FIFA World Cup kick-off is this week. Are you ready?

Soccer fan or not, the FIFA World Cup games may affect your travel to and through cities this summer.

We’ll be keeping track of what’s up at many airports in and around many cities hosting games.

Here are a few messages from airports to get us started.

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The Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. has been undergoing a renovation that began in 2018 and includes the redesign of all 20 galleries, plus a wide range of building repairs and improvements to the buildling.

Most of the gallery work has been completed.

Five of the seven galleries yet to open are scheduled to have their debut on July 1, 2026, with the final two renovated galleries set to open this fall.

The July 1 date for the opening of five new galleries is notable. The date coincides with the 50th anniversary of the day the museum first opened to the public on July 1, 1976, during the country’s bicentennial and is just in time to help the country mark its 250th birthday (Semiquincentennial) on July 4, 2026.

The five new galleries opening at the National Air & Space Museum

The five new galleries at the National Air & Space Museum will bring back favorites such as the full-scale mockup of the Hubble Space Telescope and introduce many new items.

Galleries opening July 1 at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum include:

Flight and the Arts Center

Jay I. Kislak World War II in the Air

U.S. National Science Foundation Discovering Our Universe

RTX Living in the Space Age

Textron How Things Fly

(Credit: Robert Rauschenberg Foundation)

We’re looking forward to visiting the Flight and Arts Center to see selections from the museum’s collection of more than 7,000 artworks reflecting the history of aviation and spaceflight.

The Art of Air and Space will feature a temporary exhibition of works by Robert Rauschenberg as well as more than 75 works from the Museum’s art collection, ranging from Old Master Francisco Goya to avant-garde artists such as the Surrealist Man Ray.

Artist: Charles Bell. From the museum’s Stuart M. Speiser Photorealist Collection

All images courtesy of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

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Alaska Airlines debuts a new ‘wow’ lounge at Portland Int’l Airport

There are a million reasons to love Portland International Airport (PDX). And now there’s one more.

Alaska Airlines, which serves its Portland hub with more than 100 daily departures, officially opens its new PDX lounge on Thursday, June 4.

The approximately 14,000-square-foot lounge is twice the size of the previous Alaska Airlines lounge at PDX and has a decidedly Pacific Northwest aesthetic, with a fireplace, great views of the terminal and more than 230 seats, including Alaska’s Signature Loungers.

Lounge amenities include regionally inspired food and the ever-popular pancake machines, barista-crafted beverages and cocktails from West Coast partners and privacy booths for calls and meetings.

We hope to get a first-hand look later this month when we head to PDX for the opening of Straightaway Cocktails’ new bar in the airport’s B Gates.

Alaska Airlines spent nearly $18 million on its Portland Lounge and will open a swankier and much larger (41,000-square-feet) landmark lounge at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in 2027. The carrier also plans to open its first Lounge in San Diego (SAN) and a new, expanded Lounge in Honolulu (HNL) in 2028.

Soccer celebrations at SEA and MIA airports

Seattle is hosting 6 World Cup FIFA matches, starting June 15 and on Wednesday Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) kicked off its ‘summer of soccer’ with a pep rally featuring drum and cheer performances, a soccer freestyle juggler, an appearance by Jett the SEA Otter mascot, and givewaways of airport and soccer swag.

In addition to opening its new Concourse C expansion any moment now, SEA will welcome soccer fans during and after the games with:

• Temporary themed banners, decals, and digital signage in the International Arrivals Hall, gate areas, entrances, Link light rail walkway, and more
• A Big Screen Spectator Zone in Central Terminal, where you can catch every match
• Sports-themed games at a specialty Game Zone in N Concourse
• A virtual reality soccer experience near Gates A8/A9
• Photo opportunities in A Concourse, including specialty Juneteenth SEA letters
• Official merch options throughout the terminal at Hudson, Emerald City Market, and FIFA vending machines
• Live music performances
• And a roving cart with swag and goodies

Miami International Airport debuts a soccer themed exhibitions

(Image courtesy Miami International Airport)

Miami will be hosting seven world cup matches and Miami International Airport (MIA) has debuted a new sports-themed art exhibition, titled Beyond the Pitch: Artists in Their Field at the Gate D31 Gallery.

The exhibition is on view through August 10 and highlights soccer as a connector that bridges generations, languages, and cultures.

MIA Airport is also hosting a new soccer-inspired exhibit in The Children’s Gallery.

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London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year and is rolling out a variety of celebratory events, including live music, giveaways, virtual reality pop-ups and more.

To mark the anniversary, Heathrow has named British writer, poet David Larbi and Tik Tok star as the airport’s first Poet-in-Residence.

And Larbi has created “Gateway to the World,” a poem etched into the ground near the airport that is designed to be read from the air by those flying above.

