Airports in the U.S. and abroad are preparing to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
Big thanks to @thepraties for bringing the Irish spirit to LAX and performing for our travelers as part of the #LAXPresents Winter & Spring 2025 season! You’ve definitely helped us get into the festive mood! 🍀🎶 pic.twitter.com/39m7r0w0Ab
We can’t wait to welcome tens of thousands of tourists to Ireland over the coming day and a true Céad Míle Fáilte awaits with our buildings – both inside and out – lit up in green, white and orange!
And check out this special livery coming to JetBlue
In February, JetBlue invited customers to vote on which of three special livery designs created by Puerto Rican artists will be painted on a JetBlue Airbus A320 to honor Puerto Rico’s rich culture.
The winner is the design created by Juan Gutierrez, better known as The Stencil Network.
The design embodies the spirit of Puerto Rico and features the proud jíbaro (Puerto Rican farm worker) on the tail and images of Puerto Rico’s fruits and flora on the body. On the plane’s belly is the phrase “Yo Soy Boricua” (I am Puerto Rican).
Look for this colorful plane to be flying this summer.
(Photo: Hooloomooloo, by Frank Stella at DCA Airport)
It’s Friday. Finally.
So we are digging into the inbox to share some of the messages we’ve saved about cool places we’d love to go and great things we’d love to see. As always, we give bonus points for anything cool and free.
Visit Vessel for free
The “Vessel” structure at Hudson Yards in New York City is a 16-story honeycomb-looking attraction that has 154 flights of stairs and 2,500 steps and plenty of landings where you can see catch great views of the city.
It costs $10 to visit on a specific day and time. And $15 if you choose a flexible day and time to arrive.
But if you’re a New York City resident, you can visit for free on Thursdays.
There are some hoops and strings, of course. Free ticket reservations are being released on the last Friday of every month at 9 AM for the following month. But a limited number of free, day-of tickets will also be available to reserve every Thursday.
The 2025 LAX Presents music series at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is underway,
And if you’re traveling to or through LAX between now and June, check to see if you can catch one of the cool acts offered in various locations across the domestic and international terminals.
Nebraska? Why not?
When we’re not in airports, the Stuck at the Airport team is all about quirky places and unusual museums.
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) hosted a popcorn giveaway in honor of the Super Bowl.
We wish we were there…
It's almost time for the #SuperBowl 🏈, and LAS is poppin' — poppin' free popcorn 🍿 for our guests! We hosted a popcorn giveaway sprinkled with competition — passengers chose Chiefs- or Eagles-themed bags to show who they wanted in the big game. 🏆✨ Their prediction? 🦅 pic.twitter.com/SMAgBE86Un
— Harry Reid International Airport (@LASairport) February 6, 2025
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) are among the airports celebrating the Lunar New Year.
🐍Gung Hay Fat Choy!🐍
SFO Celebrates Lunar New Year in Terminal 2 Thursday and Friday with the West Coast Lion Dance Troupe! Thursday – 3:30 – 6:30 Friday – 3:00 – 4:30#SFOCelebrates @wcliondance pic.twitter.com/XiBNVLzIFw
— San Francisco International Airport (SFO) ✈️ (@flySFO) February 6, 2025
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is marking Black History Month by celebrating an intriguing piece of its public art collection. Mark Bradford’s hard-to-miss giant sculpture, Bell Tower, is in the Tom Bradley International Terminal Departure Hall.
As part of Black History Month, we are highlighting Mark Bradford’s monumental sculpture Bell Tower, located in Tom Bradley International Terminal’s Departures Hall. Learn more at https://t.co/FWFB2H3CSf. pic.twitter.com/22WlV9CQiS
And we were delighted to add our comments to – and learn from – this article about observation decks and outdoor patios to be found at airports.
“I love the idea of being able to go outside and be a part of what’s happening on the tarmac,” said Thom Filicia in 2013.So do many travelers. In the years since, American airports have begun, if not clamoring for, actively including consideration of outdoor airside spaces in a myriad of projects.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) expects to screen more than 18 million passengers at U.S airports over the Memorial Day travel period, which stretches from May 23 to May 29, about 6.4% more than in 2023.
