Category - Concessions/Retail

Charleston Int’l Sweetens Retail Lineup with Kiosk Program

Charleston County Aviation Authority
Thanks to a new specialty leasing program that debuted at Charleston International Airport (CHS) this spring, customers can now purchase a sampling of local and regional goodies and gifts at small kiosks inside the airport terminal.

Greenbrier Valley Airport Takes Over Management of Terminal Restaurant

Landings
When Greenbrier Valley Airport (LWB) opened its new restaurant last fall, the West Virginia airport raised the concessions bar for rural airfields everywhere. The menu at Landings features selections such as arepas, bolitas de mofongo and profiteroles. The refined décor includes custom wood furniture and hand-blown light fixtures. Moreover, LWB manages the restaurant itself rather than hiring an outside operator.

Airports Find Creative Ways to Purchase Luggage Carts

Acquiring and managing luggage carts can be an expensive proposition, but Lexington Blue Grass Airport (LEX) and Harrisburg International (MDT) lighten the load by rolling equipment costs into their parking contracts.

Experiential Concessions Faring Well at Portland Int’l

Portland International Airport (PDX), much like the city itself, takes pride in all things local and unique. The array of food, drinks and art throughout its five concourses communicates that pride in no uncertain terms.

McCarran Int’l Adds Walk-In Medical Clinic

McCarran Int’l Adds Walk-In Medical Clinic
McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas offers customers and employees in need of immediate medical attention a welcome respite in Terminal 1. The Code 3 Urgent Care, located before the A/B security checkpoint, is the privately owned and operated facility with three patient rooms, an on-site X-ray machine and laboratory.

Baltimore/Washington Int’l Boosts Morale With Onsite Gym, Healthy Food Options & More

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)
For more than 20 years, travelers, airport employees and the general public have enjoyed the 12.5-mile Hiker-Biker Trail that loops around the outside of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). It even includes bike rentals for just $13 per day and passes through a park with a playground.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l Adds Food Truck Alley

Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l Adds Food Truck Alley.
No matter how cold and blustery it gets this winter, passengers and employees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) will still be able to enjoy the wildly popular food truck trend that is sweeping the nation. This summer, the Twin Cities airport transformed a traditional food court in its Lindbergh Terminal into an indoor urban alleyway, complete with faux brick walls, decorative outdoor lighting and four full-size food trucks.

Halifax Stanfield Revamps Concessions Program

People outside the industry sometimes think of airports as nothing more than places for airplanes to land and take off. Halifax Stanfield (YHZ) in Nova Scotia aspires to be much more-for passengers and its community.

Customers & Airports Embrace Food-Ordering Apps

Skipping the line at airport restaurants used to be the stuff daydreams were made of-usually the daydreams of travelers with tight connections, employees on limited lunch breaks or parents with hungry kids hanging on their legs as they waited in line. Mobile apps, however, are changing the very definition of "grab-and-go."

The Chick-fil-A Craze

Five years ago, Chick-fil-A was in four U.S. airports. By the end of 2017, company officials say they'll have nearly 30 restaurants in more than 25 airports throughout the country and one at Calgary International in Alberta, Canada.

Kelowna Int'l Showcases Local Beauty & Products via Sense of Place Campaign

With planners projecting that Kelowna International (YLW) will serve 2 million passengers by 2020, the British Columbia airport is embarking on programs to prepare its facilities and customer service practices for future demand.

Honolulu Int'l Uses Taco Wagons to Bring Hot Food to Customers in Gatehold Areas

Capitalizing on a popular streetside trend, two Hawaiian airports are using small battery-powered versions of the food trucks that have taken many North American cities by storm in the last few years.

Detroit Metro Updates Food & Beverage Lineup With New Options & Gatehold Delivery

Detroit Metro Updates Food & Beverage Lineup With New Options & Gatehold Delivery
Visitors at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) might not leave the McNamara Terminal if it's up to their taste buds. Earlier this year, the airport launched an entirely new lineup of food and beverage offerings that includes farm-to-table freshness and an updated combination of local and national options. In addition, the terminal also features delivery service in two gatehold areas, Motown-flavored live music and a lush green wall.

Eppley Airfield Sculpts New Retail Opportunity with Interactive Art Gallery

Eppley Airfield (OMA) in Omaha, NE, put its outside-the-box thinking on full display when it opened an interactive art gallery in late April. In addition to selling pieces by regional artists, the new concession features live demonstrations of select artists creating their work-a strategy that is engaging airport visitors and boosting retail sales.

