SEA will celebrate the otter’s birthday on December 4 with balloons, bubbles, cupcakes, cookies, liv music, photo opps and more.
Our fave furry frequent flyer’s big day is on Dec. 4. The Central Terminal will transform into Jett’s birthday bash with balloons, bubbles, cupcakes, cookies, and a splash of live music. Jett’s bringing a special photobooth moment so travelers can capture the cutest bday mems. pic.twitter.com/p4napwdRfH
Another airport offers a gate pass program for non-ticketed guests
We’re keeping track of the growing list of airports that offer gate pass programs inviting non-ticketed guests into the terminal to go out to the gates with departing passengers, greet friends and loved ones as they come off the plane, dine, shop, view art, listen to music and watch airplanes comes and go.
Thanks to the record number of travelers expected to travel this holiday, weather woes and the usual list of things that can go wrong with any trip, airports are likely to be zany for the next few days.
Here are just some of the amenities airports are rolling out and reminding travelers about to help ease the journey.
Holiday travel got you feeling ruff? 🐾 Our SEA Pups are on deck to deliver all the tail wags, smiles, and feel-good travel vibes.⁰Here’s when you can catch them: pic.twitter.com/nScOoOcVAQ
Make your Thanksgiving reunion extra special at Love Landing, located on the second floor of #DAL! Enjoy sweet treats from Dunkin' and take in the scenic views from the Observation Deck. It's the perfect spot to welcome your loved ones. ✈️❤️#TravelWithLovepic.twitter.com/iajN2nYZYh
The sensory room at @LGAairport Terminal C (post-security, Level 3, near the Delta Sky Club) offers a safe, calming space for neurodivergent travelers, away from the hustle and bustle of air travel.
Grab your bag and enjoy the expedition of “Echos of Nature and Humanity”, by Ali Khataw! Baggage Claim at AUS just added a stunning new visual storytelling series that features a collection of photographs that perfectly capture the deep connections between nature and humanity. pic.twitter.com/JUktRtV3OI
— Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (@AustinAirport) November 25, 2025
We’ll add more airport holiday alerts over the next few days, but if you’re traveling by train in New York and Connecticut, look for these Metro-North Holiday Light Trains starting on Friday.
The Holiday Lights Trains are back!We'll be doubling the holiday spirit this year with the addition of a festive diesel train, bringing bright lights and spreading holiday cheer to even more stations!These Holiday Lights trains will make their debut on Friday and run through New Year’s.
Restrictions the FAA has on space launches and on general aviation flights at 12 airports will also be lifted.
Flights restrictions that were set to ultimately reach 10% were put in place during the longest government shutdown in history amid concerns about staffing levels of the nation’s air traffic controllers and air traffic safety nationwide.
But once the government shutdown ended, the FAA mandated a 3% reduction over the weekend, down from the 6% reduction that was previously in place.
“Staffing levels have continued to snap back into place since the end of the government shutdown,” the FAA said in a release, noting that “the current data aligns with staffing conditions before the shutdown.”
Record Thanksgiving travelers. Will they fly or drive?
AAA predicts that 81.8 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home over the Thanksgiving holiday period, which this year stretches from Tuesday, November 25 to Monday, December 1.
The estimate is up 1.6 million travelers over last Thanksgiving, setting a new overall record.
But recent flight reductions and delays may cause some Thanksgiving travelers to reconsider how they travel this year.
According to AAA, 6 million U.S. travelers are expected to take domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday period, a 2% increase compared to 2024 And AAA projects at least 73 million people will travel but car.
But those numbers may shift a bit because some people who had planned to fly have already decided to drive or take a bus or train in response to all the recent flight cancellations.
Pittsburgh International Airport’s new terminal opens Tuesday
Although they held a ribbon cutting a few weeks ago, the new $1.7 billion main terminal buidling at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) will officially open to the public on Tuesday, November 18.
The Stuck at The Airport team will fly in on that day to be part of the festivities.
We’ll get a first look at all the fresh amenities that are part of the new building, including 12 upgraded security lanes, a new state-of-the-art baggage handling system, outdoor decks, new concessions and lots of locally-made artwork.
A fresh new airport terminal building is always exciting.
But we’re glad to see that some of the ‘old time’ favorite features are making the move to the new terminal.
That includes the PIT’s popular statue of Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris completing the Immaculate Reception.
FRANCO IS ON THE MOVE! He was relocated to our new terminal last night, so you’ll be able to say hi and take all the selfies with our main guy on opening day this Tuesday!
