Traveling means spending a lot of time in the airport. Now, many airports are adding services that you would not expect to make your waiting time better with fun and relaxing things to do.
As part of this, airports are continuing to look like shopping malls, with a growing number of chain stores and souvenir stands.
However, there are many more unique services that are now available for travelers.
Live Music
At the Austin-Bergstrom Airport in Austin, Texas, local artists play on multiple stages set up for ticketed passengers Monday through Friday. At the Nashville International Airport in Nashville, Tennessee, there's a regular line-up of free performances. Concert events and series will also be at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, which offers concerts every few months, and Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., which hosts a jazz series. Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, Canada, throws summer parties called Take Off Fridays. Even New York is getting in on the musical fun, with the JetBlue terminal at John F. Kennedy Airport turning into a concert hall with Live from T5 event.
Museums
Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport is the host of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schipol, which is itself an annex of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, a Dutch national museum known for its collection from the Golden Era. San Francisco International Airport has a partnership with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, which now has a fully accredited museum in the airport.
Movie Theaters
Hong Kong International Airport has a full IMAX theater, showing both 2D and 3D movies. A theater in Singapore's Changi Airport has 3D and 4D movies.
Medical and Dental Care
Full service medical and dental clinics are now available at some airports, such as Vancouver International Airport, Zurich Airport in Switzerland, Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paolo, Brazil, Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan, San Francisco International Airport and Frankfurt Airport in Germany.
Pet Care
Narita Airport in Tokyo has on-site boarding for your pet. The Pet Hotel lets you pick up and drop off your pet as part of your travel plans. It also offers vet and grooming services.
Workout Areas
Yoga rooms are now located in many airports, such as Burlington International Airport in Vermont and San Francisco International Airport. Dallas Forth Worth International Airport in Texas offers a marked walking trail in addition to a yoga room.
Games
Some airports are offering gaming selections, from electronic games to old-school games like ping-pong. Hong Kong International offers iSports, a venue dedicated to playing simulated sports, from boxing to car racing to basketball. Both Paris airports, Orly and Charles De Gaulle, offer free PlayStation two and three. General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offers the ping-pong.
Classes
Korea's Incheon Airport has sections dedicated to educating passengers on local culture, including craft classes. Hong Kong International offers "Tea Through the Ages," an exhibit that includes tea-making workshops.
Gardens
Changi Airport in Singapore has a butterfly Garden with an indoor waterfall and over 1,000 butterflies, as well as a sunflower and orchid garden in another terminal.
Pets
Miami International has service animals to help stressed out travelers. Two days a week, Casey, a four-year-old golden retriever roams around the airport wearing a "Pet Me" bandana.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
