Changi Airport in Singapore is a destination in its own right, with movie theaters, a pool, spas, a butterfly garden, and a four-story slide. How can St. Louis contend? Here are some ideas.
PASTIMES
Inspiration: At Hong Kong International Airport, travelers can pass the time by teeing off at the Sky City Nine Eagles Golf Course, adjacent to Terminal 2.
Suggestion: Given our status as a baseball town, a wiffle-ball field at the airport would surely be a hit. Long layover? You’ve got time for extra innings.
TOURS
Inspiration: South Korea’s Incheon Airport offers guided bus tours of Seoul, providing visitors a taste of the city’s culture, history, and cuisine.
Suggestion: A quick helicopter tour would put passengers face-to-face with the Gateway Arch, giving new meaning to the phrase “flyover country,” without making anyone miss their connection.
CREATURE COMFORTS
Inspiration: Therapy dogs help calm stressed-out or fearful passengers at airports in Los Angeles; San Jose, California; and Miami.
Suggestion: Maybe Lambert should strike up a partnership with the Saint Louis Zoo. Forget therapy dogs. How about therapy lemurs?
FREE FUN
Inspiration: Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport offers a free-to-use ping-pong table.
Suggestion: A bocce court at the gate would allow passengers to blow off steam while learning about the heritage of The Hill—though TSA agents might object to the heavy projectiles.
FITNESS
Inspiration: Air travel is inherently sedentary, but at Zurich Airport in Switzerland, you can rent bikes or inline skates to explore nature trails and commune with wildlife.
Suggestion: Lambert isn’t in the middle of a park, but installing treadmills and stationary bikes, plus some showers, would allow passengers to stay in shape while they wait.
MUSIC
Inspiration: Austin, Texas, bills itself as the Live Music Capital of the World, where the show begins as soon as you land, with concerts held at venues throughout the terminal.
Suggestion: What better way to teach tourists about St. Louis’ musical heritage than a band at baggage claim, playing the lost-suitcase blues?