A few years back, during the pandemic, if you traveled during Thanksgiving you were required to wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet away from other travelers.
You may encounter some different types of turkeys during your Thanksgiving travels this year. But here are tips that may help your trip go smoothly – or as smoothly as possible.
Weather, labor actions, inexperienced and flustered travelers, mechanical or tech glitches, construction on the way to the airport and traffic are just some of the things that may get between you and the flight that will bring you to your friends and family over the holiday.
Some of it is out of your control. But there are things you can do to try to keep mayhem and missed flights out of your itinerary.
1. Check your flight times. Download AND print out your boarding pass.
Even the most experienced travelers misread or ‘misremember’ their flight’s departure time.
When you go online to check to in for your flight, be sure to download an electronic boarding pass and, for good measure, print out a paper copy of the boarding pass. Then, on the paper version, highlight the boarding time, just in case.
Plan to arrive at the airport early. Extra early.
Airports and airlines aren’t kidding. You should show up at the airport (not leave for the airport….) at least two hours before your flight. Or more.
Showing up early means you won’t be (as) stressed if you encounter a very long line at the Transportation Security Checkpoint. And don’t assume your TSA Precheck will let you get through super fast. At many airports, those lines get very long too, especially this time of year.
Download some apps
Download the app for all the airports on your itinerary, your airline app and the app for your hotel and rental car company.
The airline app will help you stay on top of any gate, schedule and flight changes as well as other details of your journey.
The airport apps offer maps to help you make your connections as well as lists and locations of shops, restaurants and other amenities in the terminals, such as art exhibits.
Many airport apps also have real-time data that tells you how long the wait time is at various TSA checkpoints so you may be be able to to go to an alternate checkpoint to save some time.
Make a reservation to go through airport security.
There’s a free, ‘secret’ way to bypass those lines at about 20 airports in North America and Europe.
For travelers without paid memberships in TSA PreCheck or CLEAR, there’s a free virtual cueing program at select airports.
It’s like a restaurant reservation. And it lets you bypass others waiting in line at the airport security line.
The service go by different names at various airports, but is the free Clear RESERVE program managed by CLEAR, the company that also runs the paid Clear Plus program that uses fingerprints or eye scans to expedite your checkpoint journey.
As of December 2024, free timed security checkpoint reservations are being offered at 17 airports in North America and Europe, including Denver (DEN), Minneapolis (MSP), Seattle (SEA), Phoenix (PHX) and Orlando (MCO).
Bring some Mad Money
No matter how well you plan, traveling during the busy holiday season can be stressful. Tuck a little cash in your wallet to buy yourself a decadent snack, a cocktail or a trinket in case you find yourself stuck at the airport.
Perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to run into a real turkey at the airport this Thanksgiving Holiday. Just like these kids did at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Terminal B.
Each year, when Thanksgiving rolls around, the Transportation Security Administration team reminds travelers of the foods that are OK to put in your carry-on for the big meal. They also make a point of giving some examples of items you should put in your checked bag or let someone else contribute.
Fruit cake? Dry stuffing mix? Mini marshmallows? Pumpkin pie? Those are all fine to carry on, says TSA.
Canned pumpkin and yams? Cranberry sauce. Maple syrup? TSA says those belong in checked luggage or on the shopping list of someone who’s driving.
“Here’s some food for thought,” says TSA. “If it’s a solid item, then it can go through a checkpoint. However, if you can spill it, spread it, spray it, pump it or pour it, and it’s larger than 3.4 ounces, then it should go in a checked bag.”
Not sure if your food item is OK for carry-on? Check the TSA homepage, which has a helpful “What can I bring?” feature. Type in the item and find out if you can carry it through a checkpoint or if it should be checked. You can also tweet to @AskTSA to ask how best to travel with a specific food item.
If you are traveling over the Thanksgiving weekend, please be careful.
And keep in mind the millions of times you’ve been reminded and, more recently, begged to wash your hands, wear a mask, and keep a safe distance from others.
Those really aren’t tips. This Thanksgiving, they’re essential travel tools.
To help you remember. We’re sharing this Thanksgiving-appropriate distance measuring sticker. It comes to us courtesy of the San Jose International Airport (SJC).
Severe winter storms are already wreaking havoc with Thanksgiving travel plans across the country.
Denver International and many other airports are taking out their snowplows and de-icing gear and advising travelers to be sure to check the status of their flights before leaving home.
While we *might* feel this way about the storm, the team at DEN is ready to keep runways and roadways clear! Several flights have already been cancelled tonight and in the morning and more delays are possible, so please double check your flight status with your airline @CoWxpic.twitter.com/TpbEl1pora
Many airlines are offering fee-free flight changes, waivers on fare differences for rebooked flights and refunds left and right.