O'Hare Concessionaire Leverages Farm-to-Table Food Trend

Operators of Green Market, a new grab-and-go concession at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, knew they had a winner even before it opened in March. They trusted the appeal of their concept: healthy foods purchased from local vendors. What they didn't know was how quickly and enthusiastically airport visitors would embrace the current trend.

San Francisco Int'l Launches Pilot of Paid Concierge Service

As international traffic increases and upscale overseas airlines begin to extend their first-class service beyond the cabin doors, San Francisco International Airport has taken notice-and action. In March, it launched the one-year pilot of a paid concierge service for passengers traveling on any airline, in any class of service.

Miami Int'l "Walks the Walk" with Passengers Through Security

Each year, airports spend millions of dollars improving the passenger experience. But despite luxury lounges, gourmet restaurants and high-end retail stores, many still share a common Achilles' heel: security checkpoints. Passenger grumbling has grown noticeably louder at facilities where traffic volume continues to rise and TSA staffing levels remain unchanged due to budget constraints.

Minneapolis-St. Paul Int’l Offers Passengers a New Place to Escape

All story photos © 2016 Dana Wheelock
With huge windows and plenty of open space, the mezzanine in Terminal 1 provides the best airfield views at Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP). And until recently, 5,000 square feet of the prime airport real estate was used for storage. That’s right, storage. Late last year, however, MSP began leveraging its second-story asset to create a new “luxury amenity.” It now leases the mezzanine space to MAG USA for an upscale common-use passenger lounge. MAG USA is the U.S. subsidiary of U.K.-based Manchester Airport Group, which owns and operates four British airports, including Manchester Airport and London Stansted Airport.

Indoor Golf Concession is Par for the Course at Minneapolis-St. Paul Int'l

"Airports are more than simply points of departure and arrival. They are complex businesses in their own right," said Angela Gittens, director general of Airports Council International World, at this year's Airport Service Quality Awards ceremony.

Zipcar Expands Further Into Airport Market

As the debate rages on about ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft operating at U.S. airports, another alternative ground transportation method is quietly spreading throughout the industry: car-sharing services.

Manchester Regional Stresses Local Products at Main Restaurant

Some travelers rate airport food only a small step above in-flight airline food. Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT) in New Hampshire is doing its best to change that perception by upgrading its main sit-down restaurant.

Airports Leverage Existing Wi-Fi Networks With Free Downloadable Books for Passengers

Walk down the aisle of any flight lasting more than an hour, and you can probably guess what titles are topping the New York Times best-seller list with surprising accuracy. Airline passengers are highly vested in reading; and so are the airports they pass through.

High-End Pet Resort at Denver Int'l Provides Convenience for Travelers, Boosts Non-Airline Revenue

Things are going to the dogs (and cats) at Denver International Airport (DEN), and passengers - as well as airport officials - couldn't be happier.

Southwest Florida Int'l Opens Onsite Travel Plaza

When Southwest Florida International (RSW) opened a 24-hour gas station/convenience store last summer, it became the first airport in the state to offer a turnpike-style travel plaza. Strategically located between RSW's entrance and exit roads, the facility sits on land that Lee County Port Authority set aside for that very purpose when it modernized the Fort Meyers airport with a new terminal that opened in 2005.

Winnipeg Int'l Adds Common-Use Lounge

Winnipeg Richardson International Airport (YWG) is partnering with Plaza Premium Lounge to add a common-use lounge to its lineup of customer services. Scheduled to open in April, the 3,200-square-foot facility is the Manitoba airport's first lounge without a specific airline affiliation.

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2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement

Giving back to the community is central to what Charlotte Douglas International Airport and its operator, the City of Charlotte Aviation Department, is about, and last year was no different. 

Throughout 2022, while recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, we continued our efforts to have a positive impact on the Charlotte community. Of particular note, we spent the year sharing stories of how Connections Don't Just Happen at the Terminal - from creating homeownership and employment opportunities to supporting economic growth through small-business development and offering outreach programs to help residents understand the Airport better.

This whitepaper highlights the construction projects, initiatives, programs and events that validate Charlotte Douglas as a premier airport.

Download the whitepaper: 2022 Charlotte Douglas International Airport Report of Achievement.

 

 

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