Here’s part 2 of the recent slide show I put together for Bing Travel highlighting some of the best amenities at the country’s busiest airports. (Part 1, which includes the airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth can be found here.)

No. 5: Denver International Airport
Some travelers are still smarting from Christmas 2006, when a blizzard closed Denver International Airport for 22 hours, stranding more than 3,000 passengers. The airport’s snow-removal skills have vastly improved, but weather-related delays can still happen. Wait those out with free Wi-Fi or a self-guided tour of the art collection (brochures are available at any information booth).

Defeat the delay: If any planes are moving, watch them on the active taxiway that runs beneath the glass and steel pedestrian bridge linking the A gates to the main terminal. (That bridge also leads to security checkpoint lines reliably shorter than those in the main terminal.)

No. 6: John F. Kennedy International Airport

When winter weather hits, all of the always-busy New York-area airports — LaGuardia Airport, Newark Liberty International and John F. Kennedy International — quickly become zoos. At JFK, seven separate terminals mean delayed travelers must make do with services at hand. That’s not a problem in JetBlue’s amenity-rich T5, which offers free Wi-Fi throughout the terminal and more than 40 shops and restaurants, including Deep Blue Sushi — all after you go through security. Elsewhere, it’s a post-security challenge. Your best bet is Terminal 4, which has the most pre-security options, including public art by Alexander Calder and a retail hall with shops and restaurants, such as the Palm Bar and Grill.

Defeat the delay: When planes are grounded, the AirTrain from JFK to the New York City subways usually keeps running. The trip to the city might take an hour, but will cost less than $10 and can be its own adventure.

No. 7: George Bush Intercontinental Airport
At Houston’s Bush Intercontinental, delayed passengers can view space-related exhibits on loan from NASA and shop for their own space-themed souvenirs at a branch of NASA’s Space Trader store. There’s also a revolving steakhouse restaurant, CK’s, at the Houston Airport Marriott located in the center of the terminal complex, and an interterminal train below the terminals designed in 1981 by the Walt Disney Co.

Defeat the delay: It may be an airport, but you can still get a taste of Texas. Three Stelzig Ranch shops offer boots, hats and other Texas-style accessories, while Texas Trail Boss Jerky sells beef, pork, turkey and bison jerky.

No. 8: Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
In addition to free Wi-Fi and complimentary recharge work stations, McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas offers delayed travelers entertainment in the form of the Howard Cannon Aviation Museum, art exhibits, an aviation-themed kid’s play area, an interactive Dance Heads video booth and bars serving oxygen cocktails.

Defeat the delay: McCarran also has approximately 1,200 slot machines. And, as the saying goes, you can’t win if you don’t play.

Part 3 tomorrow…

Categories: Air Travel, Airport guides, Airport shops, Airports, Food, Gambling, Layover, Restaurants, Shopping
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As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy rolls around, many travelers are thinking back to where they were that day and what they were doing as the horrific details began to emerge. Some are recounting their blessings, remembering how close they came to being part of the carnage.

Count me among them.

In the summer of 2001, I was on the road promoting my guide book, Stuck at the Airport, which detailed services and amenities at the many of the nation’s airports. (Modern versions of those guides are now online at USATODAY.com) Airport shops offering massages or manicures were a rare find back then; an airport with a website was even rarer.

I got a call from a woman at the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, the operator of LaGuardia, JFK and Newark airports. She invited me to visit her office at the World Trade Center and chat with her staff about how airports could be more welcoming. “We can’t pay you to come out here from Seattle,” she said, “But if you’re in town anyway and can come by, we’ll take you out for a nice meal.”

That seemed like a good excuse to visit family back east. So we picked a date: September 12. My thank-you meal would be at Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the North Tower.

Then and now

Since then, as you well know, pretty much everything about the airport experience has changed.

Before 9/11, my airport review ritual went like this: I’d fly into an airport, stash my belongings in a gate-side locker (remember those?), and spend several hours walking from concourse to concourse, terminal to terminal, asking questions, taking pictures and making detailed notes.

On a cheap weekend fare I’d often fly in and out of an airport (or two) on the same day, taking advantage of the long layovers other travelers despise.

I visited more than 100 airports this way, many of them multiple times, and only once – in July, 1999 in Memphis – was I ever stopped by someone from airport security and questioned about what I was doing.

More often than not, it was other travelers who noticed my note-taking and assumed I worked for the airport. They’d stop me to ask for directions and tips on where to shop or find something to eat.

