Then, on Saturday, Dec. 27, at noon, there will a free PDX screening of Oregon’s favorite film, “The Goonies,” with Miss Hannah’s popcorn samples and kid-friendly crafts.
Visitors can get a 2-hour parking voucher with a $20+ purchase at participating pre-security businesses. And keep in mind, Oregon has no sales tax…
Festive happenings at other airports
Our annual Tree Decorating Challenge is live! If you haven’t already, head over to our Facebook page to vote for your favorite. pic.twitter.com/QEpli228l3
Santa will be at ORF all week — find him in our Main Lobby! Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 2 – 4 p.m. | Wednesday 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. pic.twitter.com/wCtKBhwUbj
We’ve decked the halls and filled the air with music at MCO! ✨ 🎶 Catch live performances throughout our terminals this month, as we celebrate the season in style! For the full schedule, visit: https://t.co/jcANYwuj3ypic.twitter.com/IXadrqG27B
DTW is full of holiday cheer! This week, Santa Claus is stopping by the Evans Terminal so be sure to pay him a visit. Take advantage of our DTW Destination Pass to see if you're on the naughty or nice list this year. #DTWnonstoppic.twitter.com/scZTcqxTA2
Today, let’s give some to Long Beach Airport (LGB), which came in 2nd, behind PDX, on the list of the 50 Best Airports in America put together by The Washington Post.
The 2nd place award ranking notes LGB’s ease of navigation and its outdoor courtyard, which are just two of the many features the airport, which has trademarked itself as ‘america’s coolest airport’, is proud of.
LGB also boasts a newly renovated 1941 historic terminal, a $17.8 million project which was recently recognized at the 37th Annual Long Beach Heritage Preservation Awards.
The renovation included the restoration of Works Progress Administration (WPA)-era mosaics by Grace Clements that were (re)discovered when the maintenance team took up the carpet.
Made in 1941, the mosaics pay tribute to Long Beach’s origins in aviation, oil and communications with images of a large map, birds, a ship, an oil well and a hand dialing a telephone.
You can get pizza at plenty of airports. But it’s rare to find a robot making your pizza pie.
Donatos Pizza debuted a new ‘autonomous kitchen’ in Ohio’s John Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH) where a robot is on duty 24-hours a day preparing made-to-order pizzas.
Located pre-security, by Hangar 815 in front of Concourse B, the robotic pizza restaurant has a small footprint and a short menu that includes a 10″ cheese pizza or 10″ pepperoni pizza.
Price: $11.59. No tipping required.
There’s a new robot in town… and it makes pizza. 🍕🤖@Donatos just launched its first fully autonomous restaurant right here at CMH! You’ll find it pre-security by Hangar 815 — and yes, you can watch your pizza being made in real time.
— John Glenn Intl Airport (@columbusairport) June 9, 2025
The Donato’s Pizza robot at John Glenn International Airport is cool and new.
But it’s not the only pizza-making machine in an airport.
At Detroit-Metropolitan Airport (DTW) a ZaBot Pizza Robot machine staffed by robots Rosa and Enzo heats up personal pizzas around-the-clock.
Look for this machine in the Coca Cola room by Gate A36.
Elsewhere: cows at San Antonio Int’l Airport + cool art at Long Beach Airport
#CowParade2025 has MOOOved into SAT! 🐄🎨 We're excited to have 3 painted cows at our airport before they're auctioned off to benefit @CHRISTUSHealth in September.
MEET THE COWS! 🐮✨ -Stampede, Chris Celusniak -Good MOOd, Allison Gregory -Love Note to the Nations, Ashley Rogers pic.twitter.com/3XyKydjSqY
— San Antonio International Airport (@SATairport) June 10, 2025
Have you checked out our video wall? 🎨
Our wrap-around digital wall at baggage claim displays artistic videos including the latest installation: Impressions of Travel.
The petition calls Parton a “national treasure” and a Tennessee legend and points out that Dolly Parton is not only a celebrated artist “who encourages love, acceptance, and goodwill through her music,” but she is also a philanthropist “known for her countless contributions to society.”
