Cleveland, Ohio – August 28th, 2025-Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) is excited to launch a new customer service initiative, Hopkins Hospitality. This idea will encompass already launched and new services to enhance the guest experience at CLE.
The vision for Hopkins Hospitality aims to create lasting experiences for our guests and ensure a smooth and enjoyable kick-off to their trip as they depart from Cleveland for business, vacation or personal reasons.
Hopkins Hospitality includes the Airport Ambassador Program, Hopkins Hangout Pass and new this week, CLE launched Hopkins Hounds, a therapy dog program and the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program.
Flying can be exciting for some, but also scary and stressful for others. Our Hopkins Hounds will be on hand to help take some of that stress away and bring a smile to the face of our guests.
“Therapy dogs are a great addition to any situation where people may be feeling stressed or anxious,” said Megan O’Connell, Assistant Director of Marketing, Communications and Guest Experience. “Even if you don’t realize you are feeling the tension of travelling, spending a minute or two with one of our dogs can help in ways you didn’t know you needed.”
The Hopkins Hounds program is partnering with Brave Buddy Service Pups (BBSP), an AKC recognized organization that registers, insures and supports members in similar volunteer activities, to recruit dogs and handlers.
At the start of the program, we are focused on having the pups around during peak travel times, but hope to add more as the program gains momentum.
Also new this week, CLE is integrating the Sunflower Program at the airport. This program is a tool for individuals who have hidden disabilities and need extra help and understanding while travelling through the airport.
“This program is vital to ensuring that our guests who have chronic illnesses, conditions or other various disabilities that aren’t immediately obvious to our staff are treated with kindness and compassion,” said Megan O’Connell, Assistant Director of Marketing, Communications and Guest Experience. “By providing a visual cue, our staff will be able to identify, acknowledge and understand the barriers that our guests may encounter and help them accordingly.”
Guests wishing to participate in the program will receive a sunflower lanyard. Individuals do not need to share what their disability is to receive the lanyard, and there is no qualifying list of what invisible disabilities qualify someone to receive a lanyard. By choosing to wear one, guests are simply indicating they may need additional support or assistance.
The lanyards can be carried and used as the guest deems necessary, as some hidden disabilities can be situational or temporary, such as migraines or autoimmune disease flare ups. If someone who has a lanyard is feeling well at the moment, they do not need to wear the lanyard at that time, but can carry it with them just in case their situation changes.
The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower aims to support people living with non-visible disabilities in their communities by raising awareness, training businesses and sharing stories to help create a more inclusive, understanding society.
Both of these programs join the previously released Hopkins Hangout Pass, which gives non-ticketed guests the ability to assist elderly or underaged ticketed passengers in the terminal, have dinner with a friend or family member or shop at any of the numerous stores within the building. The Hopkins Hangout Pass launched last month and has already received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback from users.
The implementation of these programs underscores CLE’s commitment to enhancing guest experience.
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE), Northeast Ohio’s Gateway to the World. Ohio’s busiest airport serves 10,000,000 passengers annually. Eleven passenger airlines offer over 120 daily departures to 40 nonstop destinations, 36 domestic and 4 international. There are also four all-cargo airlines serving CLE.
The upcoming multi-phase CLE Terminal Modernization Development Program will elevate the passenger travel experience through an extensive transformation of its terminal and related facilities. The program is anticipated to begin in 2025, the Airport’s 100th Anniversary, and extend into the next decade.