I not only took notes about what was offered inside airports, I made note of what people did in the airports.

Read. Sleep. Chat. Try to get some work done. Eat. Drink. Talk on the telephone. The same as now, but without all the cell phones, laptops and searching around for an electrical outlet.

Back then there were a lot of small children squealing “There’s daddy!” as tired-looking businessmen streamed off planes. And plenty of grandmas and grandpas rushing to plant wet kisses on squirmy babies they may have been meeting for the first time. There were waves of teary goodbyes and joyous reunions at the gates. And thinking back now, I realize the last time I saw my father smile at me before his final illness was at an airport, while we chatted as I waited to board a delayed flight.

Now it’s all grumbling about the Wi-Fi signal and jostling for a good spot so you can board the plane first and find a place to stash your carry-on bag. No last minute kisses, hugs and good wishes as the door to the jet way is about to close. No waves and tears at the window as a plane backs away.

I miss that.

But, setting aside for a moment the long lines, x-ray machines, body scanners and icky, intrusive pat-downs we must now endure at the security checkpoints, the post 9/11 world of airports has some upsides.

Recognizing that passengers were spending lots more time inside airports – and needing to diversify income sources once cash-strapped airlines began balking at footing the bills – airports began bulking up on services and amenities in the terminals.

Now, kiosks offering manicures and massages are no longer rare sightings at airports. Many terminals have wine bars, sports bars and fine restaurants where you can settle in and really relax. The selection of shops at some airports now rivals those offered at neighborhood malls and, with medical clinics, hair salons, pharmacies, convenience stores, play areas, art galleries and – hooray – free Wi-Fi, popping up along many airport concourses, it’s getting easier and easier to get distracted and miss a flight.

I’ve done that; more than twice.

But, as pleasant as it may be to have fun while being stuck at the airport, the sobering reality is that some of these amenities were ushered along in response to tragedy. And while I’m all for safety and security in the skies, I’m still mourning the loss of that one airport amenity that allowed for a last hug from a loved one before stepping onto a plane.

What pre-9/11 airport experience are you missing?

(This article originally appeared on USATODAY.com as my September, 2011 At the Airport column.)

Categories: 9/11, Air Travel, Airplanes, Airport guides, Airports, free Wi-Fi, Safety, Security
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My At the Airport column for USAToday.com this month is a round-up of more – and cheaper – ways to access airport lounges.

Many travelers have lost or given up their airline club memberships along with their expense accounts, their frequent-flier status and, in many cases, their jobs. And some airline lounges have closed due to airline consolidation and belt-tightening. But airports are still crowded and many travelers still seek quiet spots to plug in and work, make phone calls, catch a nap or just think.

Most airline club rooms will sell day passes to non-members for a fee of between $30 and $50. Some credit cards offer access at a select set of airline club rooms as part of the annual fee. And the Priority Pass program levies both a membership and per-visit fee for access to a menu of about 600 airport club rooms around the world.

Increasingly, though, independent operators and, in some cases, airports themselves are expanding the pay-per-use spaces where passengers can gain access to snacks, business amenities and comfortable seating.

The newest among these is the Airspace Lounge located post-security in Concourse D at Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The lounge offers hip decor, comfortable seating, work areas and complimentary wireless Internet access, snacks, small meals and non-alcoholic beverages.

Airspace Lounge CEO Anthony Tangorra plans to open similar lounges in other airports before the end of the year and says the $17.50 per-day fee at the BWI lounge was set after studying the average airport “spend.”

“We found that most passengers expect to spend about $20 at the airport. So lounge access is a compelling alternative for someone who wanted to go to the food court,” said Tangorra. He’s also noticed that because American Express Platinum and Centurion members get complimentary access to the Airspace Lounge, many cardholders stop at the lounge on their way out of the airport. “They grab a free sandwich to go and a coffee and are on their way,” he said.

Amenities at the reLAX Lounge, located on the pre-security, departure level of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, include upholstered chairs, workstations, business services and complimentary Wi-Fi, soft drinks, sandwiches and snacks. Admission is $15 for one hour and $30 for three hours. With the $50 day pass, a complimentary glass of wine or beer is included.

Plaza Premium, which has lounges in Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong, Singapore and more than a dozen other international airports, throws in buffet meals, drinks, business services and, in some locations, showers. Prices vary by location, but in Toronto the fee is about $35 for three hours.

