Minute Suites -which rents short-stay napping and workspaces in airports around the country – has opened a new location in Detroit Metropolitan Airport in the McNamara Terminal. This new location features five suites and has an on-site bathroom with a shower. This brings the number of airports with Minute Suites locations to 8: ATLANTA (ATL), Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Charlotte Douglas (CLT), Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), New York LaGuardia (LGA), Nashville (BNA), Philadelphia (PHL), and Detroit (DTW). More are on the way.
The suites include an AppleTV, Netflix , and Wi-Fi, plus a daybed with a pull-out trundle that can sleep two. Up to four people can relax in a room. Pricing starts at $45 for the first hour (the minimum). The company has adopted the slogan “Clean and Serene” and these suites have become quite popular during the pandemic with travelers who really want to avoid the crowds during a layover.
Dallas Love Field celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Dallas Love Field has partnered with the Latino Cultural Center to celebrate #HispanicHeritageMonth!
📅 art exhibit on display through Oct. 15 📍 near the car rental counters
Marco Albarran’s fine art print series “Alt-Face” is inspired by icons of ancient civilizations who lived in present-day Mexico. His artworks are featured in the “Myth, Legend and Lore” exhibition in the Terminal 3, Level 4 Terminal 4, Level 3 galleries. #HispanicHeritageMonthpic.twitter.com/jS9KDE0jGW
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) September 15, 2021
The Kentucky Derby will take place on schedule this year on Saturday, May 1 and Louisville Muhammad International Airport (SDF) is decked out and ready to welcome Derby guests with lots of fresh roses.
The @kroger floral team used approximately 250 fresh cut roses in each of the eight urns that line the SDF terminal connector to welcome Derby guests, with more than 2,200 roses throughout the facility. pic.twitter.com/bORyVO3kQP
The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the public tomorrow from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the 44th Street PHX Sky Train® Station. Schedule your appointment at https://t.co/KA1BjQEDAI. pic.twitter.com/LMku7Ty1SU
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) April 30, 2021
Airports everywhere are continuing their “keep clean things clean” campaigns. Touchless tech helps, and we see Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) just added touchess/wave-to-call elevator buttons.
It’s not ‘beam me up, Scotty,’ but we’re currently installing touchless/wave-to-call elevator buttons to reduce the spread of germs. Just point to the floor where you’re headed and be transported! It’s all part of a modern, more health-conscious airport. #SafeTravelspic.twitter.com/n7mTf1vUDH
— Pittsburgh International Airport (@PITairport) April 29, 2021
Places We’d Go… Cleveland
Cleveland is hosting the NFL Draft, with lots of bonus activities.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has a new exhibit celebrating the Super Bowl Halftime Show music and performers.
The Biggest Show on Turf: 55 Years of Halftime Showswill be on exhibit through September 21 and includes performance outfits, instruments, and set pieces, including Prince’s turquoise suit worn during his unforgettable purple-rained 2007 performance, where he asked production managers “Can you make it rain harder?” and Katy Perry’s beach-ball inspired costume and “Left Shark” that ignited a pop culture phenomenon after her 2015 performance.
“From hot pants and go-go boots to disposable paper dresses, the 1960s and 1970s were known for breaking fashion norms and traditions – even in the airline industry. Mid-century air travel had progressed into a posh experience and airlines built unique brand identities to set themselves apart. Each airline found new ways to attract passengers with amenities like onboard movies, gourmet meals, and glamorous flight attendants.“
This exhibition is put together by the Phoenix Airport Museum and includes eight flight attendant uniforms, historic photographs, and a variety of airline amenity objects.
If you are passing through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, look for the Style in the Aisle exhibit in Terminal 4, level 2 near ticketing through October 2021.
In the meantime, we’ve got some images to share here.
Highlights of the exhibit include Hughes Airwest’s 1977 “sundance yellow” dress with matching bucket-style hat and an American Airlines plaid “Americana” uniform with a raccoon-fur cap. A Trans World Airlines (TWA) single-use, gold paper dress – part of the “Foreign Accents” collection – is also on display.
Airline amenities on display include fine china and themed cocktail swizzle sticks. There’s also a first-class menu featuring caviar and lobster, and an ashtray and lighter with airline logos.
