What do you do to pass time at an airport? Read? Talk on your cellphone? Shop? Eat?
In previous blogs I’ve listed ways to conquer boredom between flights, but now it appears some airports are coming to the rescue of delayed passengers by providing unique boredom busters mid-terminal.
Nashville International Airport leads the pack with its live concert series. The airport began offering the live shows in the early ’90s as country music was becoming increasingly popular among younger fans. Today, musicians from all backgrounds play the airport’s five stages almost every day of the week. Airport officials say they employ 90 or so professional musicians who perform in various terminals as a way to add “local flavor” to the mix of traditional airport gift shops and restaurants.
But Nashville isn’t the only airport in the country offering the free concerts. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas also hosts a variety of live musical acts that typically perform 11 shows a week.
Other airports around the nation have live music on a more limited basis. For example, during the holidays, Boston Logan International and Vancouver International had professional performers and local school choirs performing live for the hordes of travelers trying to make it home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, in Missouri, the Lambert-St. Louis International has musicians playing a few times a week year-round. And at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport, musicians treat snowbirds to live entertainment during the fall and winter months.
Other airports across the country are catching on to these unique entertainment options and adding alternatives in their own cities. At Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport and the Reno/Tahoe International Airport, travelers can play the slot machines. Air travelers flying in or out of San Francisco International can tour an aquarium. And at Palm Beach International in Florida passengers can practice their putting.
Airport administrators say the live concerts, putting greens and mock casinos are used as marketing tools… and they seem to be working. Residents feel at home, while visitors get a sense of the city without leaving the airport. So it’s a win-win situation.
Have you traveled to one of the aforementioned airports? What did you think of their boredom busters?
Related Articles:
Conquering Boredom At The Airport
“Mommy, There’s A Dinosaur In The Airport!”
Preparing For Travel Delays–Part 2
A Place For Your Kids To Play Between Flights
More Places To Play At The Airport