For those keeping a tally of airport poems meant to be read from the sky, back in 2016 a pair of poems by local students were put on the rooftops of buildings near Miami International Airport (MIA) as part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival.

More Heathrow Airport 80th anniversary events

Heathrow’s 80th anniversary is not only a time to look forward; it’s a time good time to look back at historic events and milestones, including when screaming Beatles fans welcomed the Fab Four home from their first American tour in 1964.

And when the Concorde made its maiden voyage from Heathrow in Janauary, 1976.

And let’s not forget the time in 2018 when baggage handlers at Heathrow Airport marked what would have been former baggage handler and rock star Freddie Mercury’s 72nd birthday with a choreographed performance set to Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” in advance of the “Bohemian Rhapsody” film release.

Want more Heathrow Airport history?

Theres plenty of it.

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Singapore’s Changi Airport is home to the world’s tallest airport slide, the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, gardens filled with sunflowers, butterflies and cacti, fun zones, rest zones, oodles of great art and many other attractions.

From now through July 12, 2026, Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 is also home to a 16-foot-tall statue of Snoopy and his Peanuts pals in a sports-themed installation, complete with photo ops, interactive activities, Peanuts character meet and greets and themed shopping.

In addition to the giant statue of Snoopy kicking around a soccer ball, there’s a pickleball-themed photo op spot and one designed as a locker room for Snoopy and his crew to get ready for a big match.

For little kids, there’s also a Peanuts Summer Sports Park with mini trains, ball pits, a sandbox and slides. 

And, of course, there’s shopping.

Pop-up stores associated with this installation are offering a wide variety of Peanuts-themed merch.

We have our hearts set on this Snoopy-themed carry-on suitcase.

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Horizon Air, the regional carrier of Alaska Airlines, will soon celebrate its 45th anniversary.

But it’s keeping its youthful outlook by joining forces with the ‘Toy Story’ film franchise.

One of the Horizon’s regional Embraer 175 airplanes (N659QX) is currently flying with a special livery promoting “Toy Story 5,” the next chapter in Disnay and Pixar’s iconic “Toy Story” franchise, which opens in theaters on June 19.

The livery features the film’s familiar star characters, including Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, as well as the film’s new “Toy Story 5” tech toy characters, including Lilypad, Snappy, Atlas and Smarty Pants.

The airplane is named “To 45 and Beyond,” which is a nod to Buzz Lightyear’s famous line, “To infinity and beyond.”

Here are some closeups of the livery characters.

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Here’s are some of our favorite travel-related items that arrived in the Stuck at the Airport mailbox this week. Happy to have more….

Our very own KLM special edition miniature Delft building

A few weeks back, KLM celebrated 80 years of flying between Amsterdam and New York City with the reveal of a limited-edition miniature Delft Blue house portraying The New York Historical, New York’s first museum.

This special limited-edition miniature house is bigger than the ones KLM reveals on its birthday each October 7 and is already quite the sought-after collectible.

We couldn’t be in New York for the big reveal. But we were delighted when a box containing one of these linited-edition minature museum buildings showed up in our mailbox.

Thanks, KLM!

At PDX Airport: buy a cocktail & take one with you for later

We met the folks at Straightaway Cocktails a few months back when we attended a 7-course meal highlighting the history of airline meals at Portland International Airport (PDX).

We learned that Straightaway had a kiosk at PDX and that they were planning to open a bar and restaurant ‘soon.’

Last week (coincidentally around the Stuck at The Airport’s cocktail-reviewer’s birthday) a box of goodies showed up at Stuck at The Airport.com headquarters to announce the news that on June 22, 2026 Straightaway will be expanding its PDX presence from a kiosk to a full airport bar and restaurant.

The 1,000-square-foot, 32-seat bar, will be in the B Gates and will draw inspiration from the golden age of travel with green-textured banquette seating, wavy wood walls and a dark blue bar.

Guests will be able to nibble on fresh Italian-inspired meals by Sebastiano’s, a local Italian bakery and deli. The sips will feature Straightaway Cocktail’s classic creations as well as an airport-only Bloody Mary and a new Roma Spritz, made in collaboration with Alaska Airlines.

Here’s the bonus twist: the venue will also sell the full range of Straightaway products, so passengers will be able to enjoy a cocktail on-site and take that same cocktail with them in 4-packs and bottles. The PDX location will also feature grab-and-go food items and an assortment of curated barware and apparel.

Is it outrageous that we’re planning a flight to PDX just to visit Straightaway Cocktail’s new venue?

Lint: OK on spacesuits; not on our travel clothes

(Image courtesy NASA. Geologist-Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17 lunar module pilot covered in lunar dirt)

Our travel wardrobe is built around black. So lint picked up on the train or Uber to the airport, at the airport, on the airplane, from encounters with dogs or cats or walks on the moon can be a problem.