Whether or not you’re flying during the holidays, it pays to keep up to date with what airports are doing to serve passengers during what is sure to be another unusual season.
Here are some tidbits we’ve already spotted this week.
PIT has its holiday tree up
Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) won’t be having its annual Holiday Open House this year. And local choirs and bands won’t be offering holiday performances.
But PIT is setting up a holiday-themed selfie station in the Airside Center Core and hosting distanced (instrument-only) performances by local musicians. And there will be terminal visits from the PIT PAWS airport therapy dog team.
The holiday tree is already there. Here’s a fun time-lapse video of it going up. PIT reports that 20 people worked to raise the 26-foot-tall tree over a span of eight hours and that this year’s tree has 538 ornaments, 42 yards of fabric, and 166 strands of lights.
Take a 360 Virtual Tour of LAX
Missing airports? Us too. So we’re excited as all get out a new virtual 360-degree of the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) airfield.
This is the same airfield tour that used to be offered to students, community groups, and others curious about LAX operations before COVID-19 arrived. Now anyone can access the immersive, high-resolution 360-degree video experience online using a smartphone, tablet, computer, or VR headset.
Coat check reopens at MKE
If you’re flying from Milwaukee to Hawaii, Florida, or some other warm spot, you probably won’t need your winter coat when you arrive.
The Coat check program operates in partnership with retail partner Paradies Lagardère and is offered inside the Summerfest Marketplace store, which is located pre-security. Each coat is wrapped in protective plastic and the charge is a very reasonable $2 per day, or $10 per trip.
As far as we know, this is still the only U.S. airport offering this service.
Fresh art at PHX
Sky Curtain,” an artistic weather screen installation, is under construction at the future PHX Sky Train Rental Car Center Station. It features a series of brightly colored steel pipes, running along both sides of the station platform. Learn more on our Facebook page. pic.twitter.com/64c3n0IKUn
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) December 1, 2020
Fun and games from BWI
Here's a #TravelTuesday wordsearch highlighting some popular getaway spots of our passengers. 🧳
SAN Arts Program Fall Resident Artist, Margaret Noble, has released a new month’s of experiences based on the idea of a map. You are encourage to visit https://t.co/Tw7ajVqQrS to view them and ponder, “What are the points on your map? Where do you wish to go?” #SANArtspic.twitter.com/Xbi222QPvG
— Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (@PHXSkyHarbor) October 29, 2020
Working on Halloween?
Denver International Airport (DEN) is sharing some Halloween-themed Zoom backgrounds.
It's #spookyseason and we're ready to haunt your Zoom/Team meetings🎃👻🪦. Download one (or all) of the DEN backgrounds to spice up those virtual meetings! Check out all of the backgrounds on our Facebook page: https://t.co/65LJ6dXK39pic.twitter.com/eHgXYU5t3w
Bone-jour! Remember our friend Red Skeleton? He has risen from the dead and is excited to explore and meet new people at ICT. Follow along to see where Red is each day until Halloween. 💀#RedSkeletonICT#AirportTwitterpic.twitter.com/QtJ5Fnno8t
Who wants to come near a skeleton anyway? But seriously, keep 6 ft. away from others while in the terminal. There are social distancing labels on the floor to guide you.#RedSkeletonICT#AirportTwitterpic.twitter.com/PkTDfjIcCE
Red wants to remind you to wear a face mask, keep 6 ft. away from others, wash your hands and use hand sanitizer! There is a vending machine located on the main floor if you need a face mask or PPE supplies. #RedSkeletonICT#AirportTwitterpic.twitter.com/rmaBlzHdfr
Airline passenger numbers are way down. Many airports still feeling sort of empty, with many shops and restaurants closed or operating on reduced schedules. And buying a plane ticket right now comes with a lot of “what ifs” and few perks.
So, it is an interesting time to a look at the findings of J.D. Power’s 2020 North American Airport Satisfaction Study.
First, the “winners”
The survey put airports up against each other in three categories: “mega” airports with 33 million or more passengers per year; large airports with 10 to 32.9 million passengers per year; and medium airports with 4.5 to 9.9 million passengers per year.
