I recently missed a connecting flight from Vegas to Dallas to Boston, so I had some time to kill at DFW. My flight was leaving out of the D terminal and let me tell you, there are some strange and wonderful things there. From weird vending machines to massive structures right in the middle of everything, here’s some cool stuff I found.
iPod Vending Machine
The iPod vending machine isn’t anything new but I thought I’d toss it up here to get it out of the way and to possibly introduce it to people who haven’t seen or heard of one yet. Some of these photos are blurry, sorry. I took them with my phone.
Sony Vending Machine
This I hadn’t seen before. Similar to the iPod vending machine, except the Sony vending machine had stuff in it like PSP games, the Sony eBook reader, and various digital music players and headphones.
Proactiv Vending Machine
For those times when you just can’t wait to start a rigorous long-term commitment to clean and healthy skin via an expensive skin care system, there’s the Proactiv Solution vending machine. If you were to ask me to make a list of the absolute last things I’d ever expect to see in vending machines, this might be on that list. Very weird.
Rent-a-Laptop Vending Machine
Just $6.95 an hour for a laptop? Not too bad, I guess. What is unfortunate, however, is that an airport as technically advanced as DFW doesn’t offer free wireless internet. You have to pay for it via T-Mobile. Not cool, DFW. Why can’t you be more like DIA?
Money Vending Machine and Phone Card Vending Machine
Now I’ve seen it all! Actually, this is nothing. Can you believe I’d do that to you?
Giant Hand Holding a Samsung Phone with a Working Video Camera
Sure, why not? This big hand is holding a Samsung camera phone. The hand constantly rotates around and around. If you look closely, you can see me on the camera’s screen. Again, sorry about the blur. I get so nervous when I’m taking photos of something that’s gonna be on the internet for tens of people to see. Tens!
Giant Castle Structure That People Can Walk Through
It’s just like how it sounds. A big castle thing right in the middle of a very busy through-way. People would cautiously walk around it. I walked right through and was no worse for wear. The spires of the castle appear to be office buildings or something.
Big Field of Colorful Window Things That Make Noise
Things were starting to get weird at this point. This is called “Circle - An Urban Musical Instrument” by artist Christopher Janney. There’s a rhyming riddle right in the middle (hey, that just rhymed too!) that says…
…and as you walk through the structure, it makes sounds like wind chimes and pipes and stuff like that. I just stood in the middle of it and stared at my hand for a while.
Samsung Flat Panel TVs Everywhere
Samsung has to be some sort of sponsor at DFW or something because these TVs are all over the place. Always at least two, back to back, at every gate. And they’re not hanging way up in the air, which is nice. They’re at a comfortable viewing level with a circle of chairs around them, like a weird living room that’s sometimes full of strangers.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport [Airport Website]
On Friday March 16th I spent the night at DFW, in the terminal. I had a missed a connector to SNA. It was 11ish and the returns were starting at 6am (back at airport by 5am), so instead of taking the van ride to the Motel 6 in Irving and then back in 5+ hours, I decided to gut it out and sleep there (I didn’t find out until later that there’s a Marriott attached to the airport).
Being that there was no one around, I explored for a place to hang but all the bars were closing. I did buy some headphones at the Sony vending machine, watched some Slingbox, text messaged a bunch of people, sat around. I got tired and ventured into an eatery, piled up a bunch of booth cushions and made a little sleeping area. I can’t recommend another overnight there simply because there is no place in the entire terminal that gets dark enough to sleep. Too many fluorescent lights. Also, the TVs stay on all night and there’s no way to turn the volume down on all of them.
It was pretty crappy staying overnight, but it’s a decent enough terminal if you’re just there for a little bit.
Just a thought: maybe you could have used the headphones as makeshift ear-plugs? Or at least for some amount of noise reduction. I think it would be cool to spend one night in an airport at least once in my life.
DFW has one of the best terminals I have ever been to. I planned my departing and returning flights (to and from Las Vegas for MIX tomorrow) to cross through DFW because I actually look forward to the terminal experience.
Plus, AmerAir paid off one night’s stay at a nearby set of suites (forgot the name) because of overcrowding on one of their flights last year. All of my visits to that airport were nothing short of great.
I don’t know what the experience is like when one is actually trying to check in via the airport though. All I know is that at least some of the terminals are amazing.
Samsung does not sponsor the DFW airport. The reason for the large presence of Samsung is that Samsung’s Mobile headquarters are located in Richardson and Plano, two suburban cities of Dallas. I work on the FAQ/Support section of Samsung Wireless’ website (http://samsungwireless.com).
I notice a distinct lack of answer to the question of “Why would Samsung release the worst phone known to man, the Wafer?” Might want to get on that.
