Many people got to take a holiday on July 4th. But staff at a few airports went above and beyond to offer treats to passengers traveling on Independence Day.
John Wayne Airport (SNA) knows July is National Ice Cream Month and offered passengers Rocket Pops, sunscreen and socks on July 4th.
And Albany International Airport (ALB) celebrated July 4 by giving kids red, white and blue glow necklaces, patriotic themed sweets and stars and stripes slap bracelets.
If July 4 is a holiday for you, we hope you will enjoy it with a picnic, live music, family, and friends.
If you’re flying somewhere for the July 4th holiday – or the day after – we hope your flight path is smooth.
Although, if you’ve been reading the news, you know there’s a fair chance you may get stuck at the airport. If you do, check with us and we’ll see if we can offer advice on what’s around that may make your time a bit less stressful.
A good place to start is our list of “5 Things We Love About” a long list of airports.
As we head into July 4, San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is unveiling a 25-foot by 12-foot American flag woven out of 100 military uniforms.
The uniforms were worn in conflicts dating back to World War I. Most uniforms are donated by employees of USAA, an insurance and banking organization serving military families headquartered in San Antonio. The company is celebrating its 100-year anniversary this month.
The artwork is made by Minnesota Veteran and artist Jeffrey Stenbom. He spent more than 1,000 hours weaving together uniforms from all five branches of service for this latest, and largest, piece in his “Freedom’s Threads” series.
“Those pieces of fabric are interlinked, just like those service members are interlinked to protecting our freedoms and keeping the freedoms that we have,” Stenbom said. “Those uniforms that they wore, they bled in, that they sweated in, they cried in, it’s hard, it’s real hard.”
The flag made of military uniforms will be on display at San Antonio International Airport for around 6 months, through January 2023, and then transferred to USAA headquarters for permanent display.
During its time at the airport, the flag “has the potential to be viewed by millions,” said Stenbom. “It feels only fitting that it be displayed at the airport of Military City USA. My hope is that many travelers are able to view it. Especially active duty military members, veterans, and their families.”
The video in this tweet shows Stenbom working on the piece.
“The uniform items veterans own often end up in a box or deep in our closets and are rarely seen,” said Taylor Clark, Assistant Vice President and Executive Sponsor USAA’s 100th Anniversary. “To know that we can contribute to something so meaningful…makes it really special.”
Look for this flag at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) presecurity in the Terminal B Lobby.
It’s going to be busy, maybe too busy, at airports across the country this holiday weekend.
But here are some tips and amenities airports are offering that may help.
Let us know what we missed.
Like you, airports are celebrating the freedom to travel (again) and also marking July 4th.
And we’re gathering up some of the best July 4th messages airports are sharing.
Kicking us off: the patriotic water feature show in Terminal B at LaGuardia Airport. Also: a cool mural you can watch being made at Leonardo da Vinci airport in Rome featuring some celebrity travelers. And aviation-themed matchbooks from the SFO Museum collection at San Francisco International Airport.
And these great aviation-themed matchbooks from the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO)