Portland International Airport

Souvenir Sunday: Portland International Airport

Souvenirs

Souvenir Sunday one

Every Sunday is Souvenir Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com, when we share photos of some of the fun, under $10, “of that city” souvenirs that can be found at airports.

This week: some fun stuff from Oregon’s Portland International Airport.  This airport is ideal for shopping: many of the city’s best shops have branches out at the airport; stores must comply with the airport’s street pricing policy; and there’s no sales tax in Oregon.

A triple treat!

Here are just a few of the fun things I found at the Made in Oregon store on a recent layover on my way to Prague.

Hot Lips Soda

When I lived in Portland, The Hotlips folks made pizza. Great pizza. Since 2005, they’ve also been making soda with all sorts of fruits and berries, including blackberry, strawberry, boysenberry, pear, and raspberry.

Also at Made in Oregon:  Moonstruck chocolates, Tillamook cheese (on sale: 25% off!)

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P1050591

And my favorite:  tiny jars of ash leftover from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.

Mount St. Helens ash

Have you found a great souvenir at an airport? If you do, take a photo and send it along to us here at Stuck at the Airport.

You many find your souvenir featured on a future edition Souvenir Sunday,.

Souvenir Sunday two

How to stay entertained at some northwest airports

Art, Entertainment, ,

I’m working on an article about the great amenities at some west coast airports and wanted to share some of my favorites:

Vancouver International Airport:  I love this incredible work of art by Bill Reid, titled  The Spirit of Haida Gwaii: The Jade Canoe, that’s impossible to miss in the center of the International Terminal.

Vancouver Jade Canoe

(Photo: Larry Goldstein Photography)

And I can’t wait to make my way back to YVR to see the recently opened public observation area that includes complimentary telescopes so everyone can get a good look at the airfield activity and the landscape nearby.

I’m happy that Sea-Tac International Airport has a world-class art collection and, on clear days, bonus views of mountains.

SEA RAINIER(Photo: Port of Seattle)

I can’t wait for the new light rail train, which right now stops just shy of the airport, to make it’s way to the airport door.

pdx center

(Photo courtesy Port of Portland)

As usual, though, it’s the amenities at the Portland International Airport that impress me most.  When I used to live in that city, there was free parking at the airport and we’d go out there at least once a week because the city’s only Haagen-Dazs ice-cream store was out at the airport.

Today, I plan layovers at PDX because there’s free Wi-Fi,  lots of good restaurants and pubs, fun permanent artwork, and a pre-security shopping street filled with branches of  locally well-known shops where no sales tax is charged on anything.

Do you have an airport that you actually look forward to visiting? Please share your finds in the comment section below.

Party time for Southwest Airlines in the northwest

Events, Fun Stuff, ,

Today ( Saturday, June 6, 2009)  if you’re flying to or through Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), Portland (PDX), and Spokane (GEG) airports,  go over to the Southwest Airlines gates and ticket counters and see if you can get it on their party.birthday-cake

The airline is celebrating 15 years of service to these airports with history and trivia “gate games” that give customers the chance to win prizes, including free tickets.

Maybe there’ll be cake.

Tidbits for travelers: Swine flu, busted baggage handlers, & fresh art

Baggage, Cancellations, Health, Theft, , , , ,

So many people are canceling trips to Mexico because of worries over swine flu that United Airlines and Continental Airlines are significantly cutting out flights to that country. No doubt other airlines will also cut flights, so if you’ve postponed your Mexico trip, check back with the airline to see if you need to change plans again.

For more details about the cuts, see this article in the Chicago Tribune and this article in the Wall St. Journal.

aiga_baggage_check_in1And after you read some of the details about a Northwest Airlines luggage theft ring busted at Oregon’s Portland International Airport, you’ll probably want to figure out how take that next trip with just a carry-on bag.

And – just so this isn’t a post full of bad news – the Miami International Airport officially opened the new South Terminal Art Gallery with a new program called Hand Made, which will feature handcrafts from around the world.

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The first exhibition is Siesta, a collection of hand-woven products featuring ceremonial hammocks and bags by the Wayuu people from the region of La Guajira in northern Colombia.

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Airport pub crawl: sure path to jet-lag AND a hangover

Bars, , , , , , , ,

Jet-lag (when you’re “internally desychronized”) is no fun. It’s vexing when you’ve arrived in a new city at 6 a.m. and can’t keep your eyes open.  It’s maddening when it jostles you awake at 3 in the morning.

There are plenty of jet-lag remedies floating around out there. Some work. Others work only if you say a special chant.   One way to insure jet-lag, as well as a hangover: an airport pub crawl that includes some – or all – of the spots in this Forbes Traveler article: America’s Best Airport Bars.