Cool beans. I’ll have to make sure to explore if I ever go there. Me and my fellow 9 readers appreciate the pics too ; )
lol…I live in the “D” i dint know bout the proactive vending machine.
That’s really quite neat, I love investigating airports - they generally vary so much from each other. Toyko’s International airport is rather plain, compared to one in Osaka which although peils in look- but makes up for it with some really weird things including digital camera vending machines (real expensive ones not those cheap disposable) and some really weird phallic sculptures.
I used to fly through DFW all the time. Great airport! I got so used to it that now when I’m in other airports, I’m a little sad.
You missed the *anything* vending machine. There’s a single vending machine that vends EVERYTHING which shocked me when I first saw it in DFW. It has a cold side and ambient side and anything you can think of from food to entertainment is on one side or the other.
I also REALLY dig the samsung ‘lounge’ by gate A25. I don’t know if it’s preplanned to be there - but it’s REALLY close to the gates always flying to o’hare. You need to sign up for the dang $10 tmobile wireless fee - but the lounge is EXTREMELY comfortable at least while sitting.. delayed for 5 hours trying to get to chicago.
Yes, the “everything” vending machine was amazing! I remember that it had candy bars, mouthwash and a few board games. I really really wanted to watch it vend something, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money.
Aw, no way! That would have been something. I can’t believe I missed it. I’ll try to find it the next time I’m there.
The rent-a-laptop vending machine says ‘internet connection and printing is included free’ in the upper left corner.
Good to know. I believe an hour of T-Mobile access was about $7 as well (or a whole day for $10) so if you just needed to hop on the internet for a little while, you could conserve your own battery by renting one with internet access included for the same price.
Wow, all this great technology in the world, and yet this traveler didn’t think to bring a real camera with them, and taking these pictures with a sub-par phone camera.
Yeah, how ’bout that?
I spent a whole night there and I can’t seem to find any pictures… I guess I was in too much awe
I was stuck looking at that glass structure for about an hour the day I was on standby + 4 more elsewhere in the airport. Let’s just say my experience at DFW wasn’t as good yours. :P
I’ll take Amseterdam’s airport any time. I had an 11 hour layover then when I missed a connection to Nairobi. They have an art museum, masseuse, and all sorts of nice things to occupy your time. They even arranged a bomb scare while I was there for some kid of entertainment. Watching the police dog was so fascinating, that when they were sniffing the suspected briefcase, it was only at the last minute I asked myself, “Am I standing too close if this thing goes off?”
It didn’t.
This are the worst pictures i ever seen in my life!
I think you MUST find a “Photograph Curse” vending machine….
Really? You’ve never seen worse pictures before? You’ve been pretty lucky with your photo viewing throughout the years. You’ve never seen an accidental photo of someone’s feet or a big finger over the lens? They’re everywhere!
Good for you, though. That’s a mighty good streak you’ve got going.
hehehe.
I was just joking….
I wish airports would put some money in free wireless instead of all that crap.
That’s the international terminal at DFW.. Aka Terminal D. It is far much cooler than the other terminals at DFW with great mini versions of various hip restaurants…
You were staying at terminal where all the international flights come in. that terminal is better then the rest, the other terminals are all average.
if only you could have found a camara tripod vending machine
then you could have taken steady pics
jesus, people act like they have never been to a large airport before. Us city folk sure have some interestin’ doo-hickies in our buildin’s
I thought he was acting like he saw something interesting, not like he was new to traveling. And as someone that has been to many ‘large airports’ thinks Terminal D at DFW is a pretty nice one.
LMAO OMG this comment made seriously LOL..
i was at the airport last week on my way to Japan and saw all those things. you forgot to mentions the hotels and car parks in between the terminal and the cool train system. nice post.
I’ve spent the night there, I wasn’t very impressed. The artsy stuff was kinda cool, but it was hard finding a outlet for my laptop. I guess they were trying to push the charging stations next to the rent a laptop station. I thought it was too cold to sleep in there. Is it normal for a flight to leave the gate 10 mins before the departure time on the boarding pass? That’s why I was stuck there.
“Is it normal for a flight to leave the gate 10 mins before the departure time on the boarding pass?”
Apparently it is. That’s how I missed my flight too. I ran up to the gate saying “I’m here from the Vegas flight that got in late and I made it just in — oh, there goes my plane.”
Planes depart (”pushback”) at a certain time. They close the door ten minutes prior to assure high on-time departure stats.
I guess I learned my lesson, even though the flight that I did catch left the gate at the departure time.
Well, if it was a connecting flight that arrived late then I understand, but they DO tell you to be an hour early to your flight for a reason.
To bad they didn’t sell Digital Cameras so Doug could take better Pictures.