Therefore, the petition reasons, “it is only fitting that an institution as significant as Nashville International Airport carries the name of such a remarkable woman.”
If the petition succeeds, the organizers point out, “We could all be Departin’ from Parton.”
More – much more – live music at Long Beach Airport
Long Beach Airport (LGB), which has proclaimed itself “America’s coolest airport,” is getting cooler.
The airport’s LGB Live! music series is expanding from 40 to more than 160 live performances a year.
The expanded LGB Live! program kicks off Thursday, March 27, with a performance by Acoustic Soul Express and will feature performances from professional artists and acclaimed youth performers.
LGB Live! performers are vetted and paid. Performances are typically held post-security for ticketed travelers from 3 to 5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays, with additional shows during busy travel seasons. Exact showtimes, along with information about bonus pre-security performances can be found on LGB Live!
Here are some travel tidbits to get the week started
(The night sky above Kitt Peak National Observatory, the Burrell Schmidt Telescope. Courtesy KPNO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J.Dai)
Things are looking up in Tucson
You’ve likely heard of Donut Trails, Cocktail Trails, Pie Trails and Barbecue Trails.
They are all good ways to explore a city or a region.
Now there’s an Astro Trailin Tucson, Arizona that highlights night sky viewing options.
Available as a web app and printed guide, the Astro Trail is billed as your “personal guide to the galaxy,” exploring all the dark-sky-related stops in Tucson.
The trail includes world-class astronomy institutes such as Kitt Peak National Observatory and the Richard F Caris Mirror Lab where the largest telescope lenses in the world are made, to casual stargazing at national and state parks.
We’re planning our trip there now.
San Diego Int’l Airport Presents Dance Performances Inspired by Travelers’ Stories
As part of San Diego International Airport’s (SAN) Performing Arts Residency Program, San Diego-based dance company Malahock Dance will present newly choreographed works in Terminal 2 West on January 27, 29, and February 3 at 2 p.m.
The dances are inspired by the diverse stories of nearly three dozen passengers who have traveled through the airport and reflect the dance company’s three-month residency inside the airport.
During the residency, the dancers talked with nearly 300 travelers and ultimately collected 30 oral histories from passengers of all ages about their San Diego experience. The dancers interpreted these histories into dance, developing their choreography in the airport where travelers and visitors could witness the creative process unfold.
Airports helping to save the earth
Airports pretty much everywhere are doing what they can these days to be light on the earth.
Recycling bins at airports were once a rare sight, but now you’ll see them pretty much everywhere.
But figuring out which bin to put your discards in can be confusing.
We’ve stood in front of bins trying to figure out if our coffee cup is compostable or recyclable. And what about the lid?
The airport uses an AI-assisted tool called Oscar, from Intuitive AI, that helps passengers sort waste items into the proper compost, recycling, or trash bins.
When someone walks up to the machine, which is mounted over the bins, they place an item in front of a camera for the system to analyze. Oscar then tells the user which bin to use to dispose of the item. For those worried about privacy, the cameras only capture images of the waste items presented and not the person presenting the item.
Look for the Oscar at SEA Airport in the Central Terminal, the North Concourse, the South Concourse near gate S2, and in the C Concourse near gate C17.
This is Oscar, the new AI waste-sorting technology that will help you sort your waste. When users walk up to the machine, they place an item in front of a camera for the system to analyze. Oscar then tells the user which bin to use to dispose of the item. 🗑️♻️ pic.twitter.com/1eWojZTkB7
California’s Long Beach Airport (LGB), which officially identifies as “America’s coolest airport,” is also doing its part to save the earth and recently shared this video about all the food waste it has been keeping out of landfills.
🌱 We’ve diverted 35 tons (70,000 lbs) of food waste from landfills since 2021, thanks to our food scrap recycling program with @PLshopdinefly! ♻️ Together, we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions and turning scraps into compost. ➡️ https://t.co/R3i5LnTzwppic.twitter.com/M3mTE7GOR5
The airport marked its centennial year with special events, a new mural, a historic video series, a collectible series of vintage-style posters and branded giveaways.
