Why wish, just do. That directive discovered in the Free Expression Tunnel—aka an iconic graffitied pedestrian tunnel that runs under the railroad tracks on NC State’s campus—got us thinking. What’s Raleigh ready to do this year? Here, we take a look at the will-do’s of 2023 as we know them.
Wheels up!
New Low-Fare Airlines and Direct Destinations
Blowing into the mix in February is Breeze, launching with five destinations: New Orleans; Hartford, CT; and Providence, RI—and adding Jacksonville, FL; and Columbus, OH, to its lineup May 18.
Keeping us “palm,” Avelo Airlines is adding to its roster of flights in February with service to six Florida cities: Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Palm Beach.
Reykjavik extension, rejoice! Icelandair’s nonstop service to the Land of Fire and Ice has proven so popular with RDU flyers that the airline just announced it will start the season this March, rather than May.
Council Focus:
Affordable housing
Public safety
More reliable transit
Palate-Pleasers:
East End Bistrot by Giorgios Bakatsias, East End Market, winter, p. 37
New virtual food hall at RDU Airport makes dining on the fly a breeze.
RDU Airport‘s new getREEF Virtual Food Hall is changing the way airport-goers fill up at the airport (see ya later, long lines at eateries and the dread of boarding a long flight hungry!). Launched July 21, the ghost kitchen concept allows travelers to order meals and coffee on their mobile devices—or directly at the kiosk—for pickup at specially marked temperature-controlled lockers in Terminal 2 near Gate C9.
“REEF’s first-ever virtual food hall brings dramatic innovation to the future of airport dining by giving travelers unprecedented variety and convenience,” says REEF Kitchens Senior Vice President Valentina Ellison.
The virtual food hall features nine popular brands, including international favorites like Krispy Rice, 800 Degrees Pizza, Pei Wei, Xochimex Cantina Grill, Zinburger and Rebel Wings, as well as local concepts Beyú Caffé, Hubb Kitchens and American Meltdown. So no matter what you’re craving on the fly, there’s something to satiate you before, between or after your flight (!).
To boot, it allows groups to mix-and-match orders “in one easy, contactless transaction,” says Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority—aka no one has to settle for eating somewhere they don’t want. “The kitchen meets two of RDU’s top goals by giving guests a wide range of dining options and leveraging cutting-edge technology to improve their experience at the airport,” adds Landguth.
And stay tuned for delivery taking off later this summer—meaning your food will come to you no matter where you are in the airport in Terminal 2. We’d say that’s pretty fly.
RDU Airport is taking off, thanks to a slew of star-powered concepts.
We’re back! … Well, almost. International flights are rapidly resuming at RDU Airport, with Icelandair launching in May, London and Montreal flights going wheels up in June, and flights to Paris poised to return in August. Airport parking lots are teeming with cars. And the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board received a $1.3 million grant to fund the ongoing environmental assessment for the relocation and expansion of RDU’s primary 10,000-foot runway. Add to that RDU is at 89% of 2019 passenger traffic numbers—compared to a near nil 4% at the lowest point in 2020, according to RDU CEO Mike Landguth.
To feed the frenzy, the Airport Authority is elevating Terminal 2 to a world-class experience via a host of new hot spots. For starters, RDU landed celeb chef Scott Crawford for not one, but two new concepts, slated to drop in 2023: Crawford’s Genuine and Carolina Craft, in partnership with Miami’s Grove Bay Hospitality Group.
Opening in the now-occupied 42nd Street Oyster location, Crawford’s Genuine will transform the already uberpopular terminal destination into an elevated bar and grill concept featuring a top-notch cocktail and local beer program to sip on while you savor all-day selects—anything from a sandwich to a breakfast bowl with grits and eggs to a steak cooked over wood with seasonal vegetables. For those chasing the gate, grab-and-go options will also be on offer.
Complementing the local lean of Crawford’s Genuine, Carolina Craft will be heavily focused on all things NC, with locally sourced tapas-style food, wine and NC craft beers. “We do recognize that, at the airport, we are feeding a lot of people and a very diverse range of people,” says Crawford, “and we need to make sure the menu has items that are pleasing to just about anyone. I think [these concepts] represent the whole Triangle very well, which is really important as a first impression,” adding: “You know the saying, you get one chance at a first impression.”
In another power move, RDU is opening a ghost kitchen this year, which will make it one of only two in the nation. Operated by REEF Kitchens and featuring nine local and national concepts, the REEF Virtual Food Hall will allow you to place an order via an app or at a kiosk and retrieve your food hot and ready from a temperature-controlled locker… or get your food delivered to your seat!
Rounding out the RDU upgrades is what is replacing the Starbucks situated at the bottom of the post-TSA checkpoint escalators. The ubiquitous Seattle roaster will give way to local caffeine fix Black & White Coffee Roasters, which houses current locations in DTR, Wake Forest and Rolesville. Adding to the buzz factor, Durham-based Beyu Caffe will percolate in pre-security outposts in Terminals 1 and 2, hopefully before the holiday season, says RDU Chief Revenue Officer David Freedman.
