Modern-day airports no longer concentrate solely on being gateways to help passengers get from here to there.
That’s still their key role, of course. But today the focus is also on making the airport experience efficient and enjoyable for travelers – and profitable for the airports – through an ever-improving mix of dining and shopping options and an evolving mix of amenities.
“Whether engaging with passengers through an animal therapy program to instill a sense of calm in a busy terminal or providing ample electrical charging stations for mobile devices, airports are committed to not only meeting passengers’ expectations but exceeding them.” said Kevin Burke, president and CEO of Airports Council International – North America.
A recent survey by the airport membership organization identified the top 10 airport amenities in North America, the top amenities airports are adding and several amenities many airports say they will likely be eliminating in the next few years.
According to ACI-NA’s Passenger Amenities Survey, the top 10 most commonly offered airport amenities and services are:
- ATM Services
- Gift Shops / News Stands
- Airport Websites
- Electrical Charging Stations
- Restaurants and Bars
- Lost and Found
- Parking / Taxi and Limousine Services
- Free Wi-Fi
- Pre-Security Pet Relief Facilities
- Food and Beverage Vending Machines
No surprises there, but among the amenities on the rise are some designed to make traveling with kids – and pets – a bit easier:
- Nursing mothers’ rooms and pods
- Post-security pet relief facilities
- Children’s play areas
- Airfield observation areas
- Adult changing and washroom facilities.
In part to make way for these new amenities, airports say that over the next three to five years they’ll be phasing out and, in some cases, eliminating a few other amenities.
So get ready to say goodbye to smoking rooms, payphones and bank branches at airports.
ATMs are plentiful at many airports, but staffed bank branches are already quite rare.
One holdout is Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, where there is a branch of Wings Financial.
“The local bank has a built-in customer base, as they began as a credit union for airline and airport employees,” said airport spokeswoman Melissa Scovronski, “So we don’t expect to eliminate that service.”
Smoking lounges still exist at just a handful of major U.S. airports, including Washington Dulles International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, but in 2016, Salt Lake City International Airport closed all its smoking rooms and by the end 2018 the last remaining smoking lounge at Denver International Airport will end its contract.
And those once ubiquitous banks of pay phones at airports are being replaced with charging stations or making way for other services.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport removed the last of its payphones in 2016.
With the rise of cell phones, “Folks simply don’t use pay phones,” said SEA spokesman Brian DeRoy, “And there are hardly any companies now that want to have the financial burden of taking on a pay phone contract for a very limited number of users.”
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport has also ditched all its payphones, but provides a courtesy phone for free local calls next to the information desk on the baggage claim level.
“Our information desk staff can also make calls for passengers when needed, such as when cell phones batteries are dead,” said AUS spokesman Derick Hackett.
The number of payphones is being steadily reduced, but not yet eliminated, at airports in Dallas/Fort Worth, Minneapolis and Chicago, where there are now 503 payphones at O’Hare International (down from 650 five years ago) and 174 payphones at Midway International (down from 180).
“The payphones taken off line were removed because of low usage, requests from the airlines due to construction in their gate areas and repurposing of space for revenue producing ventures,” said Gregg Cunningham of the Chicago Department of Aviation, but some will remain “because they are still a necessary means of communication for some customers.”
At Reno-Tahoe International Airport, free local or toll free calls can be made from any courtesy phone in the airport.
“In 2008, AT&T ended their payphone contract at the airport, at same time they pulled out of shopping malls and other public buildings due to decreases in revenue,” said RNO airport spokeswoman Heidi Jared, “But the airport authority knew an option was needed to fill that void since not all travelers have a cell phone.”
And, totally bucking the no-payphone trend, thanks to a deal dating back to 2012, Denver International Airport still has about 200 payphones in the terminal and on the concourses that provide unlimited free national domestic calls and international calls that are free for the first 10 minutes.
(A slightly different of this story about airport amenities appeared on CNBC)
