Airports A – Z for Working on the Go

Airports A – Z are now in focus, not necessarily for their arrival and departure records, but for their seats, desks and plugs. With flight delays lasting from hours to days and airline business lounges now putting ceilings on guests and usage hours, airports a – z have become the new coworking stations, offering the amenities travelers need to stay on the job no matter what news the flight monitors are flickering.

Anyone who has stepped inside a major airport over the last two years will see communal desks with charging stations, seating banks with cushy, colorful leatherette seats in a circle around a low set table, and no doubt a Starbucks steps away. The only problem is forgetting you are at the airport and not the corner café.

A recent report put out by Upgraded Points in airports a-z ranked by their ability to facilitate working passengers in need of “on-the-fly” offices placed San Diego International Airport (SAN) on top with a score of 42 out of 50. The report noted SAN manages some 13 charging stations per square mile and has a coveted Be Relax Spa with facials and chair massages.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) placed second for the high odds of running into a celebrity as you run to your departing plane. The airport also gets kudos for its plethora of restrooms per square mile (25), and impressive Wi-Fi download speed.

Occasionally Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) placed third for its bounty of restaurants (46+) per square mile. The airport also houses numerous charging stations per square mile.

Dulles International Airport (IAD), the survey said, had the fastest Wi-Fi download speed, while John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), is home to the most airport lounges per square mile (4+).

In fact, the number of flexible workspaces located in airports has grown nearly 100 percent year-on-year since the end of 2021, according to data and analytics platform CoworkIntel. Work deadlines do not stop; Zoom meeting schedules are not altered because staff is sitting at an airport instead of an office.

Airports A – Z: Private Plug-in Pods

In fact, some airports are taking co-working spaces to the next level: private working spaces.

Evidently A recent start-up, Jabbrrbox, has created bookable private working pods and placed them at leading airports so that deep work ahead of travel is not such a challenge and Zoom meetings are not jarred by incessant flight announcements. The pods are wired up to keep devices charged and Wi-fi flowing in stackable 30-minute segments that run around $16. Travelers need to sign-up through an app and the doors will open.

Not surprisingly, Collinson, operator of Priority Pass, released a study in late February listing what travelers want and would be willing to pay for at an airport. While sleep pods and spa services got check marks from more than half the travelers, for road warriors, it was all about a working space to plug in and focus.