Philadelphia International Airport

SEA’s Shot Bar & other great airport amenities from 2021

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We love the annual Resolution Wall hosted by Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) around this time each year.

As airport amenities go, it is charming and engaging for travelers. Much like many of the amenities on the list of Best Airport Amenities of 2021 we shared with The Points Guy site this week.

The list of Best Airport Amenities in 2021 includes:

*Wellness Wednesday at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and the free yoga mats they’ve been handing out;

*The growing trend of offering reservation times to do through the airport security checkpoint;

*Robots that deliver food ordered via airport mobile apps;

*The Visitor Toll Pass available at Orlando International Airport (MCO) to help tourists avoid getting gouged by rental car companies;

*And several more.

One other item on our list is the Shot Bar that appeared for several months at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA).

The Shot Bar was created by Seattle celebrity chef and mixologist Kathy Casey, a frequent traveler whose company operates some food and beverages outlets at SEA airport.

“With the early covid restrictions on seating, no sitting at the bar, 25% occupancy, and tables 6 ft apart, our seating at Rel’Lish Burger Lounge was very limited,” Casey told us. “Options for travelers were very limited to get a quick drink before their flight. Many folks were also nervous about their first flight in a while, so they were looking for a quick drink.”

The to-go counter at Rel’Lish wasn’t busy, “so I thought, why not provide an area that people could have a quick shot and be on their way,” says Casey. “Our tag line was: order shot – shoot shot – fly off.”

The simple idea took off. Social media loved the concept and the tiny red Solo cups. And the Shot Bar even got a mention by Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

The Shot Bar was open from early March 2021 to June 30th, And during that time Casey says about 8,000 shots were sold – far above expectations. Now there are plans are for the Shot Bar pop-up to reopen sometime this spring or summer.

The Shot Bar at SEA

Tune in to these airport podcasts

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Courtesy Library of Congress

Airport podcasts

If you like airports and podcasts, then you should probably be listening to airport podcasts.

We’re not sure we have them all, but we’re starting to put a list together. Let us know what we’re missing,

Here’s what we have so far.

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) is hosting a new podcast called the Austin Approach. They kicked it off just in time to dig into some unusual weather issues, such as snow.

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) hosts Carolina Traveler. Season one episodes highlight attractions and activities in Greenville and Spartanburg Counties, as well as GSP’s economic impact on the Upstate.

At Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), airport CEO Chellie Cameron has been sharing news about the airport in Chellie’s Podcasts.

The podcast from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is called The Fly Angle. Episodes so far have covered how the airport attracts new air service, shopping at the airport, aircraft noise, and where to find great craft beer at the airport.

Happy Valentine’s Day

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Charles Lindbergh-themed Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day

We hope your day is filled with flights of fancy. And, of course, chocolate and flowers.

Sadly, this is the first Valentine’s Day in 10 years that Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) won’t have its ambassadors out in the terminal giving carnations to traveling lovebirds.

“Our ambassador program is currently suspended but we hope to get them back soon.  There is hope for Mother’s Day,” says airport spokesman Bryan Long.

Jacksonville Airport

And this year concerns about COVID-19 meant there was no marriage license pop-up desk at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.

The culprit? COVID-19.

But many airports did celebrate Valentine’s Day in their own way.

https://twitter.com/PHLAirport/status/1360212538760249345?s=20

If we missed your airport, let us know and we’ll add them to the list.

Cool collections on display at PHL Airport

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Do you collect anything? (Or a lot of things?)

Here at the Seattle headquarters of Stuck at the Airport, we share space with Space Needle souvenirs, cowgirl memorabilia, and other collections. (Not counting that pile of unread New Yorker magazines).

So we’re delighted to see the Philadelphia International Airport’s (PHL) exhibition program kicking off the new year with a fun show titled “Private Collections: Personal Obsessions.”

On view in Terminal D, the exhibition is a festival of collections on loan from Philadelphia-area residents, including a few people who work at PHL.

The cases include a sampling of collections dedicated to architectural salvage, brooches, cable cars, beer bottles, hearts, masks, magnets, mail art, wind-up toys, and lots more.

“Most [of the collections] have been gathered primarily as a hobby for the collector’s own enjoyment or handed down from one family member to another,” says Leah Douglas, PHL Director of Guest Experience and Chief Curator.

“While the activity of collecting is a universal experience, each collection is personal and unique as each object often represents a specific remembrance or story,” she adds.

The beer bottles on display are courtesy of David Rosenblum, PHL’s photographer/videographer, whose late father collected more than 4000 bottles. “His most prized bottles were always the older bottles from Philadelphia-area brewers,” says Rosenblum.

The refrigerator magnets in the exhibit are on loan from the collection of PHL’s public affairs manager, Heather Redfern.

