What happens to all that stuff people “voluntarily surrender” at the airport checkpoints or leave behind in the airport?
At Vancouver International Airport, all that stuff ends up at the thrift store operated by the Airport Chaplaincy. Need a belt? Good chance you’ll one there.
As a newly-minted hockey fan (See: How I became a hockey fan at YVR airport) I, of course, needed some Vancouver Canucks paraphernalia.
Lucky for me there was plenty of it at the Vancouver International Airport.
Now, let’s just hope the Vancouver Canucks win the Stanley Cup so I have some reason to use these.
Each Sunday here at StuckatTheAirport.com is Souvenir Sunday – the day we look at fun, inexpensive and somewhat offbeat items you can pick up at the airport.
This week’s treats come from Vancouver International Airport.
I found this cute pink octopus at the airport’s Vancouver Aquarium shop:
A souvenir shop offered up these cute moose Mounties –
But my pick for Souvenir Sunday this week are these corny Bear Breath Mints:
Do you poke around the shops when you’re stuck at the airport? If you find something fun, inexpensive (around $10), and “of” the city or region, please snap a photo and send it along.
If your souvenir is featured on Souvenir Sunday, I’ll send you a fun air travel-related gift.
Spas, saunas, swimming pools, giant slides and sunflowers. That could be a list of swanky amenities to look for at upscale resorts or hotels. But it’s actually a sampling of some of the Posh Airport Amenities I featured in a slide show for Bing Travel.
Here’s a sample.
Travelers at Vancouver International Airport can take care of dry cleaning, shoe-repair and medical/dental services during a layover in the terminal. But those heading home from a fishing trip with a 100 pound halibut in tow can seek out the services of the Fish Valet and the special “visiting fish” freezer at the on-site Fairmont Vancouver Hotel.
There’s a putting green in the terminal at Florida’s Palm Beach International Airport, but the USGA-approved, nine-hole Sky City Nine Eagles Golf Course adjacent to Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 out-poshes that. Nine Eagles has a Thai restaurant, club house, putting greens, and plenty of night golfing opportunities. Soon Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport will have a golf course next door too.
When it comes to posh airport bars, GateGuru data analyst Zachary Einzig gives high marks to the Encounter Restaurant, perched on top of the recently-restored Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Inside, the Encounter’s space-age décor is something the Jetsons would appreciate. Outside, the views of the airfield are out of this world.
There are more… check back to find out which airports offer libraries, saunas, exotic gardens, bike rentals, museums, breweries, make-your-own sundae machines, and weekly tributes to Frank Sinatra.
Have a favorite posh airport amenity? Please add your comment below.
In my msnbc.com column this week –Fresh airport amenities make the wait fly by – I offered a run-down of some of the programs and services air travelers can take advantage of this summer.
One amenity that didn’t make it into the story is self-service ice-cream sundae machine at Boston Logan International Airport.
We all scream for ice-cream at the airport
Using a touchscreen, customers choose a flavor (12 are available) and a mix-in. The machine then prepares and delivers the dessert. Boston Logan Airport has two MooBella machines installed: one is at Terminal C at the Back Bay Café (Gates 11-21); the other is at Lean & Green (Gates 40-42).
If you test it out, please send a report – and a photo.
What else is fresh and new at airports this summer?
Mimes among the entertainment at PHL this summer
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) now has free wireless and a Passenger Chillin’ Zone with sofas, tables, chairs, ottomans and foliage (Gate D-3). Throughout the summer, PHL is also hosting a Just Plane Fun program with live music, appearances by mascots from local sports teams, contests and other activities.
From now through the end of August, Miami International Airport is throwing weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) parties with a different theme each week. This weekend’s theme is Havana Nights, with domino tables, mojito demonstrations, a DJ, rumba dancing and cigar rolling. August 20-23 you’ll find a flamenco dance show, Latin food sampling and more.
Observation Deck at LAX now open on weekends
At Los Angeles International Airport, the outdoor observation deck on top of the Theme Building in the center of the airport is finally open. Closed since 9/11, and during the building’s $12.3 million renovation and earthquake retrofit, the deck is open weekends, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with free telescopes offering great views of arriving and departing aircraft, the airport grounds and the surrounding area. Pink’s, an iconic Hollywood hot dog stand, has also opened a branch in the Tom Bradley International Terminal.
At Outagamie County Regional Airport (ATW) in Appleton, Wisconsin, they’re still lining up to get candy from the giant purple machine with flashing lights.
Willy Wonka candy machine dispenses mixed candy treats
Located pre-security, the Willy Wonka candy machine is one of 25 such machines in the country (there’s one at the Mall of America) and is currently the only one at an airport.
Passengers had so much fun during the special events held at Vancouver International Airport during the 2010 Winter Olympics games that the airport decided to host Take-off Fridays festivals all summer, complete with face painting, DJs spinning music, prize drawings, meal specials and frees samples from a variety of airport shops.
And San Francisco International Airport is presenting You are Hear concerts again this summer. Performances take place every Friday through August 28th between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at three different stages in the airport. This week the line-up includes Quinteto Latino in the International Terminal, Lavay Smith & The Red Hot Skillet Lickers in the United hub and, in Terminal 1, Threeocracy. See the SFO website for the full season schedule.
Enjoy!
If you have a choice about when to travel to or through Vancouver International Airport (YVR) this summer, choose a Friday.
YVR is entertaining pretty much anytime, but this summer, the airport is throwing Take Off Friday parties with face painting, DJ’s, and free treats and samples from airport shops such as Daniel Le Chocolate Belge and the Absolute Spa. You can also enter a sweepstakes to win weekly prizes such as a tour of the airport or a night at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, where many of the (very soundproof) rooms have great views of the airfield.
