Stuck At The Airport: The Very Best of Services, Dining, and Unexpected Attractions for Travelers [Paperback]

Harriet Baskas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2001

Who hasn't been stuck at the airport and ended up cranky, stiff, and full of really bad food? No more! With this one-of-a-kind guide to the best services, dining, shopping, and unexpected attractions at major U.S., Canadian, and European airports, even travel delays can be transformed into time well spent. Why not relax in the airport's meditation room in Albany, New York; tour the airport microbrewery in Orlando, Florida; or pet the pups at the landscaped dog walk at the airport in Austin, Texas? Traveling with kids? This guide will lead you to places where kids can run, have fun, and nap. On business? You'll find quiet spots to make phone calls and get work done. Just trying to get there from here? You'll learn where you can have a manicure or go for a run, rent a locker or a DVD, view an art exhibit or smoke indoors. You're stuck at the airport -- so live a little!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Your flight at Pittsburgh International Airport has been delayed for hours. You've been to the food court (twice) and you've just bought another magazine. Wouldn't it have been nice if you'd known that there was an in-airport health club with aerobics machines and a sauna? Well, if you had a copy of the aptly named Stuck at the Airport, Harriet Baskas's compilation of unexpected attractions and services at 54 airports around the world, you would. Arranged alphabetically, each entry lists dining, shopping, and sightseeing options as well as the best spots to nap, freshen up, and plug in your laptop. While some of the information is basic, most of it is surprisingly informative. San Jose Airport has an InMovie kiosk that rents films, Washington's Sea-Tac boasts artwork from Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg, and Heathrow has a golf studio offering lessons from pros. Need to keep the kiddies out of your hair? Check out the Children's Museum at O'Hare or the play area at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport with free Nintendo games. While it's true these discoveries won't get you to your destination any faster, they will make those dreaded delays a lot more bearable. --Jill Fergus

From Library Journal

Baskas, an award-winning radio producer and writer for National Public Radio and a columnist for Expedia.com ("Stuck at the Airport" is a regular feature on the Expedia.com web site), has often experienced the frustration of whiling away the hours when stuck at an airport. Where can you buy a newspaper, have a shower, or store your luggage? Which food concessions offer the healthiest (or most sinful) foods? In this practical guide, Baskas highlights the special features of some 46 major national and eight international airports including Los Angeles, Albany, JFK, Toronto, and Heathrow that every annoyed traveler should know so that he or she can best manage the unwanted delays. Arranging the airports alphabetically by city, Baskas recommends what to do with kids; how to handle business emergencies; where to eat, get a massage, or shop; and, most importantly, how to get to the nearest major city. She does not, however, include airport floor plans, nor does she provide the reader with a list of the airports' web sites, which usually include such plans. For public libraries with active travel collections. Linda M. Kaufmann, Massachusetts Coll. of Liberal Arts Lib., North Adams
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Fireside (June 5, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743205391
• ISBN-13: 978-0743205399
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,094 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Got lemons - make a screwdriver, June 10, 2001

By 

giraffe (Sea-Tac) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stuck At The Airport: The Very Best of Services, Dining, and Unexpected Attractions for Travelers (Paperback)

I half heard this lady on NPR's Morning Edition last weekend talking to Scott Simon about having a decent time at airports. Yeah right. Then I heard her again on the local NPR affiliate and I thought I either need whatever she's on or I gotta check out her book.

So I found it at my local bookstore's travel section, and must say it's a must for anyone who travels a bit or more by air . There are over 50 airports listed and according to the author, Harriet Baskas, you can actually get something out of an often unplanned and exasperating extended layover if you know the territory a little bit. Finding out for example that at many interminable terminals there are convenient and affordable places to workout beyond walking the wrong way on the ramps was a plus for me. I'm not much on shopping, but I like checking out local art scenes and if you know where to look, there's some stuff which might be more interesting than the foodcourt or the paperback you'll be reading on the plane, later. Phone numbers and websites for each port are included, too, which have even more handy and up to date information including maps to and from, current art exhibits, where the microbrewery's located, and so on. Let's face it - waiting stinks - but the positive attitude that Ms. Baskas has about making the best of it might rub off a little bit and that can't hurt. I liked it.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Practical, July 16, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Stuck At The Airport: The Very Best of Services, Dining, and Unexpected Attractions for Travelers (Paperback)

This book is highly practical. It is essentially a guidebook to many important airports and the services and amenities they offer for the delayed traveler. It is a unique and clever book. It is clearly written and easy to use. I hope to see more guides of this type from this lucent author.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars not much help, October 3, 2008

By 

Robert J. Munk "Bob Munk" (Arroyo Seco, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stuck At The Airport: The Very Best of Services, Dining, and Unexpected Attractions for Travelers (Paperback)

This book is unfortunately limited in scope (to domestic airports) and out of date; things change fast as travelers are spending more time at airports. Not very useful any more.