Delta Air Lines recently announced that it will start non-stop service between Minnneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Charleston, S.C., beginning on June 21, 2019.

Pictured: Charleston, S.C.

Charleston has colonial architecture, a number of tour opportunities steeped in history, and nearby beaches that are among the best on the Eastern seaboard.

“We’re very excited about this new service to one of America’s greatest historic vacation destinations,” said Brian Ryks, Executive Director and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which owns and operates Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. “This will be the first daily, year-round non-stop service between Minneapolis-St. Paul and Charleston, making the trip faster and easier than ever.”

Delta also made a splash this fall when it announced it's negotiating with the governments of the United States and China to begin non-stop service from MSP to Shanghai. 

If approved, the service would start in June of 2020 and mark the first non-stop flights ever between the Twin Cities and China.

MSP Duty Free, a popular shopping destination at MSP Airport, is sweetening the deal for domestic travelers.

All travelers, regardless of destination, can now have a tax-free experience. How? MSP Duty Free is offering a discount equal to the tax paid. What that means for shoppers is simple—the price you see is the price you pay.

“We’re enormously proud to offer an elevated shopping experience for the travelers at MSP,” said John Nelson, General Manager of Operations at Hudson Group, the operator of MSP Duty Free.  “With our expanded product offerings and ‘Save the Tax’ promotion, we’ve really raised the bar.”

Long gone are the days that an international boarding pass is required to shop at MSP Duty Free. While tobacco and spirits are restricted to those traveling abroad, domestic travelers can shop an extensive selection of top-brand fragrance, beauty, timepieces and sunglasses.

Also available are a variety of confections, accessories and a special selection of hometown brands and items created by local artisans.

MSP Duty Free’s Terminal 1 flagship store is located on the south end of the airport mall, at the entrance to Concourse G. There are two other locations found on Concourse D and in Terminal 2.

The Minnesota Zoo was also back this year to rouse the curiosity of both children and adults with its colorful critters. This year the wildlife included a bull snake, ant eater, reptiles and an armadillo, just to name a few.

Travelers took advantage of the MEA break, as total passenger volume at MSP was up more than 3 percent from 2017. The airlines even saw heavier-than-normal traffic departing MSP on the Sunday at the end of the MEA weekend, suggesting that visitors came in from out of town to spend time with friends and family.