Denver International Airport (DEN) now has its first outdoor deck, thanks to the airport’s $1.5 billion Gate Expansion Program.
The deck is located on Concourse B, at the far western end of the concourse.
In addition to outdoor seating, the deck has fire pits, a pet relief area, and beautiful mountain views. Concessions will soon be available on the deck as well.
Along with the outdoor deck, DEN unveiled four new gates on Concourse B that are being used by United Airlines. These new gates are the first of 39 new gates and new passenger amenities that will roll out across three concourses.
The first new set of gates has six hold rooms, new restrooms, a nursing room, new seating, and a pet relief area.
“The new gates on B-West provide a glimpse into the future of DEN’s concourses,” said DEN CEO Kim Day. “It won’t be too long before the expansion work is completed on each concourse and we complete upgrades throughout each concourse, enhancing the experience for all passengers to enjoy.”
On
February 14 – Valentine’s Day – SFO opened a new $6.3 million outdoor observation deck called the
SkyTerrace.
Located
pre-security in Terminal 2, the 1,460-square-foot SkyTerrace is open to the
general public and, as a bonus, offers 180-degree views of the busiest section
of SFO, where all four runways intersect.
Visitors will find wooden chairs and benches at the SkyTerrace, drought-tolerant landscaping, bird-safe glass panels to provide wind protection and great views.
Food and beverages are permitted on the SkyTerrace, and later this year a café will open nearby. So this sounds like a great place to hang out with friends or family before a flight.
SFO’s
new SkyTerrace will be open seven days a week from 7:00 am – 10:00 pm. And
while no ticket is required to access this new observation deck, visitors must
still undergo a security check as they enter the space.
As a nice bonus, the SFO Museum has installed an exhibit at the SkyTerrace titled The 1954 San Francisco International Airport Terminal, which explores the history and architecture of the building that was on the spot now occupied by the SkyTerrace.
Courtesy SFO Museum
Designed
in the International Style, the seven-story building was dedicated on August
27, 1954 and had panoramic views of the airfield and San Francisco Bay from
multiple spectators’ terraces. The
exhibition features objects and imagery from the first decade the building operated.
SFO’s other observation deck
And don’t forget that SFO airport has another snazzy observation
deck.
That one also offers 180-degree views of the airfield and is post-security at the end of the International Terminal, Boarding Area G. It also has wooden chairs, tables, and chaise lounges, ten-foot bird-safe glass panels, drought-tolerant landscaping and three bronze sculptures. Hours: 7:00 am to 11:30 pm every day.
The 5,770 square foot east terrace patio is located post-security on the mezzazine level between Gates 1-2.
To reach it, walk up the stairs or take the elevator to what the AUS airport calls its “hip terrace patio.”
The space is open 24 hours, is non-smoking and is located adjacent to the new Detla Sky Lounge.
The patio has a view of the 9,000-foot east runway and offers a great opportunity for plane spotting as well as a view of ramp and apron-level airport activities.
Austin can get very hot, so there’s an air-conditioned section of AUS’s patio.
In the outdoor section, patio is partially covered with sunshade blade panels to mimic the wings of an airplane.
The décor of the patio is modern-outdoor round tables, patio-furniture type seating and awnings that cover the family-style bench picnic tables.
Landscaping includes water-friendly native drought-tolerant plants.
And, for those of you into statistics: the airport tells us the patio flooring is covered with 428 wood pavers and 276 concrete pavers. Each concrete paver weighs 150 to 206 pounds and is 30 inches wide x 30 inches long and 2.25 inches thick.
Enjoy! And please send StuckatTheAirport.com a photo of what you see when you’re enjoying this new outdoor space at AUS airport.
The full story has more than 30 photos, so be sure to take a look over there, but here are some of my favorite photos shared by airports.
Observation Deck at Friendship International Airport – now Baltimore/Washington International Airport. Observation Gallery at BWI Airport – now Missoula International Airport. Courtesy Dan NeumanOklahoma’s City’s Will Rogers World Airport once had an Observation Tower When the Central Terminal opened in 1954, the building included an Observation Deck – look for the railings on the upper level. SFO’s brand new observation deck has plants, art and chaise lounges. Nice, right?
Where are your favorite airport observation decks?
We’re always happy here at Stuck at the Airport to hear about cool new amenities in the terminals.
A new addition to celebrate is San Francisco International Airport’s recently-opened post-security observation deck for travlers.
Courtesy SFO
The 2,997 square foot outdoor terrace has wooden chairs, tables, chaise lounges, bronze sculptures and a nice collection of drought-tolerant plants.
SFO Observation Deck. Courtesy of the airport.
Ten-foot bird-safe glass panels provide wind protection for passengers, but don’t get in the way of the view up into the skies to see planes taking off and landing.
Want to go?
SFO’s new outdoor terrace is open from 7:00 am to 11:30 pm every day. It is accessible to passengers in Terminal 3 via a secure connecting walkway.
Looking ahead: SFO plans to open another obervation deck in October 2019.
That one will be located pre-security in Terminal 2 and will be accessible to the general public – no boarding pass required.
Of course, now we need to make a list of all the other airports that have Observation Decks. Can you help out?
