Holiday flight delay? Perhaps free Shake Shack fries and Vizzy hard seltzer will help
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
We're heading into one of the busiest travel weeks of the year, with concerns about the COVID-19 omicron variant, new lockdowns, and fears of operational meltdowns and weather-induced flight delays weighing heavy on airline passengers' minds.
Totally stress-free journeys are unlikely this week. And there are important steps to take if your flight is delayed or canceled. But if you do find yourself in this situation this week, there are at least two companies that will be standing by with free food and drink offers.
Free fries from Shake Shack
As part of its Can't Fly? Have A Fry offer, Shake Shack, which has 14 locations in U.S. airports, will be giving away free orders of crinkle-cut fries at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to travelers whose flights are delayed or canceled from December 22 to December 24, 2021.
To claim this offer, make your way to one of Shake Shack's two locations in JFK Terminal 4 (near Gates B23 and B37) and show proof of your delayed or canceled flight on your mobile device to one of Shake Shack's "Fry Attendants." No purchase is necessary.
Not at JFK? Shake Shack will be offering passengers a chance to get free fry vouchers if they take a selfie in front of their departure gate board to prove their flight is canceled or delayed and then post the selfie on Instagram tagging @ShakeShack.
"We know the holidays can be stressful, so we created this campaign to bring some fan excitement, especially in some of the busiest and crowded places around the holiday - the airport," said Jay Livingston, Shake Shack CMO.
To help travelers get in the holiday spirit, Shake Shack also had NYC-based acapella group GroundStone "Shackify" the holiday staple, Jingle Bells.
Free Hard Seltzer from Vizzy
While many of the recent reports of unruly passenger behavior have been linked to too much alcohol, responsible imbibing might help make your time in an airport less stressful.
To that end, Vizzy, which produces a variety of fruit-flavored hard seltzers with Vitamin C, will be hosting drink sample pop-ups December 21 to December 23 at Denver International Airport (DEN) on Concourse C, near Gate 29, and at Chicago Midway Airport (MDW), on Concourse A, near Gate A7.
During those three days, as part of a "Holi-Delay Drinks Giveaway" promotion, Vizzy will also be awarding 5000 $8 prepaid cards for Vizzy products to travelers aged 21 and older. No purchase is necessary, but to enter you'll need to follow Vizzy on Instagram (@vizzyhardseltzer) and/or Twitter (@vizzyseltzer) and click on the link to the sweepstakes site when each day's promotional period or 'Fire Drill' is announced. The promotion will start sometime after noon Central Time each day with the 5000 prizes distributed equally over three days.
"When you're traveling for the holidays, there's nothing worse than seeing your flight has been delayed," said Carol Krienik, associate marketing manager for Vizzy Hard Seltzer. "So, we wanted Vizzy to step in and make an annoying situation, a little bit more positive."
More ways to get free food and drinks at airports
Of course, there's no need to take a selfie or enter a contest to get free and drinks at airports if you have access to an airline lounge courtesy of your status with a carrier. Or if airline lounge access is a perk granted to you via a variety of credit cards or credit card promotions. Through December 31, for example, American Express cardholders can earn a one-time $10 statement credit after spending $40 or more in a sit-down restaurant at airports across the country.