Seasoned airplane travelers won’t get upset by severe-weather layovers and security pat-downs.
But getting stranded can be boring and nerve-racking for the winter-holiday passenger who may not have flown anywhere since last Christmas.
In 2009, there were about 1.2 million arrival delays and 89,000 flight cancellations, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Meanwhile, airline flight delays cost passengers $16.7 billion due to delayed flights, cancellations and missed connections, according to an FAA-funded 2007 study, the last year for which complete data was available to researchers.
While most delays are 30 minutes or less, getting stranded for hours — or even days — can happen during busy travel times when weather can cause interruptions.
Thankfully for Coloradans, DIA and the top five airports they fly into each winter — Los Angeles International, Phoenix’s Sky Harbor, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Francisco and Las Vegas — have plenty to see and do. We checked out their amenities to create a guide to help travelers survive a long delay or layover.
Need to know where to catch a few winks without being pestered by staff? Which airports are friendly to traveling companions, both the human and furry kind? Which airport provides the best goodies to delayed passengers? Save this article and put it in your carry-on.
Denver International Airport
Customer-service booths in all the terminals and concourses keep stashes of diapers and other supplies (including bedrolls and blankets) for emergencies. It’s a regular policy to cut down on canned announcements and pages (save for those necessary for security) when people are napping at their gate, says airport spokeswoman Jenny Schiavone.
Three concessions stay open 24 hours: Burger King on the east side of Jeppesen Terminal; McDonald’s in the center of the A, B and C gates; and Hudson Booksellers on the west side of Jeppesen Terminal and in A, B and C gates. In addition, the airport requests that others stay open later to accommodate delayed passengers. During regular hours, try out several new eateries, including the New Belgium Hub (near Gate B80), the Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (near Gate C32), and Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream in the A Gate area.
Furry companions can enjoy a romp in a pet-relieving station open 24 hours outside Jeppesen Terminal on Level 2 West — but their human guardians should allow 30 minutes travel time to the terminal and back to an airline gate. Families can find a quiet spot to kick back and allow children to run off some steam on the mezzanine levels on all three concourses.
Free Wi-Fi in the terminals and concourses, and the public art program, with both permanent and rotating exhibits, round out offerings. An interfaith chapel and Islamic prayer hall on the southeast side of Level 6 of the Jeppesen Terminal offers a space for reflection. Armed forces members and their families should seek out the Rocky Mountain United Service Organization (USO) Center located in the President’s Club in Jeppesen Terminal.
Schiavone says that while there are no hotels on site, several are located along Tower Road within 5 miles of the airport. Plans are underway to build a hotel connected to the Jeppesen Terminal by 2015.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
Passengers who have sworn off junk food will love that this airport has been nationally recognized several years in a row for its wide selection of healthier food options, says Deborah Ostreicher, deputy aviation director. Try the lighter fare at the Arizona-based Paradise Bakery and Cafe chain, including made-to-order sandwiches, soups and salads.
Feeling claustrophobic? A five- minute ride on a free airport shuttle takes travelers to a metro light-rail station; from there you can get to the middle of downtown Phoenix.
Rent a portable DVD player and get one free movie with two headphone sets for $15 (extra movies cost $5 each) for use at the airport or during the flight at the InMotion Entertainment retail counter. Then you drop them off at a return kiosk at DIA. Accessories like a headphone splitter and an extra battery make it easy for two people to listen at the same time.
Several play areas will keep kids and pets entertained. Children’s areas at all three terminals are past security checkpoints. Meanwhile, Fido can romp off leash at one of the fully fenced pet parks located outside of each of the airport’s three terminals. Free Wi-Fi, art-gallery displays throughout the airport and rental car center, a USO room for servicemen and -woman, and changing areas for special-needs adults round out amenities.
Los Angeles International Airport
Most of what’s available to occupy time at LAX is outside of the airport, including Hollywood, the Santa Monica and Venice beaches, and the South Bay area, says Harold Johnson, LAX spokesman. A number of hotels are within walking distance. Public transportation or a cab ride can take passengers to two shopping malls located north and south of the airport, and the Beach Massage and Day Spa in El Segundo is less than 2 miles away. Check out the flight-path aviation museum located on the south side of the property.
If you’re staying at the airport, the reLAX lounge in the Tom Bradley International Terminal is open to all travelers on a first-come, first-served basis. Pay $15 for one hour, $30 for three hours or $50 for all day (the all-day ticket includes a free glass of wine or beer). Take a nap on padded chairs and sofas, eat, drink and get work done at stations that provide a computer, wireless Internet access, faxing, photocopying and printing. While in the terminal, stop by Pink’s, a popular hot-dog stand that draws celebrities, or head to Terminal 3 for a meal at Gladstone’s, a Malibu seafood restaurant.
Wi-Fi is available through a T- Mobile HotSpot at a rate of $6 for the first hour and 10 cents per minute thereafter. Purchase a 24-hour portable DayPass for $9.99, and use the service at any T-Mobile location, not just at the airport.
San Francisco International Airport
This family-oriented airport offers many services and activities to keep parents and their children entertained. Nurseries located in Terminals 1 and 3 have changing tables. Three different aquariums are found pre-security on the Departures/Ticketing Level of Terminal 1. Kids’ Spot, located post-security in Terminal 3 near Gate 87A, is an interactive children’s exploration area featuring weather-related exhibits and a crawling apparatus.