In a pinch we’ll ask our hotel front desk to give us a circle of Scotch tape to help us deal with lint on an outfit.

And last year we bought a 6-pack of Scotch-Bright travel-sized retractable lint rollers and put one in every bag we might take on the road. Last week we received a sample of another travel-sized lint removing tool that seems promising: a pocket-sized packet of 40 LintZapper sheets.

(Note: You can’t buy the KLM special-edition house. You may shop for Straightaway cocktails at PDX airport or on their site. My Amazon affiliate link is in the lint remover mentions).

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11 host cities in the U.S. are getting ready to welcome FIFA World Cup fans.

And so are their airports.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) will debut a major new expansion for Concourse C.

Chicago’s O’Hare Airport has vending machines dispensing FIFA World Cup merchandise.

Kansas City International Airport (MCI) is displaying the flags from all 48 countries that will be playing in this year’s FIFA World Cup.

And, starting the week of June 1, San Francisco International Airport (SFO) will be rolling out welcome banners, interactive e-posters and a variety of activities to welcome FIFA fans to the Bay Area.

Here’s what on the schedule:

Soccer Pitch & Games

Post-security in Terminal 2, there will be a soccer pitch complete with giant soccer balls and a goal net. Activities here will include a trivia raffle with mini soccer balls for prizes and the opportunity to play a game of corn hole, Connect4, or Jenga.

Interactive Soccer E-Posters

In Harvey Milk Terminal 1 (across from The Club lounge) and in Terminal 3, by the E Gates, look for interactive e-posters offering a chance to block a shot on goal from a robot named Striker.

Game Watch Stations

Or join other travelers in watching tournament games live on large-screen monitors in Terminal 3 (by the E Gates and the Food Court) and in Diane Feinstein International Terminal A, near the pre-security food court.

3D Holograms

Post-security in Terminal 2 and in Terminal 3, near the entry to F gates, there will be holographic welcome messages from FIFA Women’s World Cup champion Brandi Chastain and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie.

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Gameway, which has video gaming lounges at 7 airports around the country (with more on the way), is having a grand opening party on Thursday, May 28, 2026 for its newest lounge concept – the Portal Lounge – at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP).

Located in Terminal 1, on Concourse D at the start of the tram, MSP’s Portal Lounge is 3,800 square feet, with room for more than 100 guests.

There are 17 gaming stations equipped with setups for about 30 Nintendo Switch, PlayStation and PC games. Guests can opt for solo or mulitplayer games or competitive gaming experiences.

The lounge also has a buffet and a full bar with both human and robot bartenders.

Who can visit the new MSP Portal Lounge?

Admission to the Portal Lounge at MSP is complimentary for certain Priority Pass Pass members and to those with participating credit cards, including Chase, American Express and Capital One. Walk-in access is available for about $70, subject to capacity.

Operating hours are from 4 am to 9 pm daily.

Where to find Gameway lounges at other airports

At Gameway’s other airport gaming lounges, guests can purchase passes for 30 minutes, 1 hour or unlimited game time, starting at about $20. Access may also be complimentary with some Priority Pass and credit card memberships.

Gameway has 2 gaming lounges at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) – near A17 and between Gates A63 and A 65 and 2 gaming lounges at John F. Kennedy International Airprt (JFK) – in Terminal 5 and in Terminal 8.

Other locations can be found at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), Houston Hobby Airport (HOU), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) – in Terminals 3 and 6, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), and in Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), in Terminals B and E.

Additonal branches will open soon at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT).

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There are lot of far out (but possibly true…) theories about outer space aliens and lizard people living in the underground network of tunnels at Denver International Airport (DEN).

Over the years, the airport has leaned into and embraced the possiblities, with a “Conspiracy Theories Uncovered” exhibition and other nods to the urban legends surrounding this sprawling airport.

Passengers will soon be able to go underneath DEN Airport and see if the lizard people talk is real.

Denver International Airport is planning to convert some of its existing underground baggage tunnels into pedestratian walkways.

The walkways would offer a much-needed alternative to the delay-plagued train for passengers traveling between concourses.

DEN has invested more than $75 million into modernizing train vehicles, with more new train cars and other system upgrades expected in the next few years. But the train system experiences frequent disruptions, causing missed flights, delays and lots of stress.

At times, shuttle buses must be brought in to move passengers between concourses.

Pedestrian walkways as a solution to train troubles at DEN

Construction on DEN’s underground walkway is set to begin in 2027. A date for completion has not been shared.

But the plan for an underground pedestrian walkway is a reliable, low-tech alternative for moving passengers between concourses and “is a big win for Denver’s travelers and for our entire community,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.

“And who knows… maybe along the way, travelers will finally get a closer look at the underground tunnels and decide for themselves what’s fact and what’s fiction.”

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