 Restaurants at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) continue to offer travelers a variety of delicious dining options while adhering to both MSP's Travel Confidently and the state of Minnesota's guidelines for safely serving customers.
The latest establishment to reopen -- and just in time for spring break -- is Firehouse Subs in Terminal 1's Airport Mall food court. The popular sandwich shop has also added wine, beer and select cocktails to its offerings with the requirement that all alcoholic beverages must be consumed within the food court.
Health and safety measures don't stop at the counter, however. The food court's large dining area provides plenty of space to physically distance from other patrons, and table stickers remind diners to keep a safe distance. With it's floor-to-ceiling windows, it's also one of the best places in the terminal to take in a view of the airfield.
To accommodate an expected uptick in travelers in March, MSP restaurants -- many of which have remained opened during the pandemic -- will be expanding their hours. Delta Air Lines has also reopened its Sky Club on Concourse C.
Another new plus at MSP for travelers is the one-stop-shop contactless food ordering system -- called MSP ASAP -- where hungry travelers can order food for either pickup or delivery within Terminal 1. Patrons can download and use the Grab or AtYourGate app for the same purposes.
At Terminal 2, both Subway and Caribou have their own contactless ordering apps, available for download to a digital device.
As winter continues to take its toll, people inevitably begin looking for ways to escape, even months before they can get away.
Recently, both Sun Country Airlines and Delta Air Lines announced they will begin new, direct service between MSP and many popular destinations.
Sun Country’s new routes are available starting in May and include: Orange County, Calif.; Houston, Texas; Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky; Raleigh-Durham in N. Carolina; Bradley International Airport, located near Hartford, Conn.; Glacier Park/Kalispell Airport in Montana; Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming; Indianapolis International Airport, and Fairbanks, Alaska.
Visit SunCountry.com for full details about your next flight.
Sun Country also recently announced an expansion of its ground shuttle service between MSP and five Midwest cities – Brainerd, Rochester and St. Cloud in Minnesota, and Eau Claire and La Crosse in Wisconsin. The service, offered through Landline shuttle service, allows passengers to check their bags as they board the shuttle and have their luggage transferred directly to the plane when they arrive at MSP.
Delta Air Lines is also on the move, having announced direct, daily service to cities in several popular vacation locales beginning in April.
Delta's destinations include Myrtle Beach in S. Carolina; Savannah/Hilton Head Airport in Georgia; Providence, R.I. and Portland, Maine.
As part of the airline's effort to continue serving its international customers, and a first at MSP, Delta also recently began offering rapid COVID-19 tests for passengers booked on its flight from MSP to Amsterdam, which restarted Feb. 11. The tests – offered on MSP’s Concourse G -- help passengers meet requirements set by the Dutch government for inbound travelers.
Details about the airline's new destinations and the COVID-19 tests are available on Delta’s website when you book your flight.
The Metropolitan Airports Commission -- in partnership with a yet-to-be announced vendor -- will take over the rapid testing service at MSP beginning March 11. Look for more information about the new service on the airport's website closer to that date.
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 International passengers arriving at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) are now benefitting from new technology that automates the inspection process required for entry into the United States.
Known as “Simplified Arrival,” the new program from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is in use at both MSP terminals.
The technology utilizes facial biometrics to automate the checking of documents required for admission into the U.S. The touchless process both streamlines international arrivals and meets a congressional mandate to biometrically record the entry and exit of non-U.S. citizens.
When international travelers arrive at MSP, they will pause for a photo at the primary inspection point.
CBP’s biometric facial comparison process will compare the new photo of the traveler to a small gallery of high-quality images that the traveler has already provided to the government, such as passport and visa photos. Also, foreign travelers who have traveled to the U.S. previously will no longer need to provide fingerprints, as their identity will be confirmed through the touchless facial comparison process.
More information about CBP’s efforts to secure and streamline travel can be found here.
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) recently earned two major industry health, cleaning and safety accreditations following its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The changes passengers may notice in the terminals related to these accreditations include everything from providing hundreds of new hand sanitizer dispensers to Plexiglas barriers and enhanced cleaning protocols.
The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a division of the International Supply Association -- a worldwide cleaning industry association -- was the first to award MSP with its Star Facility accreditation. To earn this accreditation, MSP Airport demonstrated compliance with the program’s 20 elements, ranging from cleaning protocols to work practices, health and safety measures, and emergency preparedness.
The second accreditation comes from the Airport Council International’s Airport Health Accreditation program. This program assesses how well MSP’s health and mitigation measures align with the International Civil Aviation Organization's Council Aviation Recovery Task Force (CART) Recommendations. This accreditation demonstrates to passengers, employees, and government partners that MSP is prioritizing health and safety in its facilities. The assessment included physical distancing strategies, physical layout, protecting employees, and passenger communications, among other elements.
"These accreditations require the highest standards for facility cleanliness, safety and operational measures,” said Brian Ryks, CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission, which operates MSP. “The accreditations are confirmation that through our Travel Confidently MSP program, we are prioritizing the health and safety of travelers and employees in meaningful ways.”
Even before the pandemic, MSP had already been named the best airport in North America in its size category for terminal and washroom cleanliness.
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Responses from a traveler sentiment survey collected since the summer of 2020 – and prompted by the downturn in air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic -- show that 41 percent of respondents would be willing to fly tomorrow.
The survey has helped guide Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s (MSP) modifications to the MSP travel experience in the COVID-19 era.
How are you feeling about air travel? Even if you’ve taken the survey before, feel free to respond again, as we’re tracking sentiment over time.
To date, survey results show that travelers continue to be most interested in MSP's safety initiatives, such as the increased presence of hand sanitizer dispensers, the face mask requirement and the airport’s efforts to increase physical distancing.
Thank you for your continued interest in helping us make air travel as safe and comfortable as possible.
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