A long wait at the airport usually means idling, shopping, or eating the hours away before a scheduled flight. It can be a strange experience for some—especially those who are used to a routine—so some people bring with them books, music, and whatever else to help keep boredom at bay. Some airports have even found ways to keep flyer's occupied with unique amenities ranging from cool relaxational spaces to the less usual but just as wonderful therapy animals.
Here are 10 of the world’s most unusually wonderful airport amenities:
Emotional Support Animals
Therapy dogs - Multiple U.S. Airports
Therapy dogs are brought in to calm down nervous or stressed flyers. The program was first established in the U.S. after the 9/11 terror attacks, and has since spread all over various airports in the country. These adorable puppers are made to wear vests or bibs with a "Pet Me" sign so they can be differentiated from service dogs. So far there are 58 airports in the U.S. with Therapy Dog programs including those in San Francisco, Dallas, Miami, Denver, Pheonix, and Orlando.
Therapy pig - San Francisco International Airport, U.S.
Lilou, San Francisco International Airport's Juliana pig, has her own Instagram account. She joined the airport's team of non-canine trained therapy animals in December 2016 to help soothe the stress levels of passengers. Her pop-up visits don't have a set schedule, but she usually roves around once a month. Plus, she occasionally dons the most adorable outfits, including a pilot's hat and a tutu. According to USA Today, Lilou is the first pig to be certified in the Animal Assisted Therapy Program of the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Therapy horses - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, U.S.
As if therapy dogs and pigs weren’t unusual enough, there are also therapy horses—miniature ones, of course. These mini equines at the Kentucky International Airport visit the airport twice a month to relieve flyers of their stress. Rather than roaming around past the gates, the horses are usually placed by the ticketing booths to greet passengers.
Leisurely Activities
Slides - Changi International Airport, Singapore
The multi-storey slides of the Changi Airport in Singapore provide passengers with a unique and fun way to make it to their boarding gates. Running late to your flight? Just zoom through one of these giant tubes located at Terminals 3 and 4. The four-storey Slide@T3 is touted as the world's tallest slide in an airport. All you need is a single U.S.$10 receipt to get you 10 rides.
Golf course - Incheon International Airport, South Korea
If you have enough time to spare before your flight, why not spend your remaining hours playing golf? As part of Incheon Airport’s facilities, guests can take a five-minute shuttle to the SKY72 Golf Club and take lessons for the sport if they’ve never tried it before. There's even one course that offers scenic views of the ocean as you play.
Ice-skating rink - Munich International Airport, Germany
Every holiday season, the Munich International Airport transforms into a winter wonderland, complete with live music, a winter market, and a free ice skating rink, all located between Terminals 1 and 2. Similar amenities may also be found at the Denver International Airport and the John F. Kennedy Airport.
Beer garden - Munich International Airport, Germany
Get a taste of Munich Airport’s home brew at their Bavarian-inspired beer garden, which notably costs less than the drinks inside the aiport’s bar. Dubbed the Airbräu, it’s the only aiport brewery in the world and is recognized as Europe’s largest roofed beer garden. They also serve a delectable menu of Bavarian dishes if you’re not much of a drinker.
Pampering/Relaxational Activities
Hot springs - New Chitose Airport, Japan
If you’re in need of cooling down after long weeks of gallivanting throughout Japan, you can thankfully dip into their relaxing hot springs before your flight. The New Chitose Airport Onsen is located on the fourth floor of the airport’s domestic terminal near the snowy city of Sapporo, making it an especially perfect amenity during the holiday season. This onsen is where you can take a good long soak to get rid of all the stress and tension from your trip—right before another flight!
Yoga room - San Francisco International Airport, U.S.
If you find yourself at the San Francisco International Airport, another way to unwind and relieve yourself of flyer’s anxiety is by making use of their free yoga room—yes, there's no fee to use this facility. With muted blue walls, the room emanates a calming feeling, soothing passengers in need of a tranquil environment amid pesky flight delays.
Indoor swimming pool – Hamad International Airport, Qatar
Make sure to pack a bathing suit in your carry-on if you’ve got a long layover in Doha ahead of you. Located in the Hamad International Airport’s transit hotel is the The Vitality Wellbeing & Fitness Centre, a top-of-the-line spa equipped with a temperature-controlled indoor swimming pool, anti-jet lag massages, and rejuvenating facials and body treatments, and a hydrotherapy tub—all part of the Oryx Airport Hotel. Just be sure to contact them ahead of time to reserve a slot!