Airport

FROM PAGE 10

• At Portland International Airport in Oregon, there’s a movie theater screening short films by creators from the Pacific Northwest (located after security in Concourse C).

• At Chicago O’hare International Airport, a tunnel of neon lights and mirrors by artist Michael Hayden and architect Helmut Jahn enlivens a subterranean passageway (located after security in Terminal 1 between Concourses B and C).

• At Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, there’s a branch of Renaissance Books, a beloved local used-book store (located in the main terminal before security).

• At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, professional musicians perform at two baby grand pianos in the Mcnamara Terminal gate area (located after security near Gates A40 and A72).

Vending machines

Vending machines at airports typically peddle anemic-looking snacks and

pricey electronics.

Tsutsui said that as a frequent traveler to Japan, he’s rarely surprised by what he finds in vending machines. But he found the cheese to be “pretty remarkable,” he said.

Washington State University began experimenting with canning cheese in the 1930s, in search of packaging that would prolong the product’s shelf life. (The university says its cheese will last indefinitely if refrigerated.) The most popular variety is a white cheddar named Cougar Gold for the university’s mascot and one of the original cheesemakers.

The machine (which had been out of order recently) is before security, next to the Hertz rental counter, and the cheese can be checked or carried onto the plane.

• Not a cheese fan? At various airports in Texas (Austin, Houston and Dallas-fort Worth), cupcake vending machines offer a bevy of flavors from popular brand Sprinkles. The cupcake ATMS, as Sprinkles calls them, are restocked with fresh baked goods twice daily, a company spokesperson said.

• At Edmonton International Airport in Alberta, a kiosk dispenses free short stories of different reading lengths (one, three or five minutes) by local authors, printed on what look like long receipts and available in French or English. The dispenser was created by a French company, Short Édition, that specializes in brief works and is trying to encourage reading for fun (located after security on the departures level by Gate 60).

Outdoor spaces

Increasingly, airport designers are incorporating outdoor spaces that let travelers breathe a little fresh air while waiting to take off.

Brent Kelley, a principal at the architecture firm Corgan, said green spaces, such as terraces and gardens, were becoming a priority at airports.

• At San Francisco International Airport, there’s an outdoor terrace in International Terminal G and an outdoor observation deck located before security in Terminal 2 that’s open to the public at select times.

• At Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in

Honolulu, there are lush cultural gardens inspired by the islands’ Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese heritage — think lagoons with koi and sprawling banana trees — surrounding the Terminal 2 ticketing lobby and the airport’s E gates.

• At Denver International Airport, there are three outdoor roof decks — one in each of the airport’s three concourses, past security — complete with fire pits and pet relief areas.

Don’t just kill time

To accommodate travelers with long waits between flights, Singapore Changi Airport has three different free bus tours of the city and a walking tour of the Jewel entertainment and retail complex that take just 21/2 hours; all tours are available daily.

Incheon International Airport, which serves Seoul, South Korea, also has city tours that visit ancient palaces and even local golf courses, but these require at least a day-long layover. One tour features two of the most famed destinations in the center of Seoul: a sprawling centuries-old palace and Insadong, a neighborhood filled

with charming craft shops and traditional homes. Another takes travelers to an observatory with views of the Demilitarized Zone.

• At Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, there is an indoor, heated swimming pool in the Oryx Airport Hotel open to all airport passengers during select hours for about $48. The hotel, after security in the duty free plaza by Concourses C, D and E, also has a spa, showers, a gym, a golf simulator and even squash courts.

• At Helsinki Airport in Finland, travelers can stock up on gravlax and salty licorice at a 24-hour supermarket near arrivals.

Let the children play

Children’s play areas, ideal for burning off some energy before or after a flight, can make a family trip survivable. Favorites included the new indoor play spaces at La Guardia Airport’s Terminal B in New York — miniature foam planes, control towers and even baggage claims children can climb on — and Copenhagen Airport in Denmark, which has both indoor and outdoor playgrounds with slides and a

large wooden airplane.

• At Zurich Airport, there is an area by the A gates, past security, for families to unwind, offering toys, sinks, changing tables and a quiet space to nurse children. One reader raved about the “delightful” play areas with climbing structures, rocking horses, highquality wooden toys, puzzles, books, dolls and video games. Staff on hand to help with family needs made it even better.

Find sanctuary

Sensory rooms tailored for neurodivergent travelers can be a sanctuary. Pittsburgh International Airport’s version, with its soundproof rooms, comfortable seating and airplane cabin simulation, is “fantastic for kids with special needs,” said Blaire Malkin, 44, of Charleston, W.VA. It is by the A gates, past security.

“It made a world of difference when flying with our daughter who has autism and an intellectual disability,” Malkin said. “I wish more airports had spaces like these that keep the needs of all travelers in mind.”