But they’re not done yet.
The airport recently debuted a new trademarked slogan – america’s coolest airport –, interred a centennial time capsule and introduced pop-up pickleball courts for the holiday season.
The pickleball courts are offered in partnership with the City of Long Beach’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine and are located just north of the Historic Terminal.
According to LGB officials, the two temporary pickleball courts will be activated periodically throughout the holidays.
We’re putting the Long Beach Airport pickleball courts in the running for Airport Amenit of the Week.
To celebrate its centennial year, California’s Long Beach Airport (LGB) is releasing a series of four vintage-style posters that are sure to be collectible.
The first poster, pictured above, is titled “Early Days of Aviation.” This poster celebrates the early 1900s when Long Beach’s sandy shoreline served as the runway.
In this poster, onlookers are amazed as early aviator Earl S. Daugherty—who later helped establish the Airport—soared through the air in an early Curtiss Flyer Model D.
The second poster, “Historic Terminal,” pays homage to the airport’s historic terminal building, which was completed in 1941.
A City-designated Historic Landmark, the architectural gem was designed by architects William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing in a Streamline Moderne style.
The 2nd poster in our series just dropped & pays homage to LGB’s iconic architecture. Reflected in its runway-facing windows, the silhouette of a DC-3 emerges, manufactured in Long Beach & the most common plane on the airfield at the time of the terminal’s completion.🌟 #LGB100pic.twitter.com/Qfx12gDJd5
Our 3rd poster honors LGB’s robust manufacturing history during WWII. "Keep 'Em Flying” encouraged men to join the air service, while women of all backgrounds became Rosie the Riveters, producing aircraft vital to the war effort, including 3,000+ B-17s built in Long Beach!#LGB100pic.twitter.com/jTRtF44mzw
The “Keep ‘Em Flying” poster celebrates Long Beach’s robust aircraft manufacturing history and its significant contributions during World War II. In Long Beach women of all backgrounds became Rosie the Riveters, working around the clock to produce military aircraft such as the B-17 at the Douglas Aircraft Company.
The final poster, “Welcome to Long Beach,” celebrates Long Beach’s unique climate, tourism, and manufacturing industries that now help the city thrive. In this poster, a DC-3 is pictured above beach waves, We’ll post that image when it drops.
Once released, the posters will be available free of charge at the Saturday, July 27 grand reopening and public open house of LGB’s Historic Terminal, which recently underwent a major renovation and restoration.
🌟 We're excited to announce the grand reopening of our crown jewel, the Historic Terminal! 🌟After over a year of renovations, the iconic building is ready to welcome visitors again. Join us on 7/27, 10 am – 3 pm, for a public open house to celebrate! 🔗 https://t.co/BjckGsf4mypic.twitter.com/op7H6ZRK0w
Long Beach Airport Terminal circa 1962 – Courtesy of the airport
Over the past week, the Stuck at the Airport team has shared news of how Kansas City decided to replace an old terminal with a brand new one at Kansas City International Airport (MCI). And of a new museum in Atchison, Kansas dedicated to iconic aviator Amelia Earhart.
Today we share some news about Long Beach, which is keeping and preserving its historic Long Beach Airport (LGB) terminal. The airport, also known as Daugherty Field, is where Amelia Earhart took her first airplane ride in 1920.
Long Beach Airport Historic Terminal
The terminal building at Long Beach Airport was built in 1941 in the iconic Streamline Moderne Style. It is the oldest municipally-owned airport in California.
Designed by William Horace Austin and Kenneth Smith Wing, the groundbreaking for the Historic Terminal took place on Jan. 11, 1941, with the building scheduled to open on Dec. 8 of that year.
The Pearl Harbor attack on Dec. 7 delayed the opening, led to the cancellation of all commercial flights, and resulted in the building being painted in camouflage and used as lodging for soldiers and military equipment.
