‘Micro’ gets bigger at airports
New amenities make waits tolerable and fun
In our roundup of the best new airport amenities of 2017, we celebrated perks such the 24-hour “microcinema” at Portland International Airport, Pittsburgh International Airport’s introduction of “MyPITpass,” which allows the nonflying public to visit the secure side of the airport, and the opening of ROAM Fitness, an in-airport gym at BaltimoreWashington International Airport.
The 2018 honor roll is once again full of fresh new amenities and creative bonus activities introduced by airports, airlines and in-terminal vendors working hard to make airport dwell time less stressful, more enjoyable and, at times, surprising.
Go with a glow
Airport restroom lines get long when users can’t tell which stalls are empty. To solve that problem, in April, Los Angeles International Airport unveiled a pilot program in one set of Terminal 4 restrooms using Tooshlights’ smart latches on stall doors. When a door is closed, a light over the stall turns red; when the latch is open, the light turns green. The latches are paired with the Infax smart restroom technology, which tracks usage and real-time feedback to improve restroom cleaning schedules.
In July, a set of restrooms at ATL got smart technology in a set of loos, too.
See ya later, alligator
The list of airports welcoming therapy dogs into the terminals keeps expanding and last year we applauded Denver International Airport for upping the ante by adding Xeli the cat to its Canine Airport Therapy Squad known as CATS.
This year Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport raised the bar by scheduling weekly visits with baby alligators. What’s next?
Start the vacation at the airport
Airports say they’re the front doors to their cities. Louisville International Airport takes that to heart with HMSHost’s new Book & Bourbon Southern Kitchen, which features more than 85 bourbons and qualifies as an official stop on Kentucky’s Urban Bourbon Trail.
Travelers can pick up a trail passport and get their first stamp before they leave the airport or top off their stamps on the way home.
This year, HMSHost also opened the Whiskey River restaurant and bar at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, offering music six days a week and a selfie-friendly stationary bull.
More napping options
Sleepbox, which bills itself as a micro-hotel, is scheduled to open the Sleepbox Nap Lounge with 16 pods on Concourse A, at Dulles International Airport by the end of December.
The micro-hotel will join Minute Suites, which currently operates napping/working/recharging pods at airports in Dallas, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Atlanta, where the company plans to add four locations in 2019, including two that will be co-located with Be Relax Spa and Chiroport (airport chiropractor) branches.
New ways to work and play at DFW Airport
In July, two Gameway video game entertainment lounges opened at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, by Gates B42 and E16. Each of the 36 gaming stations is equipped with a leather chair, an Xbox One loaded with 19 games, a 43-inch TV, noise-canceling headphones, charging ports and space to store luggage.
For those who need to get work done, Varidesk just launched a free, staffed co-working space at DFW (by Gate C12) with a conference table for meetings and 24 workstations outfitted with power hubs and adjustable standing desks.
Hungry gate huggers have more options
This year, OTG expanded the gate areas where passengers use iPads to order food and drinks, and At Your Gate joined Airport Sherpa in offering food delivery to passengers anywhere in the airports they serve. Airport Sherpa is still only at BWI Airport, but during 2018 At Your Gate began running food and drink orders to gates at both San Diego International and Newark Liberty International Airports.
Early bag drop service at Denver International Airport
Self-service bag check offers convenience at the check-in counter, but Denver International Airport is the only airport that allows travelers to drop their bags off at shuttle parking lots and the airport transit center. The drop-off service is free, but airline bag fees still apply. Free drop-off service is available to passengers arriving at least 90 minutes before their flights and traveling domestically on Southwest, United, Delta and American Airlines.