SFO Museum presents an exhibit about art from pineapple leaves
At SFO: From Pineapple to Piña: A Philippine Textile Treasure
The newest exhibit from the SFO Museum at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is about textiles made from pineapple leaves.
“Unique to the Philippines, piña is an extraordinary textile made by weaving the fibers of the leaves of the pineapple plant. This light, airy fabric was perfectly suitable to the tropical climate. The textile enjoyed a golden age during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, particularly on the island of Panay, where it was made into shirts, women’s blouses, shoulder scarfs, handkerchiefs, and table linens.“
A new exhibition at Albany International Airport (ALB)
Albany International Airport (ALB) will open a new Gallery exhibition on May 7. The Life Around Us, features recent paintings by Ashley Norwood Cooper and Heidi Johnson, as well as a new site-specific installation, Stream by Laura Moriarty.
Iced Coffee With Friends – by Heidi Johnson
Route pins from PHL Airport
And Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) recently handed out pins created by local artists to celebrate the return of several transatlantic flights. Great idea!
#PHLAirport celebrated the return of several transatlantic routes– some for the first time in two years– with special destination pins created by local artists . Pins were presented to passengers and crews prior to takeoff. More: https://t.co/fAIABhiG4jpic.twitter.com/fPVl993ZwO
A flamingo sculpture by Matthew Mazzotta depicting a flamingo gently dipping its head beneath the surface of the water is being installed in the center of rhe main terminal at Tampa International Airport. (TPA).
Don’t worry – you can’t miss it. The sculpure is pink, 21-feet tall, and its giant head, neck, beak, and legs are already in place near The Shoppes at Bayshore. The sculpture is expected to be completed over the next few weeks.
LAX, other airports turn off light for Earth Hour
Saturday, March 25, cities, attractions, hotels, and airports around the country marked Earth Hour by turning off non-essential electric lights, for one hour.
The #LAX pylons will be lit green before going dark, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. in unison with lights at other city-owned buildings and famed structures across Los Angeles and around the world in observance of #EarthHour#EarthHourLAXpic.twitter.com/Ue5wL3LDV7
It's #EarthHour! The iconic #LAX pylons will remain dark for the next hour to raise awareness of climate change and highlight Los Angeles World Airports' ongoing commitment to sustainable operations. #EarthHourLAXpic.twitter.com/rFKGfxW9rz
PHL Airport is celebrating the restart of international flights to several destinations this week by handing out collectible pins to mark the day.
We’re trying to figure out how to book those flights so we can nab some pins…
We’re celebrating the restart of service to several international destinations this week at #PHLairport with these beautiful pins. Passengers and flight crews on these flights will receive the pins to mark the day. Thank you to the #PHLAirportArt artists who contributed pin art! pic.twitter.com/uaQIp2k4Wc
The food festival team at Stuck at The Airport perks up when airports organize events around food.
So we’re looking forward to Philadelphia International Airport‘s (PHL) week-long celebration of National Cheesesteak Day (March 24) from March 21 to March 25.
The cheesesteak party menu includes special events and freebies. There will also be cheesesteaks and cheesesteak-inspired items at more than a dozen airport eateries.
Here’s the rundown:
Cheesesteak Tasting Panel
March 22, noon-1 p.m., Chickie’s & Pete’s, D/E Connector
Four panelists, including Philadelphia Eagles’ fan favorite and Pro Football Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins, will sample items from Chickie’s & Pete’s cheesesteak menu. While they eat, they’ll chat all things Philly: cheesesteaks, football, and more. The event highlights will be shared on PHL Food & Shops’ social media and website at PHLfoodandshops.com.
Cheesesteak Tour
March 21-25
Interactive tour maps, with QR codes, are displayed throughout the airport highlighting 13 PHL Food & Shops restaurants offering cheesesteaks or cheesesteak-related items.
Delivery of Free Pretzel Factory Mini Cheesesteaks
March 21-25
Want free cheesesteak pretzel rivets?
Place a delivery order with the Grab app or via orderatphl.com during delivery hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m).
Use the keyword “Cheesesteak” in the order notes and you’ll get a free order of cheesesteak pretzel rivets from Philly Pretzel Factory.
If you’re lucky, PHL Food & Shops’ delivery robot, Jawnbot, will deliver the order.
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:
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 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.
Grab your favorite libation and hit play on our newest podcast episode 🍺 We're chatting with @RaleighBrewing owner Kristie Nystedt about the Triangle beer scene and RDU's Raleigh Taproom location.
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.
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.
Even during a pandemic, airports are places for ❤️. For #ValentinesDay, we’re remembering past hugs, proposals and happy reunions. Be kind, celebrate safely, and we can’t wait for more of these loving scenes at PIT. pic.twitter.com/kG5Szo692f
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Rocky Balboa is back—on pins worn by #PHLAirport employees to support Philadelphia’s #MaskUpPHL campaign. Pins featuring the Rocky statue wearing a face mask remind everyone to wear a mask to help fight the spread of COVID-19. pic.twitter.com/ZtmblQlH7z
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.
Friendly reminder to wear your mask in the airport on days that end with the letter "Y"
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.
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.
