Don’t lug your winter coat on a beach vacation — check it at this airport

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

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

It's also why Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is enthusiastically promoting its flights to warm-weather destinations such as Miami; Austin; Fort Lauderdale; Orlando; Cancun; Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

It's also why MKE has brought back a popular, convenient, low-cost and, really, no-brainer amenity for travelers: airport coat check.

As of Friday, passengers heading to warm-weather destinations from MKE can stop at the presecurity Summerfest Marketplace shop in the main terminal (by the information desk) to check their winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves before flying off to warmer climes. The service should continue through at least April 1.

As part of the program, each coat is placed in a dry-cleaning bag and then organized by the date of the passenger's return flight.

MKE coat check service is offered seven days a week, and coat pickups are available until the final flight of each day. "Even if there's a [flight] delay," MKE promises.

Not only is MKE's coat check service convenient, but it's also reasonably priced. The cost for coat storage at MKE is $2 per day, with a maximum charge of $10 per trip.

It means there will be fewer bulky coats filling up coveted overhead bins on the airplane, and fewer people will wear (or sit on) their coats on their plane. It also means there's no need to lug winter coats to beach hotels, timeshares or Airbnbs — and no chance of leaving those coats behind in hotel closets.

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MKE has been offering this convenient service since 2020, checking about 500 coats each winter. To date, only one coat has gone unclaimed. That situation was because "the elderly customer who left it did not return to Wisconsin, but decided to stay in Florida with his son," Christie Green, MKE's marketing coordinator, said.

A few international airports offer a winter coat check as part of their baggage storage services. For example, Germany's Frankfurt Airport (FRA) offers winter coat storage for 2 euros (about $2) per day as part of its bag storage services; it has one location that's open 24 hours.

In the U.S., MKE is the only airport to offer a coat check service, but there may soon be more. At least five airports have contacted the manager of MKE's Summerfest Marketplace to inquire about the program, Green said.

Other helpful amenities at MKE

In addition to its coat check service, MKE has a wide range of other welcome, helpful and unusual amenities.

On its website, the airport offers a downloadable booklet for a self-guided airport tour (PDF link) that includes fun facts about its history and facilities.

The presecurity area of the MKE terminal is home to Renaissance Books, a large and unusual-for-an-airport shop offering new, used and rare books. The presecurity area is also home to an aviation museum, the Mitchell Gallery of Flight. The museum is open whenever the airport is open, and admission is free.

The family-friendly airport offers children's play areas, breastfeeding and lactation suites, and family restrooms with child-size toilets and sinks.

As we head into the busy holiday travel season, it's good to know that there's a designated "Recombobulation Area" with tables and chairs just past the security checkpoint. Passengers can stop here to put their shoes back on and their belongings back together without feeling rushed.

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