Airports have a very simple job: check-in your bag and get you on the right plane to your destination. Many travellers see them as a function for travel rather than part of the holiday itself. Yet with a bit of research and planning airports can be much more interesting than a place to wait for your plane.
Sleeping pods
Life is full of little luxuries and many airports offer services that will add luxury to your trip. Getting to the airport can be very tiring and airports are hard places to relax. Airport Business reported that Helsinki Airport in Finland became the first airport to install sleeping pods. These pods have ergonomic seats that can be turned into a bed and a cover to isolate the user. For passengers who find sleeping on planes hard or want to pass the transit time with a nap, the sleeping pods are a great little luxury.
Duty free
Very few people use duty-free to its full potential. Most people will wander around it browsing and will most likely be doing the mental math and comparing the prices to the shops at home. With discount prices, duty-free is a great place to shop for electronic items and clothes. Yahoo Style state that the best way to take advantage of duty free is with a personal shopper. For example Heathrow Airport allows passengers to book a free style consultation. For passengers willing to pay a bit more, Terminal 2 has its own shopping lounge where passengers can drink champagne while they shop in private.
Restaurants
For gastronomic fans, airports are a great place to eat food from some of world’s best chefs. UK-based company, Parking4Less states in their blog ‘Heathrow In Search of Perfection’ that Heston Blumenthal has joined celebrity chefs Gordon Ramsay, and Jamie Oliver in opening restaurants in London’s major airports. The restaurant in Heathrow Terminal 2 is called The Perfectionist Café and features British classics such as fish and chips cooked in Blumenthal’s signature style. The restaurant took inspiration from the chef’s book and television series Heston’s In Search of Perfection. Thus, use airport restaurants as a place to indulge not just fuel up.
An on-airport swimming pool
Many airports have features that passengers don’t know about. For example, Passport Chop documents that Changi Airport, Singapore has a rooftop swimming pool. For a small fee (roughly £10) passengers can use the pool and jacuzzi with complementary towel, shower facilities and non-alcoholic drinks. While most people wait for their flight in the terminal you can be watching planes land and take off in style.
Life is full of little luxuries and they can make airports change from being a tedious transit point to an exciting beginning or end to your holiday. Next time you use an airport do a bit of research and you may be surprised as to what is on offer.
Looking for a great airport to experience? Why not check out my posts on Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam:
