Tampa International Airport Archives

Did Tampa International Airport ban pajamas?

03/01/26

Maybe they should have held this for an April 1st post… Late last week Tampa International Airport (TPA), the home of Phoebe the giant flamingo, got into a pickle over a tongue-in-cheek social media post announcing a ban on wearing pajamas in the airport. It started with an an eyecatching headline: “We’ve seen enough. We’ve →

Airports

At TPA Airport, planes gotta fly, fish gotta swim

01/01/26

Two 2,000-gallon aquatic exhibits are now back on view in the Red and Blue Baggage Claim areas at Tampa International Airport (TPA). The exhibits, created and maintained by the Florida Aquarium, were first installed at the airport back in 1998 to offer a colorful and calming welcome for travelers arriving in Tampa. The fish were →

Attractions

Last minute shopping? Do it at the airport

12/23/25

Christmas came early for some lucky folks at San Antonio International Airport (SAT) who were invited to visit a giant suitcase vending machine filled with free gifts such as tortilla blankets and concha slippers from H-E-B grocers. Not all airports have giant suitcase vending machines filled with free stuff. But if you’re traveling for the →

Airport shops

Free holiday movies at Tampa Int’l Airport

12/04/25

“The Grinch” and “Elf” for free at TPA Tampa International Airport (TPA) has a giant flamingo greeting travelers in the main terminal year round. During this holiday season the airport also has free movies. On December 6, the holiday favorite “The Grinch” will be shown and on December 13 the “Elf” with Will Ferrell and →

Events

Visit these airports without a ticket to fly

10/27/25

Shall we just blame the delay on the flamingo? Back in 2019, Tampa International Airport (TPA) was one of the earliest airports to establish a program that allows non-flyers past security so they can shop, dine, meet arriving passengers or go with a traveler to the gate. And like other airports with gate pass programs, →

Airports

More airports offering food, other support for federal workers during shutdown

10/09/25

We shared information a few days ago about how Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and others are joining with community groups to offer food and other support to TSA officers, air traffic controllers and other federal workers who aren’t getting paychecks during the government shutdown but are still expected to show up for work at →

Airports

We met Tampa Int’l Airport’s giant flamingo

02/20/24

The Stuck at The Airport arts team is a big fan of big art at airports. And Tampa International Airport’s (TPA) giant flamingo doesn’t disappoint. The sculpture is 21 feet tall and lives in TPA’s main terminal. The creation of artist Matthew Mazzota, the sculpture is officially titled “Home.” But thanks to a naming contest →

Flush with pride: an airport lav is a finalist for America’s Best Restroom.

07/12/23

Best places to go when you have to ‘go’ A clean public restroom can be a rare find when you’re in an airport, a restaurant, a theme park, a highway rest stop, a museum, or a mall. It can be even more difficult to find a clean public restroom that also has some character, wit, →

Another Airport Improves its Loos

04/21/23

Cool New Loos at BWI Marshall Airport (BWI) In addition to quick-moving security lines, and tasty things to eat and drink, clean restrooms with short waiting lines top most travelers’ wish lists for airport amenities. And airports are responding by flushing out old, tired restroom designs and bringing in bathrooms that are bright, high-tech, art-filled, →

Bathrooms

“Green Art” at Tampa Int’l National Airport

04/12/23

The plants in your home, your workplace, or the airport you’re passing through boost moods and brighten the surroundings. Live greenery also helps clean indoor spaces by absorbing harmful toxins in the air. Tampa International Airport (TPA) gets that and makes sure to have live plants in the terminals at all times. Not just some →

Stuck at the Airport

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