The airports are scored on a 1,000 point scale that takes into account passenger satisfaction with factors that include terminal facilities; airport arrival/departure; baggage claim; security check; check-in/baggage check; and food, beverage and retail, in order of importance.
As with everything else right now, the coronavirus pandemic has put a twist into this year’s airport satisfaction rankings.
The overall customer satisfaction score for North American airports is up this year, to a record-high 784, which is 22 points up from 2019.
Good news, right? Sort of.
“Compared to the pre-COVID-19 environment when most airports were running significantly over capacity, the lack of crowds and long lines is actually creating a convenient experience for travelers right now,” says Michael Taylor, travel intelligence lead at J.D. Power, in the study notes.
“Obviously, this lower passenger volume is not sustainable for most airports. Airport managers are doing all they can to provide a safe and clean environment to facilitate a rebound in travel,” he adds.
Here are top five airports in each category. You can see the full rankings here.
Mega Airports
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (805)
Miami International Airport (801)
McCarran International Airport (797)
Denver International Airport (793)
John F. Kennedy International Airport (793)
Large Airports
Dallas Love Field (844)
John Wayne Airport, Orange County (837)
Tampa International Airport (837)
William P. Hobby Airport (823)
Portland International Airport (814)
Medium Airports
Indianapolis International Airport (866)
Palm Beach International Airport (833)
Southwest Florida International Airport (829)
Albuquerque International Sunport (826)
Pittsburgh International Airport (826)
What about the airports at the bottom of each list?
In the mega category, Newark Liberty International Airport was at the bottom of the list, with a score of 733, just below Chicago O’Hare International Airport, which had a score of 758.
Among large airports, New York’s LaGuardia Airport (in the middle of a much-heralded make-over) ranked lowest, with a score of 712.
And for medium airports, Hawaii’s Kahului Airport was at the bottom of the list, with a 745 score.
Baseball is back. (Sort of). And Alaska Airlines has a fun promo running with the Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants.
Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants fans – or anyone – can enter to win one million miles as part of Alaska’s Million-Mile Home Run Sweepstakes. Register with your Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan number, or sign up to get one free.
As a bonus, each week of the season Alaska Airlines will also pick one winner to receive air travel and tickets to 2021 Spring Training.
We also found an easy to enter sweepstakes from Bojangles. Prizes include $2,500 in cash, a $500 hotel gift card, a $500 gas card, a $500 rental car gift card, and $500 to spend at Bojangles.
Giant Robots at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport
Ten-foot-tall robots, a whole family of them, are now ‘living’ in the Phoenix Airport Museum’s Terminal 4 Gallery at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX).
The robots are part of an installation titled “Electro-Symbio Phonics for Phoenix,” by Nam June Paik.
What you’ll see: a mother, father, and child robot in an athletic pose with arms raised nearly touching the ceiling. Their heads, appendages, and torsos consist of 63 televisions blitzing with fast-paced video clips of sports highlights, popular culture, and desert imagery.
Ready to reconsider cruising?
Do you think you – and the world – might be ready to embrace cruising again in a year or so? Then you might want to go all-in on Viking’s new 2021-2022 Viking World Cruise. The trip will last 136 days, with visits to 27 countries and 56 ports.
The ship sets sail in Fort Lauderdale on December 24, 2021. After visiting ports of call in Central America, transiting through the Panama Canal, and going up the West Coast of North America, the ship will cross the Pacific Ocean and visit Hawaii. From there it’s off to New Zealand and Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean before ending in London.
Too long a trip for you? There’s a shorter, 119-day sailing. The 2022 Viking World Horizons which departs from Los Angeles on January 10, 2022, and visits 22 countries and 49 ports before ending in London.
Prices (which include lots of extras, such as business class airfare and transfers to and from the ship) start at $49,995 per person for the 2021-2022 Viking World Cruise and $45,995 for the 2022 World Cruise Horizons (based on double occupancy).
Here is another installment of our new “5 Things We Love About…” series celebrating some of the services, amenities and features we love about airports around the world.
We’re keeping our list to just 5 cool things about each airport, but feel free to add any bonus features we overlooked in the comments section below.