If you’re one of the holiday travelers, here are some fresh art and amenities to look for at airports along the way.
Art at LAX Airport
It’s been about a year since LAX finally created an airside connection between all its terminals. That means ticketed passengers don’t have to go back through security to make a connecting flight in another terminal and can access all of the airport’s shops, dining venues and art.
Among the newest art installations at LAX is “Flora (Flores amplificati), by Laura Hull.
For the installation, Hull digitally manipulated and layered photographs of plant life commonly found in Southern California to create a digital mural printed on vinyl. Look for it in the hallway that connects Terminals 1 and 2 post-security.
Find a full list of all the permanent and temporary artwork at LAX on the LAX Art Program site.
(Laura Hull, “Flora (Flores amplificati),” Courtesy Los Angeles World Airports)
Beer – and more – at Bradley International Airport (BDL)
Beercode Kitchen & Bar has opened at Bradley International Airport (BDL) near Hartford, CT just in time for the busy holiday weekend. The gastropub is open in the Gates 21-30 concourse and is the first sit-down restaurant on that concourse. It’s open by 4 am daily for breakfast and has a lineup of local craft beer and other beverages.
Creatively Remade art objects at Denver Int’l Airport
Denver International Airport’s (DEN) newest exhibition, Creatively Remade: Upcycled Art and Design, features a wide range of art, fashion and functional objects made from materials that would have otherwise been discarded.
The exhibit stretches through several areas of the airport, including Ansbacher Hall (before A-Bridge security), Concourse B East between gates B60 and B62, on level three of Concourse C, and east and west baggage claim.
Halloween happens mid-week this year and many airports around the country took the opportunity to celebrate this past week.
The Los Angeles Airport Police (LAXPD) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) hosted a Trunk-or-Treat Halloween event on Saturday (Oct 28) for the community with games, food, and decorated Halloween-theme police vehicles.
On Sunday, passengers at Denver International Airport (DEN) were treated to a parade of therapy animals from the Canine Animal Therapy Squad (CATS) all dressed up in their Halloween gear.
More Halloween events at airports near you
There will be lots of Halloween happenings at airports throughout this week as well. Here are a few to get us started. Let us know what we’re missing.
You can now walk between all LAX terminals post-security
One of the (many) irritating things about making a connection at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) has been the inability to walk between all the terminals once you are post-security.
Finally, that’s fixed.
With the opening of a post-security connector between Terminal 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) ticketed passengers as well as airline and airport employees can now access all LAX terminals once they are past security.
A post-security walk at LAX is about 2 miles from Terminal 1 to Terminal 8, but once you’re post-security you’ll not only be able to more easily make connections between airlines, but you’ll be able to access the shops, restaurants, lounges, artwork, entertainment, and other amenities in all the terminals.
Where will you walk at LAX?
New amenities pop up all the time at LAX.
And some of the newest are at the West Gates of the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
There’s a cool new LEGO store, as well as an InMotion store for electronics, a TMZ newsstand and gift shop and, soon, a See’s Candies store.
New dining venues include the first airport restaurant from celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s brand Chicken Guy! as well as Japanese noodle eatery Santouka, a Burger King, and, soon a Spanish-style tapas restaurant called Navarre.
Located on LAX property, a short drive or taxi ride from the terminals, the museum includes one of the largest airline uniform collections, as well as space exploration memorabilia, a great research library, and a wide range of commercial aviation artifacts.
Right now is an especially good time to visit because the museum has Barbiemania. In honor of the new Barbie movie, the museum is showing an exhibit of aviation-themed Barbies and Barbie accessories, including Barbie dolls inspired by famous aviators, including Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart.
Unconventional enamels at SFO Airport
The SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) oversees twenty-five sites throughout the airport terminals. So if you’ve got a long walk to your gate or a long layover at SFO, it’s a good bet something will catch your eye.
