Airport observation decks

Another airport gets an outdoor patio

August 11, 2022Harriet BaskasObservation DecksAirport observation decks, airport outdoor terraces, Monterey Regional Airport

At one time, outdoor observation decks and patios were common at airports and many modern-day travelers and avgeeks have pleasant memories of going to the airport just to see planes land and take off.

Unfortunately, many airport observation decks were closed due to modern-day concerns about security.

But some airports, including San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), Denver International Airport (DEN), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK/T5 – JetBlue), and some others still have them.

Others are adding outdoor patios as a new and very welcome amenity.

Monterey Regional Airport (MRY), on California’s central coast, is the newest airport to add outdoor space for passengers to relax before their flight.

MRY’s Outdoor Courtyard is located post-security, at Gate 1, and offers comfortable seating and great views of the runway, Monterey Bay, and the surrounding area.

There is also an outdoor pet relief area for travelers with furry companions.

Here are some snaps of the outdoor space and the view.

Nonstop routes at MRY include Burbank, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orange County, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Check out the view!

And, while Monterey Regional Airport is small, another great amenity is Chef Tim Wood’s latest venture, Woody’s at the Airport.

Located pre-security, on the upper level of the airport, the restaurant also overlooks the runway and the bay. (And they validate parking).

Do you have a favorite outdoor patio or observation deck at an airport? Let us know about it in the comments and we’ll update the list.

(Photos above courtesy Monterey Airport and SeeMonterey.com)

5 Things We Love About: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

May 31, 2020Harriet BaskasAirports5 Things We Love About, Airport observation decks, airport therapy dogs, airport yoga rooms, family travel, San Francisco International Airport, SFO Museum

5 Things We Love About San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

Today Stuck at the Airport kicks off a new feature of short airport profiles celebrating some of the services, amenities and features we love about airports around the world.

We could go on and on (as we often do) about some our favorites, of course.

But to keep things moving along, we are keeping the list for this series to just five things we love about each airport.

Our goal is to add at least one “Five things we love about…” feature each week. But, honestly, we’re just hanging around waiting for the time we can once again step foot into some of these airports, so during the next few weeks we’ll likely be posting a few of these features each week.

If you want to add a note about a feature or amenity you love about an airport that we don’t mention, we encourage you to add it in the comments section below.

Keep in mind: some amenities may be temporarily unavailable due to COVID-19 concerns.

And if you want to sponsor one of the “5 Things We Love About…” entries, get in touch.

5 Things We Love About: San Francisco International Airport (SFO)

1. Museums at SFO Airport

Back in 1999, the SFO Museum was the first airport museum to be accredited by the Americal Alliance of Museums (AAM).

Today, the SFO Museum presents charming and educational exhibitions in more than twenty galleries through the airport terminals.

But that’s not all. SFO is also home to the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Museum and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which is home to a permanent collection dedicated to the history of commercial aviation.

2. SFO’s “Kids Spot” play areas

Kids will definitely enjoy many of the museum exhibitions at SFO Airport, but they’ll also enjoy the interactive Kids Spot areas around the airport, located in Terminals 1, 2 and 3.

3. The SkyTerrace outdoor observation deck

Outdoor observation decks at airports are rare amenities these days. SFO has two.

The Outdoor Terrace in International Terminal 5 is located post-security (near Gate G14) and wooden chairs, tables, chaise lounges, drought-tolerant landscaping, bronze sculptures and 180-degree views of the airfield.

The SkyTerrace is an outdoor observation deck located pre-security in Terminal 2 that also offers great views of the airfield.

4. The Wag Brigade therapy animals

Like many airports, San Francisco International has a team of certified therapy animals that mingles with travelers to provide diversion and reduce stress.

SFO’s team is called the Wag Brigade and includes a charming assortment of dogs and a pig named Lilou.

5. Yoga Rooms

SFO created the first airport yoga room back in 2012. Now there are yoga rooms in Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. And a handful of other airports, include Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway Airports and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, have yoga rooms as well.

This “Things We Love About Airports” segment is made possible by Reel Women Productions, creator of books, radio documentaries, news and feature articles, and the StuckatTheAirport.com blog.

If you’d like to sponsor an upcoming “Things we love about airports” installment, get in touch.

Austin-Bergstrom Int’l Airport opens outdoor patio

June 11, 2019Harriet BaskasObservation Decksairport amenities, Airport observation decks, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport

The downside of travel is that, sometimes, you can spend a full day long days inside airports and hotels and hardly ever step outside.

That’s why StuckatTheAirport.com is such a big fan of airports with patios and outdoor observation decks.

Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) has a new one to check out.

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.

More cool planespotting options

March 21, 2019Harriet BaskasUncategorizedAirport observation decks, Airport viewing areas, planespotting

BWI Airport once had an outdoor observation deck

My USA TODAY “At the Airport” column about airport observation decks didn’t have room to mention the viewing areas some airports provide near their terminals.

Here are just a few that were nominated for the story. Let me know about others you’d like to have added to the list.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) doesn’t have an outdoor observation area connected to its facilities. But CVG does have an observation area nearby with picnic tables, benches, information boards and a play area.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) has an observation park near the air traffic control tower. Amenities include an elevated observation platform, audio of communication between pilots and the tower, a picnic area, educational placards and a play area.

Courtesy of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority

DFW Founders plaza — DFW Founder’s Plaza

And Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has an observating viewing area known as Founder’s Plaza.

In addition to offering great view of aircraft taking off and landing, the plaza has picnic tables, telescopes, historic information, a commemorative monument and a radio that broadcasts air traffic control communications from the FAA tower.

Which observation viewing areas near airports would you like to add to this list? Bonus for a photo!