Airport Experience® News - Conference Issue 2025

BEFORE YOU TAKE OFF

IF ONLY IT WERE SO Airport Pranks Reveal Tantalizing (But Fictional) Amenities

BY SARAH BELING

Left: Riverboats, gondolas and “travel tubes” are among the in-airport transport options envisioned by playful airport social media teams.

to take a “Sky Lift” gondola lift over 175 acres of blooming plants to reach the airport. Some airports tested the limits of feasibility, mixing urban legend into more typical news announcements. Tampa International Airport (TPA) sought the public’s help in locating a very special member of the airport family: “Breaking News: Our Giant Flamingo Is On The Loose,” a notice on the airport’s social media platforms read, noting that said giant flamingo Phoebe “escaped her enclosure at 8:47 AM and has been spotted throughout the Tampa Bay area,” adding that “Flamingo recovery efforts are underway” and imploring travelers to repost Phoebe sightings. Travelers were more than happy to help in the search for Phoebe, too, recounting sightings of the bird everywhere from the local news station to the drive-through booth. And over at Miami International Airport (MIA), the social media team took things in a decidedly more…extraterrestrial direction. “Breaking News,” the airport announced last April, “We have declassified security camera images of the incident on New Year’s Day around Miami” alongside a grainy photo of a potential Martian patrolling the parking garage. And while there don’t appear to have been further sightings of outer-space visitors, the airport insisted, “#TheTruthIsOutThere.” Wondering what kind of pranks will make their way down the runway this April Fools’ Day? Given that many of our readers will be attending AXC’s annual conference on April 1, 2025, there will be plenty of opportunity for real-time monitoring. Here’s hoping for a giant flamingo sighting!

onstruction alerts. New concessions openings. Alien sightings?! Those who regularly check

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airport social media accounts are in for a surprise on April 1, when many airports put their own spin on traditional April Fools’ Day pranks. While airport communications generally favor the straightforward rather than the whimsical, the rise of quirky, interactive social media brand copy has fueled a distinct uptick in airports joining in on the fun. Some, like Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), go for a bold visual approach. Last April, the airport “announced” a River Tunnel art installation promising passengers “Disneyesque-type boats” replacing walkways between Concourses A and B, complete with paddles “for passengers who want to row their own boats” and a marine-themed playlist featuring songs like “Cry Me a River,” “River of Dreams,” and “Moon River.” Reception was, perhaps predictably, quite mixed, with some travelers responding “I hope you’re not in a hurry to catch your connection” and others sighing, “Gosh I wish this were real.” Other airports have promised not-yet invented high-tech amenities as part of their April Fools’ pranks. Denver International Airport (DEN) “launched” a combination at-home-TSA-screening-and-ride-service called Screen&Ride that they touted as

“America’s FIRST driveway to runway service.” The airport even went as far as to include pricing for the faux-service, quoting travelers $99 per-person in shared rides and $199 for individual rides (while steep, the fee does include complimentary snacks). Travelers were willing to shell out, however, with passengers commenting “100% wish this was real” and “take my money.” Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) took things even further, offering travelers a “new human pneumatic tube system, allowing you to pre-check in the Ticketing Hall and then whiz straight to the gate” in 30 seconds or less through their fictional Travel Tubes. “I say build it,” noted one time-starved traveler. Norfolk International Airport (ORF) opted for a more leisurely approach, launching a fictional partnership with the Norfolk Botanical Garden that would allow travelers

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AX NEWS MARCH 2025