The formal opening occurred on April 25, 1942.
Now a Long Beach Historic Landmark, the terminal building is also home to recently restored mosaic masterpieces created by Grace Clements under the Works Progress Administration Federal Arts Project.
LGB Terminal Renovation Project
Starting this week, Long Beach Airport (LGB)’s Historic Terminal temporarily closes for a year-long renovation that will include a seismic retrofit and restoration of many of its classic 1941 design elements.
Preliminary renovation efforts began while the Historic Terminal was partially open to the public. But now, airport officials say, a full closure of the building is necessary to complete the renovation of the restrooms and building infrastructure, restoration of covered mosaic tiles, and other Art Deco design elements.
The restored terminal building is expected to reopen in early 2024 and is one piece of a multi-part terminal improvement program. Two major components were completed in the spring of 2022, including the new Ticketing Lobby and Checked Baggage Inspection System (CBIS) facility. A new Baggage Claim is currently under construction and scheduled to open in the coming months.
Phase I of the Terminal Area Improvement Program created an award-winning indoor-outdoor passenger concourse in 2012.
Love really is in the air at many airports this Valentine’s Day.
We’ve been gathering news of the events and Valentine’s Day offerings at airports, including the pop-up marriage license bureau at Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas and the carnations and hand-cut felt hearts Philadephia International Airport (PHL) is handing out.
It’s the day before Valentine’s Day, and Elvis is in the building! The @vegasweddingcap has made it easy to get a jump on your paperwork at their marriage license pop-up office located near carousel 5 in Terminal 1 Bag Claim. pic.twitter.com/tKc85UDwKX
Here are some more events to look for at US airports:
Free Love Poems at Long Beach Airport
Courtesy LGB Airport
On Valentine’s Day, travelers at California’s Long Beach Airport (LGB) will be able to get free custom-crafted love poems while they wait.
Current West Hollywood City Poet Laureate, Brian Sonia-Wallace will be in the airport between 5 pm and 7 pm with an antique Remington typewriter. He’ll commemorate individual travelers’ love stories with poems created and typed out on the spot.
A second typewriter will be available if passengers want to type their own poems or messages.
Free Flowers at Jacksonville International Airport
As they have since 2009, with a pandemic pause, Airport Ambassadors at Florida’s Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) will be handing out more than 1,000 red, white, and pink carnations to travelers and airport visitors on Valentine’s Day.
More Valentine’s Day Offers at Airports
Between 10 am and 12 pm on Valentine’s Day, Orlando International Airport (MCO) will be hosting a special Paw-Pup snuggle booth staffed by several of the therapy pups from the MCO Paw Pilots program. Look for the booth by the airport’s atrium fountain.
Be among the first to show up you may be one of the lucky dogs who wins a pair of Paw Pilots socks modeled by the pup in the photo.
Need some Valentines? San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) and John Glen Columbus International Airport (CMH) have you covered. And Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is offering a Valentine discount code (good through 2/19/23) for 25% off mobile orders at LAXOrderNow.com.
Love is in the air ✈️ With Valentine's Day only one week away, we're here to help your valentine game take flight. Check out the link below to get printable versions of our 2023 Valentine's Day cards. https://t.co/khDr4uj6qSpic.twitter.com/7JlFJkB6B4
The Women’s History Month factoid about Willa Brown – who was the first Black woman to earn both a pilot license (1938) and a commercial license (1939), courtesy of Long Beach Airport (LGB).
And the announcement from Tampa International Airport (TPA) about TPA To Go – a new food delivery service in the airport.
NOW PLAYING: "Letters of Fire" by Glen Milner. Actor @DominicWest narrates explorer Ernest Shackleton's observations on the unforgiving nature of Antarctica’s landscape in this short that evokes the region’s fragility. Watch the short film: https://t.co/IUZl6r8KIt#VideoArtsSFOMpic.twitter.com/DVw8jcLEMz
