The all-access Club at MSY should open early next year and a United Airlines club lounge is promised in 2020.
Stuck at The Airport stopped into the Delta Sky Club during an opening day tour of the airport. We are delighted to report that in addition to all the features you’d expect in a lounge (comfortable seating and lots of outlets) the 2nd-floor lounge definitely celebrates the New Orleans vibe and culture.
The menu includes regionally inspired snack and meals, including oysters, gumbo and muffuletta sandwiches. Of course, the bar menu includes local beers and cocktails.
And all the artwork is by Louisiana artists.
Delta was kind enough to share images of the artwork. Here are a few more of our favorites.
By Skylar Fein Artwork by Kelly Mcgee Artwork by Kelly McgeeArtwork by Masy Chighizola
Stay tuned for more details about the amenities at the new terminal at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY). Next up: all the food!
The occasion: a celebration and a last goodbye to the old terminal in anticipation of the opening of a brand new terminal Wednesday morning, November 6.
The old terminal, with its low ceilings, worn seating areas and multiple ticketing lobbies for different airlines, was closing down as the parade marched by.
The last flights of the night were boarding and the Lucky Dogs stands were wrapping up business.
During the day on Tuesday, workers hurried to put finishing touches on restaurants and concessions.
There were speeches and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
And, of course, cake.
The new Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport terminal is a beauty.
There are 3 concourses, a central security checkpoint, stages for live music, a Delta Sky Club with views of the airfield activities and oodles of restaurants and shops that represent the charm of the city.
Here are some snaps from a pre-opening tour.
Entrance to the Delta Sky Club
Stuck at the Airport will be on hand for the first flight out of the new terminal at 5:00 AM on Nov 6, so stay tuned for more snaps and stories.
Starting with an early morning flight at around 4 a.m., all 16 commercial airlines at MSY will operate from the new terminal. The old terminal will be close to the public tonight.
StuckatTheAirport is in town for the switchover. We will share snaps of closing and opening ceremonies. We’ll also check out all the fresh amenities in the new terminal.
In addition to some great, locally-themed shops and restaurants, the new terminal promises power chargers at 50% of the gate area seats, water bottle refill stations, the three Mothers Rooms and music venues. The “fully automated” restrooms promise “sanitary seat covers.”
That’s tomorrow.
Today we’re sharing some snaps of the old terminal gathered on our way in. In case you’ll miss is.
We’re hoping this mural of New Orleans Jazz musicians makes a return.
You’ve likely seen or heard about the therapy animals that visit airports around the country to help de-stress travelers.
Most airports have dogs, but San Franciso International Airport’s team includes a pig, Denver International Airport’s team boasts a cat and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport regularly hosts minature horses.
What’s next?
How about alligators?
On Fridays at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport the Audubon Nature Institute brings live alligators to the baggage claim area and encourages passengers to pose for an “MSY Gator Selfie.”
Brave travelers can also touch the baby gators, which are one to three years old and up to three feet long, according to an airport spokeswoman.
MSY airport does have a dog therapy team – the MSY K-9 Krewe (a nod to the krewes, or groups, that organize parades and balls in New Orleans) – but alligator visits and gator selfies are another way the airport is working to enhance the passenger experience.
There’s a petition out there to change the name of Pittsburgh International Airport to Fred Rogers International Airport.
Where would you weigh in?
Fred Rogers grew up near Pittsburgh and for 33 years episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the beloved children’s television show he and his red sweater starred in, were produced at Pittsburgh’s public TV station, WQED.
A special gallery at Pittsburgh’s Heinz History Center displays artifacts from the show, including Rogers’ iconic sweater, necktie, khakis, sneakers and the living room set he entered at the beginning of each show. There’s also a recently refreshed exhibit dedicated to Rogers on Concourse C at Pittsburgh International Airport.
But that isn’t enough for Ian Miller, a Pittsburgh citizen who last week started a change.org petition asking that the name of Pittsburgh International Airport be changed to Fred Rogers International Airport.
“Fred Rogers, a television pioneer and children’s entertainer, shared Pittsburgh’s sense of community with the world through his PBS show,” Miller writes in his petition, “Pittsburgh is still an active transit hub and, for many people, our airport will be their first experience in Pittsburgh. We wish to welcome everybody to our neighborhood.”
The petition has over 11,000 signatures so far.
And while Allegheny County Airport Authority, which manages Pittsburgh International, appreciates Miller’s enthusiasm and agrees “Fred Rogers occupies a special place in the hearts of Pittsburghers and people around the world,” said airport spokesman Bob Kerlik, it seems unlikely the airport’s name will be changed.
“In 2016, we completed a rebranding of the airport to better match the ongoing renaissance of the Pittsburgh region,” said Kerlik, “And at this time our focus is on continuing to advance ‘Pittsburgh International Airport’ as a global aviation leader.”
Naming – or renaming – an airport after a celebrity with a local connection isn’t unheard of in the United States.
And while it has recently been rebranded as Hollywood Burbank Airport, the official name of the airfield about 12 miles north of downtown Los Angeles is still legally Bob Hope Airport.
