McCarran International Airport

Travel Tidbits from an airport near you

Airport shops, Shopping, , , , ,

Earlier this week, we told you about a new Prince-themed store that opened recently at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Here are some more new shops to look for at the airports in Sacaremento and Las Vegas.

The folks at SouveNEAR, who place vending machines filled with work made by local artists at airports, are expanding their network.

Created to be “an indie craft fair in a box,” SouveNEAR fills these vending machines with an eclectic collection of art prints and originals, T-shirts and apparel, handmade jewelry, gourmet food items and other travel-sized mementos. Prices range from $5.00-$50.00. 

Right now they’ve got their art-filled machines in multiple locations at Kansas City International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, Oakland International Airport and Cincinatti-Northern Kentucky International Airport.

In September you’ll be able to shop for local art from SouveNEAR machines in Sacramento International Airport (SMF) an in Las Vegas at McCarran International Airport (LAS).

Sacramento International Airport also has a new shop called The Well in Terminal A selling locally-sourced gifts in a “hydration-focused” environment.

In addition to selling gifts and gourmet foods from Northern Califorinia, the shop has a self-serve water bar and stocks a variety of reusable drinking bottles.

Souvenir evidence of aliens at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas

Souvenirs, , ,

Here at Stuck at The Airport, we’re big fans of the fun, locally-themed souvenirs that are for sale in many airport souvenir shops.

We know there are alot of people who collect shot glass or key chains as a souvenir from the places they visit. But we’re especially fond of the bit more creative, locally-themed chocolate candy “poop” that is for sale in these shops.

We know these items are great gift items and big sellers, but we suspect a lot of these candy food gifts never get eaten.

(Although in my house, they’d be categorized as ’emergency’ food..)

Examples in our ‘souvenir poop’ collection include everything from Big Foot Poop found at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport to the Koala Poo spotted in at the airport in Sydney, Australia.

Now we have one more packet to add to the collection.

At McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas this week, we found some Alien Poop mints in the Area 51 section of a souvenir shop.

Silly? Yes, of course. But when you are Stuck at the Airport, entertainment comes in many forms.

Please be on the lookout for fun, inexpensive, locally-themed souvenirs in airport gift shops and send us a photo. If your snap is featured here during Souvenir Sunday, we’ll send you a fun travel-themed souvenir.

At airports: cupcake vending + free Spring Training care kit

Fun Stuff, , , , ,

Here at Stuck at The Airport we love two things: cool treats that come out of airport vending machines (looking at you SouveNEAR and Farmer’s Fridge) and free stuff handed out in the terminals.

Today we have both:

For cupcake fans and those in need of something sweet at any hour of the day or night in the airport, Las Vegas, McCarran International has a Sprinkles vending machine that dispenses cupcakes 24 hours a day.

And, through March 31, passengers traveling through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on their way to Spring Training baseball games can pick up a free care pack filled with sunscreen, lip balm, sunflower seeds and other items that might be useful to have on hand during a baseball game.

The free AZ Care Packs are being offered at the US CareWays Airport Urgent Care center inside Drugs & More (Terminal 4/Pre-Security, near the C gates) to anyone showing an electronic or printed Spring Training ticket.

Inside the kit you’ll find sunscreen, lip balm, tissues, bug repellant, sunflower seeds, Big League Chew gum and a luggage tag.  

And for those who treat Spring Training season like Spring Break from college, the urgent care center is also offering discounts for passengers heading to or from Spring Training on services such as an IV Nutrient “Cocktail” Infusion with an immunity boost to prevent maladies such as dehydration, headaches and illness.

Drink up: liquor store opens in baggage claim at Las Vegas airport

Free Stuff, Gambling, , ,

Smoking lounges, children’s play areas, an aviation museum and 1600 slot machines are among the popular passenger amenities at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.

This week there’s a brand new amenity for arriving passengers who are ready to party: a liquor store in the baggage claim area in Terminal 1.

Called the Liquor Library, the store is the first packaged liquor store located within the baggage claim area of any airport in the country.

On the shelves: beer, wine, spirits, cigars, cigarettes, small packaged snacks, mixers, travel cups and glasses. The store also stocks wine and beer openers, wine and beer insulated bags and ice.

According to Liquor Library spokeswoman Diane Boyle, there will be product tasting most days of week and, to go with the library-inspired decor of dark hardwood floors and shelves reached by library ladders, there are “librarians” on duty who wear “charcoal grey pencil skirts, white button down shirts, black stockings, and very cute spectacles” while working on the sales floor.

Another big moving day for the Las Vegas airport

Events, ,

At the end of June, 15 international carriers at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas began operating out of the E Gates at the swanky new Terminal 3.

Now that the dust has (hopefully) settled from that switchover, it’s time to move operations for many of the domestic carriers over to Terminal 3 as well.

Ready? Next Tuesday, July 31, five airlines – Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier, Sun Country and Virgin America – will switch over to Terminal 3. Next month – on August 22nd – bag claim and ticketing for Hawaiian and United Airlines will move over to Terminal 3, although those two airlines will still use the D gates for flights.

Confused? Check McCarran International Airport’s snazzy, updated website