Airports, We’re Begging: Add These 10 Amenities for ALL Passengers

Sure, you can get a limited number of pharmaceuticals for what ails you at most airport convenience shops, but what about those times you’ve forgotten more obscure items ahead of your trip, or even when you didn’t have time to pick up that prescription before dashing off to the airport? Airport pharmacies can be more common outside the U.S., particularly in countries where pharmacists have broader latitude to write prescriptions for controlled medications, and also in countries where prescription medications popular in the U.S. can be obtained much cheaper over the counter.

There actually are movie theaters in airports, but they’re rare. Portland International Airport (PDX) in Oregon has a free micro-cinema which shows short films by local filmmakers. If you didn’t get your fill of the in-flight entertainment, Singapore’s Changi Airport has a free movie theatre in Terminal 3, which screens current blockbuster hits. It’s an amenity we’d love to see in more airports, particularly if we have a longer layover or an extended flight delay. And, perhaps if more airports offered entertainment, there would be fewer passengers blaring it from their devices without headphones.

We’ve all come across that wild airport pricing that defies common sense–a Whopper meal at a Burger King at San Francisco International Airport is $17. Portland International Airport (PDX) has long had a “street pricing” program requiring airport shops and restaurants to price the same as they do at their off-airport locations, and Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) implemented one in 2023. New York’s major airports cap vendor markups to 15% above the street price. Really, they should do this everywhere.

Although the majority of travelers have their documents in order the majority of the time, sometimes there are hiccups—you forget your passport, your passport has expired, or it will expire earlier than the authorities at your destination will allow for admission. US Passport Agencies can issue replacement passports on an emergency basis, but generally only by appointment, and the offices are almost never at airports where they’d be most effective.

Airports do have swimming pools, but they’re all inside airport hotels or VIP lounges. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, famously has an infinity pool at the VIP lounge, and many airport hotels, including the Hyatt Regency at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and the Oryx Airport Hotel at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, offer day passes for non-overnight guests. At New York JFK, the TWA Hotel offers day passes to its rooftop pool with runway views. However, airport pools are still a rarity, and the chance to take a dip after a long flight or on a layover during a long travel day is one we’d jump at.

Bookstores are common at airports; at the very least, bestsellers and current magazines are available from airport shops even if there aren’t dedicated bookstores. But some airports also have libraries, and we’d love to see more of them. At Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), a partnership with local libraries brings adult and children’s books to the airport. Books can be read onsite or taken on the plane and needn’t be returned, but returning travelers can drop them off at the airport or at several local library branches. Other airports, like Houston Hobby (HOU), Houston George Bush Intercontinental (IAH), and Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA), offer Little Free Libraries for informal book exchanges.

Perhaps one of the hardest parts of the airport experience is knowing you’ll be stuck inside once past security (airside). It’s been en vogue among airport VIP lounges to open outdoor decks (Delta SkyClubs in New York LaGuardia, Atlanta, and Los Angeles have them; the United Club at Los Angeles also has one), but what about the rest of us? Some of our favorite airports, including those at Honolulu, Kona, Palm Springs, and Long Beach, CA, have airside outdoor spaces for everyone, but we think it should be standard.

Yes, there are hotels past security at some airports—there just aren’t any at U.S. airports. YotelAir operates airside hotels at Amsterdam, Istanbul, and Paris CDG; while Aerotel has an airside location at Singapore Changi. Airside hotels offer rooms for passengers in transit with longer layovers; many rent rooms for just a few hours at a time. In the U.S., it’s more common for on-site airport hotels to have locations connected to the terminal, but before the security checkpoints. Those hotels include the Grand Hyatt DFW Airport, Grand Hyatt at SFO, TWA Hotel at New York Kennedy, Fairmont Vancouver Airport, and Hilton Chicago O’Hare.

Showers are another amenity standard in high-end airport lounges, but generally unavailable to other travelers. United’s Polaris lounges, Delta SkyClubs and DeltaOne lounges, and other lounges operated by airlines like Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, and Cathay Pacific have shower suites, but they require a business class ticket or top-tier frequent flier membership. Some airports have shower suites available for a fee, such as select MinuteSuites locations, but we’d love to see that amenity become more standard at more airports, not only for travelers who need a refresh, but for everyone sharing the cabin with them on their flight!

Cuddles with an alpaca wearing the famous PDX carpet design? You can get those at Portland International Airport. Several other airports, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, have therapy animal programs, where pets such as dogs and cats from local shelters will visit terminals periodically as mood boosters for travelers. Many airports have similar programs, but they’re generally offered on only a few days each month and in a small number of areas around the terminal. We’d love to see these programs become more widespread.