For many travelers, airports are places to get through as quickly as possible, not places to enjoy. The incessant drone of announcements, the frustration of being shut out of increasingly exclusive lounges, the overpriced food, the snaking lines and the fruitless search for an outlet can all make for a hellish experience.
But every once in a while an airport can offer unexpected and delightful amenities that ease the pain points of travel.
For Bill Tsutsui, 60, it was the vending machine at Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport in eastern Washington that sells canned cheese.
“You are very tired when you go through airports. Oh, yawn, another yoga room,” said Mr. Chutsui, of Ottawa, Kan. “There was something so beautiful and inappropriate and local about it.”
Mr. Tsutsui was one of more than 1,300 people who responded when we asked readers to tell us about their favorite airport amenities. Their suggestions included, yes, yoga rooms (at San Francisco International Airport, Chicago Midway International Airport, and New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, among others) but also small-story dispensers, tranquil gardens, and even a swimming pool.
Here is a list that can make your next stay really enjoyable.
Read a book, watch a movie
Some airports offer a dose of art, music and literature. Linda Norris, of Treadwell, New York, singled out Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for its acclaimed national museum library and annex, both located after security on Holland Avenue, the airport’s cultural zone. These spaces are “oases of calm” that highlight Dutch culture, he said.
“The library is never busy. it’s beautifully designed and has a variety of comfortable seats,” added Ms Norris, 68. “Sometimes I look at their books, sometimes I don’t, but it’s a part of the airport where I never feel rushed.”
Travelers can browse the library’s collection of Dutch literature translated into around 40 languages (sorry, no borrowing).
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At Portland International Airport, Oregon, there is a movie theater showing short films by Pacific Northwest filmmakers (located after security in Concourse C).
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At Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, a tunnel of neon lights and mirrors by artist Michael Hayden and architect Helmut Jahn enlivens an underpass (located after security in Terminal 1 between Concourses B and C).
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At Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, there is a branch of Renaissance Books, a favorite local used bookstore (located in the main terminal before security).
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At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, professional musicians play on two children’s grand pianos at the McNamara Terminal gate (located after security near Gates A40 and A72).
Hit the vending machines
Airport vending machines usually sell anemic-looking snacks and expensive electronics.
Mr. Tsutsui, the tinned cheese fan, said that as a frequent traveler to Japan, he is rarely surprised by what he finds in the vending machines. But he found the cheese to be “pretty remarkable,” he said.
Washington State University began experimenting with canning cheese in the 1930s, looking for packaging that would extend 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 was out of order recently) is located before security, right next to the Hertz rental counter, and the cheese can be checked out or taken on the plane.
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Not a fan of cheese? In several Texas airports (Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth), there are cupcake vending machines that offer an array of flavors from the popular Sprinkles brand. The cupcake ATMs, as Sprinkles calls them, are replenished with fresh pastries twice a day, a company spokesperson said.
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At Edmonton International Airport in Alberta, a booth distributes free short stories of varying reading lengths (one, three, or five minutes) by local authors, printed on long-form receipts and available in French or English. The dispenser was created by a French company, Short Édition, which specializes in short works and tries to encourage reading for fun (located after security on the departures level of Gate 60).
Get out without leaving the airport
Increasingly, airport designers are incorporating outdoor spaces that allow travelers to get some fresh air while waiting to take off.
Brent Kelley, principal at architecture firm Corgan, said green spaces such as terraces and gardens are becoming a priority at airports.
“People are looking for that connection to the outdoors before they spend as long as they’re going to be in an aircraft,” he said. “It started mainly with the flying clubs and is becoming a favorite of the airport authorities themselves.”
Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina boasts that what it calls a garden in the air was one of the first in the country when it opened in 1962. It has sculptures, grass and lots of seating and is “an incredibly welcoming place to relax while waiting for a flight with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background,” said Nancy deJong, 69, of Greer, SC
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At San Francisco International Airport, there is an outdoor terrace in International Terminal G and also an outdoor observation deck located before security in Terminal 2 that is open to the public during select hours.
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At Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, lush cultural gardens inspired by the islands’ Hawaiian, Japanese and Chinese heritage—think koi ponds and sprawling banana trees—surround Terminal 2’s ticketing lobby and the airport’s E gates.
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At Denver International Airport, there are three exterior roof decks—one at each of the airport’s three points, past security—with fire pits and pet relief areas.
Don’t just kill time waiting
To accommodate travelers with long waits between flights, Singapore Changi Airport has three different free city bus tours and a walking tour of the Jewel entertainment and retail complex that lasts just two and a half 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 one-day stopover. A tour includes two of the most famous destinations in central Seoul: a massive centuries-old palace and Insa-dong, a neighborhood filled with charming craft shops and traditional houses. Another takes travelers to an observation deck overlooking the Demilitarized Zone.
Incheon also has dedicated sleeping areas with full sunbeds and partitions. There are free shower facilities next to various gates in Terminals 1 and 2, and travelers can do some crafts or practice taekwondo at one of the airport’s many cultural centers.
The new features are part of a trend in airport design to provide more of a sense of place. “We think the airport is an extension of the city,” said Terence Young, a director at architecture firm Gensler, who worked on Incheon’s Terminal 2. “I think for a long time airports thought they wanted to be malls. We’ve really moved away from that.”
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At Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, there is an indoor, heated pool at the Oryx Airport Hotel open to all airport passengers at select times for about $48. The hotel, after security in the duty free concourse of Concourses C, D and E, also has a spa, showers, gym, golf simulator and even squash courts.
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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, perfect for burning off some energy before or after a flight, can make a family trip viable. Favorites include the new indoor play areas at La Guardia Airport’s Terminal B — tiny foam airplanes, control towers and even baggage claim that kids can climb into — and Copenhagen Airport in Denmark, which has indoor and outdoor playgrounds with slides and a large wooden plane.
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At Zurich Airport, there is an area next to gates A, past security, where families can relax, offering toys, sinks, changing tables and a quiet area for children to breastfeed. One reader raved about the “pleasant” play areas with climbing structures, rocking horses, high quality wooden toys, puzzles, books, dolls and video games. Even better: staff on hand to help with family needs.
Find shelter
Sensory rooms tailored for neurodeviant travelers can be a sanctuary. Pittsburgh International Airport’s version, with its soundproofed rooms, comfortable seats and simulated airplane cabin, is “fantastic for children with special needs,” said Blaire Malkin, 44, of Charleston, W.Va. It’s next to the A gates, past security.
“It has made a big difference when we fly with our daughter who has autism and an intellectual disability,” Ms Malkin said. “I wish more airports had spaces like these that take into account the needs of all travelers.”
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In New Jersey, Newark Liberty International Airport’s new Terminal A recently unveiled a 1,000-square-foot, pre-security sensory room at the south end of the departures level. The room, designed to look like it has a river flowing through it, has soft and colorful carpets, cloud-shaped light fixtures and a mural of a mountain range. There are also bubble tubes, a sensory feature with glowing beads and bubbles constantly in motion. Travelers who need extra assistance can request an in-room security screening as part of the Transportation Security Administration’s TSA Cares program.
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