We hope your day is filled with flights of fancy. And, of course, chocolate and flowers.
Sadly, this is the first Valentine’s Day in 10 years that Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) won’t have its ambassadors out in the terminal giving carnations to traveling lovebirds.
“Our ambassador program is currently suspended but we hope to get them back soon. There is hope for Mother’s Day,” says airport spokesman Bryan Long.
And this year concerns about COVID-19 meant there was no marriage license pop-up desk at McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas.
The culprit? COVID-19.
But many airports did celebrate Valentine’s Day in their own way.
Passengers traveling through #PHLAirport today at 11:30 am can get their #ValentinesDay celebration off to a “ZOOM-ing” start with a virtual demonstration in the B/C Connector by Phila. artist @caroleloeffler. Guests can also take one of Carole’s special heartFelt giveaways. pic.twitter.com/oC7oxX4i2s
Even during a pandemic, airports are places for ❤️. For #ValentinesDay, we’re remembering past hugs, proposals and happy reunions. Be kind, celebrate safely, and we can’t wait for more of these loving scenes at PIT. pic.twitter.com/kG5Szo692f
Giving – or hoping to get – Valentine’s Day flowers this year?
If so, it’s a good bet those Valentine’s Day flowers are making their way to the USA via Miami International Airport (MIA).
Around this time of year, MIA reminds us that 89 percent of all U.S. flower imports that arrive by air come through the Miami hub.
In 2019, that represented 240,162 tons of flowers valued at $1.1 billion.
In 2020, the peak season from January 1 to February 15 alone brought 1.1 billion stems through MIA. And, despite the pandemic, MIA expects a similar number of flowers to make their way here this year.
The flowers don’t just land and head off to florists. The agricultural specialist at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspect the flowers on arrival for pests.
Here are some more photos MIA shared of those specialists at work.
If you’re flying somewhere on Valentine’s Day, we hope it’s on a flight that wings you to your sweetheart.
If not, take heart from some of the efforts airports and airlines will
be offering throughout the day.
All Nippon Airways (ANA) will be giving out complimentary chocolates to passengers from world-renowned chocolatiers.
Southwest Airlines will be serving a free alcoholic drink for passengers 21 years older on Valentine’s Day and dishing out “surprise and delight” treats throughout the day.
Phoenix Sky Harbor and many airports around the country will be pressing their therapy dogs into service on Valentine’s Day.
Los Angeles International Airport’s (LAX) Pets Unstressing Passengers Program (PUP) and Southwest Airlines will team up for the annual “Flying Kisses” event on Friday, February 14 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Terminal 1, post-security.
Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) will be handing out boxes of Conversation Hearts on Valentine’s Day, along with airplane-themed valentines. Tampa International Airport (TPA), will be handing out blank Valentine’s Day cards as well.
To accommodate all the lovebirds that fly to Las Vegas to get married around Valentine’s Day, Nevada’s Clark County clerk’s office has a pop-up marriage license office in the Terminal 1 bag claim at McCarran International Airport (LAS) open through the end of the month. Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.
And Amtrak is having a buy-one-get-one-free sale in honor of Valentine’s Day from Thursday, February 13 through Monday, February 17. Customers can buy one coach ticket and get the second free for nationwide travel between March 9 and August 30, 2020, with no blackout dates. Use the code V214 at the Amtrak site.
Just for Valentine’s Day, Alaska Airlines is offering a ‘Fly One, Get One’ deal.
Here are the details: This is a one day fare sale on February 14, 2019.
Buy one ticket, get a second one for just the taxes and fees for trips between the city pairs below. Travel dates: February 14 to March 14, 2019 – with no blackout dates.
Use this code: COAST2COAST – as many times as you’d like
Whether you’re winging your way to a sweetheart or on your way to a boring business meeting on Valentine’s Day, airports and airlines have some treats on tap to sweeten the journey.
Marriage licenses at the Las
Vegas Airport
To
accommodate all the lovebirds who want to get married in Las Vegas
around Valentine’s Day, the Clark
County clerk’s office will once again set up a temporary office
February 13-16 in the baggage claim area of Terminal 1 at McCarran
International Airport.
Couples who fill out a marriage license pre-application online receive
a reference number to present (with $77 and proper identification) at the
airport pop-up clerk’s office after their flight. From their it’s an easy trip into town for a
marriage ceremony presided over by Elvis or some other “only in Vegas”
officiator.
Kissing Booths,
free chocolates and live music
At Asheville Regional Airport (AVL) in North Carolina, pups from the Paws for Passengers team of therapy pets will staff a “Smooches from Pooches” kissing booth in the terminal and out at by the gates. Travelers can get stop by to get pictures taken with one of the
therapy dogs and pick up Valentine’s-themed (people) treats and other
giveaways.
