Hot Take: The Airport Can Be Your Destination

September is an underrated travel month.

The hustle of the summer is over. Everyone went big for Labor Day. Most people are starting to slow it down. But right there is where you find you have one more adventure in you. In September you get the benefits of “off season” travel while still chasing that sunny, comfortable weather.

10 days in Rome is where I found my one more adventure – and my family came along! We left New York out of JFK Airport and arrived at Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) Terminal 3, Rome’s main international terminal.

We had just landed, and I started thinking – maybe I enjoy traveling through airports.

It’s been a while since I’ve traveled abroad. My last trip was to Reykjavik, Iceland during Christmastime, which was a unique experience because there was only 4-5 hours of daylight. Note to self: visit Iceland when it’s not the shortest day of the year.

As I was making my way to baggage claim for my mom’s luggage (I try to pack everything into a carry-on after a checked bag snafu a few years ago), I realized maybe our Italian vacation won’t end when we check out. Maybe FCO, the airport, will actually be the last stop on our itinerary. Maybe the airport is one of our destinations.

Experiences: The Global Airport

Airports vary in size and aesthetic, but as society becomes more and more globalized, investments are being made to improve airport amenities and access.

LAX is diligently working on its infrastructure improvements ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Poland is developing Port Polsk, its largest airport that would rival London Heathrow and Istanbul. And, Dubai is investing in its passenger facilities, technology and operational capabilities to meet growing travel demands.

Depending on the airport, you can actually forget you’re in an airport!

There are more places than ever to eat, shop, and lounge. I have yet to experience an airport lounge or maximize travel points to upgrade an in-flight seat (is it only me?!), but airports and airlines are going out of their way to innovate the travel experience. In airports like Newark (EWR) and Houston (IAH), for example, United Airlines travelers can pre-order food or other items and have them waiting on a designated pick-up shelf at their gate.

It’s also nice when airports have those little things you didn’t realize you needed. Like these kiosks in FCO near the shopping and dining area that offer free phone chargers. It’s a small perk, but nice to see.

Surprises: Art in Unexpected Places

Don’t forget to look up because one thing I’ve noticed is airports are investing in artwork. I’ve seen printed media, sculptures, and entire installations. It's refreshing. It’s happy. It can even be inspirational.

Two things you can’t miss at FCO: (1) the rhinoceros sculpture, and (2) the piano that said “play me, but don’t play with me”.

Interactive or not, these pieces made being inside the confines of an airport more enjoyable. In a space where people are constantly moving from one place to another, the art provides a visual break in the hustle.

It’s not pictured here, but even walking to the Customs gates at JFK, there were these metal sculptures along the wall depicting a city skyline. I was moving quickly (a 10-hour flight will do that to you), but I noticed the artwork in a hallway that could have otherwise been empty.

Rituals: Finding The Little Moments

Airports are liminal – transitional spaces of “in-betweeness” – and a break from our daily routines. They are also places where we can create new rituals.

Our family arrives at the airport 3 hours early. Every time. We don’t like to feel rushed. We always go to a sit-down restaurant. It’s become a tradition.

I, personally, like to take a moment to look through the duty-free shops. If I’m being honest, I don’t make a purchase, but I like to see local items, or I’ll go into stores I wouldn’t normally visit like Gucci.

Of course there are plenty of high-end fashion stores, but the main duty-free section in FCO was filled with sweet and savory foods, alcoholic beverages, perfumes, and beauty products – most of these were local to Italy, but there were also American candies, like M&Ms. The shops even extended upstairs near a dining area. It was pretty wild to see just how many stores there were.

Rituals can come in all shapes and forms. For me it’s first taking the time to sit down to eat and then taking a browse through the stores.

Others might need a coffee at the gate. Maybe you have a specific playlist queued up. Whatever you find yourself doing, the airport is a place where we can create temporary rituals.

So, Are Airports the Destination?

Air travel is a unique experience in itself. The whole day changes because your routine is interrupted. You’re awake at a different time, maybe to catch a flight or because of jet lag. You’re carrying everything you need with you. You have nowhere to be except where you’re going.

When you’re at the airport it seems the only thing left to do is get on the plane. You’re not quite at your final destination, but you’re on your way.

In an airport you can people-watch. You can read. You can wander. You can have a meal at 10 AM or 10 PM. You can spend an hour doing absolutely nothing at your gate.

It's a weird little pocket of time.

In some ways it’s the same type of time you have when you’re on vacation. You can people-watch, read, wander, eat anytime of day!

When I was traveling back to New York, I checked my phone on the plane, which was still on Central European Time, and it was 9 PM. I thought to myself, “Funny, I’ll get to experience 9 PM two times today.” The way that traveling plays with our physical space is fascinating. In this time of globalization, being in two places in one day isn’t that far-fetched.

By this time I realized I had enjoyed the airport itself.

I had spent a week and a half exploring Rome, eating great food, walking around the city, and taking in a completely different environment.

Even though I was technically on my way home, the trip wasn’t over yet. There was still time to sit down and grab something to eat. There was still time to notice the art. There was still time to wander through the shops.

Maybe that’s what I like about airports. They’re not quite the destination, but they’re not quite part of the journey in the traditional sense, either. They’re their own little space in between—one where our routines change, time gets a little weird, and we have permission to slow down and simply wait for what comes next.

Travel isn’t always easy, but there’s something exciting about knowing that when you walk through those doors, you’re going somewhere and maybe you’re also already there.

And maybe that’s why I’ve always liked airports.