Miami International Airport

Travel Tidbits from here and there

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We’re all for finding the odd in the world. So we’re pleased to see United Airlines adding a new “America, Who Knew?” filter to its Map Search program. Some of the tidbits you can learn from the map:

  • Zzyzx: Pronounced “Zye-Zacks” is a scenic desert oasis in the Mojave National Preserve with self-guided trails
  • Whynot: Situated on Highway 75, or the North Carolina Pottery Highway, this town is world-renowned for its ceramics. The town’s name comes from a debate with settlers where a frustrated farmer said, ‘Why not name it ‘Why Not’ and then we can go home?”
  • Devil’s Kettle: Minnesota’s Devil’s Kettle Falls has one side that tumbles down a two-step stone embankment and continues on like a normal waterfall. The other side vanishes into a deep hole and disappears — apparently forever.
  • Mooselookmeguntic Lake: Tied for being the longest place name in the United States with 17 letters. This Maine lake is framed by mountains and has great deep water trout and salmon fishing.

Save the earth? Alaska Airlines offering water in boxes

To reduce plastic waste on airplanes, Alaska Airlines is replacing e single-use plastic bottles with Boxed Water’s 92% plant-based cartons. This will help remove 7.2 million plastic bottles a year, the equivalent of approximately 98,000 lbs of plastic.

Boxed Water is already served on Alaska’s Horizon Air-operated flights and is expanding to all Alaska flights throughout the summer, beginning this week with First Class.

The airline is also resuming its program of recycling cans, bottles, and water bottles starting May 19. The program has been on hold for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline’s employees first started a recycling program more than 15 years ago.

MIA Airport rolls out wheelchair charging stations

Just in time for Mobility Awareness Month, Miami International Airport (MIA) is celebrating the installation of 10 new wheelchair charging stations. If you use a wheelchair or travel with someone who does, you will be pleased to know there are now 10 charging spots at MIA: eight post-security and two pre-security. 

Starting May 10, MIA will also have an on-site COVID-19 vaccination site that will be accessible to travelers who live and work in Florida, as well as to airport employees and family and friends of airport employees.

Your Valentine’s Day Flowers may be at MIA airport right now

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Giving – or hoping to get – Valentine’s Day flowers this year?

If so, it’s a good bet those Valentine’s Day flowers are making their way to the USA via Miami International Airport (MIA).

Around this time of year, MIA reminds us that 89 percent of all U.S. flower imports that arrive by air come through the Miami hub.

In 2019, that represented 240,162 tons of flowers valued at $1.1 billion.

In 2020, the peak season from January 1 to February 15 alone brought 1.1 billion stems through MIA. And, despite the pandemic, MIA expects a similar number of flowers to make their way here this year.  

The flowers don’t just land and head off to florists. The agricultural specialist at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspect the flowers on arrival for pests.

Here are some more photos MIA shared of those specialists at work.

                    

Timely Travel Tibits from airports near you

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Easier ordering + pickup for airport food

The newest trend at airports right now seems to be expanding the options for mobile food ordering, no-contact pickup and food delivery to the gate.

We recently wrote about some of the latest efforts in airport food delivery for APEX, when Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) rolled out its LAX Order Now program.

Now Miami International Airport (MIA) has a new program called MIA2 Go.

The contactless mobile platform lets travelers browse menus, order, and pay for their meals before picking up the order.

The program is put together by MIA, concessionaire Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield Airports (URW) and Grab, and is available on MIA’s mobile-friendly website or mobile app. Food venues are searchable by food type and airport terminal. And orders are scheduled for pick-up at pre-set times, so customers don’t have to wait in line.

At Denver International Airport (DEN), the new Eats Delivered program works with At Your Gate. From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, passengers can order meals from seven participating restaurants (so far) and have the meals delivered to them anywhere in the terminal, including baggage claim.

More COVID-19 Testing sites at airports

More and more airports are offering on-site COVID-19 testing options.

One of the latest to do so is Bradley International Airport (BDL), near Hartford, CT.

And this week American Airlines, British Airways, and oneworld announced the launch of an optional coronavirus (COVID-19) testing trial on select flights from U.S. cities to London Heathrow (LHR).

The tests will be free. They’ll be available to customers on American Airlines Flight AA50 from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to LHR; on British Airways Flight BA114 departing New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to LHR; on BA Flight BA268 from Los Angeles (LAX) to LHR.

This part of the program starts on November 25.

The testing includes:

  • An initial at-home test to be taken 72 hours before departure from the US
  • A second test upon arrival at LHR
  • A third test to be taken three days after arrival in the UK

The testing program will then be expanded to American Airlines Flight AA106 from JFK to LHR, on a date yet to be announced.

TSA Talks Turkey. And pie.

And in case you are flying somewhere this Thanksgiving holiday, keep in mind that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has a list of foods you may and may not bring as carry-on.

The “yes you may” list includes baked goods, meats (frozen, cooked, or uncooked), stuffing, casseroles, Mac ‘n Cheese, fresh vegetables and fruit, candy, and spices.

The “pack in carry-on” or “have someone else bring it” list includes dishes such as cranberry sauce, gravy, wine, canned fruit or vegetables (the cans have liquid), jams and jellies, and maple syrup.

New art at Miami and Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Airports

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Courtesy MIA Airport

Do not lick the art at MIA

A colorful new installation that looks like swirls of frosting is now on view near Gate D31 at Miami International Airport (MIA).

“Touch from Above,” by Miami artist Gianna D, is made up of 11 thickly layered, labor-intensive, abstract paintings. Each of these paintings is filled with vibrant swirls of color.

The swirls look like dollops of ‘frosting,’ and the artist says each dollop represents an act of kindness.

Giant sculpture in progress at MSP

Courtesy MSP Airport

The Aurora is a two-story interactive artwork by Jen Lewin in progress at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

The project reached a milestone last week with the installation of the 29-foot-high, 740-pound glass and metal part of the sculpture.

Courtesy MSP Airport

The twisting, aerial wave has more than 23,000 aluminum rings and it is now suspended through an oval opening between the ticketing and baggage claim levels in Terminal 1.

The next step is for the artist Jen Lewin to add 2,600 hand-blown glass bulbs, each with a set of LEDs within.

Courtesy Jen Lewin Studio

The 8000 LEDs will be then be programmed to use live weather data to alter the sculpture’s color palettes to reflect Minnesota’s seasons and weather conditions.

Courtesy Jen Lewin Studio

Below the Aurora, embedded in the floor on the baggage claim level, there will be another part of the sculpture. This will be an interactive cluster of reflective glass platforms representing area lakes.

When people walk, dance, or move on the interactive “lakes,” they will influence the light show in the sculpture above.

Look for the completed Aurora in early 2021.

Courtesy MSP Airport

Something is fishy at Miami International Airport (MIA)

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Health concerns due to the pandemic may be keeping stress-busting therapy dogs out of most airports right now.

So Miami International Airport (MIA) is helping travelers relax with videos of fish.

Through September, Coral City Camera @MIA is offering travelers a virtual dive into the urban reefs in Miami-Dade County.

The airport has partnered with Coral Morphologic, whose Coral City Camera (CCC) streams live from the east end of PortMiami. 

A selection of the camera’s very best views was chosen for the videos showing near Gate J7 at MIA.

Those not flying out of MIA any time soon can tune in to the very popular live Coral City Camera feed anytime to see what’s swimming by.