“Historically when an airport has brought in things that are more reflective of the local community, people tend to recognize it and spend a little bit more there,” Freedman maintains. “I think it’s also a great way to highlight the great things that are going on in our community to folks who are traveling here for the first time—and they can get a sense of our food scene and the great offerings we have here.”
And, surely, the new F&B concepts—plus the airport’s other improvements—will help increase traffic both to and through RDU.
“When we look at our long-term infrastructure plan, we call it Vision 2040, we have to make sure that we have the infrastructure in place—the runways, the taxiways, the terminals, the concessions,” says Landguth. “All these amenities make sure we can continue to serve our customers, as not only do we [hope to] reach recovery and our 2019 numbers, but we believe overtime we will exceed those numbers.”
Ready to fly now?
Susan Holt Photography Star chef Scott Crawford’s highly anticipated Crawford’s Genuine will open in the current 42nd Street Oyster Bar location in Terminal 2 in late 2023, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner—plus to-go options.
Don’t just wing it as you travel this summer. From prepaid RDU parking to the best flight-booking days, we’ll have you soaring—and saving—as you fly the friendly skies.
Travel confidence is soaring; mask mandates have been lifted and the U.S. no longer requires people traveling back into the country to get a COVID test… and like birds of a feather, we’re ready to spread our wings and, well, flock together. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows during peak travel season (especially during busy summer holidays like the Fourth of July)—so before you flip out, allow us to highlight some stress-reducing, money-saving summer travel hacks.
Put It in Park
Gone are the days of pulling up preflight in full-on anxiety mode to find all parking lots full. Enter the super-huge revelation that is ParkRDU’s online pre-booking option (tell your friends about it—or don’t and save all the good spots for yourself…). Choose your date, time and location—only caveat is you have to book at least 24 hours in advance. Bonus: You can also see the capacity of each parking lot in real-time via RDU Airport’s website… so you can swap #stressmode for #airplanemode and have one less hiccup between home and sipping that cocktail at 40,000 feet. rdu.com
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
Sure no one wants to wake up at 4am to catch a flight, but it’s worth it—trust us… just don’t oversleep and get left behind like Kevin McCallister. Pros’ll tell you that taking the earliest flight available is an easy hack (think more follow-up options, more flexibility, fewer frantic bodies). You’ll thank us when that seemingly more convenient afternoon flight you were eyeing gets canceled and you’re not having to spend the night in an airport lobby (hey, Tom Hanks in The Terminal!).
Direct Is Best
Like dawn flights, direct flights are your new best friend for steering clear of potential travel headaches. Where possible, choose the option with the most direct flights available to avoid unexpected cancellations and delays. Plus, the more stops involved, the higher the risk (*mind wanders to your last Olympic sprint through some rando terminal*). And, c’mon, who likes layovers anyway?
Peak Flights
While most people will tend to jump on that Sunday afternoon flight in order to get back for work Monday, beat the Sunday scaries (and high prices!) by opting for flights on off-peak days and times—like Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays. And if that just isn’t possible for you, early morning (ahem, smarter and cheaper!) and red-eye flights will also help save you money and stress.
Major airlines and RDU Airport ditch mask mandates—effective immediately!
Wheels up—masks down. “Finally!” exclaimed passengers as the news reverberated around the nation last night. Notching a major milestone in the social pandemic recovery, major airlines (and RDU Airport!) have ditched mask mandates—effective immediately! (That feeling you’re feeling is the sensation of fresh air on your face, the freedom to breathe freely…and the sound of erupting cheers and exuberant relief that could literally be heard from boarded planes and runways.)
In short, the CDC’s mask mandate, which was originally set to expire Monday, April 18, had been extended until May 3 to give more time to study the BA.2 omicron subvariant of COVID-19. But, on April 18, U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle nullified the decision–saying “the federal mandate exceeds authority from U.S. health officials”—and ruled it is now up to each individual transit system to decide whether or not to require masks.
Concurrently, major airlines United, Delta and American ditched mask mandates Monday, among others. And, closer to home, after RDU Airport officials first said it would keep the mask mandate, less than an hour later, the airport announced in a tweet that mask requirements would be dropped effective immediately.
Beyond the friendly skies, Uber has also abandoned the mask req. for riders or drivers, and with it, abolished the no-front-seat policy. However, the website states that “to give drivers space, we ask that riders only use the front seat if it’s required because of the size of their group.” Uber also points out that this decision means masks are optional, so some may still choose to wear them. (Update: Tuesday evening, April 19, Lyft joined the ranks to make masks optional.)
So after two years of wearing masks on buses, taxis, planes, etc., you can finally take a deep breath (literally). Cheers to that!
