Introduction

The airport has a reputation as a place of misery, where people are crammed into tiny seats, fenced off from one another and forced to stare at the backs of strangers’ heads. But there’s more to an airport than this waiting room experience. I’m here to tell you that there is some comfort and even luxury in the air travel process—it just takes a little digging. These are the places I’ve found where you can pass your time before your flight without feeling like you’re trapped:

The waiting area in the concourse

The waiting area in the concourse is a place to wait for your flight. You can get food and drinks there, as well as shop at stores and niches. It’s also a good place to meet people. You can read or watch TV while you’re waiting for your flight.

A room with a view. The private club at the airport.

The lounge is a place to relax and have a drink, eat some food, and work. There’s a bar where you can get drinks from the bartender. The lounge has food and drinks at the bar. You can also order room service in the lounge if you don’t want to leave it for anything but getting more food or drinks. There’s free wifi here so that you can check your emails on your laptop or phone if you need to do that while waiting for your flight (and trust me, we all do). The lounge has TVs with cable channels so that you can watch movies or shows while waiting for your flight too! They also provide bathrooms in case anyone needs them while they’re there too!

The best thing about lounges is their proximity to gates: they’re usually grouped together near each gate instead of spread out all over an airport like regular restaurants tend  do be found at most airports around America 😉

The club at the gate.

If you’re traveling with a friend or loved one, or if you just want to be alone and recharge in peace, the club at the gate is where it’s at. It’s a lounge that has all of this stuff:

• Free snacks and refreshments (usually there are two types of chips, some pretzels, crackers and cheese cubes)
• Free wifi
• Free drinks (usually coffee/hot tea; sometimes soda)
• Free magazines (sometimes newspapers) so you can read up on current events while waiting for your flight!

And because everything is free—and because there are power outlets everywhere—there’s no excuse not to charge up your devices before heading into their final destination.

airports are not necessarily horrible places to spend time.

Consider your options.

Airports have lounges and clubs where you can relax, enjoy yourself, get a good meal and drink, or even work out.

The first lounge in the world was opened at Heathrow airport in London in 1952.

The BOAC Club was located in the terminal building, not in the departure lounge, and was open to passengers flying on BOAC flights.

The idea for this type of facility came from airline staff who were tired of having to work through their breaks because there were few places where they could relax while on duty. In 1956, TWA introduced its first “Sky Room” at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport; it offered a piano bar and buffet lunches (and no smoking!)

Seven years later, the first American Airlines Admirals Club opened up in New York City.

The first American Airlines Admirals Club opened up in New York City in 1953, seven years after the first lounge was opened at Heathrow airport in London. The first lounge in the world was opened at Heathrow airport in London.

One of the most expensive airport lounges you can enter is the Airways Transit Lounge in Mumbai, where entry costs $1,800.

Located at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), this lounge is only open to passengers who have paid $1,800 for a one-day pass. That’s enough money to pay for a weeklong trip around Southeast Asia or several months’ rent in New York City. To be admitted into this exclusive club, you must be flying on Emirates Airline—the only airline that uses BOM as its hub. If those requirements don’t apply to you and your wallet isn’t bursting with cash, consider visiting one of our recommended lounges instead!

The Emirates First Class Lounge at Dubai International Airport offers a Jacuzzi and a cigar bar.

You’ll find the jacuzzi in the middle of the lounge, which is 25,000 square feet and has 400 seats. It’s a relaxing place to be after your flight. The cigar bar is separate from the main lounge, but it offers many other amenities as well:

• A concierge service that helps guests plan travel itineraries
• A spa with a sauna, steam room, and treatment rooms (there are showers if you want to freshen up before or after your flight)
• Two restaurants with menus designed by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten

Italian airport lounge chain Sea Lounge offers caviar and champagne.

• Sea Lounge is a chain of airport lounges that offer caviar and champagne.
• In addition to the caviar and champagne, Sea Lounge offers showers, massage chairs and private rooms.
• It’s located in Milan, Rome and Venice.

The Plaza Premium lounges at Vancouver International Airport offer “rest pods” that look like coffins, with memory foam mattresses and soundproofing.

The pods are called “the coffin,” and they’re made of memory foam, which has a reputation for being as comfortable as it is creepy. The memory foam is sound-absorbing enough to make you forget you’re in an airport lounge—a good thing if you’ve spent the flight worrying about your plane crashing into Mount Baker.

The Cathay Pacific First Class lounge at Hong Kong International Airport has private bathrooms with showers and tubs made of granite and marble.

There’s a sauna, steam room, hot tub, and relaxation area for guests to enjoy.

At the Air France-KLM lounge at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport, there’s a VOX Cinemas movie theater, where you can watch a film on a giant screen without leaving the airport.

If you happen to be in Hong Kong or Singapore airports and have some time to kill before your flight, check out their lounges’ VOX cinemas as well!

VOX cinemas are also available at other major airports around the world if you don’t mind flying out of your way:

Some airport lounges have swimming pools – including ones at Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Singapore airports.

The new Terminal 4 at Changi International Airport in Singapore has an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and a kids’ play area.

It’s part of the “airport-within-an-airport” concept that allows passengers to make use of the facilities even before they board their flights (and during layovers).

To get into most lounges, you need to be flying Business or First Class on a certain airline, or pay a fee for entrance.

If you’re traveling with a family and looking for a little extra space and privacy, consider booking one of the airport’s private clubs. These include the American Airlines Admirals Club and the United Club. Memberships are available to anyone who pays the annual fee, which ranges from $450 to more than $1,000 depending on whether you want to access locally or worldwide (and how many people will be able to use your membership).

If you’re traveling solo or with just one other person and don’t mind sharing space with strangers from all over the world—or if it’s early in your trip and you’d just like somewhere quiet where no one will bother you—this might be worth checking out before going through security screening again!

Conclusion

It’s easy to get caught up in the stress of traveling, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With these tips and tricks, you can find peace in even the most stressful situations.