For more than 20 years, travelers, airport employees and the general public have enjoyed the 12.5-mile Hiker-Biker Trail that loops around the outside of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). It even includes bike rentals for just $13 per day and passes through a park with a playground.
No matter how cold and blustery it gets this winter, passengers and employees at Minneapolis-St. Paul International (MSP) will still be able to enjoy the wildly popular food truck trend that is sweeping the nation. This summer, the Twin Cities airport transformed a traditional food court in its Lindbergh Terminal into an indoor urban alleyway, complete with faux brick walls, decorative outdoor lighting and four full-size food trucks.
People outside the industry sometimes think of airports as nothing more than places for airplanes to land and take off. Halifax Stanfield (YHZ) in Nova Scotia aspires to be much more-for passengers and its community.
Skipping the line at airport restaurants used to be the stuff daydreams were made of-usually the daydreams of travelers with tight connections, employees on limited lunch breaks or parents with hungry kids hanging on their legs as they waited in line. Mobile apps, however, are changing the very definition of "grab-and-go."
Five years ago, Chick-fil-A was in four U.S. airports. By the end of 2017, company officials say they'll have nearly 30 restaurants in more than 25 airports throughout the country and one at Calgary International in Alberta, Canada.
Capitalizing on a popular streetside trend, two Hawaiian airports are using small battery-powered versions of the food trucks that have taken many North American cities by storm in the last few years.
With planners projecting that Kelowna International (YLW) will serve 2 million passengers by 2020, the British Columbia airport is embarking on programs to prepare its facilities and customer service practices for future demand.
Visitors at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) might not leave the McNamara Terminal if it's up to their taste buds. Earlier this year, the airport launched an entirely new lineup of food and beverage offerings that includes farm-to-table freshness and an updated combination of local and national options. In addition, the terminal also features delivery service in two gatehold areas, Motown-flavored live music and a lush green wall.
Eppley Airfield (OMA) in Omaha, NE, put its outside-the-box thinking on full display when it opened an interactive art gallery in late April. In addition to selling pieces by regional artists, the new concession features live demonstrations of select artists creating their work-a strategy that is engaging airport visitors and boosting retail sales.
Operators of Green Market, a new grab-and-go concession at Chicago O'Hare International Airport, knew they had a winner even before it opened in March. They trusted the appeal of their concept: healthy foods purchased from local vendors. What they didn't know was how quickly and enthusiastically airport visitors would embrace the current trend.
As international traffic increases and upscale overseas airlines begin to extend their first-class service beyond the cabin doors, San Francisco International Airport has taken notice-and action. In March, it launched the one-year pilot of a paid concierge service for passengers traveling on any airline, in any class of service.
Each year, airports spend millions of dollars improving the passenger experience. But despite luxury lounges, gourmet restaurants and high-end retail stores, many still share a common Achilles' heel: security checkpoints. Passenger grumbling has grown noticeably louder at facilities where traffic volume continues to rise and TSA staffing levels remain unchanged due to budget constraints.
