Airports should be like high streets

[NowWotsit]

Whys it just shopping- thus old school model they havent updated in decades?

If we are milling around in your police state style world for a few hours, why not give us a coworking space, hair salons, cinemas, a pool, GP, etc

Yes because that’s something I always wish I had more of when im coming home with suitcases. Some flat pack furniture and a couple of table lamps

I have been to airports with nail bars, spas, blowdry bars and co-working space. It varies airport to airport.

The thing with airport shops is the rent is huge. Very few ordinary brands can afford to rent them.

Honestly, at the airport I want plenty clean toilets, some eating options that do not have eyewatering prices. Somewhere I can charge my phone if needs be and plenty of seats.

Well that was short lived wasn’t it…

Some of you must have very limited experiences travelling, soft plays, nail salons, blow dry bars and even day spas are not uncommon in airports.

The rest of the suggestions are stupid for obvious reasons.

But bookshops are what airports do well. Is there a material difference between WH Smith books (a staple at most airports) and a Waterstones?

A lot of lounges have play areas (including small softplays) for children. Most larger BA lounges for example.

Quite. Even tiny LCY has a play area.

Most lounges have soft play. Definitely BA ones. It's mainly why we use them.

There is. WH Smith is my least favourite for books, especially airport branches. They tend to be small with only basic choices. I’m envisioning a massive Waterstones with all the sections that I can lose myself in and come away with a glorious selection.
‘Tis but a dream 😔

And a spa!!

Oh, I hadn't noticed that! To be honest, the best thing about LCY is getting off the tube and taxiing 30 minutes later. Even quicker the other way - I've managed 12 minutes between touchdown and getting on the tube before.

A GP???? For what???

I wish they would get rid of some of the shops and just have more seating.

I 100% agree that more services woudl be good. Chosen carefully to be focused on ones that can be a) spontaneous (rather than prebooked) and b) that don't take a lot of time.

Nails - yes
Massage - maybe? or perhaps chair massage/reflexology etc?
Other beauty type stuff liek brows etc - yes
Hair - not sure about a full style but blow-dry? absolutely.
soft play - hell yeah. Ditto other things that could entertain children and where parents would be happy to pay the fiver for 20 minutes or whatever eg ping pong a court fo rball games, crafting/colouring areas with supplies etc. And it would make the general areas less irritating for people travelling without children!
Yes to a workspace - lots and lots of people would benefit from that not just business travellers. I'm self employed. getting 30 minutes of proper time to sit and do a few work emails can be a godsend.

I was thinking the same about rent. In those airports where they don't exist, there's nothing specifically stopping them is there? If a space were available, a nail bar could have it. But I have to wonder whether people would be willing to pay enough to make it viable in some places. It's not going to cost what the one at the end of the road does.

I honestly think less shops and more space for people to sit would be ideal. Have you been to Birmingham Airport? It's total nightmare of shops and services (yes - a nail bar) crammed in with barely anywhere to sit or stand.

😂

A special licence marriage kiosk would be good, and also some solicitors doing 15-min appointments.

I think you're going to the wrong airports if you're not seeing other services besides shops and restaurants/bars. Spas/gyms, medical clinics, yoga/meditation/"wellness" spaces, showers, post offices, and cinemas aren't unusual. Hair and nail salons seem to be rare due to the required space versus profitability and some closed and never reopened after COVID, but Boston Logan still has a full service hair salon and a lot of airport spas offer limited services like cut & blow-dry. Co-working spaces and office services are often available (even big chains like Regus where frequent travellers buy a subscription that can be used in any location); you can even book soundproof conference rooms at JFK. Amsterdam Schiphol and Newark Int'l have libraries. Travel agencies are pretty common, as well as guided tours of the local area for people with layovers/long connections. Singapore Changi has a rooftop swimming pool - and a car wash with "car grooming" services. Changi, Doha, and Seoul Incheon have indoor botanical gardens. Las Vegas airport has a wedding planning and license service. Denver Int'l has an ice skating rink, but only in the winter.

More specialised services tend to exist mainly at large, high traffic airports with a lot of connecting flights where there's a constant and fairly predictable "captive audience" to be tapped; since airports tend to be located away from city centres and the rents drive up prices, they're typically not getting many customers from anywhere else and even travellers are unlikely to intentionally add in extra time before or after a flight to do these things at the airport.

The good ideas in this already exist - the lounges are basically co-working spaces, and lots of airports have a mini spa doing nails.

Yes I remember reading a book written by an airport manager. He said that many of these shops are subsided by their shops in City Centre's like New York, Boston, London, Milan etc.

They are in the airport for the super rich traveler rather than the ones who are killing time having a look around.

It probably is not worth it for many businesses. It would probably take a lot of blowdrys etc to make up the rent in a lot of airports and they would probably be too expensive for many travelers to justify. Look at the amount of people who bring snacks to the airport because they can get the same thing much cheaper outside the airport.

I would imagine a dental/GP facility might have been handy before online GP's Years ago my late husband once spent a week with a mouth infection because he was travelling for business and it came on the night before he was due to travel. If he could have got some hefty painkillers and antibiotics at the airport, he'd have had a much better week.

Exactly, you have the car with you and the time to browse. What is not to like about it?

Terminal 5 at Heathrow is where I seem to end up most often, travelling for work and the offerings there are crap. On the other end I’m at Newark liberty international which also has very little available once you’re past security.

Nail bar, massage, hair salon YES and also a soft play for kids to blow off steam and parents to get a breather!

I’d like a proper bookshop - maybe a Waterstones

Most airports do have a bookshop, surely? Not necessarily a Waterstone's, but most of them have The Bookshop By WHSmith which is a proper, books-only bookshop.

Despite the fact that I travel with a Kindle and two or three paperbacks in case my Kindle breaks, I don't think I've ever once got a flight without also buying something in an airport bookshop.