Yeah, I like making snarky jokes about using camera phones in lieu of a digital camera too.
Haha, but I like making witty retorts about the comment mentioning that expecting to find high quality pictures 24/7 is unrealistic and add that i dislike you as you made a sanrky comment on the unavailability of a digital camera
Man, I love technology. Especially now, in 2008, when camera phone pictures can fully tell a tale. Thanks for sharing.
Do you receive money for your blogging? This seems like a sponsored blog.
Yes. We receive money from vending machine companies, airports, and street art makers. We are dirty, dirty whores.
All I can say is that my skin has never been so beautiful. Thanks Proactiv vending machine!
Haha!! this was great, and amusing. I like your witty writing.
thats funny, im in the dfw airport while i type this. too bad i didnt have all the time you did to check those things out. and it sucks theres no free wifi either.
They have iPod vending machines in the Indy airport.
Too bad they didn’t have a kiosk that rented out decent cameras…
DFW Should have some interesting things — after all, it’s slightly larger than Manhattan (18,000 acres v. 14,600 acres) — of course, that’s the whole area, not just the terminal building.
Last time I was stuck there, I ended up walking around the entire airport (the connections between the terminal are these absolutely EMPTY glass tunnels, since everyone takes the train).
And if you think paying for the net’s bad, keep your eyes out for the chairs with electrical outlets that you have to pay for…. keep your eyes out and you can find free plugs hidden around the terminal though.
i have actually seen several of those vending machines in the atlanta airport. not the proactive one though. and i think the sony and ipod ones were combined…
the thing I like to find in airports are hidden out of the way areas to relax away from crowds. you need a sizable layover so you don’t get too comfortable and miss your connection. In Dallas down at one end of the terminal is a lounge - it is next to a Starbucks, but very un-Starbuck-like. Soft couches and chairs, wooden furniture, stone walls, plasma tv. Feels almost like home.
Another great spot is the observation deck at Cleveland airport. Not sure it is still accessible, but it is an empty glass room that no one uses, very quiet.
One of my favorite airports to walk around is LAX - most of the airport is vintage 1960’s, feels like you went through a time machine.
I’m not a personal fan of the castle thing, I do like this concourse but the other 3 concourses are complete crap
Have you ever even been to an airport before? This stuff is pretty run of the mill. Next thing you’ll be telling us how amazing all the magic flying cars were.
What’s it like hating everything? Does it feel weird?
Calm down, defensive Sally. I know you are getting what seems like an inordinate amount of shit for this article, but have you sat down and thought about why that might be? Maybe its because everyone is a hater, or maybe its because this article is a complete mess.
I imagine it’s like a sweaty, scratchy feeling. Not super uncomfortable, but you definitely notice it’s there all the time.
Jesus, learn to take pictures, alright?
Wow I really liked your article on the DFW airport. My parents live in dallas so twice a year I go to visit them. Funny thing is I have yet to see the music castle that you speak of. Guess I’ll have to keep an eye out for it @_@.
Also I have to agree on the vending machines there. Pretty cool and weird at the same time.
When I went to DFW airport during christmas vacation I saw some people dressed up as elves and santa clause spreading the holiday cheer. They were passing out balloons and juggling as well. I really was amused by that.
I’ve been to quite a few airports and I must say DFW is one of the best.
Janney’s art installation was one of the most impressive pieces found *anywhere*, let alone an airport. So those of you who spent hours simply trying to find a laptop outlet put your computer down for a second and experience a little art. It won’t hurt, in fact, it’s good for you.
The piece has sensors which trigger sounds, and when you walk in certain paths and methods you hear different things. We spent about 1/2 hour in there figuring it all out, or as best we would.
Aaaah - thanks for bringing back horrible memories. I spent a whopping 8 hours at that airport because of delays. I would have been able to have at least a few hours of exploring fun, however we were told to not leave our gate, and were told for 6 hours that it would only be 30 - 45 more minutes from the current time. I did appreciate the Samsungs though since it was Sunday and during NFL season :)
i liked what i saw … its really nice …
the pics could be a bit sharper … hehe …
great post, but dude. how about a decent camera? or maybe an iphone. those pictures are pants! :)
I fly into and out of DFW every year and it is really good. The only better airport experience I’ve had is a 1-hour layover in… I think it was Chicago. Picked up a really good pizza, an excellent root beer float, and walked around. Was great.
I fly through Dallas when I am going from New Orleans back home to Kansas City. American has a huge hub here so most AA flights in the south come through here. As long as my layover isn’t long I always head over to terminal D, just because it has the better foods and shops to look around.
Also if your looking for a decent place to crash the tunnels under the airport that connect the terminals rarely have people (the Skytram or whatever its called is another reason Dallas is awesome), and I believe they have power sockets down there.