The free AirTrain system, which transports passengers between the terminals, provides great views of the airfield. Children can watch planes being serviced and taking off down the runway.
Visit a replica of the airport’s original terminal built in 1937, complete with Spanish-revival details and art deco design, at the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum. Museum admission is free; an aviation archive library features vintage books, photographs and other objects, including flight-crew uniforms, cabin furnishings and a model aircraft.
Recharging stations, free Wi-Fi and computer workstation study booths throughout the terminal keep techies happy. Two spas are located in the airport: one in the International Terminal and a second in Terminal 3.
A reflection room in the International Terminal offers quiet time for meditation and prayer; no cellphones are allowed. But passengers aren’t allowed to sleep there. The airport is looking into getting sleep pods in the future, says Mike McCarron, director of community affairs.
Unlike typical airport food and shopping options, 70 percent of the restaurants and stores here are owned and operated by local retailers. Spice up a boring lunch hour with live musical performances in three terminals every Wednesday and Friday during the holiday season. And any ticketed passenger can spend up to three hours at the Continental President’s Club lounge, starting at $20 — or get an all-day pass for $50.
Las Vegas McCarran International Airport
It’s rare to see delayed passengers spending hours on end at the McCarran airport with nothing to do. Most end up making a break for the Strip, less than a mile away.
But if passengers do stay at the airport, there’s plenty of gambling, people-watching and food to pass the time. Pump vacation money into one of the more than 1,000 slot machines that dot the airport, or shop at more than 50 retail stores and 30 restaurants and lounges. Any ticketed passenger (no matter which airline or class) can book an escape to the peace and calm of the Continental President’s Club lounge, starting at $20.
Purchase a daily pass for about $10 at the Fitness Beast center on level 2 of Terminal 1, or work out some kinks with a massage at the Express Spa on Concourse D. Children might enjoy the kids play area near Concourse D while pets run in enclosed “relief areas.”
While this airport doesn’t have sleep areas, there are several rooms where larger families with small children can be accommodated for a few hours. Free Wi-Fi is accessible on Terminals 1 and 2, and recharge zones are located throughout.
The Cannon Aviation Museum is open 24 hours a day and has free admission. Ward off seasonal illness by stopping by the Airport MD booth to get flu or vitamin B12 shots before boarding. And military servicemen, -women and families now have their own USO center, opened on Veterans Day.
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
Kids might welcome a layover at this airport, which features play areas in three terminals. Children can run and jump on a small playground with a padded floor at one of two Pepsi Junior Flyers Clubs. The spaces feature a runway, a bridge, a plane and an air traffic control tower to spur youthful imaginations. Games and playscapes await youngsters at the McDonald’s restaurant play area, conveniently located near a gate. Children also like the Skylink terminal train, which soars 50 feet in the air overlooking the doings on the airfield.
Every morning and afternoon, passengers can “Greet a Troop,” when they return from or head out for deployment. Witnessing these emotional moments is worth going through security again.
For techheads, free, wired Internet is available at kiosks.
Two hotels are located at the airport — a Grand Hyatt DFW that is integrated into Terminal D; and a Hyatt Regency in the infield parking near Terminal C. But heavy thunderstorms, ice and rain delays fill up hotels quickly, so the airport keeps cots and blankets on hand.
The Club at DWF is a walk-in airline club, open to passengers who pay $35 for a day pass. But it spotlights the point that it just might be worth it to become a member of an airline club, because some have such amenities as showers.
Pack these items in your survival kit
A laptop: It will come in handy, since most airports now offer Wi-Fi.
Toys: Do not check all of your children’s toys and games. Keep a few on hand, including books, cards or hand-held electronic games.
Snacks: Bring a few favorites in case you end up sitting longer in the terminal or on the tarmac than expected. Items to include: beef jerky, trail mix, carrots, bell pepper slices, granola.
Large water bottle: Stay hydrated and save money by bringing your own refillable bottle.
Cellphone-battery charger: Stay powered up to remain in contact with relatives.
A camera: In case you end up being a tourist for a few hours, a camera will help you capture the sights downtown, while wandering airport aviation museums or when kids ham it up at a play area.
Smartphone: Make time fly with a iPod, Droid or BlackBerry that stores favorite music, games and Internet access to movies. Plan ahead by saving kid videos and free podcasts from such sources as “Sesame Street.”
Sleeping supplies: Bring earplugs (to dull frequent announcements) eye shades, a compact blanket and travel pillow. A soft-sided bag, a sweater, sweat shirt or fluffy jacket can do double duty as a pillow. It’s also a good idea to find some way to attach your bags to you to prevent theft.
Extra clothes: Two changes of underwear and a one extra set of clothes can keep you refreshed and comfy. Dress in layers to be prepared for uncomfortably hot or cold terminals.
Business cards: Who knows who might end up stranded with you? Make some contacts and do some networking while you are stuck.
Medications and toiletries: Keep extras on hand of these essential items.
Cash: For food, day passes at airline clubs and workout centers, taxi rides.
Baby supplies: Extra diapers, wipes, formula and other necessities.
Vouchers: Use vouchers for free food and toiletries.
