A place to cool your jets
Savvy travellers arm themselves for delays with headphones, handheld devices and snacks, but there’s no universal cure for the crowds and uncomfortable seating in most airports.
Photo: Gwoeii/Shutterstock
But there are some airports where having time to kill isn't such a bad thing, places where you can catch a movie, take a swim, and even play a round of golf. Survey firm Skytrax publishes an annual ranking of airports based on an on-going worldwide survey of passengers - the people best suited to judge - and the most comfortable airports generally find their way to the top of the list. If you have to endure a layover, hopefully you’ll end up in one of these airports. (Text: Josh Lew)
1. Singapore Changi
This Southeast Asian hub, which served more than 50 million passengers in 2012, has taken the top spot on the Skytrax rankings multiple times over the past decade. Passengers on a layover here have options. Changi boasts a “nature trail” with six separate gardens representing different eco-systems. Lounges with plenty of “napping areas” are also available, along with fitness centres, massage chairs and a swimming pool. People who have a layover of five hours or longer can take a special guided tour of Singapore. If you’re a shopping enthusiast, you might just want to stay in the terminal. More people shop in Changi each year than in any single mall on the city’s famed Orchard Road.
Related Links: (1) Destination of the Week: Singapore; (2) Unusual eats at Singapore's most iconic wet market [Photos]
2. Incheon International, Seoul
Photo: penny_7b /Flickr
Seoul's massive airport is a popular destination for connecting fliers headed to other parts of East Asia from the Americas and Europe. Thanks to its comfortable transit seating areas, expansive duty-free shopping mall and airy main terminal, Incheon earned the highest overall score on the 2012 Skytrax customer satisfaction survey. Incheon also is one of the world's most family-friendly airports. Not only does it have a children's play area, but also childcare lounges with diaper changing stations and nursing rooms. Older kids might enjoy spending some pent-up energy at the Ice Forest, a large skating rink in the airside terminal.
Other bonuses: This is one of the few airports in the world where you can get free access to a computer and Wi-Fi. Incheon has an impressive seven gardens in the passenger terminal and one in the transportation centre. Finally, a free cultural centre features exhibits on Korean culture and traditional dance and folk music performances.
3. Amsterdam Schiphol
Photo: ariadna de raadt/Shutterstock
Schiphol, Europe's fourth-busiest airport, is designed around a single terminal, so every passenger in transit can access all the features easily. Pay-in lounges and one hour of free Wi-Fi provide some practical options for layovers. People who want to have a nap, some privacy, and perhaps a quick shower can head to the Amsterdam branch of Yotel inside the airport. Yotel has small hourly-rate "cabins" with a bed, bathroom and (optional) shower. This airport's real charm, however, is that it has opted not to be as focused on retail. The Panorama Terrace offers views of the tarmac and approaching aircraft. There is also an on-site casino and a theatre. For culture enthusiasts, the airport's highlight is a special branch of the Rijksmuseum in the airside terminal. It features the works of famous Dutch artists, and - best of all - is free.
4. Vancouver International
Photo: Ed Bierman/Flickr
Vancouver International is one of the most highly rated airports in North America, and it’s the only airport on the continent to crack the top 10 of the latest annual Skytrax airport ranking. For culture-lovers, spending a couple of hours looking at the expansive collection of art made by native peoples from the Pacific Northwest is an attractive proposition. There are also some impressive stained glass window installations. The airy terminal building has plenty of natural light, so you won't be stewing under florescent lights during your layover.
5. Munich
Photo: llinke /Flickr
Germany's second busiest airport (behind Frankfurt) boasts one of the most unusual airport features in the world, the Munich Airport Centre. Sitting between the airport's two main terminals, the MAC is an open-air shopping area with a tent-like roof. It has great window-shopping opportunities, including an Audi showroom and an Hermès outlet, plenty of greenery and even a children's play area. The open-air setting may help you forget that you’re in an airport.
6. Mineta San Jose International, California
San Jose's Mineta International has some of the quirkiest airport decor you will encounter. Tech-themed art installations throughout the terminals give people with a few hours to spare a reason to wander and do some sightseeing. The Club, Mineta's pay-to-sit lounge, costs less than a taxi ride and sometimes hosts its own art shows featuring the works of local artists. On an environmental note, the airport's new B Terminal is aiming for LEED Silver certification.
7. Indianapolis International
When it comes to almost any sort of “best of” list for worldwide air travel, U.S. airports are woefully underrepresented. Indianapolis is one of the few standouts. A new state-of-the-art terminal gives this American hub some sparkle. The free Wi-Fi helps its image, as do the plentiful shops that offer services as opposed to retail. Indy is small in terms of overall traffic compared to most of the other airports on this list, but after its recent upgrades, it is a likeable underdog.
8. Abu Dhabi International
One of the wealthiest of the Arabian Peninsula’s emirates, Abu Dhabi has an airport that rivals nearby Dubai in terms of overall opulence and over-the-top features. The highlights go beyond the duty-free shopping and first-class lounges (two of which offer walk-up admission for economy-class passengers). Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, and there are computer kiosks where you can access the Internet for free. The real star here is the architecture. The curves and arched lines, which let in natural light in without exposing passengers to the brutal heat, make this airport's main terminal seem almost space-age. A large indoor park with Mediterranean plant life offers refuge for laid-over fliers, along with more shopping options than some of the United Arab Emirates' largest malls.
9. Zurich
This is another Central European airport that has lots of diversions for victims of delays or people enduring long layovers. An observation deck (shown here) makes it possible to see the goings-on at this busy airport. Wi-Fi is not universally free, but each passenger can get 60 minutes of free access on a mobile device and then 60 minutes at a free computer kiosk. Iconic Swiss brands like Mont Blanc, Bucherer and Swatch have shops inside Zurich's terminals. Day-rooms with sofas and plush chairs with blankets are available for rent for less than the price of access to the airport's pay-in lounges.
10. Hong Kong International
Hong Kong's airport is a huge complex, a fitting setting for one of the world's most cosmopolitan destinations. The cavernous terminals mean it rarely seems crowded. Some of HK's features are over the top. Flight delayed? How about a round of golf in the terminal-side course? An IMAX theatre, education-oriented theme park, and an arcade with sports-simulators are also on the menu. The shopping (or browsing) line-up is a who's-who of brand names: Juicy, Coach, Armani, Chaumet. There’s even a Ferrari-themed shop. If you want the largest possible menu of layover options, HKIA is the airport where you want to be.
[Source: Mother Nature Network. Edited.]
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