JFK Airport

JetBlue celebrates Record Store Day at JFK Airport

April 13, 2015Harriet BaskasAirports, Events, Musicindi record stores, JetBlue, JFK Airport, Record Store Day

Record Store Day – a fun event dating back to 2008 celebrating record store culture and the role independent record stores play in communities – officially takes place this year on Saturday, April 18, 2015, but JetBlue is kicking things off early on Tuesday, April 14 with live music and a pop-up record shop in Terminal 5 at JFK Airport.

The live music starts at noon with country-blues-soul singer Elle King at noon, punk pop artist Kevin Devine at 3pm and indie rock band Caveman at 5pm.

Earlier in the day, at 9 a.m., the New York City-based record shop Other Music will open a pop-up record shop complete withe turntable listening stations and music for sale. Giveaways and prizes are also promised.

(Photo courtesy Galt Museum & Archives, via Flickr Commons)

The Beatles arrive at JFK Airport – this day in 1964

February 7, 2015Harriet BaskasAirports, MusicEd Sullivan Show, JFK Airport, The Beatles

On February 7, 1964 Beatlemania arrived in the United States in the form of John, Paul, George and Ringo stepping off Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101 at New York’s Kennedy Airport.

They’d flown over from London Heathrow Airport, were greeted by 3,000 screaming fans and two days later appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time.

Sculptures made of Starbucks cups at JFK Airport

February 5, 2015Harriet BaskasAirports, ArtDelta Air Lines, JFK Airport, sculptures, Starbucks

Carnival Float sculpture made of Starbucks cups by Francesca Signori. Courtesy Delta AIr Lines

As part of Delta Air Lines’ announcement that it will now be serving Starbucks coffee on board its airplanes, the airline commissioned artists in London, New York and Sao Paulo to create sculptures using Starbucks cups.

Look for the cup sculptures, which depict Big Ben in London, Tokyo’s Sensoji Temple in the historic district of Asakusa and a carnival float in São Paulo, Brazil in Terminal 4 at New York’s-JFK International Airport.

London’s Big Ben, by Shotopop artists Carin Standford and Michael Crozier – made of Starbucks cups. Courtesy Delta Air Lines

Tokyo’s Sensoji Temple – made of Starbucks cups, by Jeff Nishinaka. Courtesy Delta Air Lines

Snack Saturday: JFK’s new Central Diner

July 19, 2014Harriet BaskasFood, Snack SaturdayAirport food, Central Diner, diners, JFK Airport

Diners (and luncheonettes) are part of the iconic New York City scenery, and now JFK International Airport has a diner of its own.

Located pre-security in Terminal 4, the 1930s-inspired Central Diner has the classic service counter, with banquette, booth and patio seating as well as a take-out window.

Like all great diners, the Central Diner is open 24 hours a day, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a menu offering everything from omelets to milkshakes and martinis.

Go ahead, order all three for dinner.

50 years ag today: The Beatles arrive at JFK Airport

February 7, 2014Harriet BaskasHistory, MusicEd Sullivan Show, JFK Airport, The Beatles

The Beatles’ first visit to the United States began 50 years ago today, on February 7, 1964, with their arrival at New York’s JFK International Airport on Pan Am Flight 101.

Two days later, the Fab Four performed on The Ed Sullivan Show to a TV audience of 70 million people – most of them screaming young girls and their alarmed parents.

There will be concerts, exhibits and other special events taking place around the country this weekend to mark the milestone of the first Beatles invasion in the U.S, but it kicks off at JFK Airport this morning when the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey unveils a historical marker at the landmark TWA Flight Center (in the airport’s Central Terminal Area) paying tribute to The Beatles’ arrival and first press conference in the United States.

Airport amenity of the week: indoor taxi line at JFK

June 16, 2013Harriet BaskasTransportationairport amenity, JFK Airport, taxis

After a long flight, travelers must often deal with the bad weather while waiting in a long taxi line out at the curb.

But at JFK International Airport Terminal 4 in New York, taxi dispatchers have travelers line up inside the baggage hall, where they are protected from the elements and, presumably, from unauthorized operators.

Makes sense all around.

“Operation Last Call” nabs 18 who nipped 100,000 nips at JFK Airport

September 12, 2012Harriet BaskasFun Stuff, SecurityAirport security, JFK Airport, liquor

Some of the nipped nips, courtesy of the Queens (NY) District Attorney’s Office

In one of those ‘only in New York’ stories, on Wednesday, the Queens District Attorney
announced that 18 airport workers – fifteen present and former
truck drivers employed by LSG Sky Chefs, the food and beverage subcontractor for American Airlines, along with several security guards, were arrested and charged in connection with the theft of more than 100,000 mini bottles (nips) of liquor and other items, including perfume and cartons of cigarettes, from John F. Kennedy International Airport over the last five months.