Complimentary amenities at The Lounge in New York JFK’s Terminal 4 ($40 for four hours; $10 each additional hour) include showers, Internet access, drinks, snacks and light meals. At The Club in Terminal D at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, a 24-hour day pass is $35 and provides travelers with complimentary alcoholic drinks, business facilities, a separate kids’ room, shower facilities and a smoking lounge. Unlike many airline clubs, visitors are welcome to bring in food purchased outside the lounge.

The independent lounges at some of the nation’s smaller airports are some of the best deals.

Entrance to the Executive Club at Alabama’s Mobile Regional Airport is $10 per day and includes work areas and complimentary snacks, beverages and local phone calls. For $24.95, passengers can buy access to The Club at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and at Altitude: A Traveler’s Club at Kentucky’s Louisville International Airport, a day pass is just $5 and includes complimentary soft drinks and snacks, high-speed Internet access, free long-distance and domestic phone calls, and a lovely view of the runway.

Airport lounges for smokers and hotel guests

If you smoke (or don’t mind hanging around people who do), look for the specially-ventilated cigar lounges linked to the boutiques opened by Bahamas-based Graycliff Cigars at the Nassau International and Nashville International airports (Gates B9 and C10). Lounge access is $4 in Nashville and $10 in Nassau, where the fee includes a complimentary glass of wine or other beverage.

And in some cities, a hotel reservation will get you airport lounge access.

In February 2011, three Hilton Maldives resorts (Beach House Maldives: A Waldorf Astoria Resort, Hilton Maldives/Iru Fushi Resort & Spa and Conrad Maldives Rangali Island) opened a shared luxury lounge for guests arriving at Male International Airport. While they wait for the seaplane ride to a resort, guests receive complimentary shoulder massages, hot and cold food, Wi-Fi and access to posh indoor and outdoor seating. Guests departing the resorts in the evening can also use the lounge, but on the way home, the fee is $80 per person.

Not to be outdone, the W Maldives also offers a seaplane lounge that includes Internet access, non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.

In March 2010, the W Retreat & Spa -Vieques Island opened a welcome lounge at the tiny, un-air-conditioned Vieques Airport, off the coast of Puerto Rico. Hotel guests are greeted with chilled towels, cocktails and light snacks. “While they’re relaxing, we check them into their rooms, tag and load their luggage into a Jeep, and then whisk them to the retreat, which is five minutes away,” says the hotel’s Nikolai Ursin. Use of the air-conditioned lounge includes free Wi-Fi and is complimentary for hotel guests at both arrival and departure.

And while waiting for their complimentary airport transfers, guests who have booked suites at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on Hawaii’s Big Island have access to a private airport lounge that includes complimentary wireless Internet access, beverages and snacks.

Categories: Airport guides
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Here’s a contest after my own heart….

Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia is turning 80 this summer and to celebrate they’re having a contest to choose a “reporter/storyteller” who will live at the airport for 80 days and 80 nights posting videos, photos and social media content – all without ever leaving the island the airport sits on.

In addition to getting to stay 80 nights at the Fairmont Vancouver Airport, the winner of the Live@YVR contest will get CN $15000, 3 meals a day, and complimentary video equipment to use during their stay.

Want to enter? You’ll need to submit a short video. And you can only enter if you’re a Canadian citizen living in British Columbia. Which, sadly, leaves me out.

Here are more details about the Live @YVR contest.

Categories: Airport guides, Contests
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In my At the Airport column on USATODAY.com this month, I take a look at tiered Wi-Fi service being offered at some airports.  The big question is: should  you pay?

For years, one of the top if not the top amenity on many road warriors’ wish lists has been free Wi-Fi at the airport.

Slowly but surely, it’s happening.

Take a look at the USATODAY.com Airport Guides, airport websites, and various commercial and user-generated Wi-Fi directories. You’ll see there are now hundreds of U.S. airports offering travelers complimentary wireless Internet access.

San Francisco? Free. Orlando? Free. Seattle, Sacramento and San Jose? Free, free, free.

Washington’s Dulles and National airports? As of April, 2011, free as well.

Free Wi-Fi sounds great. But during heavy usage times at some airports, service often slows down. And some free airport Wi-Fi has strings. Most often, it’s in the form of advertising a user must view before getting online.

At Denver International Airport, “Sometimes it’s a session sponsorship, such as a video and then users are directed to the internet,” said DIA spokesperson Laura Coale. “Sometimes it is banner ads.”

