Salt Lake City International Airport

Travel Tidbits from an airport near you

New artwork to greet passengers at Salt Lake City Int’l Airport

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) already has several large-scale artworks by artist Gordon Huether, including the 400-foot Canyon (above).

Coming soon: the completion of his 90-foot outdoor art piece echoing the mountain peaks for which Utah is famous.

SFO Airport is celebrating Dia de Los Muertos

San Fransisco International Airport (SFO) is celebrating Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) with an altar, a mural, and live cultural performances through November 7 in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

In Harvey Milk Terminal 1, look for the “Tree of Life” altar created in partnership with the Mission Center for Cultural Arts, and feel free to add the names of your loved ones to the altar.

In Terminal 2, artist Adrian Arias will paint a mural titled “Ancestral Hummingbird with Moon,” influenced by his Peruvian background.

Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal progressing nicely

XpresSpa company adds another brand: Treat

The company that offers airport passengers XpresSpa, now with massage and manicure service in 26 locations in 13 airports globally, and ExpresCheck for airport COVID testing, is rolling out a new brand.

This one is called Treat. And it is an upscale airport spa and wellness concept with medical services, state-of-the-art testing, “and a holistic approach to physical and mental well-being.”

The menu of services includes:

  • Relaxation services such as manual massage and hydro massage
  • Self-guided wellness services such as visual decompressions with VR goggles, meditation room, workouts
  • Health services such as IV drips, injections, consultations with providers for acute illnesses, mental health coaching
  • Wellness products to help combat fatigue, relieve stress, boost stamina and promote healthy systems such as adaptogenic herbs and supplements, teas, and tinctures
  • Women’s health products that support reproductive health, pregnancy, and intimacy
  • Beauty and hygiene products such as hydrating masks and lotions, soaps, shampoos, and hand sanitizer
  • Travel products such as compression socks, eye masks, pillows, and blankets.

To schedule an appointment or to see what specific health services are offered and what the charges are, you’ll need to sign up for a free membership on the Treat website or the Treat app.

We took a look at the price list for medical services and found $50 for a flu vaccine or a vitamin injection and $175 to be seen for a wide range of other issues, including eye problems, cold/flu symptoms, sinus infections, wound care, allergic reactions, and pregnancy or STD testing.

The fee for IV therapy or a COVID test is $250.

Under the Wellness Services tab, you’ll find showers (30 minutes for $35), yoga ($30-60), as well fees for meditation time, and a wide variety of fitness programs.

Current Treat locations are Terminal 4 at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Terminal 4 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), and Concourse B at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC).

If you try it out before we do, let us know what your experience is like.

Airport news from Miami and Albany Int’l Airports

Flying somewhere this week?

If you are, it’s a good bet you may find yourself stuck at the airport somewhere longer than you intended.

But we’re here to keep you up-to-date on some of the on-the-ground amenities that might keep you informed and entertained.

Miami Int’l Airport has a LEGO Store

Salt Lake City International Aiport (SLC) was the first US airport to have a LEGO store. one. And now Miami International Airport (MIA) has one too.

MIA’s 742-square-foot LEGO® store opened in May and is located near gate D14. Hours: daily from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Planting Utopia at Albany International Airport (ALB)

New York’s Albany International Airport (ALB) and its neighbor, the Shaker Heritage Society are jointly presenting work by artist Julia Whitney Barnes.

Barnes spent a year photographing and collecting specimens from over 150 plants growing in the Sharker Heritage Society’s herb garden, which is on the site of the first Shaker settlement in the United States.

The herb garden, and historic Shaker ‘gift’ or ‘spirit’ drawings, are the inspiration for the images and prints Barnes created during her year-long project going on view at Albany International Airport on July 16. There’s also a companion site-specific installation at the Shaker Heritage Society, which is a short walk from the airport.

At the Shaker Heritage Society’s 1856 Drying House, Barnes’ installation includes temporary murals on the exterior of the historic brick building. The images are stark blue and white silhouettes of herbs in bloom climbing the outside of the red brick walls. Inside, there are prints on fabric and hanging bunches of herbs from the garden. The murals and the installation will remain on view through summer 2023.

For the installation at Albany International Airport, Barnes made eight cyanotype paintings on paper with plants collected from the Shaker herb garden. (Cyanotype is an old photographic printing process that creates dark greenish-blue prints.)

These paintings are reproduced on aluminum panels that will be on view for three to five years in the pedestrian corridor linking the new south parking garage with the ticketing area.

On July 16, ALB Airport will also debut a six-month-long exhibition, called Planting Utopia, in the post-security Concourse A Gallery with artwork, preparatory sketches, and a documentary video about the collaboration.

(All images courtesy Albany International Airport)

Swanky new digs for SLC Int’l Airport. Fresh art at SAN Airport. Plus an invite.

Fresh art at San Diego International Airport

San Diego International Airport (SAN) has a new and very big work of art to share with the public.

Part of the airport art program’s mural series, Plein Air Port is by local artist Aaron Glasso. The 144-foot-long piece combines images of the San Diego landscape and the airport’s architecture with abstract imagery.

Look for this hard-to-miss work along SAN’s interior roadway through 2021 on Admiral Boland Way, which runs between the terminal and the rental car center.

New terminal opens at Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)

Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) officially opened it new central terminal building to travelers on September 15, 2020.

The opening marks the completion of the first phase of the 7-year, $4.1 billion project and includes the 900,000-sq.-ft. central terminal building and two linear concourses with 45 gates.

A time capsule was part of the opening day events. Items placed in the time capsule include a 1996 Airport Master Plan, a wooden bear carving, eagle feathers and sweet grass. Also in the time capsule: a hard drive with construction drawings and a letter to future airport employees written by current airport employees.

The second phase of the SLC new terminal project is scheduled to be completed in 2024. This phases will include a south concourse with 22 additional gates, allowing the airport to accommodate 34 million passengers a year.

StuckatTheAirport.com is planning an in-person visit to the new SLC terminal as soon as we feel safe to fly. But in the meantime, here are some snaps and a video shared by the airport and HOK, the architectural firm for the facility.

“The Canyon” by Gordon Heuther

The interior atrium is the length of a football field and features a 362-foot-long sculpture titled “The Canyon” by Gordon Huether. The work is designed to evoke Utah’s red rock canyons, alpine peaks, and moving water.

Sign up for the Travel 2021 Summit

Will we ever be able to travel again? And, if so, what will that be like?

No one knows for sure, but an interesting group of travel experts is going to talk about it on October 7-8 during the online Travel 2021 Summit.

I am on the agenda talking about what airlines and airports are doing to make travelers feel safe now and what air travel may be like in the future.

Want to attend? Here is a link to the Travel 2021 Summit where you can get a discount on tickets. Early bird pricing ends September 17. Use code SEPT50 for $50 off the registration fee.

Airports: “We’re open”

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: