My “At the Airport” column on USA TODAY this month looks at airport observation decks in the United States. Then and now.
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.
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.
The 2,997 square foot outdoor terrace has wooden chairs, tables, chaise lounges, bronze sculptures and a nice collection of drought-tolerant plants.
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?
Courtesy Korean Air
I’ve got a full review of the new Terminal 2 at Seoul’s Incheon Airport up on the Today in the Sky blog at USA TODAY, but sharing some more snaps from my visit here.
The terminal officially opened on January 18 – just a few weeks before 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games- and it’s a keeper.
Four airlines will use the terminal: South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
Photovoltaic panels on the roof and natural greenery inside the terminal help keep the air fresh and lower heating and ventilation costs. A fleet of robots help passengers find their way.
Photo -by Harriet Baskas
Korean music and cultural performances are offered throughout the day and two Korean Traditional Cultural Experience Centers offer passengers the opportunity to try their hands at a Korean craft.
Photo by Harriet Baskas
Beyond shopping and eating, there are activities to keep travelers entertained, including a large Kids Zone, the IT Experience Zone with VR soccer and flying (plus a coffee-making robot) and, in the transfer zone, a ‘digital gym’ that encourages jumping, stepping and other activites.
Photo by Harriet Baskas
There’s also plenty of art and an observation deck with a cafe, views of the airfield and exhibits about the airport.
Photo by Harriet Baskas
Greetings from Vienna International Airport 
On Friday afternoon Vienna Airport spokesman Peter Kleemann was kind enough to offer a tour of portions of Vienna International Airport to a group of journalists in town for the Star Alliance Chief Executive Board Meeting.
Among the highlights of the tour was a stop at the Visitor’s Center, where an outdoor terrace offered wall panels with explanations of what goes on at an airport and, on this day, foggy views of the airfield.
We also stopped at the Terminal Operation Center, where banks of video screens offer an at-a-glance view of the traffic at dozens of spots inside the airport.
The operators in this room are charged with keeping an eye on the flow of passengers throughout the airport. If lines get long or there’s a back-up of any kind, they send word to open another access line or make sure back-up is on the way.
Wonder what kind of help arrives if someone pushes this button…
The Observation Deck – one of the best amenities at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport has re-opened to the public.
And it’s fresh and spiffy and updated.
First opened in 1995 and closed since 2012 to make way for some terminal enhancements, the renewed Observation Deck has new exhibits and a new food outlet called Sky Azure.
New exhibits include a 28-foottall sounding rocket from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a half-sized model of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s Solar Probe Plus spacecraft and some new interpretive information about the large sections of a Boeing 737-200 aircraft that were originally on site.
There’s also a new photo mural near the aircraft cockpit that displays a pilot’s view when landing on Runway 33L at BWI Marshall, charging stations, a display case filled with aircraft models, new children’s play equipment and new binocular viewers so you can get a better view of airport operations.
Sound like someplace you’d like to hang out? The BWI Marshall Observation Gallery is located pre-security, on the upper level of BWI between Concourse B and Concourse C.