The party takes place each Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. through the end of August in the Departures Level of the Domestic Terminal.
While you’re there, be sure to check out YVR’s free, pre-security observation area and all the great art.
(YVR photos courtesy Vancouver International Airport)
And if you’re at Tucson International Airport (TUS) any time before September 30th, 2010, make your way to the Center Gallery to see Peter Kresan’s photographs.
Kresan specializes in nature, desert landscapes, national parks and monuments, with special attention to geological features. The work on display features Arizona locations, including images of Sonoran desert wildflowers, Mexican poppies and the Sacred Datura flowers at the Grand Canyon.
Chock stone in the Dive of the Buckskin Gulch. Paria Canyon, Northern Arizona.
An aerial view of Monument Valley in northeastern Arizona
and on the border with Utah. Most of Monument Valley is in Arizona and is part of the Navajo Reservation.
Thanks, Peter, for sharing your photos.
Talk about planning ahead. The Vancouver 2010 Winter Games haven’t even started, but months ago officials at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) started making plans for the day the games end.
It makes sense. During the games, athletes and fans will come and go. So there will be crowds at the airport, but it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.
But once the closing ceremonies take place, everyone will be ready to clear out. And on the day after the games end, YVR expects to have its biggest traffic day ever.
But the airport is ready. Officials know everyone will be so anxious about the crowds at the airport that they’re going to try to arrive extra early. So early that they may end up hanging around the airport for hours. And that will muck up the works.
So in an attempt to keep folks with early hotel check-out times but late afternoon or evening flights from showing up at the airport too early, the airport has asked all area hotels to offer late check-out on the day after the closing ceremonies.
They’re also asking the hotels to place this sign on everyone’s door.
Will it help? We’ll find out soon enough.
But city-wide late check-out on the day after a big event? Now that’s a great idea.
The opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics are just around the corner, and final details are hurriedly being worked out and set in place in downtown Vancouver, up at Whistler and at various venues and attractions throughout the region.
It’s particularly exciting out at the airport.
Vancouver International Airport will be the first stop for more than 230,000 Olympics-bound athletes, officials, coaches, support teams and out-of-town visitors, and it is taking its role as the city’s front door very seriously.
Vancouver International Airport officials have been traveling to other Games to get a first-hand view of how airports handled the onslaught of athletes and spectators. And the airport prep team has gathered tips and advice from airport officials in Sydney, Salt Lake City, Athens and other cities that have hosted previous Olympics events.
Find out what Vancouver Airport learned about selling souvenirs, security, and how to handle the biggest Olympics travel day – the day after the closing ceremonies, when everyone tries to go home – in my column Vancouver Airport puts on its Games Face, on MSNBC.com.
The Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics kick off in just a few weeks and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is getting ready to welcome more than 230,000 athletes and Olympics-bound visitors. Actually, the airport has been sprucing up for quite a while. In addition to its swanky new Observation Gallery, the airport has had these giant Olympic rings on site since last spring. 
The installation is almost 46 feet tall, weighs more than 9,000 pounds and has 20,385 individual LED lights. Here’s a video that shows the installation process and some of the colored-patterns that can light up the sky.
In other shiny news, the folks at Air New Zealand unveiled their “Skycouch” today. It’s a specially designed row of three seats that can transform into a flat space suitable for stretching out and sleeping. That is of course, if you’re not too tall, you don’t mind snuggling up with your seatmate, and you have purchased the entire row. (The airline says it will sell you third seat at a discount if you’ve purchased the other two).
(Photo courtesy Air New Zealand)
Twenty-two sets of Skycouch seats will be available on Air New Zealand’s new Boeing 777-300 ER planes, which will arrive in November.
And since this is the airline that sponsored a recent Matchmaking flight and created an adorable “nearly naked” commercial and safety video, I fully expect the airline to offer a program to find travelers the perfect snuggle-mate for these flights.
Otherwise- why bother?
Along with the Skycouch and other new amenities, the airline also introduced upgrades for the Premium Economy cabin, including the cool-looking “Spaceseats” you can see in the airline’s promo video.
So what do you think? “Groundbreaking” or just really darn cool?
In February, Vancouver, B.C. will host the 2010 Winter Olympics Games and, as you might expect, everyone up there is pretty gosh darn excited.
That includes the folks at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). During the course of the winter games, the airport expects to host about 230,000 Olympics-bound passengers. On March 1, the day after the closing ceremonies – the airport expects a record 30,000 people to pass through the airport on their way home.
A lot of those travelers will be looking to take home an Olympics souvenir. And the airport has made sure visitors won’t be disappointed: all sorts of Olympics-related items are for sale right there in the terminals.
In fact, the airport’s official Olympics souvenir shops have been open for about a year.
Our souvenir budget here at Stuck at the Airport is pretty slim. So we’re always on the look-out for items that are $10 or below. This week, we had plenty to choose from.
The most popular Olympics souvenirs are pins. There are pins for pretty much everything, and pin-trading has been elevated to an unofficial sport. So the airport has set aside a special area inside the terminal where travelers can gather to trade.
Clothing, toys, accessories, wallets, pens, etc.: anything with one of the Olympics mascots on it seems to be popular.
Including this cute cold pack, which would come in handy in case of a sports injury.
But, so far, the most popular and hard-to-keep-in-stock 2010 Vancouver Olympics items are these red mittens.
More than million have been sold already and every time a new batch hits the stores, they’re snapped up in moments. Proceeds from mitten sales go toward supporting Canadian athletes. And at $10 a pair, they’re our pick for Souvenir Sunday.
Have you found a great souvenir while you were stuck at the airport? If it’s under $10, “of” the city or region and, ideally, a bit offbeat, please snap a photo and send it along.
Your souvenir may be featured on a future Souvenir Sunday!