 While the number of travelers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the airport continues to provide safe and reliable services to those who are traveling.
The federal government classifies airports as an essential service -- one that needs to continue operating and serving travelers during the pandemic.
About 40 percent of MSP travelers are at the airport on a layover -- some of which can be several hours long. Delayed flights can also result in travelers spending more time than they planned at the airport. Both types of travelers have similar needs for access to food while at MSP.
In response to the pandemic, the airport’s concessionaires – both restaurants and retailers – have changed how they interact with customers.
Full-service, sit-down restaurants are operating at a maximum of 50 percent capacity. All tables and bar stools are separated by at least six feet. And diners are required to wear a mask when they are not eating or drinking.
Important to note is that travelers are not required to eat within the restaurants. If they order food to go, they can eat it in any public location inside the terminal.
The airport and its concessionaires have also expanded the availability of apps that provide online menus, ordering and payment functions. If you’re planning a trip in the near future, check out the MSP ASAP website for information about contactless ordering at Terminal 1. The Grab app and the AtYourGate app also provide contactless ordering and payment options at Terminal 1.
As an additional layer of safety, MSP and its concessionaires have increased the number of hand sanitizer stations and have added Plexiglas shields throughout the terminal where travelers may need to have closer contact with airport workers. Those strategies are part of MSP’s Travel Confidently program, which includes the requirement for everyone to wear a face covering while at MSP.
 If you’re flying out of MSP for the holidays, you may be thinking about how to minimize touchpoints along the way. Prebooked Parking is the best way to use your own vehicle and ensure a contact-free commute to the airport.
When you prebook your parking (at least 24 hours before you travel), you also set yourself up for some advantages.
One, you don't have to worry about getting a spot. You're guaranteed a place to park in your ramp of choice. A QR code that you’ll receive in your confirmation is all you need to enter and exit the ramp. You can even download the QR code to your mobile wallet.
Even better, those flying out of Terminal 1 will see significant savings over the drive-up rate. Holiday travelers will save $7 a day on Daily parking at the Terminal 1 ramps from Monday, Dec. 21 to Sunday, Jan. 3 when they book online.
Before you travel, learn more about the changes we’ve made at MSP regarding safety and cleanliness that allow you to travel with confidence.
The popular Navigating MSP program continues to operate at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and dates have been set for 2021.
The program features free, monthly practice runs through MSP, providing children who might find the experience overwhelming the opportunity to experience the airport environment before they take a real flight.
The program for children and their families includes security screening, boarding a plane, and meeting a pilot. Each event typically draws from 12 to 20 families.
Face coverings are required for all participants in the monthly events.
The Navigating MSP program is a partnership between the Metropolitan Airports Commission, Fraser, and the Autism Society of Minnesota.
Find more details about the 2021 events and how to register at this webpage.
Three new redesigned baggage carousels are now in service on the baggage claim level of MSP’s Terminal 1, providing passengers a sense of how the fully finished level will look and feel.
The carousels – numbers 6, 7 and 8 -also feature a new audible indicator to signal when bags are about to arrive - Minnesota nature sounds! You can listen to and view the new carousels in this video.
Customers will also notice that the overhead lights project on the ceiling to provide an effect of rippling water. The work is part of the broader renovation and expansion project for Terminal 1.
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When the new baggage claim level is complete, the 11 new carousels will provide more than 50 percent additional front-facing space for passengers to retrieve their bags, and 50 percent more square feet of space around the devices.
Outside, on the south end of that level, a new designated smoking area, with a wind shelter and heat at the push of a button, has opened. A second smoking shelter is located between doors 3 and 4.
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When construction on both the ticketing and bag claim levels is complete outside, there will be four new smoking shelters on each level.
Also, near the south end smoking area is a new Service Animal Relief Area (SARA), where passengers can take their service animals and pets. A second SARA is located at the far north end of the baggage claim level; signs will direct you to either location.
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 Most years at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Santa Claus makes an appearance sometime in December, often taking a seat near the big tree on Concourse C and talking to the children about their holiday wish lists.
But this isn’t a typical year, and Santa can't be up close with passengers.
He did, however, make a stop at MSP recently to check his personal mailbox, located on Concourse C, where he collected letters from MSP travelers.
Santa remained socially distanced during his visit and was excited to see so many hand “Santa-tizing” stations located throughout Terminal 1. He also stopped by an Information Booth, where he was greeted with a complimentary care kit from a Travelers Assistance volunteer.
The kit – available to all MSP passengers as part of the airport’s Travel Confidently program – contains five face masks, hand sanitizer and tips on how to remain safe during their journey.
Santa tells us he’s already looking forward to the 2021 holiday season, when he hopefully can walk the terminal and greet passengers personally.
But for now, even if you can't make it to his MSP mailbox, you can still email your holiday wish list to Santa@mspmac.org.
 The COVID-19 testing site that opened in November at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is staying busy.
The site, which uses saliva tests and delivers results in 24 to 48 hours, is serving more than 1,100 people per day.
Reservations are encouraged for efficiency, but walk-ins are allowed. Wait times for walk-ins during midday hours, however, can be 30 minutes or more.
The testing site is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; it will be closed all day on Christmas Eve (Dec. 24), Christmas Day (Dec.25) and New Year’s Day (Jan.1).
Learn all you need to know about how to get tested at the airport on this webpage.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is expanding its programs to assist travelers and visitors with disabilities, adding a growing global lanyard initiative and new see-through masks for Travelers Assistance volunteers.
MSP is among the first U.S airports to join the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower program, which allows a person to self-identify as someone with a hidden disability who may require additional assistance. Find full details here on what the program offers at MSP.
“Many travelers have disabilities that aren’t immediately visible but still create challenges in their daily lives,” said Phil Burke, assistant director, Customer Experience for the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which operates MSP. “Without revealing the nature of the disability, the sunflower lanyard is a simple way to signal to airport staff that someone may need more help, more time or more patience through certain travel processes at the airport.”
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