Skating rink, zoo and free beer: how to have fun at the airports during the holidays

The season of intense tourist trips begins: the airports are about to be packed with worried, restless travelers, worried about reaching their destination and catching the table with a festive turkey.

Фото: Depositphotos

Add to this a map of bad weather and flight delays, and it turns out that an experience of relaxing at the airport might be worthwhile. History repeats itself every year, but this year it could get even worse, as the Transportation Security Administration and the airline trade association Airlines for America expect a record number of passengers at airports and in the sky, writes USA Today.

The TSA plans to test more than 26,8 million passengers and crew from November 22 to December 2, which is 4% more than last year. Airlines for America expects US airlines to carry more than 31,6 million passengers in the same 12 day period.

Airlines, TSA and airports, according to their representatives, are ready for the load to help passengers travel as freely as possible. In addition, over the past few months, airports have developed new amenities and services that should alleviate stress during the travel season. Here's how to entertain yourself and cheer up at US airports (and more).

Skating at Denver International Airport

The Denver Airport opened its free skating rink for the fourth season on November 22. The skating rink is located in the pre-security area at DEN Plaza between the airport terminal and the Westin Hotel. Skate rental is also free. The skating rink is open from 9:00 to 21:00 every day until January 20, 2020. As a bonus, they offer hot chocolate, hot cider and a variety of winter activities including live entertainment on Friday afternoons.

Rink at JFK Airport

The TWA Hotel, across the street from the JetBlue terminal at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, will also have an ice skating rink. The Runway Rink opens November 30th. It is located next to the cocktail lounge at the 1958 Lockheed Constellation Connie Hotel.

Entrance will cost 15 dollars for adults and 10 dollars for children under 12 years. Skate rental will be 10 dollars (or 8 for children up to 12 years. Hours: Monday to Thursday from 16: 00 to 21: 00, Friday from 16: 00 to 22: 00, on Saturday and Sunday from 10: 00 to 22: 00.

Visit the festive market in Munich

If you find yourself at Germany's Munich International Airport this holiday season, you can enjoy free ice skating and curling. 21 years ago, the large covered outdoor space between Terminals 1 and 2 at Munich Airport was transformed into a winter wonderland - complete with a winter market, 45 holiday trees, live music, entertainment for children and adults, a pine forest and a free ice skating rink. Skates can be rented for a small fee.

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Get Free Beer at Denver International Airport

Colorado has a reliable brewing experience, and there are many places to order local or regional beer at Denver International Airport (DEN). There is even a beer passport at the airport that you can use to get a free pint.

Here's how it works. Pick up a Beer Passport at the airport information kiosk or one of four participating airport breweries, which include Tivoli Brewery (pre-security area at Tom's Urban); Breckenridge Brewery (Concourse A, Gate A71); New Belgium Brewery (Hall B, Gate B30); Great Divide Brewing Company (Concourse C; gate C32). Order a beer at each of the four pubs and be sure to have your passport stamped when ordering.

Фото: Depositphotos

Print a free story

The list of airports where travelers in a hurry can get a free short story is growing. In October, both Oakland International Airport (OAK) and Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) in Madison, Wisconsin, installed story dispensers in their terminals. Short Edition dispensers are kiosks that invite curious readers to press a button and receive a story they can read in 1, 3 or 5 minutes.

Stories are printed on environmentally friendly paper, and it is possible to order stories for children. You will also find kiosks at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL); Akron Canton Ohio Airport (CAK), Lansing, Michigan (LAN) International Airport, Canadian Edmonton International Airport (YEG), and several French airports, including Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Play with the cat before flying

More than 70 airports across the country offer programs that invite certified animal therapists and their owners to terminals to communicate with them and help them relieve stress. Dogs make up the majority of the animal team members, but there are a few exceptions, including the 11-year-old Stitchez cat, which recently joined the Animal Ambassador program at Minneapolis / St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

The Denver International Airport's CATS program (Canine Airport Therapy Squad) includes 100 dogs and a cat named Xeli. LiLow Pig is an official member of Airport's Wag Brigade at the San Francisco International Airport. And miniature therapeutic horses from Seven Oaks Farm sometimes visit the Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG).

Visit the zoo without leaving the airport

Wild animals await visitors at Philadelphia International Airport. Many airports have programs that bring dogs, cats, and sometimes pigs or miniature horses to the terminals; at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), some of the animals come from the zoo.

PHL Airport has partnered with the Philadelphia Zoo as part of its monthly program to bring exotic mammals and birds to the airport to communicate with travelers. The three-lane battleship Camilla, the Shenandoah hawk with red feathers, the Machu and Picchu golden macaws are among the inhabitants of the zoo that have appeared in recent months. New visitors to the zoo are scheduled for November 26 and December 17 from 13: 00 to 15: 00 in the food court of the BC terminal.

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Go beyond the TSA to greet friends and family

At first, this sounds illogical: why does someone who does not fly want to go through a checkpoint. To just spend time at the airport? But this can be a real bonus if you want to have a snack or a drink with a friend or family member, accompany them to their gate or greet them when they leave the plane. In the festive season (until 5 January), the Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) is testing the DTW Destination Pass program.

The program invites welcoming and mourning guests to apply for daily passes to visit the airport. Passes are issued for both DTW terminals from Tuesday to Sunday from 8: 00 to 20: 00. Two other airports, Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) and Tampa International Airport (TPA), have permanent pass programs. And officials at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans (MSY) promise that an 7 pass program will be introduced in the coming weeks for the brand new MSY terminal.

Arrive in Boston by boat and pass TSA without waiting in line

Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) is serious about its commitment to reduce congestion and encourage passengers not to go to the airport. Their latest incentive is as creative as unusual and fun.

Passengers boarding a ferry operated by MBTA or a commercial water taxi to the Logan Jetty at the Logan Airport get an orange pass ticket when they transfer to a free shuttle from Logan Airport from the dock to the terminals. Passengers can pass this orange badge to a checkpoint officer to gain priority access to the front of the queue.

The MBTA ferry and water taxi operate year-round and serve Boston's waterfront, as well as the nearby communities of Hingham and Hull.

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