Don’t bring your winter coat with you on a beach vacation – check it out at this airport

Winters in Milwaukee are cold, with temperatures hovering around freezing from January to March.

That’s why many locals like to get out of town in the winter.

That’s also why Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is enthusiastically promoting flights to warm-weather destinations like Miami; Austin; Fort Lauderdale; Orlando; Cancún; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

That’s also why MKE has brought a popular, convenient, low-cost and truly easy convenience to travelers: the airport coat check.

Starting Friday, passengers arriving at warm-weather destinations from MKE can stop at the secured Summerfest Marketplace store in the main terminal (next to the information desk) to check coats, hats, scarf and winter gloves before flying to warmer climates. This service will continue until at least April 1.

As part of the program, each jacket will be placed in a dry cleaning bag and then sorted by the passenger’s return flight date.

MKE coat check is available seven days a week and coat pick-up is available until the last flight each day. “Even if there is [flight] delay,” MKE promised.

MKE’s coat checking service is not only convenient but also affordable. The cost to store coats at MKE is 2 USD/day, maximum 10 USD/trip.

That means fewer bulky coats filling those coveted overhead bins on planes, and fewer people wearing (or sitting in) their coats on the plane. It also means no need to bring winter coats to beach hotels, timeshares or Airbnbs — and no chance of leaving those coats in hotel closets.

MKE has been offering this convenient service since 2020, testing approximately 500 coats each winter. To date, only one coat has gone unclaimed. Christie Green, marketing coordinator for MKE, said that situation was because “the older customer who left did not return to Wisconsin but decided to stay in Florida with his son.”

Some international airports offer winter coat checks as part of baggage storage services. For example, Germany’s Frankfurt Airport (FRA) offers winter coat storage for 2 euros (about $2 USD) per day as part of its baggage storage service; it has a 24-hour location.

In the US, MKE is the only airport that offers coat checking, but more may be coming soon. Green said at least five airports have contacted MKE’s Summerfest Marketplace manager to ask about the program.

Other useful utilities at MKE

In addition to the coat check service, MKE offers many welcoming, useful and unusual amenities.

On its website, the airport provides a downloadable brochure for a self-guided airport tour (PDF link) includes interesting information about its history and facilities.

The security area of ​​the MKE terminal is home to Renaissance Books, a large and unusual airport store that offers new, used, and rare books. The security area also has an aviation museum, Mitchell Flight Gallery. The museum is open whenever the airport is open and admission is free.

The family-friendly airport features children’s play areas, nursing and lactation rooms, and family restrooms with child-sized toilets and sinks.

As we enter the busy holiday travel season, it’s nice to know that there is a designated “Recombination Area” with tables and chairs immediately after the security checkpoint. Passengers can stop here to put on their shoes and rearrange their belongings without feeling rushed.

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