Tampa International Airport

Dark skies, free pins & a giant flamingo

Art, Uncategorized, , ,

A Big Bird for Tampa International Airport

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.

Get pinned at PHL Airport

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…

Who left this rat at Norway’s Bergen Airport?

Airport Terminals, , , , ,

You may notice the heartwarming news and social media posts about airports working hard to reunite left behind stuffed animals with their rightful owners.

Like the story of 5-year-old Ezekiel, who was reunited with the teddy bear he left behind at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) last month.

Or, the story that likely started the heartwarming “airports goes-all-out-to-reunite stuffed animal with child” trend. Back in 2015, Tampa International Airport took a stuffed tiger named Hobbes on an airport adventure before sending Hobbes home.

We love these stories.

So, when making our way through Norway’s Bergen Airport (BGO) last week at about 5 am we did a double-take when were spotted a stuffed rat taped to a lane post.

It was very early in the morning. But we did notice that Bergen Airport is spotless. So it didn’t seem likely that the stuffed rat was there as a social comment. Nor did it seem like an official guidepost to point travelers to their gates.

So all we could conclude was that this stuffed rat had been left behind by a small child. And that it may soon show up on Bergen Airport’s social media feed in search of its owner.

We’ll check back to see.

Other amenities spotted at Bergen Airport

Besides the stuffed rat, there are some other sights at Bergen Airport that made us smile.

The sign for the bathroom employs the hard-to-miss universal symbols for “gotta go, now.”

And the kids’ play area in the main terminal area has this fun hopscotch board with an airplane, of course, in the top box.

Have you spotted a cool amenity (or a stuffed rat) and an airport? Send us a photo and we’ll try to include it in a future post on Stuck at the Airport.

At airports: a giant flamingo, doodles, & Disney salute

Art, , , , ,

Some birds are welcome at airports

Their giant flamingo public artwork won’t arrive until 2022, but the folks at Tampa International Airport (TPA) are clearly very excited. We can’t blame them. This bird looks like it will be a stunner.

PDX offering prizes for doodles

Sasquatch and Chill By Vanessa Soberanis

There’s a lot of construction going on at Portland International Airport (PDX) and airport officials are being very creative with the signage in the terminal while all the work is going on.

Through October 8, 2021, PDX is inviting the public to create and upload Northwest-inspired PDX doodle-art that might someday be displayed at the airport. Everyone is welcome to vote on their favorite doodles. The designs that get the most votes will be featured on digital monitors at the airport and on PDX social media, and show up on custom t-shirts. The winning artists will get coveted PDX swag and gift cards from PDX shops and restaurants.

Orlando Int’l Airport celebrates a Disney anniversary

Walt Disney World Resort is turning 50 and Orlando International Airport (MCO) is joining in on the celebrations with special decorations in the terminal train stations, banners, decals, and floor projections. Our favorite: a giant 50th Anniversary tea cup and themed backdrop perfect for photo ops.

Mask minders at Tampa Int’l Airport

Health,

Flying somewhere over the holiday weekend? If so, keep in mind that the federal mask mandate requiring travelers to stay masked up on airplanes and in airports has been extended into January 2022.

Tampa International Airport (TPA) takes that rule seriously and is actively enforcing it.

In its newsletter, TPA shared that its Operations, Guest Services, and other frontline team members do regular “mask enforcement blitzes” during which about 15 employees periodically walk the terminals to remind travelers of the mask rule and offer maks to those who need them.

Good work TPA!

Even if you have your own mask we encourage everyone to bring along or accept a spare. After a few hours wearing one mask, it is good to switch it out for another.

Want to be “the shuttle voice” at Tampa Int’l Airport?

Contests, ,

Tampa International Airport (TPA) is hosting a fun contest that also raises funds for a good cause.

Traditionally, the recorded voice on the shuttle vans wishing TPA passengers safe travels before their flights and welcoming them back home after vacation belongs to the city’s current mayor.

But now the airport is putting that honor up for grabs.

TPA is hosting a contest that will give the grand prize winner the honor of being the voice passengers hear on the shuttle for the month of July.

You don’t need to have a great voice to get the position, nor do you need to send in an audition tape or video.

Each contest entry is $5 with all proceeds going to United Way Suncoast, a non-profit that provides food, financial assistance, and educational support for those in need in the Tampa Bay Community.

You must be at least 18 years of age to enter and, if you win, you must show up at Tampa International Airport to record a script prepared by the airport. You can enter as many times as you like.

Entries are being accepted at www.voiceofTPA.com through Monday, June 14 at 2 p.m. The winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, June 15 at 9:00 a.m. and announced on social media.

Good luck!