Being stranded at the airport is never fun, but some airports help you pass the time better than others.
The Airports Council International’s latest annual Airport Service Quality Awards honor airports around the world for the best customer experiences.
One of the awards recognizes the airports that are in the top 5% based on their amenities — like restaurants, shops and entertainment — and their “efforts to make the waiting time enjoyable and comfortable.”
The awards were based on 595,000 surveys of travelers. Following are the North American winners based on amenities, followed by those in the rest of the world.
Fort McMurray International Airport
Airport code: YMM
Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Fort McMurray International Airport sits roughly 800 miles north of Helena, Montana. Amenities that have helped it win several awards include massage chairs and quiet rooms where passengers can de-stress.
According to the airport’s website, about 900 people have jobs there, and it provides a major boost to the area’s economy.
Gerald R. Ford International Airport
Airport code: GRR
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States
In 2009, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport completed a revamp of the terminal and parking areas, including a 4,700-space parking garage and garage-to-terminal pedestrian sky bridges.
Indoor amenities include therapy dogs. For more than a decade, the airport has partnered with West Michigan Therapy Dogs to place pups in busy areas like the Great Hall, Marketplace, baggage claim, concourses and gates. So don’t forget to say hello. As the airport explains:
“Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are meant to be approached, and offer passengers the chance to rub a belly or shake a paw. The dogs are intended to take the stress and anxiety out of travel, to calm kids who may be impatient while waiting, or help ease the frustration of a delayed flight in poor weather situations.”
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
Airport code: GSP
Location: Greer, South Carolina, United States
The amenities at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport — which calls itself a “different kind of airport” — include an outdoor garden with mountain views, “Escape Pods” for private workspaces, vending machines for everything from cosmetics to face masks, and the more traditional assortment of shops and restaurants.
The most enjoyable airports in Europe
The airports in Europe that the Airports Council International honored for their amenities are:
- Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino (Rome Fiumicino, Italy)
- Aeropuerto de El Hierro (Valverde, Spain)
- Barcelona-El Prat Airport (Barcelona, Spain)
- Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (Belgrade, Republic of Serbia)
- Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (Izmir, Turkey)
- Tallinn Airport (Tallinn, Estonia)
The most enjoyable airports in Asia-Pacific
The airports in the Asia-Pacific region that were honored for their amenities are:
- Adi Soemarmo International Airport (Surakarta, Indonesia)
- Incheon International Airport (Incheon, Republic of Korea)
- Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport (Balikpapan, Indonesia)
- Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (Ujung Pandang, Indonesia)
- Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport (Palembang, Indonesia)
- Yogyakarta International Airport (Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
The most enjoyable airports in other regions
The airports in other regions that were honored for their amenities are as follows:
Africa
- Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (Casablanca, Morocco)
- Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport (Diass, Senegal)
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Guayaquil International Airport (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
- L.F. Wade International Airport (Bermuda, Bermuda)
Middle East
- Salalah Airport (Salalah, Oman)
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