In some cases, they are encouraging passengers to switch to flights leaving a day or two early.
At 9 p.m. on the west coast, these are some of the airlines issuing travel alerts. No doubt there will be updates and more alerts by morning and over the next few days. So, if you’re scheduled to fly anytime over this holiday, be sure to check your airline’s website and sign up for alerts about your flight.
American Airlines has a travel alert for passengers scheduled to fly November 27 to/through or from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Frontier Airlines has canceled many flights through Denver and Colorado Springs, CO on Tuesday, November 26. Advisories for rebooking and refunds are on their site.
JetBlue has posted travel alerts for flights in and out of Denver International Airport on Tuesday, November 26.
Southwest Airlines is warning customers that flight schedules may be “disrupted,” as in delayed, diverted, and/or canceled on Tuesday, November 26 in Denver and on Tuesday and Wednesday, November 26 and 27 through Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Due to forecasted weather conditions, service to some cities may be disrupted through tomorrow, Tuesday, November 26. Check your flight status and explore rebooking options: https://t.co/kLvpvG0QAfpic.twitter.com/vO0uFbKSZl
United
Airlines’ winter weather alert also applies to flights in and out of Denver
on Tuesday 26.
We’ve issued a travel waiver for Denver due to anticipated winter weather. If you’re traveling 11/26, you can change your flight at no cost on our mobile app, by direct messaging us here or calling Reservations at 1-800-864-8331. Waiver: https://t.co/PyE7xsAoNPpic.twitter.com/kqowNR09Nd
Bottom line: even if the weather looks great where you are – or where you’re headed to, bad weather in other parts of the country can still disrupt your travels. Check flights, check again and, as always, pack lots of patience when you go to the airport this time of year.
As of Tuesday evening, pretty much every North American airline has a travel advisory posted on its site. International airlines with flights to and from the U.S. are likely alerting their customers to cancellations as well.
Below are links to the travel alerts, coverage dates and fee waiver policies as of Tuesday evening, November 25th for many major airlines. If you’ve got a trip planned, be sure to check the airline’s website, Facebook page or Twitter feed – and those of your airport – for the latest news.
The CDC studied five large hub U.S. airports with designated smoking areas accessible to the public (Denver International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Las Vegas’ McCarran International, Salt Lake City International, and Washington Dulles International) and also found that air pollution levels inside designated smoking areas were 23 times higher than levels in smoke-free airports. In the study, designated smoking areas in airports included restaurants, bars, and ventilated smoking rooms.
Turkey dinner in the sky and at airports
Virgin America has a holiday turkey sandwich on the buy-on-board menu
If you end up spending your Thanksgiving Day in an airport or on an airplane, you may not have to give up on Turkey Dinner.
In Florida, the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport, inside Orlando International Airport, is serving a mid-day Thanksgiving buffet and several restaurants inside Miami International Airport, including the Ice Box Café (Turkey Special with all the works, pecan pie and a glass of vino for $ 20, all week) and the Top of the Port restaurant in the Miami International Airport Hotel, are also planning to serve traditional Thanksgiving dinner.
At JFK International Airport in New York, passengers flying out of the JetBlue’s Terminal 5 (T5) will be able to load up on turkey dinner in the Food Court Hot Bar. (Price is by the weight of your plate.)
In the air, Southwest Airlines is offering passengers a complimentary alcohol drink on Thanksgiving Day, Virgin America has a holiday-style turkey sandwich on its buy-on-board menu, but no other domestic airline I contacted is making any special note of the holiday.
But several international airlines are:
Etihad Airways, Air Berlin and Singapore Air are among those offering special Thanksgiving meals to passengers flying to and from US gateways.
And many airports have their holiday entertainment schedule underway:
On Wednesday, Nov 21 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport will have a costumed character to read to children near the Red Balloon Bookshop across from Gate C12 between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. on the hour and half-hour.
At Miami International Airport, there’s a whole bunch of activities going on Wednesday Nov 21 and again on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 24th and 25th, including a caricaturist, opportunities to get your photos taken in a harvest background, craft projects for kids and giveaways.
San Francisco’s You Are Hear concert series is underway, with performers scheduled in various spots throughout the airport on Wednesday, Dec. 21.
There’s live music scheduled for several spots in Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports on Wednesday as well. Find details about those airport concerts here.
And the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which has 19 (or is it 100?) live concerts each week, has several performances scheduled for Wednesday as well.