Traveling through CAK is easier than making a last minute Valentine's Day dinner reservation! 💕 Make sure to grab a sweet treat after ya pass through TSA tomorrow. #CAKisEasierThanpic.twitter.com/guockw66Vp
Austin-Bergstrom International
Airport passengers are invited to play
Valentine’s Day Plinko and the “Snag A Valentine” game in various spots in the
terminal on Valentine’s Day to win cookies and candy prizes. Random passengers
seated in gate areas will also be surprised with gifts of heart-shaped box of
chocolates or oversized Hershey Kisses.
As part of its 1000
Acts of Kindness Campaign, on Valentine’s Day airport food service
company HMSHost will set up its “Share Your Love” message board at George Bush
Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
Travelers may pick up “Act of Kindness” cards with directions for performing
“kindness missions” such as giving a rose to an airport employee or buying a
coffee or meal for another traveler. HMSHost will provide the item needed (i.e.
a rose or a gift voucher) for each traveler to carry out the assigned task. In
addition, passengers who add cards to the message board will receive a premium
dark chocolate bar and Valentine’s Day card, plus a 15 percent discount offer
at participating HMSHost dining locations.
Songs of love and free cards
Passengers
at Fresno Yosemite International Airport in California will receive sweet treats
throughout Valentine’s Day and be serenaded by master violinist Patrick
Contreras.
At Chicago’s
O’Hare International Airport, Sarah’s Candies will be sampling Godiva Chocolates between
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Valentine’s Day and, at Chicago Midway Airport there will
be live entertainment (a Tiny Suitcase Concert), plus free Valentine’s Day cards
(“Love From Chicago”) distributed to passengers during the midday.
From February 12 to 14, London Heathrow Airport will be
celebrating Valentine’s Day with live music, a roving caricaturist to sketch
travelers and Valentine’s Day card-making stations in all terminals.
Travelers doing last-minute Valentine’s Day shopping will find complimentary
treats and special deals on jewelry, gourmet chocolates and other gifts in airport
shops in Baltimore, Phoenix, Chicago and elsewhere.
At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport,
for example, several
shops will be offering Valentine’s Day samples of “Unreal” Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupsand Tammie
Coe Cakes (in Terminal 4 near Gate A25) will be gifting customers
heart-shaped versions of its Famous Sugar Cookies with every purchase.
If you’re traveling through BNA tomorrow, don’t forget your chapstick! 😘
The BNA Kissing Booth will be set up at the A/B Foodcourt at 11 a.m. tomorrow with (Hersey) kisses and lots of other goodies. ❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/iofm9fiyVS
At Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, staff will be handing out Valentine cards individually signed by airport employees, sweet Valentine treats and a souvenir magnet.
Blind dates on can be awkward, but blind date books are always a good idea–especially on #ValentinesDay! If you are traveling through O'Hare on Feb.14, swing by local #Chicago favorite @barbarasbooks in T3 (Gate H4) to purchase a wrapped book–maybe you'll fall in love! pic.twitter.com/8DwKTPFfsd
In the air: free drinks, free
chocolates and, maybe, a free flight
As is its tradition, Southwest Airlines, whose stock
ticker code is LUV, will serves customers 21 years of age and over one free
premium drink (beer, wine, cocktail) during Valentine’s Day flights.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) plans to
give out 150,000 complimentary chocolates to passengers on Valentine’s Day. First
and Business Class travelers on America, Europe and India routes will receive “Orangette”
chocolate from chocolatier Pierre Hermé Paris, while domestic and international passengers
traveling in all classes will receive chocolates from Japan’s Meiji THE Chocolate.
And, if you or your traveling companion is named Valentine, WOW air wants to give
you a free flight to Iceland from Boston (BOS), Baltimore (BWI), Newark (EWR)
or Detroit (DTW).
The offer is good on roundtrip bookings for two passengers through February 14 for travel February 10 to 19, 2019. Passengers who mail Wow air post-flight proof of being named Valentine will be eligible for reimbursement of the outbound portion of their flight. Read the terms and conditions carefully before breaking out the champagne.
Virgin Atlantic clearly has something up its sleeve for Valentine’s Day –
Roses are red Virgin Atlantic is too Come back here tomorrow We have something for you pic.twitter.com/P2V3HAspV8
Emirates has stocked its first and business-class lounges with decadent Valentine’s Day treats for travelers and is offering a companion fare sale through February 17 for travel from Februrary 21 through April 14, 2019 from 12 US gateways.
And for those who would rather take their sweetheart on a train instead of the plane, look for a special sweetheart deal from Amtrak to post on Valentine’s Day.
