Some airports in Western Europe (and around the world, for that matter) are adding amenities such as theaters, casinos, playgrounds and more to entice travelers to spend a little extra time and money. In Amsterdam, for example, the theme revolves around kids: TVs play Disney shows and the playground features video games and Legos. For adults, an exhibition of Rembrandt’s work is on display. If that doesn’t interest travelers, there’s also a small casino with blackjack and roulette tables. The Frankfurt-Hahn airport has an “erotic shop.”
Many airports have added luxurious lounges for frequent travelers who want a comfortable place to relax, check email and get a little work done. Duty-free shops, restaurants, bars and book stores are all commonplace in many airports.
Other airports, however, are going in a decidedly different direction. A new air terminal in Marseilles in the South of France opened recently. The no-frills terminal was built for low-cost airlines, specifically easyJet, Virgin Express, Condor and Ryanair.
The terminal features painted, concrete floors ... and that’s about it. No luggage trolleys. No air conditioning. Passengers carry their bags from check-in through security. They walk across the tarmac to board the plane. Currently, the low-cost airlines flying out of Marseilles are offering only limited destinations, but as they catch on, more and more destination will be added.
A similar air terminal is being built in Lyons, and a terminal in Madrid is being downgraded to include fewer amenities - all to accommodate the low-cost airlines. Those airlines have transformed - and are continuing to change - the way people travel throughout Western Europe, and they’re now changing the way airports are constructed.
With such low-cost fares, these airlines could change more than the way Europeans travel around Europe. They could expand the horizons for backpackers. Instead of riding the trains to travel around Western Europe, backpackers could hop on a plane and hit some of the destinations that were previously a little too far to go or not accessible via train: Ireland. Greece. Hungary. Morocco.
So, if you’ve got a trip to Western Europe planned, but want to hit somewhere a little out of the way while you’re here, one of the low-cost airlines might just make it possible. Just don’t expect any fine dining or luxury shopping while you’re at the airport.
JetBlue has a lot to offer U.S. traveler's, too. Click here to learn more about the airline, or here to learn about its missing ingredient.
