What’s in an Airport That’s Worth Seeing?

We all know the purpose of an airport is to enter and leave a location by means of an airplane. Thus in many ways airports are very utilitarian structures. However, as airports have become more and more significant parts of our life, they have changed. Airports now seek to be places for comfort, shopping, and perhaps even culture. Here are some of the interesting things I have seen in airports around the world.

We all know the basics of an airport. There are the check in areas, the security check points, the gates for departure and arrival, and finally the baggage claim areas. These are the utilitarian aspects of an airport. However it’s often the other aspects of the airport that make it memorable or uncomfortable. Who hasn’t had a long layover in an airport sitting in an uncomfortable seat perhaps trying to take a nap. It’s at that time that the other elements of an airport begin to matter.

The first airport that I really remember is Miami’s. I flew through Miami to the Dominican Republic where I was going to teach for two years. Knowing that I would be gone from my family for that long made the trip even more challenging.

However, the Miami airport was an experience in itself that began to prepare me for my journey ahead. Upon arrival I felt like I was already in a foreign country because the majority of people around me were speaking Spanish. I had not anticipated that. The stores in the terminal were filled with brightly colored items of clothing and boxes of interesting fruits. It was really a feast for the senses, and it uplifted my spirit. I really enjoyed wandering around and seeing everything.

Another unique aspect to the Miami airport is that there is a hotel right in the terminal. Because I had arrived after the final flight to the Dominican Republic, this was a very convenient place for me to spend the night before leaving the next day for the Dominican Republic.

When my son was eleven, he and I flew to the Dominican Republic for the summer where I was going to teach. I was looking forward to shepherding him through the Miami airport as I thought he would really enjoy all the sights and sounds. He didn’t. Hearing everyone speaking Spanish was disconcerting to him, and after a short time he said he just wanted to go back to the gate and wait there for our flight. Lesson learned; people react differently to the same experience, even your own kids.

Like Miami many airports in the U.S. try to give off some kind of an impression about their community. The decor may seek to suggest something about the area. When we were in Bozeman, Montana this past fall, the airport interior had a lot of wood paneling and rock walls that seemed to suggest a lodge feel. The airport in Reno has a large statue of a skier referencing the local ski areas around Lake Tahoe. The Palm Springs airport has influences of glamorous mid-century design, which of course is a common theme in the city.

I remember in the Austin, Texas airport there was an interesting display of guitars in the middle of the airport since Austin has a reputation as a music city. My recollection of the Philadelphia airport is their rocking chairs. They were comfy if you could snag one. The airports in Hawaii are also interesting. They have a lot of outdoor space and try to take advantage of the Hawaiian culture in their decor.

The amenities found in airports also vary. If you have a long layover, it can be good to check out the airport to see what it has to offer. Of course almost all airports have restaurants and places to buy magazines and needed sundries. Restaurants in particular often will try to offer food from the region, but there are typically familiar chain restaurants as well.

Airports can be a good last minute place to pick up a souvenir. On my last visit to the Dominican Republic I wanted to buy a nativity set from a local ceramic company there. However, I never found what I was looking for. Imagine my surprise when I found one in the airport as I was leaving. While it was probably more expensive than buying in country, I was happy to get it.

In the U.S. frequent travelers often have lounges they can stay in during a layover. These are usually associated with a particular airline and the rewards that attend frequent flyers. In the Johannesburg airport there are also lounges, but anyone can go in and pay to stay for a period of time. Snacks and comfortable chairs are offered in a safe and quiet environment. I considered using one as I had a long layover there coming home, but the reviews were mixed online so I decided not to chance it.

The Tokyo airport has individual rooms one can rent. It’s basically a bed and a bathroom so travelers can take a nap, a shower, or just have some quiet time alone. The rooms are rented by the hour. I didn’t choose to rent one on my nearly twelve hour layover there, but I did find some nice reclining sofas to relax in at the end of the airport. The only concern was falling asleep, and then my luggage would be vulnerable. Still it was a nice quiet rest place.

One of the more surprising elements in an airport is in Zurich, Switzerland. It’s a supermarket, a large supermarket with meats and fresh vegetables as well as all the other things one would expect to find. It seemed out of place in an airport but was surprisingly busy. We appreciated the convenience of being able to buy some breakfast items and snack foods there.

The Zurich airport is also a major hub for the train system. That is not so surprising, but it turned out to be convenient for us. We stayed at a hotel near the airport so we would walk over to the airport in the morning to catch a train, and on our return we could often catch a ride with the shuttle back to the hotel.

When I traveled with students to Zambia, we had a long layover in London both ways. There we discovered the chapel. It is not a big space, but was sufficient for us to meet together and have a time of devotions. However, the interesting thing for me was the room was actually quite busy. Muslims made the most use of the chapel, and while most were cordial, a few seemed somewhat irritated that we were using the room. There were even prayer mats in the chapel for their use.

There have been articles written ranking some of the airports around the world. The last one I saw said that Singapore had the best airport. I haven’t been to Singapore so I can’t judge, but for me the most interesting airport is Taipei, Taiwan. What makes this airport stand out is how they have tried to make the airport a place of interest. All the gates at the airport have a theme so no two gates are exactly the same. The theme can extend to the types of seats provided to the decor around it. This is on full display in the new section of the airport. In the older section most of the gates are more traditional. Here the themes are not so inclusive, but there are still pictures and decor that emphasize the themes.

While it makes for an interesting place to wander around, the seats at the gates are not always the most comfortable. They look fun, but aren’t necessarily fun to sit in for a long period of time. Nevertheless the creativity certainly makes the Taipei airport a standout airport in my thinking.

Another interesting element about the Taipei airport is actually in downtown Taipei. In the major transit center in the center of Taipei, we could check in our luggage for our later flight. This freed us from our luggage and allowed us more time in the downtown area as well as made our trip to the airport much simpler.

Do you have an airport that stands out in your mind? What is the most interesting airport you have been to? What makes a good airport for you? I hope you will join the discussion and share your thoughts in the comment section below. Also be sure to sign up to get weekly posts. An email is all it takes.

Credits: The photo of the Taiwan “bike” was taken by Silvette Lee. The two photos of Hello Kitty in Taiwan were taken by Andrea Lee.