Cheapflights.ca Says You May Be Missing Half the Fun of Air Travel by Rushing to Your Gate

TORONTO--(Marketwired - Apr 2, 2013) -  Spending extended periods of time at the airport has become an accepted component of the air travel experience. As we all know, shopping, eating and drinking are the standard forms of airport entertainment. However, airports are now trying to give travellers an experience above and beyond the norm. The travel experts at Cheapflights.ca, the online leader in finding and publishing travel deals, decided to check out the ways some airports are upping their game with a list of Top 10 Unexpected Airport Services. These amenities are a step towards turning a captive audience into a captivated one.

Below are the first five creative airport amenities to kick off Cheapflights.ca's list of Top 10 Unexpected Airport Services:

• Live music -- Once upon a time, there was a disco at the Frankfurt airport where passengers danced their way through the night. The club closed with the disco era (and the increase in airport regulations). However, music is making a comeback as airport entertainment. Music cities are among those leading the way. The Austin-Bergstrom Airport in Austin, Texas, home of the Austin City Limits Music Festival, has local artists playing on multiple stages expressly for ticketed passenger every Monday-Friday. The Nashville International Airport, in country music's hometown of Nashville, Tenn., also features a regular line-up of free performances. Keep an eye out for other concert events and series as you travel. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson offers concerts every few months, and Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C., has been known to host a Jazz series. Likewise, Vancouver International Airport in British Columbia, Canada, had historically thrown summer parties called Take Off Fridays. JetBlue turns its terminal at New York's John F Kennedy Airport into a concert hall periodically as well with its Live from T5 events.
  
  
• Museums -- As you stroll (or sometimes dash) through many airports, you are likely to see a sculpture here or art display there. However, some leading-edge airports are partnering with area art museums to create in-terminal exhibits and even branches. Case in point: the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Schiphol, an annex of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, a Dutch national museum known for its collection of the masters from the Golden Era, located at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Open free of charge specifically for passengers, this museum has a permanent exhibit, including 10 pieces by Dutch Masters, as well as a regularly changing series of new shows. At San Francisco International Airport in California, a partnership started with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco evolved into a fully accredited museum within the airport. The SFO Museum has more than 20 galleries throughout airport showcasing rotating art, history and cultural exhibits.
  
  
• Movie theatres -- In this day and age of iPads, downloads and WiFi, it's certainly possible to get your fill of movie entertainment while you travel. However, when you have a few hours to fill, there is something about the big-screen movie house experience that offers an unparalleled sense of escape. Travellers passing through Hong Kong International Airport can lose themselves in more than just a basic movie. The airport offers passengers the story immersion of a full IMAX experience, with 2D and 3D movies. The theatre in Singapore's Changi Airport ups the ante even further with 3D and 4D offerings!
  
  
• Medical and dental care -- While getting medical help at an airport in an emergency has always been an important and available service, there are now full-service medical and, especially, dental clinics springing up that offer both urgent and ongoing care, sometimes for less than you'd pay at home. While slipping into a dentist chair or onto an exam table may seem an odd experience at the airport, when you can walk into an office that feels more like a spa and walk out with whiter teeth, a refilled prescription or a needed travel immunization, it may suddenly seem a good use of a layover. Look for such clinics in airports ranging from Vancouver International Airport in Canada, Zurich Airport in Switzerland, Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan, San Francisco International in the U.S. and Frankfurt Airport in Germany.
  
  
• Pet care -- Whether you are bringing your pet along or need a home away from home for him or her while you're gone, there is at least one airport that has you covered. The Pet Hotel at Tokyo's Narita Airport offers on-site boarding so you can pick up and drop off your pet as part of your travel plans. And, with adjoining vet and grooming services, the Pet Hotel can take care of your pet's needs while you are away or help get a travelling pet ready for takeoff.
  
  

The complete list of extraordinary amenities popping up at airports around the world also features Workouts; Games; Classes; a brush with nature; and a pet to pet. To read the full details of Cheapflights.ca's Top 10 Unexpected Airport Services, visit www.cheapflights.ca/travel/top-10-unexpected-airport-services.

About momondo Group
momondo Group is an online travel media and technology company that is driven by the belief that an open world is a better world. The group now serves travel search and inspiration to over 13 million visitors a month -- plus 6 million travel newsletter subscribers -- via its Cheapflights (www.cheapflights.ca) and momondo (www.momondo.com) brands.

Skygate began the sourcing of complex air-travel data in 1992, while Cheapflights pioneered the online comparison of flight deals for users in 1996 and momondo launched meta-search in the Nordic countries in 2006. 

The Group has offices in London, Copenhagen, Boston and Toronto, with a consumer base across 16 core international markets but users all over the world.

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