Video Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. News

World's best airports to spend a long layover

Description Angle down icon An icon in the shape of an angle pointing down.

The following is a transcipt of the video.

Narrator: Long, boring layovers can be one of the worst parts of air travel. But some airports are looking for new ways to entertain flyers with unique amenities. From airports with indoor waterfalls to ones with rooftop pools overlooking runways, here are some of the world's best airports.

Skytrax has named Changi Airport Singapore the world's best airport 10 times. It features four different gardens, including a butterfly one. There's an entertainment deck filled with video games, and a Jacuzzi and pool where you can watch planes pass by as you soak. The airport recently opened its coveted Jewel complex for plane passengers and visitors alike. The Jewel is filled with over 280 retail and food outlets, an 11-cinema Imax theater, a five-story garden, and the Rain Vortex, the world's largest indoor waterfall, which features light shows at night.

Vancouver International Airport holds two aquarium exhibits that are home to a variety of marine life native to British Columbia. The main one holds about 30,000 gallons of water and over 5,000 creatures. Some of the aquarium's creatures are part of ongoing research studies and are surplus from the Vancouver Aquarium. The airport also has the world's largest collection of Northwest Coast native art and has its own curator dedicated to showing art reflecting Vancouver's diversity.

Overlook an active runway in TWA Hotel's infinity pool. New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport gave new life to the abandoned TWA terminal built in 1962. Now it's the airport's only on-site hotel. While keeping the '60s theme, the hotel has 512 rooms, about 50,000 feet of meeting and event space, and the world's biggest hotel gym. Eat at a restaurant overseen by a world-renowned chef or grab a drink at the plane turned cocktail lounge.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is Malaysia's main international airport and a major hub in Southeast Asia. But what makes it unique is its jungle boardwalk. Located in the main terminal, it's fairly small and takes only a few minutes to walk through. But it makes for a great place to grab some fresh air before boarding your flight.

It's hard to take your eyes off this art instillation at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Created by artist Michael Hayden, the art piece is a 744-foot kinetic light sculpture made with almost 500 neon tubes. Rapper P. Diddy shot part of his music video for "I'll Be Missing You" with the piece. It connects Concourse B and C of Terminal 1 and can be found after going through security.

Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, is one of the most luxurious airports in the world. It's spotless, spacious, and silent. Besides Islamic calls to prayer, which are made five times a day, HIA is a silent airport, so there's no jolting announcements to disturb anyone. The airport has a gym with a 25-meter swimming pool, a squash court, and a golf simulator. It also houses more than 20 permanent art installations, like "Lamp Bear," a giant yellow teddy bear sitting under a black lamp, created by Swiss artist Urs Fischer.

Los Angeles International Airport is the first airport in the United States to create a private terminal. The Private Suite opened in 2017. Guests arrive at a private gate where they're escorted to the suite. Each guest at the Private Suite has a team of eight people assigned to them. The suites are fully stocked with food and equipped with a two-person daybed and a bathroom. Anyone can become a member of the Private Suite, but there's an annual fee of $4,500 plus an additional $2,700 for each domestic flight and $3,000 for each international flight. Nonmembers can use the suite as well, but they'll pay $500 to $1,000 more per flight. When guests are ready to fly, they're escorted through TSA and driven directly to their aircraft.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world's busiest airport, with more than 107 million passengers in 2018. Its most notable art installation is called "Flight Paths." Installed in 2016, the 450-foot underground experience was 13 years in the making by artist Steve Waldeck. The work adds a sense of relaxation between Concourse A and B. Inspired by Georgia's forests, it features a simulated tree canopy and bird sounds.

Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.

Jump to

  1. Main content
  2. Search
  3. Account