“[M]agnets are inexpensive trinkets that tell the story of where I have traveled, favorite trips, and great experiences I have had along the way,” says Redfern. “I am reminded of where I have been and where I would still like to go every time I walk past the refrigerator.”

Do you have a collection you have put together from your travels? We’d love to hear about it and see some snaps.

All photos courtesy of PHL Airport and David Rosenblum.

Stuck at the Airport: PHL +PIT, & some scary galaxies

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At PHL: Grab and At Your Gate now partners

It is officially called an ‘integrated food service.’ And it is part of the growing trend of digital food delivery in airports.

But we say it is a ‘this makes perfect sense’ amenity that is one part convenience and two parts sign of the social distance times.

Grab, the e-commerce platform for pre-ordering meals for pick-up from airport food outlets is partnering with AtYourGate, the in-airport food delivery service.

The service rolls out at other airports soon, but the first airport to offer it is Philadephia International Airport (PHL).

Here’s how it works:

Passengers can order food through the Grab app, a special section of the PHL website, or scan Grab QR codes in the terminals. Merchants are searchable by food type and terminal. And orders can be delivered to wherever you are in the terminal.

Convenient, right?

Participating restaurants at PHL include Auntie Anne’s, Bar Symon, Bud & Marilyn’s, California Pizza Kitchen, Chickie’s & Pete’s, Dunkin’, Gachi, Geno’s Steaks, Jack Duggan’s, Jamba, Piattino Pizza, Smashburger, and Vino Volo. 

More merchants will be added soon.

There is a small charge for delivery. But first-time users can use the promo code ‘RUSH’ to save 20% – up to $5 – off their first order.

Roving robots at PIT cuter than ever

In May 2020, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) introduced its team of autonomous cleaning robots with ultraviolet (UV) light technology.

Since then, other U.S. airports have rolled out cleaning robots. But PIT was the first.

Now PIT is making the hard-working robots even more endearing by giving them eyes.

The robots also have names:

Amelia is named for Amelia Earhart, the famed pilot and female aviation trailblazer.

Orville and Wilbur are named after the Wright brothers.

And the fourth PIT robot is named Rosa. She’s named after Rosa Mae Willis Alford, the sole female mechanic to work on the planes of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

Travel to a scary galaxy

In the spirit of the Halloween season and the scary, bizarro times, we’re printing out frameable copies of these science-inspired Galaxy of Horrors “travel” posters from NASA’s Exoplanet Travel Bureau.  

The posters look like vintage horror movie advertisements, but they are really out of this world.

Gamma -Ray-Ghouls features a “dead” galaxy. Galactic Graveyard is inspired by an explosive gamma-ray burst caused by colliding stellar corpses. And the third, Dark Matter, is a voyage to the unknown via ever-elusive dark matter.

Bonus: the posters are also available in Spanish: Cementerio Galáctico, Materia Oscura, and Demonions de Rayos Gamma.

The posters are free to download and are produced by NASA’s Exoplanet Exploration Program Office, which is located at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

Stuck at the Airport is marking Mask Monday

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Wearing a face mask – and having an assortment of masks to choose from is now the new normal.

And Stuck at The Airport is gathering examples of what airports are doing to put their mark on their masks and their efforts to remind travelers to wear their masks.

To kick off the ‘collection,’ we have these nice reminders:

At Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), the iconic Rocky Balboa statue is enlisted to help remind passengers to mask up.

And we see that Dulles International Airport (IAD) recently sent out this tweet to help travelers remember what days they are required to wear a mask at the airport.

Spoiler: that would be everyday.

Now we’re looking for examples of branded masks from airports. Let us know if you have one to show off – or to share.

More way to celebrate books at airports

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More airport book options

We celebrated National Book Lovers Day over the weekend with mention of some airport book stores we love and will miss.

We’re not done celebrating the creative ways airports help travelers find books.

In Houston, there are Little Libraries, the kind you may see around your neighborhood, filled with free books at both William P. Hobby Airport (HOU) and at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).

At IAH, you’ll find Little Libraries in Terminal A, near Gate A3 and in Terminal D, near Gate D9. In HOU, find the Little Libraries near Gates 44, 4 and 23.

You’ll also find a fun Little Library-style book swap at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

PHL’s book exchange box and the seating area in Terminal A are made of reclaimed wooden pallets. The books are “take one, leave one” and come from passengers and from airlines that donate books left onboard airplanes.

Do you have a favorite airport bookstore or book exchange? Share you tips in the comments section below.

PHL: 5 Things We Love About Philadelphia International Airport

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Our 5 Things We Love About series of airport guides celebrating some of the features and amenities at airports around the country and the world is growing longer.

