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Photo: Hampton by Hilton – We Go Together ~ COVERStoRy Airport Amenities Enhance Layovers By Doreen Pendgracs

Munich Airport Check out the Boeing 737NG iPilot flight simulator on your way through the Singapore’s airport boasts a number of green areas throughout the facility “Best Airpot in Europe” according to including the Orchard Garden with over 700 flowers.

San Francisco International Airport Schipol Airport Practice your downward dog in the world’s first Yoga Room at an airport There is great chocolate shopping at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. located in T2 of SFO.

ost travellers used to dread of the Sheraton Gateway Hotel located a Boeing 737NG iPilot flight simulator layovers as there was little to in Terminal 3) that offers unique services in its Terminal 2 to give passengers the Mdo at airports except eat and such as chocolate body wraps and walk- chance to see what it feels like to sit at the drink. That’s no longer the case, with in hair design offered by an international controls of a commercial airliner. More many airports around the world becoming staff. Pearson Airport also has a number at http://www.munich-airport.de/en/ destinations unto themselves, offering spas, of high-tech amenities including the iPad® consumer/erlebnis/events/t2/ipilot/index. museums, incredible shopping, and so Food Bar that enables customers to place jsp?visit=visit_58630496. You can also take much more. and pay for their order via an iPad®. 50 and 90-minute guided airport tours. Toronto’s Pearson International Airport Amenities featuring advanced in Canada’s largest city is a prime example technology are popular at many airports. Continued on page 4 with a full-service spa (in the lobby level Munich International Airport boasts 3Three Continued from page 3 There are several other American If you have to incorporate a long layover airports that offer on-site museums to on any European itinerary, Schiphol is a is the first European help pass your time, including Santa superb choice for travellers, with seven airport to have received a five-star rating Paula, California; Manteo, North Carolina; hotels right on site. See the full list of from SKYTRAX, a highly respected Cleveland, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; facilities and amenities at http://www. London-based aviation research institute, Phoenix, Arizona; and Las Vegas, Nevada. schiphol.nl/index_en.html. and has received numerous other Prefer a more active airport stay? You’ll Singapore’s Changi Airport offers an SKYTRAX accolades including Best find airport gyms throughout Canada and extensive list of really unique airport Airport in Europe for the past two years the US listed at http://airportgyms.com. amenities and services that include free and third best airport in the tours of Singapore! If you world (behind Singapore and have at least 5.5 hours for Seoul). Munich Airport has your layover, the airport will been chosen the best airport in give you a free Heritage Tour the world in the 30-40 million or City Lights Tour of the passengers per year category. city. Details at http://www. That’s a lot to be proud of, for changiairport.com/en/airport- an airport that is not often top experience/attractions-and- of mind with North American services/free-singapore-tour. travellers. html. Visitors to Seoul, Korea, On-site at Changi Airport, have the opportunity to visit you’ll find a rooftop pool and any of seven themed oases that Cactus Garden in Terminal 1, include the Museum of Korean the Orchid Garden, Sunflower Culture, a skating rink and Garden, and Enchanted live performances of Korean Garden in Terminal 2, and the chamber music at Incheon Butterfly Garden, world’s tallest International Airport, voted to slide, and a 24-hour movie be the cleanest airport in the theatre in Terminal 3. world. Incheon International Airport Shopaholics will love Seoul, Korea’s airport, offering over 90 duty free shops, its Changi is proud of its 4.6/5 For travellers who love basically a shopping mall attached to an airport rating by travellers, but is shopping, Incheon Airport’s determined to become the duty-free shopping mall will world’s favorite airport with be of interest, as it has repeatedly won Which airports seem to be most plans to open a fourth, more spacious the award for Best Airport Shopping by efficient? Salt Lake City International terminal by 2017 to provide better service Business Traveller magazine. And even Airport reports that only 12.9 per cent to travellers. One can only imagine what though Incheon Airport is said to be the of its flights are delayed. Compare this to kind of unique attractions and services you world’s eighth busiest airport, with roughly Chicago’s Midway International Airport will find there. 41 million passengers passing through its with a delayed flight rate of 35.7 per cent. gates during the course of a year, it also See how your airport compares at http:// The best advice any travel agent can boasts one of the best rates for efficient airportgyms.com/blog/worst-airports-for- offer to travellers facing long layovers is to baggage handling, losing the least amount flight-delays-in-america/. conduct a search of the airport’s website in addition to other online authorities, of luggage compared to other airports in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, its class. such as Wikipedia, for information on Netherlands, has won more than 200 airport amenities, as some airports don’t Back in the US, San Francisco awards since 1980, including Best Airport readily have the information on their sites International Airport recently completed in Europe by SKYTRAX (up until 2013 in English if at all. But it is there for the a $253 million expansion that added after which Munich won in 2014 and 2015) knowledge-thirsty traveller in search of 53,000 square-feet to its East Concourse and Best Airport for Business Travellers by experiences to make the journey exciting, in Terminal 3. SF International Airport Business Traveller magazine. With more every step of the way. now offers enhanced passenger lounges, than 100 shops, there is something for and three animal relief areas to give your everyone. dog the opportunity to stretch out, relieve If you love chocolate, you’ll be pleased Doreen Pendgracs is an avid traveller and himself, and enjoy a drink of fresh water. to learn that the Schiphol Airport has regular contributor to THOR Advantage You’ll also find a yoga studio, new original a terrific chocolate bar featuring the who enjoys discovering new ways to art installations to enjoy, an Aviation chocolates of assorted Dutch chocolate consume her time at airports—particularly library and the Louis A. Turpen Aviation makers. Café Chocolat is located in Lounge when there’s chocolate involved. Follow her ~ Museum in the International Terminal. 1 adjacent to Bubbles Seafood and Wine travels at http://chocolatour.net. Bar—which makes excellent sushi, and boasts an extensive wine list and salt water aquarium. 4Four