting contributions for a great cause! [the Salvation Army],” said airport spokesperson Scott Wintner.

And, beginning at 6 am on December 23rd, travelers will be serenaded by the Full Measure Carolers and the Rockin’ Cranberries at the San Diego International Airport.

Santa’s flight successful

Holidays, Kids, Kids travel, , ,

Spokane Airport TSA

Although all elves must undergo enhanced pat-downs at airports, the NORAD Santa Tracker is reporting that Santa has been able to fly around the world with a sleigh full of wrapped packages without being hassled.

Whether or not you believe in Santa, NORAD’s Santa-tracking story is a sweet one. It dates back to 1955, when NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command) was CONAD, the Continental Air Defense Command

According to the NORAD website:

The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement for children to call Santa misprinted the telephone number. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD  Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.

NORAD’s website has an audio clip of Shoup describing that first call.

Sea-Tac Airport offers discount parking for “greeters”

Air Travel, Airport shops, Airports, Food, Free Stuff, Parking, , ,

Here’s a great idea!

From now through December 31, 2010, Seattle’s Sea-Tac International Airport is offering a discount short term parking coupon for greeters.   Better yet: the coupon includes a 2-for-1 offer for coffee.

Any other airports doing something like this?  Let me know!

Find the Sea-Tac discount parking coupon here.

SEA-TAC airport discount parking coupon