One of the newest exhibitions at SFO features the unconventional enameled art of June Schwarcz (1918–2015) on view in the Harvey Milk Terminal 1, Departures Level 2, Galley 1 E now through early May 2024.
Here’s an intro to Schwarcz’s work from the SFO Museum;
Inspired by nature and fashion, as well as abstract, African, and Asian art, Schwarcz developed unique metalworking techniques, always experimenting and embracing complex technical challenges. She initially worked with copper panels and spun-copper bowls, infusing them with her own interpretation of traditional enameling. During the 1960s, Schwarcz pioneered electroforming, an innovative method that involved electroplating pieces made from thin copper foil. Schwarcz focused on sculptural vessels and when asked about her abstract forms, she explained, “They simply don’t hold water.”
(Images of June Schwarcz’s artwork courtesy of SFO Museum and the collection of Forrest L. Merrill)
International arriving passengers moving through the West Gates tunnel in the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) pass by a series of art pieces exploring light sound, and space.
The exhibition, put together by dublab and the LAX Art Program, presents work by pioneers and innovators of one of Los Angeles’ homegrown visual art movements, the Light & Space Movement.
The Light & Space Movement, which has been called ‘California Minimalism,’ is an outgrowth of the NY Minimalist art movement and features work that uses light, color, Space Age materials, and technology.
This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are getting pretty exciting for fans of the Seattle Kraken.
The team has a surprise 2-1 lead against the Dallas Stars in a best-of-7 series and Game 4 is Tuesday night.
Alaska Airlines, the official airline of the Seattle Kraken, is joining in the fun by giving away free flights.
The number of flights they’ll give away is tied to the number on the jersey of the first player to score.
To participate in “Getaway Goals,” follow @alaskaair on social media, reply with the last name or number of the player you think will score first, and include #AlaskaAirGoals.
We’re back with Getaway Goals round 2, game 4! 🏒@SeattleKraken score, you win! The 1st player to score unlocks flights. How many? The # on his jersey! To enter, follow @alaskaair, reply w/the player’s # you think will score 1st & use #AlaskaAirGoals. 👀 Entry ends at puck drop. pic.twitter.com/u4BbEA03Ml
PUPs on Parade at Los Angeles International Airport
Pet therapy programs at airports are incredibly popular and the program at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary with a pup parade.
The LAX PUPs program, which stands for Pets Unstressing Passengers, started in 2013 and now includes more than 80 dogs and their handlers.
On Wednesday, May 10, from 11 am until 1 pm, more than a dozen LAX PUPs and their volunteer handlers will participate in a pup parade – complete with red carpet – in Terminal 1, by Gate 17/18 at LAX and then stick around for a meet-and-greet and photo ops with ticketed passengers.
Earth Hour is an annual “lights off” event that asks individuals and institutions around the globe to go dark for 60 minutes to show symbolic support for the planet and raise awareness of the environmental issues affecting it.
Sure, it sounds a bit woo-woo. But Earth Hour it’s been taking place since 2007. And the level of participation is pretty impressive.
From the pylons at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to the Space Needle in Seattle, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and Tower Bridge in London, here are some of the places around the globe that went dark for an hour in honor of Earth Hour on Saturday at 8:30 pm (local time).
Let us know if you participated in Earth Hour this year.
It's #EarthHour! The iconic #LAX pylons will remain dark for the next hour to raise awareness of climate change and highlight Los Angeles World Airports' ongoing commitment to sustainable operations. #EarthHourLAXpic.twitter.com/xulneKPbDr
We’re going dark for @earthhour tonight from 8:30PM-9:30PM, joining landmarks around the world to raise awareness about climate change. Over 190 countries and territories are participating in Earth Hour tonight to inspire collective action for our planet. #earthhourpic.twitter.com/Kd0k5z2skS
All non-essential lights in and around St. Peter's Basilica were turned off for an hour on Saturday evening as part of the Earth Hour 2023 initiative. . . .#EarthHour2023#Vaticanpic.twitter.com/u9gfG8vZeO
