Nashville International Airport

Greetings from Nashville Intl Airport (BNA)

Airports,

The Stuck at the Airport team spent the weekend exploring Nashville International Airport (BNA) and testing out the airport’s brand new BNA PASSport gate pass program from our base at the new Hilton BNA Nashville Airport Terminal.

The hotel is on the plaza between the terminal and the covered parking garage. Just outside the hotel is an aviation-themed playground, a large fenced area for dogs, chair swings and other spaces to hang out before or after a flight.

Our corner room was super comfy and quiet. And it provided a great perch to watch airplanes coming and going from the gates.

The hotel has a lovely restaurant and a lobby bar that features occasional live music. On the 9th floor, there’s a well-equipped fitness center with views of downtown and the airport. And, on the 10th floor, the hotel’s best feature: the BNA Sky Pavilion. The rooftop has a pool, a fire pit, indoor and outdoor seating, a bar and great views of the runways, the downtown skyline and the surrounding area. While we were there, we even spotted fireworks off in the distance.

The BNA PASSport program

BNA debuted its guest pass program, called BNA PASSport, on July 1 and is issuing 75 visitor passes a day to non-ticketed passengers.

We used our pass on Friday evening to explore the airport’s restaurants, bars and shops.

We had dinner and stopped to listen to live music on at least four stages in various airport restaurants and bars. The airport’s ‘drinks to go’ policy meant we could easily mosey with our cocktails from one stage to the next. And the fact that bottles of really great Tennessee whiskey are sold in seemingly every airport gift shop made us a wee bit sorry we were traveling with only carry-on luggage.

Stay tuned for the story of the surprise in-store event some passengers were treated to during our BNA visit.

Visit this airport, & others, without a plane ticket

Airports,

This month Nashville International Airport (BNA) joins the list of airports with a guest pass program.

The BNA Passport guest pass program allows a non-ticketed guest to go through the TSA security checkpoint like a ticketed passenger into the secure side of the airport.

No more than 75 visitor passes a day are being issued. But those who do get them can greet an arriving passenger at the gate, hang with a friend or family member until they need to board their plane or take the opportunity to explore the art, shops, and dining at the airport without lugging around a carry-on bag or worrying about catching a flight.

The Stuck at the Airport team has already applied for a pass and will be touring the airport on Friday. So stay tuned for our report.

In the meantime, here is a list of other airports with guest pass programs. Each program has its own rules, but for BNA’s guest pass program and those below, you’ll need to fill out an online form and give some personal information, usually name, birthdate and gender.

If the TSA clears you, you’ll get instructions for getting through the checkpoint without a ticket to fly.

Airports with Guest Pass Programs

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA): SEA Visitor Pass Program

The MSY Guest Pass Program at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY),

Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW): DTW Destination Pass

Capital Region International Airport (LAN) in Lansing, MI: the LAN Visitor Pass,

Flint Bishop Airport (FNT) in Flint, Michigan: FNT Visitor Pass program

OC Air Pass at John Wayne Airport (SNA) in Orange County, CA,

ONT+ Visitor Pass Program at California’s Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP): PSP Stay and Play Pass

Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) in Pasco, WA offers the PSC Pass

Philadelphia International Aiport offers the PHL Wingmate Pass

Tulsa International Airport (TUL): TUL Visitor Pass Program

Orlando International Airport (MCO): Experience MCO Visitor Pass

Did we miss any? Let us know.

Fresh art + lots of music at Nashville Int’l Airport

Art, ,

Not for nothing is Nashville, Tennessee known as Music City.

And the tunes start right at Nashville International Airport (BNA). There, live performances featuring all manner of musical styles, from traditional and contemporary country to rhythm and blues, jazz, pop, gospel, and bluegrass are presented on stages located near the A/B Waiting Lounge, the C/D Waiting Lounge, and in the Concourse C Food Court (beyond security).

If you’re headed that way, check out the BNA events calendar filled with live performances. And be sure to take a moment to listen up when you land.

(Photo above: Singer-songwriter Joe West, dubbed the “house band” for Nashville International Airport)

Fresh Art at Nashville International Airport

(Artist: DeShawn Lewis)

While you’re at Nashville International Airport, look for the art as well.

The Spring/Summer installment of the Flying Solo series at Nashville International Airport is on view through June 23, 2024, showcasing the works of talented Nashville artists including Daniel Arite, Sarah Clinton, Joel Keas, DaShawn Lewis, Josh MacLeod, Vanessa Sharp Multon, Tammy O’Connor, and Mary Ruden.

Here’s a preview of what you’ll see:

(Artist: Joel Keas)

(Artist Daniel Arite)

(Artist: Sara Clinton)

(Artist: Joshua MacLeod)

Airports celebrate mittens, Peeps, new terminals, and the Super Bowl match-up

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We spent the weekend gathering up as many social media postings we could find that featured airport-themed images of Bernie Sanders and his mittens.

If you missed that, or want to see what we can up with, find the Stuck at the Airport #BernieMittens meme archive here.

You may have also missed our Airport Amenity of the Week. Some weeks we have a lot of airport amenities in the running. Last week, this table full of free Peeps at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE) in Allentown, PA was hands down the winner.

If you have a cool new airport amenity to nominate during this week, let us know.

We were also heartened to see some airports posting previews of future terminals. Thank-you Portland International Airport (PDX) and Nashville International Airport (BNA) for giving us some new spaces to look forward to.

And Tampa International Airport (TPA) and Kansas City International Airport (KCI) are very excited about the teams that will be playing in the Super Bowl this year.

Travel Tidbits from an airport near you

Art, History, , , ,


Wouldn’t it be nice right now to be making your way to an airport and getting ready to visit a new city or an old favorite?

That time will come. For now, here are some tidbits from airports around the country.

Pay respects to civil rights icon John Lewis at ATL Airport

In April 2019, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) unveiled an exhibit in the domestic atrium titled “John Lewis – Good Trouble” to honor the longtime U.S. Congressman and civil rights icon.

Lewis died late last week, on July 17, and the exhibit has turned into a memorial tribute where travelers can stop and pay respects.

New Concourse E extension at PDX Airport

Courtesy Port of Portland

We shared the news last week about the opening of the new Concourse E extension at Portland International Airport (PDX).

Here’s a bit more about the project.

The extension brings the first new gates to PDX in more nearly 20 years and offers views of Mt. Hood and the Columbia Rivier.

The new concourse extension also features two aerial sculptures by Jacob Hashimoto featuring 11,000 paper kits and 450 different graphics representing Portland’s river, bridges, and neighborhoods.

Hashimoto’s PDX artwork may be familiar to travelers. He also has his work displayed at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), in the lobby of SFO Grand Hyatt.

A new concourse at Nashville International Airport too

Portland isn’t the airport that cut the ribbon on a new concourse last week.

On Friday, July 17, the first Southwest Airlines flight took off from Nashville International Airport’s (BNA) new $292 million Concourse D.