And today we add another airport to the list: Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

PHL, just seven miles from downtown Philadelphia, first opened in 1940. Back then it was known then as Philadelphia Municipal Airport. Today PHL serves more than 32 million passengers a year with 25 airlines making 500 departures to more than 140 destinations worldwide.

Keep in mind that some of the amenities featured here may be temporarily unavailable due to health concerns. We are confident they will come back.

5 Things We Love About Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)

1. Art and exhibitions at PHL

PHL’s award-winning art and exhibitions program is celebrating its 22nd year and you’ll find art at just about every turn.

We love the wall filled with posters of movies made in Philadelphia, such as Rocky (and the sequels), starring Sylvester Stallone; Dressed to Kill, with Michael Caine and Angie Dickinson, Blow Out, with John Travolta; Trading Places, Witness and more.

And we really love the temporary exhibitions PHL hosts as well as the permanent artwork, such as King Saladeen’s “Create Your Gold” (between Terminals C and D).


2.  PHL ARTPORT LOUNGE


The ARTport Lounge in Terminal F is a colorful place for passengers to relax while waiting for a flight. The area features the artwork of Kyle Confehr, Martha Rich, Alloyius Mcilwaine and Lauren Cat West. There’s a popular sticker wall here as well as cornhole game boards.

3. PHL WAGGING TAILS BRIGADE


PHL’s Wagging Tails Brigade of therapy dogs launched in April 2019. The program includes 12 teams of volunteer dogs and handlers who walk the terminals to interact with passengers and reduce stress.

Each dog has its own trading card as well.

4. The PHL Book Exchange

Everything in PHL’s book exchange and seating area in Terminal A is recycled. The book exchange and seats are made of reclaimed wooden pallets, the plants are in recycled aluminum cans and water bottles, and the backdrop tiles are made from broken skateboard decks.

The books are “take one, leave one” and come from passengers and from the airlines, which donate books left onboard airplanes.

5.  THE PHL POP-UP THEATER


The pop-up theater in Baggage Claim B showcases media/video by Philadelphia area youth who participate in various nonprofit programs.

Right now the features “Symphony for a Broken Orchestra,” an exhibition with broken musical instruments from the School District of Philadelphia, emphasizing the importance of music education in schools.

Broken Orchestra from Topic on Vimeo.

Did we miss an amenity you love at PHL airport? The rocking chairs? Perhaps the fact that you can order a cheesesteak in any terminal? The Philadelphia Zoo at PHL program? Or the on-property Marriott hotel connected via a skywalk to Terminal B?

Let us know in the comments section below. Which airport should we visit next?



Airports: “We’re open”

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Restaurants, shops, bars, schools and offices in many communities are closed.

But airports? For now, they’re open.

Although activities in and around the terminals are different, with far fewer passengers and flights than normal.

Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) has opened its garages to free parking. And posting a list of which dining, shopping and service locations are open.

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) has shifted its dining options to take-out and in-terminal delivery service from At Your Gate.

At San Francisco International Airport (SFO), all restaurants are open for now, but many with reduced hours. Bars are closed. And, as with restaurants in many cities, service is take-out only.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is sharing a list of which restaurants remain open for grab-n-go food options.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) have closed the North and South terminal checkpoints.

Here are recent messages from other airports.

As with everything else in the world right now, situations are changing. So if you’re headed to an airport, check ahead.

And, on Wednesday morning, not long after an earthquake was reported near Salt Lake City, the airport tweeted this:

At the Airport: Summer camp at PHL Airport

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It may seem as if Philadelphia International Airport has a summer camp.

The Just Plane Fun program at PHL is the airport’s summer-long entertainment program that includes live performances, beauty care demonstrations, educational and informational displays, artist demonstrations, interactive arts and crafts activities for kids and adult, historical impersonators, caricaturists, food sampling and more.

Here’s some of what’s on the menu this week:

Today, July 23, there will be free tastings at Legal Sea Foods in the B/C connector from 11 am to noon.

Tomorow, July 24, you can pick up a free food samples at Noobar in Concourse B from noon to 2 p.m.

On July 25, there will be a story-time and coloring at the airport library in the D/E Connector from noon to 1 p.m. The library is also home to a fun, free short dispenser as well.

PHL short story dispenser
Courtesy PHL Airport

Later that afternoon, from 1 to 3 p.m. there will be complimentary summer drink samples at Chickie’s & Pete’s on Concourse E and Gatorade Zero sampling at the B/C connector stage from 4 to 6 p.m.

Not heading through PHL this week? Don’t worry. There are fresh ‘summer camp’ activities popping up each week. Many are listed ahead of time in the “Happenings” section of the PHL SHOP DINE page but many activities just pop up.