Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) allows people beyond security checkpoints without a boarding ... [+]
With their long lines, cranky crowds and tight security, airports don't always come to mind as fun places to be. But an increasing number of airports are offering day passes to nontraveling "terminal tourists" who want to shop, eat or just hang out at the airport.
Six U.S. airports have either already opened up to visitors without boarding passes or are considering doing so. There are a few security restrictions, of course, and some airports require nontraveling visitors to apply in advance for a limited number of passes.
At Tampa International Airport, for example, visitors need to sign up 24 hours in advance for the "all access pass," which is only available on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The program has proven very popular and, perhaps due to the limited availability, the wait list is several months long. Once inside the airport and through security, passholders can roam wherever they like, sip handcrafted craft beer at Cigar City, eat flame-grilled oysters at Ulele or hit Florida’s only Potbelly’s sandwich shop.
Travelers walk past a sign regarding the myPITpass nontraveler access program. Photographer: Justin ... [+]
Airside access is easier at Pittsburgh International Airport, where visitors just need a valid photo ID such as a driver's license or passport to get a "myPITpass," which is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Besides shops and restaurants, there's an extensive "Art in the Airport" program featuring dozens of artworks and installations by local artists.
Last November, Seattle-Tacoma Airport ran a pilot "SEA Visitor Pass" program that gave nontraveling visitors unrestricted access to restaurants and shops. The pilot attracted over 1,100 visitors and the airport is currently assessing whether to continue the program.
Three more U.S. airports — Detroit, Austin and Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson — are currently contemplating nontraveler access programs, according to Fortune magazine.
Airports around the world keep upping the ante by offering more for visitors to do and see. For instance, Vancouver International has an aquarium, Toronto Pearson exhibits art installations, Amsterdam Schiphol features an art sampler from the world-renowned Rijksmuseum, and Singapore’s Changi Airport boasts a 10-story Jewel attraction that links three terminals and features 280 shops and eateries, plus a cinema, supermarket, and hotel, not to mention an indoor forest and waterfall.
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