Travelers seldom appreciate unexpected delays, but if you’re
going to be stuck somewhere, where’s the best airport to be?
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) recently ranked the
top airports for passengers with a “little extra time,” and Las
Vegas’ McCarran International Airport with its art gallery,
aviation museum and gaming opportunities ranked fourth.
“It used to be that passengers who found themselves with a little
bit of extra time at the airport could only hope the book they
brought would last through their delay,” said ASTA president and
CEO Cheryl Corey Hudak, CTC. “Nowadays, some airports are offering
as many diversions and activities as a trip to the mall or local
museum.”
The best airports to be “stuck in,” according to the member
survey, are Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and
Orlando International Airport.
As the “world’s busiest passenger airport,” Atlanta’s
Hartsfield-Jackson offers travelers more than 200 shopping and
dining outlets and a 24,000-square-foot executive conference
center. Orlando, meanwhile, provides travelers several shopping and
dining outlets and an upscale eatery for those with money to burn,
as well as time to kill.
With an abundance of technological services, including numerous
self-service business centers and rapid-charge stations,
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport came in third.
Tied for fifth place were Charlotte Douglas International Airport,
with its free Wi-Fi and memorable white rocking chairs, and
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, which is home to a
four-story tall model of a Brachiosaurus.