The investigation was dubbed “Operation Last Call” and the defendants are charged with stealing more than $750,000 worth of items. According to the press release from district attorney Brown’s office, most of the defendants were arrested “after they were summoned to attend an important security meeting at the airport” and, at the residence of one of the defendants “…alleged items seized … were 500 to 600 garbage bags filled with mini liquor bottles (each bag containing approximately 100 bottles) worth between $385,000 and $420,000, as well as $34,000 in cash.”

Tidbits for travelers: Free Wifi at Toronto airport; fresh art at SNA; contraband at JFK

August 5, 2010Harriet BaskasArt, Exhibits, free Wi-Fi, Layover, Wi-FiAirport art, contraband at airports, Free WiFI, JFK Airport, John Wayne Airport, Toronto Pearson International Airport, TSA

Here at StuckatTheAirport.com we’re a big fan of free wireless Internet at all airports. Slowly but surely we’re moving in that direction. In July, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) began offering free Wi-FI to all travelers and now comes word that Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) began offering free Wi-Fi at the beginning of this month (August, 2010). Hooray!

Hooray! Free Wi-Fi at Toronto International Airport

There’s also some fresh art at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Santa Ana, California.

Mt. Moran by Steven Gilb at John Wayne Airport

Photographs by Steven Gilb, who has been a contributing photographer for Arizona’s Highway Magazine since the 1970s are on display through September 7, 2010 on the Departure (upper) Level near the security screening checkpoints and on the Arrival (lower) Level near baggage carousels 1 and 4. See more of Gilb’s photos here.

And through September 20, 2010, look for the collection of paintings depicting the Jazz Age that are on display in the Terminal A Vi Smith Concourse Gallery across from Gates 11 -14.

Don't Eat Joe by Dong Moy Chu Kingman

The exhibition includes work by 12 California artists who explored geometric and angular abstraction during the Post WWII era. See more photos here.

And.. check out these photos by Taryn Simon that were published in the New York Times magazine on July 29, 2010.

Contraband becomes art

The photos – including one of a pitcher of salami – are from a set of more than 1000 photos of prohibited items taken from passengers – or discovered in express mail – over a five day period last year at JFK Airport. (On-line, you can click on an image to see what’s what.) The photos will be part of an exhibition and a book (now on my wish list, Santa) titled “Contraband.”

You can learn more about this project on the New York Times Lens blog.

Dig in at JFK and DFW

March 5, 2010Harriet BaskasAirports, Alcohol, FoodDFW International Airport, JFK Airport, JFK Terminal 4, Pappasito's Cantina, The Palm Grill

Today marks the grand opening of The Palm Bar & Grille in the pre-security area of Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport , the airport where an air traffic controller is in hot water over letting his kids on the mike in the control tower.

This is the first airport location of the famed New York steakhouse, and it joins a line-up of dining options in Terminal 4 that also includes the first U.S. location for the Seafood Bar by Caviar House & Prunier and two new post-security, sit-down restaurants Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar and Tigin Irish Pub & Restaurant (scheduled to open May 2010).

And down in Texas, the popular Houston-based Pappas Restaurants has just opened Pappasito’s Cantina in Terminal A (by Gate 28) at DFW International Airport. The Tex-Mex menu includes fajitas, enchiladas, tortillas and, of course, margaritas.

Even more airport freebies for Thanksgiving travelers

November 25, 2009Harriet BaskasAir Travel, Baggage, Entertainment, Events, Free Stuff, Fun Stuff, Holidays, Lounges, Wi-FiBoston Logan International Airport, Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, JFK Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

In addition to the airport freebies I wrote about yesterday here at StuckatTheAirport.com, we have a few more airport events and giveaways to seek out during your Thanksgiving trek through the airport:

If you’re traveling through Boston’s Logan International Airport or Seattle-Tacoma International Airport today (Wed. Nov 25, 2009) look around for the “Fareologists” from Bing Travel. They’ll be answering travel questions (try to stump them by asking where the best place is to buy an extra pair of underwear) and surprising some folks (1,000 in all) in the ticketing areas by giving them a $15 card redeemable for cash anywhere MasterCard is accepted. Nice!

If you’re at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) Wednesday between 10 and 11 am look around for the world-famous Radio City Rockettes, who will be performing -and no doubt posing for photos with travelers – in the Baggage Claim area and at the Security Checkpoint in the Landside Terminal.

And between 8 am and 5 pm today (and on Saturday and Sunday; November 28-29, 2009) you can stop by an “Airport Privacy Haven” in Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) or New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport for a free massage and complimentary Wi-Fi between 8 am and 5 pm.

Enjoy!