13 Underrated Amenities You Can Find At Different US Airports

At first glance, spas and airports may seem as opposite as heaven and hell. Getting a spa treatment at the airport sounds like getting a mani-pedi at the DMV. Perhaps you've seen one and walked right on by, wondering how you could ever ease into a spa mindset knowing you have to fight for a carry-on luggage spot later. On the contrary, the best time to head to the spa is when your cortisol levels are high, something a spa can help reduce. Loosening your muscles and easing joint pain will make the cramped conditions of an airplane seat much more bearable, and mental relaxation will make cabin pressure and crying babies more tolerable.

You'd be surprised how many airport spa locations there are across the U.S. XpresSpa, one of the largest brands, has locations in 11 US cities, with dozens more abroad. Several are open as early as 6 a.m. and as late as 11 p.m. They provide a whole gamut of services, from massages to zero-gravity loungers. They claim there's something for everyone, whether you've got five minutes or a full hour. We advise making an appointment in advance; you're unlikely to find open spots unless you happen to be there off-peak. Check out competing brands like Terminal Getaway Spas and the much older Massage Bar. Some only exist in a single airport, such as Enroute Spa in Indianapolis International (IND), and some exist only in airport hotels, like skySPA in Dallas-Fort Worth's Hyatt.

Airports and dentists go hand in hand concerning painful experiences you must endure to get to the better parts of life. Combining them would seem like a crime. You might change your tune, however, if you get a toothache the night before your flight, one that worsens the next morning and threatens to upend your trip. Dental emergencies are no joke, but your local practitioner might be out of the way, and you're probably not keen on getting an infected tooth removed in a foreign language. Those tickets probably aren't refundable, after all. Enter airport dental services.

Dr. Trager at JFK runs one among a surprisingly large list of airport-specific dental practices. Aside from the occasional emergency, his services include your typical cleaning and teeth whitening. For some, going to the dentist at the airport is a more effective use of your time. Why kill an hour looking at ludicrously overpriced Bulgari watches when you can get your regular half-year appointment knocked off the calendar? Plus, you might want your pearly whites looking their best before you update your social media pictures abroad. Whatever your reasons, you'll be glad there was a dentist there in the first place.

If you've got an international flight, many major airlines will advise arriving at least two to three hours before your departure. If you have heeded that wisdom (as you should; you never know what could happen), you may have found yourself at the airport an hour or more ahead of schedule without anything meaningful to pass the time — enough time to watch a feature-length film, in some cases. Portland's Hollywood Theatre saw a prime opportunity here for travelers to get a culturally enriching experience and ran with it.

Portland International (PDX) hosts the Hollywood Theatre, located after security in the C Concourse area. Entrance is free, but do keep in mind that these won't be typical blockbusters. All the films they show are no longer than 10 minutes and are made by local Pacific Northwest cinematographers. Anticipate artsy, low-budget (but passionate) indie films appropriate for all ages. We can't speak to the quality of the films in question, but we'd argue it's a much better 10 minutes than Candy Crush. Thanks to the brief durations of the films, you won't risk missing the boarding call and won't be too miffed if the ending fails to pay off.

Bringing a coat on your travels sucks, let's be real here. You've usually got two options: Wear it on the plane, or, if you'd rather have some semblance of comfort in the cabin, sacrifice half the space in your carry-on to stow it. This problem gets compounded if you're traveling from a cold destination to a warmer one, such as, say, from chilly Maine to the sweltering Bahamas. You'll need that coat coming home, so you're forced to drag it along with you. If you happen to be traveling out of Milwaukee, as one example, then you can check it in instead.

Milwaukee Mitchell International's (MKE) coat check is available from November 1 until April 1 of the following year and is open seven days a week. They let you check in everything, including coats, gloves, scarves, and any winter items you choose to leave behind. It only costs $2 and maxes out at $10 if you're on an extended trip. It doesn't matter which flight you're on, but international travelers should keep in mind they'll need to navigate to the Main Terminal for pickup. MKE isn't the only one to provide this service, either. JFK also does, as do several international cold-weather destinations like Frankfurt (FRA) and Incheon (ICN), should you be traveling abroad.

CPR is one of those things that you probably have a general understanding of but might shy away from putting into practice if called upon to assist someone who is unresponsive. Still, this is a procedure everyone should know, one that could save a life and one that requires very little training. Heart attacks and other emergencies while in the air are rare; that much is true, but they do happen. Take this recent incident on an El Al flight, as reported by Y Net. Long story short, it never hurts to be prepared. A CPR kiosk provides a free, easy, and convenient way to get that training when you probably won't be doing anything important or pressing.

These Hands-On CPR training kiosks can be found across the country, at major airports like Los Angeles (LAX) and Orlando (MCO), as well as smaller ones like John Wayne (SNA) and Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG). There's proof that they've saved lives, too. A YouTube video shows how a guy named Matt learned CPR from a kiosk. Three days later, someone called Sean went into cardiac arrest in his college parking lot after being struck by lightning. Matt saved Sean thanks to this training. It's hard to argue against doing something that takes a few minutes — at a time when you have a lot of free minutes — which could help you intervene during a medical emergency on a flight or elsewhere.

Airport art is nothing new; practically every major airport across the U.S. is both a piece of art architecturally and with its decor and contents. Take Denver International's (DEN) mountain range-inspired fiberglass roof or Seattle-Tacoma International's (SEA) all-glass exterior, for example. What we're talking about, though, are actual art exhibits inside the airport. Travel is a contemplative, navel-gazing sort of affair, so it only makes sense for airports to give you something that spurs those creative juices. Several U.S. airports merge galleries with terminals in a very satisfying way, perfect for someone who can't resist a bit of culture during layovers.

San Francisco International (SFO) has contemporary art hubs curated by the San Francisco Art Commission. There's a revolving door of collections, such as the one-time "The Modern Consumer" exhibit, which displayed mid-20th-century pieces. Aside from that, they have a static museum — the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum — which displays old-fashioned aviation memorabilia. Admission comes at no cost, but do be aware this one is located before security, not after. San Diego International (SAN), Albany International (ALB), and Philidelphia International (PHL) are just a few more examples of airports with their own respective installations.

That's right, there are airport casinos. One of the biggest ones, to the surprise of no one, is located in Las Vegas' Harry Reid (formerly McCarran) International (LAS). Someone decided it wasn't enough for people to wait until they reached the Strip before tossing down chips; they should be able to do so after debarking. Harry Reid has a staggering 1,430 slot machines, generating $39.8 million in yearly gross revenue to contribute to the airport's overhead costs. So there's no need to leave Lady Luck behind at Mandalay Bay; you can bring her to the concourse while you wait for your flight or if you're just on a layover in LAS.

The house always wins, and one might assume that an airport casino never makes payouts. Its visitors never stay for more than a couple of hours, so how would they find out? However, there were at least three big winners on record in 2023 alone. According to Casino.org, one traveler went home with $1.3 million, another with $1.2, and another with a respectable $600,000. Of course, we don't recommend putting down your daughter's dowry just because that cocktail is telling you that you can do anything. But you might play a small wager for fun to see if you can win back the cost of your tickets, and if not, at least you'll have gotten some uncommon entertainment waiting at the gate.