Feel free, too, to nominate an airport for the series or sponsor an installment.
The collection includes nearly 900 artworks, 35 exhibition spaces in six buildings and the Phoenix Aviation Archive.
Look for the art in both terminals and at the Rental Car Center. There’s also a treat at the 44th Street PHX Sky Train Station, which is home to a restored vintage World War I aircraft, the SPAD XIII.
2. The PHX Navigator Buddies
PHX is one of a growing list of airports where teams of therapy dogs and their handlers regularly visit the terminals to hang out with travelers and help de-stress the journey. Here they’re called the PHX Navigator Buddies.
3. The Fitness Trail at PHX
The Sky Harbor Fitness Trail at PHX is located post-security in Terminal 4 and is measured out to just a little over one mile from Gate A30 to Gate D8.
The trail is part of FitPHX, a city of Phoenix initiative intended to help get Phoenix residents into better shape. In addition to getting some exercise, travelers who walk the trail are rewarded with views of the downtown Phoenix skyline, beautiful Camelback Mountain and more.
4. Animal relief areas at PHX
PHX goes all out with the pet relief areas for pups and has seven pre and post-security cute-as-a-puppy places where dogs can take care of business. There are even animal relief areas at the PHX Sky Train stations.
5. The souvenirs at PHX Airport
We’ve found some charming – and quirky – souvenirs in the shops at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Here are just a few of our favorites.
5 Things We Love About Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is part of an ongoing series here at StuckatTheAirport.com.
If you’d like to sponsor one of the installments, get in touch.
Phoenix is home to the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery and right now passengers traveling through Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are being treated to an exhibit featuring nine hand-crafted guitars, including both acoustic and electric style.
Exhibition highlights include Scott Walker’s hand-painted “patina” guitar (above), which has wood body that resembles oxidized metal. Also on display: an unusual 26-string harp-guitar by William Eaton and an electric mandolin by Joe Vallee, whose instruments are collected by prominent musicians like Steve Miller.
Visitors to the PHX Airport Museum exhibit will also find displays of the guitar-making process. Parts of a guitar are presented in an exploded view showing how a guitar is constructed. And the various stages of shaping the wood components of a guitar are explained.
Exploded view of an acoustic guitar, courtesy of the Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery
Phoenix Airport Museum’s exhibition, Shaping Sound: The Art of Guitar Making, is on view in two display cases at Terminal 4, level 2 near ticketing through May 2020.
The 30-year old Phoenix Airport Museum has more than 900 pieces in its collection. The museum presents exhibits featuring both items from the collection and from area artists in several galleries throughout the airport.
The newly named John S. McCain III Terminal 3 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) now has a new South Concourse and post-security lobby area with 15 gates and all new shops, restaurants and amenities.
The area offers passengers lots of light and great view of Phoenix’s desert landscape as well as power at most every seat, a new state-of-the-art Delta Sky Club, a children’s play area (the PHX Play-Viation Park), a nursing room and an animal relief area.
Public art installations feature a
colorful terrazzo floor by Arizona artist Teresa Villegas as well as Donald
Lipski’s “Aviators” which are giant sunglasses on the wall of the arrivals
atrium.
Retail includes national brands, such as
Johnston & Murphy and Sugarfina, as well as locally-linked venues such as Best
of the Valley and Travel Outfitters. Mosaic includes artwork by Phoenix and
Arizona-based artists, and Indigenous pays tribute to Southwest Native American
tribes and offers jewelry and crafts.
Dining options include Shake Shack and Panera
Bread as well as chef Mark Tarbell’s Tavern, James Beard award winner
Christopher Gross’ Christopher’s and other local favorites that include The
Parlor (pizza and pasta), SanTan Brewing Company and Mustache Pretzels, which
serves mustache-shaped pretzels (and dips), including the Nutstache, with
salted caramel and topped with crushed peanuts, walnuts, almonds and filberts.
Terminal 3 serves Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, and Sun Country and is being updated in phases.
There’s one more phase to completed: the renovation of the North Concourse, which will add all new shops, restaurants and customer amenities. That phase is slated to be completed in 2020.