Recommended spots include:  Vino Volo wine bars in Washington, D.C, Seattle, Detroit and other cities;  Cibi Bistro and Wine Bar at PHL,  DEN’s New Belgium Hub Bar & Grill, the Woodford Reserve Bar & Grill at the Louisville, Kentucky Airport, re:vive at JFK’s Terminal 5,  Laurelwood Brewing Company pubs at PDX, and the Shipyard Brewing Company at Maine’s Portland Int’l Jetport.

Also on the list: the Sweetwater Draft House at ATL, the Heineken Lounge at EWR,  and Squatters Pub and the Wasatch Brew Pub, both at the Salt Lake City airport.

Drink up, but bring aspirin.

beer-mug

One – not so good – way to lighten your load at the airport

Baggage, Theft,

As you set out for weekend adventures…here’s a reminder to keep an eye on all your stuff at the airport. And another reason why carry-on only is a good option.   From the Portland Business Journal:

Two Northwest Airlines baggage handlers have been charged with stealing more than 200 items from passenger luggage at Portland International Airport…

The arrests are the result of a two-week investigation by Port of Portland police, which recovered 200 stolen items ranging from laptop computers and jewelry to hand bags and clothing, the port said.

Travelers who believe items were stolen from their baggage at PDX are asked to call port police at 503-460-4747.

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Sculpture exhibit at Portland International Airport (PDX)

Art, Exhibits,

Work by a dozen artists associated with Pacific Northwest Sculptors (PNWS) is on view at Portland International Airport (PDX) through mid-June. Look for the show in Concourse E (post-security).

The sculptures feature a wide variety of media – cast and fabricated metals, ceramic, stone, mixed media – and represent a broad spectrum of sculptural styles from the region.

Here’s a sample:

pdxvessel-for-cw-800-square

John Mayo: Vessel for Calm Water #4

pdxcturnersilence1741

Carole Turner – Silence

(Photos courtesy of Portland International Airport and the artists)

Portland Int’l Airport needs a superhero

Free Stuff,

The Oregonian is reporting that Portland International Airport (PDX) is back in business after diverting 18 flights Saturday night due to fog and a problem with a malfunctioning computer-operated navigational tool.

As the impressive photo from the Oregonian’s article shows, fog isn’t all that rare in Portland this time of year.  But broken navigational systems are.

CT. Foggy

While we’re stuck at  PDX, if you’re a resident of Oregon or Washington you have until March 20th to enter the PDX  “Be a local super hero” video contest.

All you have to do is make a 60 second video about the airport’s non-stop international service.  Contest entrants are encouraged to wear their own super-hero costume (!), but steer clear of doing anything dangerous.

First prize:  four coach tickets to fly – non-stop- from Portland to Frankfurt, Tokyo or Amsterdam, plus $2,000 spending money.  Second and third place winners get two coach tickets to Frankfurt, Tokyo or Amsterdam, but no spending money.

Sounds like fun.  Here’s a link to enter the PDX Be a local super hero contest.

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Problems at PDX

Weather

Got this release this around 11 pm Saturday night from Oregon’s Portland International Airport. I’m not sure what they mean: “the removal of a key navigational aid…?”  Is it out for service? Stolen?

PDX Arrivals Currently Being Diverted

Due to a combination of weather conditions and the removal of a key navigational aid used to assist pilots in low visibility, between 20-30 flights destined for Portland are being diverted to other airports. Some passengers are returning to Portland via bus this evening.

Due to anomalies in the runway navigational aid, flights were diverted in the best interest of safety. The FAA will inspect the system tomorrow morning and with the go ahead, runways will resume normal operations. All passengers and those expecting to greet arrivals are encouraged to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.


Head to an airport for sales, Santas and songs

Deals, Holidays, Shopping, , , , ,

(Yummy stuff from Phoenix Sky Harbor Int’l Airport)

It may seem unnatural to blend a holiday shopping excursion with a trip to the airport, but this season many airports are working overtime to court you and your gift-buying dollars with prizes, promotions, festive décor, and lots of top-notch entertainment.

(A TSA choir -really- will perform at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport)

There are plenty of other reasons to shop for holiday gifts at an airport. Over the past few years, airports have been steadily upgrading the quality and variety of their concessions. Stores generally open early and close late to accommodate travelers’ wacky schedules. And many airports impose a “street pricing” policy, which means that the prices charged inside the airport must closely match the prices at local malls. Besides, if you travel by air, you’re already spending a lot of time hanging out in airports. So you may as well be merry while you multi-task.

Where are the best deals? At the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and the Sacramento International Airport you can pick up discount coupon books. Oregon’s Portland International Airport has a holiday festival with food sampling, demonstrations and a drawing for tickets on JetBlue. (You can enter on-line.) And check out the Frankfurt Airport’s Web site for a chance to win a big diamond.

There’s lots more information about airports offering holiday shopping specials and entertainment in my “At the Airport” column posted today on USAToday.com