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 nearly 700,000 surveys of travelers. Following are the North American winners based on amenities, followed by those in the rest of the world.
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 electronics to face masks and the more traditional assortment of shops and restaurants.
Indianapolis International Airport
Airport code: IND
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
At the Indianapolis International Airport, you can get in a little preflight workout. In partnership with the American Heart Association, the airport has created a designated quarter-mile walking path around the Ticketing Hall. In addition, once you have gone through security, you can walk a half-mile path around either concourse or a 1.1-mile lap around both concourses.
The most enjoyable airports in other regions
Outside of North America, the airports that the Airports Council International honored for their amenities are as follows:
Europe
- Ankara Esenboga Airport (Ankara, Turkey)
- Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport (Izmir, Turkey)
- Milas–Bodrum Airport (Milas, Turkey)
- Rome Fiumicino Airport (Rome Fiumicino, Italy)
- Tallinn Airport (Tallinn, Estonia)
- Thessaloniki Airport “Makedonia” (Thessaloniki, Greece)
Asia-Pacific
- Beijing Daxing International Airport (Beijing, China)
- Juanda International Airport (Surabaya, Indonesia)
- Singapore Changi Airport (Singapore, Singapore)
- Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman International Airport (Kalimantan, Indonesia)
- Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport (Ujung, Indonesia)
- Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II Airport (Palembang, Indonesia)
Africa
- Casablanca Mohammed V International Airport (Casablanca, Morocco)
- Dakar Blaise Diagne International Airport (Diass, Senegal)
Latin America and the Caribbean
- Chihuahua International Airport (Chihuahua, Mexico)
- Mazatlan International Airport (Mazatlan, Mexico)
- Monterrey International Airport (Monterrey, Mexico)
Middle East
- Queen Alia International Airport (Amman, Jordan)
- Salalah Airport (Salalah, Oman)
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