Oct. 8, 2026, 3:00 a.m. ET
- A recent survey found over 57% of American travelers arrive at the airport early to enjoy its amenities.
- Travelers are increasingly choosing airports based on factors like easier navigation and comfortable spaces, not just flight routes.
- Airports are adding more amenities, such as skating rinks and cinemas, to enhance the traveler experience.
More Americans are choosing to arrive at the airport early. And it’s not to make sure they have enough time to catch their flight. According to a new survey, they do it because they want to enjoy the airport itself.
In a survey conducted on Sept. 21 by luggage shipping and delivery service Send My Bag, over 57% of 1,000 American respondents said they’ve gotten to the airport with plenty of time to spare to specifically eat, shop, visit a lounge or enjoy the other amenities. Among the surveyed travelers, the reasons were relatively evenly spread.
Send My Bag founder and CEO Adam Ewart believes the trend stems from airlines continuing to raise fees for the average flyer, so people are figuring out how else to improve or streamline their travel experience.
This summer saw a widespread increase in checked baggage fees for U.S. carriers. Just last month, United Airlines began offering a new lower tier for its first-class cabin with more restrictions.
“You’re worried about additional charges and so on, and that’s obviously very stressful,” said Ewart. “It seems like the airports are just trying to swing it right back around the other way.”
Airports have been offering more amenities in recent years, such as an outdoor skating rink at Denver International Airport during the winter season and a micro cinema at Portland International Airport. And they continue to renovate and evolve.
Ewart also cites the rise in credit cards offering lounge access as a benefit as contributing to the increased leisure time in airports. Lounges are no longer exclusive to the most frequent of flyers and status holders, with more travelers having access than ever before. Airport lounges are more crowded, often with long lines.
Still, some are becoming more luxurious, such as Delta One Lounges that only Delta One ticketed passengers can visit. The global airport lounges market is only expected to continue surging, with one estimate predicting growth from $5 billion in 2025 to $20 billion by 2034.
Choosing more than just an airline
The survey also found that almost 60% of travelers chose to fly out of a certain airport based on the airport itself, not the airline or flight route.
Ewart is one of those. For a recent flight out of the United Kingdom, he chose Bristol Airport over London Heathrow Airport because he wouldn’t have to take liquids out of his carry-on bag for the security CT scanner. “So I’m going to go to that airport and not have to fop around, you know, pulling everything out of my bag at the security line,” he said.
The biggest reason travelers are intentional about their airport choice is easier navigation, as cited by 28.3%. That’s followed by having more comfortable spaces, as said by 26.1%, while over a quarter said it’s because of shorter security and wait times.
“(Airports are) no longer just trying to grab a quick something on the move; it’s just designed, I think, to hold you there,” said Ewart. “The longer you’re in the airport, the more likely you are to wander around the boutiques and buy something or the duty-free and buy something or, you know, spend money otherwise,” he added.
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