The Pittsburghers are very excited to see the new opening of the airport terminal of $ 1.7 billion this fall that 18,000 of them requested 2,000 day -day spaces even before the date was established.
The lucky volunteers chose to drive to the airport and fly nowhere will be among the first “passengers” to pass under the wooden roof that comes out with more than 4,000 constellation lights and take a little fresh air while enjoying a snack in one of the four green terraces outdoors.
They will be received by the 28 -feet pendant mobile from Alexander Calder, which bears the name of the city. Then, they will go through an installation driven by the airport microred and attended by some employees whose children spend their days playing in the nursery of the airport.
In addition to being more efficient and high technology, the new terminal is designed to “raise the experience of passengers,” said the CEO of Christina Cassotis airport.
Airports from everywhere are made again, amplifying VIP -style services and other amenities that offer travelers expanded options. Airlines are installing premium cabin updates, and living rooms are becoming larger and more solid.
The new main terminal of the Portland International Airport (PDX) was inaugurated at the end of 2024 with regular clandestine bar visits of the therapy flames and a 9 -acres wooden roof that inspired a rap song. The image change of $ 19 billion in progress at the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York includes two new terminals and modernizations of the two existing terminals. The new Terminal One, which will be the largest JFK terminal, will open in phases from 2026 and include more than 300,000 square feet of restaurants, stores, living room and recreational space.
The members who build Terminal 6 of $ 4.2 billion of JFK will also open in phases from 2026, they say that travelers will find a “experience of guest digital boutique”.
The recent transformation of $ 1.5 billion of Terminal 4 JFK, currently the largest airport terminal, is “distinctive, personalized and non -cookie cutter,” said Belinda Jain, vice president of customer and commercial experience in the terminal operator, JFK International Air Terminal. Their commercial offers are intended to reflect life in New York, with regular emerging windows and eight rooms, including the largest capital hall One to date.
While many improvements in the airport reflect the expected growth in passenger traffic and some long -standing infrastructure investments, the “premiumization” of many services and the gust of new halls can be an response to airports or feel more busy. Travelers have been willing to open their wallets to improve their experience and feel “special.”
In many airports, the experience in the lobby is pleasant enough so that you do not need to access a room to have a robust Wi-Fi, energy shots, comfortable seats, pleasant environments and abundant concessions, said travel analyst Henry Harteveldt, president and founder of the atmosphere investigation.
However, 14% of the 5,000 passengers of the American airlines that their group surveyed earlier this year said they have access to the airport halls through pay members, credit cards or flights that qualify and spend the state with an airline, Harteveldt said.
“We all want something that not everyone else has. And these halls also attract innate snob in all of us,” Harteveldt said. “In some cases, the halls are above the general area of concurrence, which means that it is literally looking at people in the main terminal area.”
In a recent survey of more than 10,000 global travelers who make two or more trips a year, the dimensions of the airport airport airport discovered that 66% of US travelers said they would be willing to buy premium services, such as check in prioritary, fast lanes, waiting waiting areas and room access to improve their experience at the airport.
The survey found that the so -called rich leisure travelers were significantly willing to pay for those premium services than others. These travelers, also known as ALTS, are partly defined as making three or more trips a year.
“These are people who travel by choice, not only need,” said Chris Gwilliam, Senior Global Business Vice President of Airport Dimensions. “And they are willing to spend when the experience is worth it.”
Those with great budgets that want an even more premium experience can access luxury terminals when commercial ones fly from some airports.
PS, who opened a private and closed terminal for travelers rich at Los Angeles International Airport in 2017, opened a second at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Georgia in 2023. He plans openings for airports in Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami in 2026.
Services include private security evaluation, customs and immigration facilities on the site, spa services, chefs prepared for private suites or shared private room access and driver service to the plane. The rates vary from $ 1,295 for individual access to about $ 5,000 for a private suite for up to four travelers.
The demand for private travel experiences has triggered the pandemic along with a general desire to waste on trips, said Amina Belouizad Porter, CEO of PS. “It is a trend that we have benefited.”
Even less than rich flyers are getting.
Skysquad is a service that accelerates and escorts the travelers of the sidewalk to the door, with prices of $ 79 (displacement) to $ 149 (preceded) for up to six people in a growing number of airports, the Bethesda company, Maryland, based in Spirit Airlines, has its most busy company in December in December. conveyor.
“We help more than 2,900 groups in FLL that month, which shows that travelers of all prices value a VIP experience,” said the company’s founder Julie Melnick.
There are other widely available ways to obtain a preferential treatment. The accessible detection lane with TSA Precheck is available in more than 200 airports. The price varies according to the registration provider, but it can be around $ 85. For $ 209 a year, travelers can join Clear+ and cut in front of the security control point line in more than 59 airports.
“Traveling is difficult, and it is only becoming more difficult,” said Annabel Walsh, Clear Marketing Senior Vice President. Services like Clear’s, he said, give travelers “a faster, more predictable and premium experience when they need it most.”