At Boston’s Logan International Airport, where 198,000 free Wi-Fi sessions were logged during May, travelers must click through to a second screen before they see the button offering free Wi-Fi. “The user agrees to watch a short commercial or take a survey to gain access to the free site,” said airport spokesperson Mathew Brelis, “That times out after an hour and they need to log back on again.”

There remain some holdouts. Notable among airports that only offer paid Wi-Fi (outside of airline club lounges) are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and JFK, except for JetBlue’s Terminal 5, where complimentary Wi-Fi is offered as an amenity by the airline. There’s a plan underway to provide free Wi-Fi at Los Angeles International Airport within a year.

Is a little Wi-Fi too little?

At some airports that cannot yet swing free Wi-Fi financially or contractually, there is a new model: hybrid, or tiered, service. Complimentary Wi-Fi with limited time and, often, limited bandwidth is available, but for a fee travelers can also choose more secure, robust and unlimited service.

Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City offers travelers 20 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi. In Houston, travelers get 45 minutes of complimentary Wi-Fi at both Hobby Airport and George Bush Intercontinental airports.

“Some revenue needs to be generated by Boingo, our wireless vendor, to cover the costs of the Wi-Fi system,” explains Houston Airports spokesperson Marlene McClinton, “And charges for upgraded, faster downloads and beyond 45 minutes help.”

“The airport is weighing the possibility of offering entirely free Wi-Fi,” said McClinton, “But a timeline and strategy are still being discussed.”

Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has had some form of paid Wi-Fi available since 2000, but in May it began offering travelers a complimentary 30-minute session. Once the free session expires, a customer must wait 24 hours for another, find one of the airport’s free internet kiosks, or purchase premium access from the airport’s Wi-Fi provider, Boingo Wireless, which has roaming agreements with a variety of partners.

“Austin’s airport has different customer groups,” said spokesman Jim Halbrook. “Our business travelers need and pay for a premium Wi-Fi product. The 30-minute complimentary Wi-Fi sessions are a convenient amenity for casual users,” he said. “It’s our way of fulfilling the needs of very different travelers.”

Nashville International Airport is currently evaluating its Wi-Fi options. During the winter, the airport complemented paid airport-wide Wi-Fi with 20 minutes of sponsored Wi-Fi in the Meeter/Greeter areas and in the food court.

“We are still determining the impact of the promotion to our business model,” said airport spokesperson Emily Richard. “Airport officials are studying how to continue to offer a complimentary service to customers that desire it and a level of service and security for those customers who require it.”

For now, sponsored, complimentary Wi-Fi continues to be offered in the food court.

Why just the food court?

“Anecdotal studies say free Wi-Fi may have an overall negative effect on airport revenue,” explains Boingo Wireless spokesman Christian Gunning. “If people are watching a movie on-line they’re not walking around the airport shopping or spending money in the food court.”

Do travelers care?

Karen Marmolejo, a career/life coach in Sacramento, won’t pay for Wi-Fi at an airport, but is grateful when free access is offered. “Generally I don’t need access to the internet for more than 20 minutes anyway as there are many things I can do on my laptop that doesn’t require me to be online,” she said.

But Forrester Research travel industry analyst Henry Harteveldt said hybrid Wi-Fi “is a way for airports to avoid building out the infrastructure to support travelers. It is cheap — and annoying… Shame on them.”

Annoying or not, hybrid Wi-Fi plans at airports may be sticking around.

“Consumers are familiar with these kinds of policies where the heaviest users pay higher fees,” said Amy Cravens, senior analyst for In-Stat. “The tiered pricing model has its place in the hotspot market, particularly in airports where the amount of time spent on the network varies so greatly.”

Outside airports, many travelers are already making those choices.

A survey by travel research organization YPartnership found that 67% of frequent travelers have had a bad experience with free Internet while on the road. “Nearly half of those respondents are willing to pay for Internet. They just want fast service to get their work done and to access the Internet for entertainment,” said David Garrison, CEO of iBAHN, the provider of internet service at 300,000 hotel rooms worldwide.

“[T]he explosion in the use of photos and videos — think Facebook, You Tube and devices like iPad — has caused the amount of data per session to go up 50% per year. So free is not free and it’s getting more expensive every year.”

Note: Every bit helps: after I wrote this article I noticed Boingo was celebrating its 10th anniversary by giving away free Wi-Fi minutes and assorted prizes. Get your free Wi-Fi code here.

Photo courtesy slambo_42 via Flickr Commons

Categories: Airport guides, free Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi
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