"Airport lounges take stylish, ultra-chic flights of fancy"

Monday, May 10, 2004

Airport lounges take stylish, ultra-chic flights of fancy
By Kitty Bean Yancey
USA TODAY


They're raising the bar at U.S. airports. Forget burgers and brewskis in
forgettable surroundings; a new generation of stylish drinking
establishments is taking wing: 

* LaGuardia Airport's year-old Akoya sushi bar/lounge in the Central
Terminal entices hipsters with a bold magenta/purple color scheme and
42-inch flat-screen TVs. 

Figs restaurant/lounge, also before security checkpoints in the same
terminal, landed the "best airport restaurant design" accolade from
Airport Revenue News in 2003 and 2004. There's also a smaller Figs bar
past security. 

* The Shades of Blue Lounge past security near departure gates in
Philadelphia International Airport's new international terminal entices
globetrotters with decor in cool shades of blue. 

Neon towers illuminate bottles on the 20-foot-high back bar of Cibo
Bistro & Wine Bar, also in the Philadelphia's year-old Terminal A West.
Forget the usual short, pedestrian airport wine menu; Cibo pours 30-plus
wines by the glass. 

* Meanwhile, lounges at airline clubs are getting a face lift. Witness
the ultra-modern bar with 42-inch plasma screen television in Virgin
Atlantic's new Clubhouse for Upper Class passengers and top frequent
fliers in JFK's Terminal 4. The $3.4 million Clubhouse also has a
cocktail area where guests can entertain themselves with headset TVs or
Sony PlayStations. 

"Everyone's upping the ante," says Kelly Beamon, executive editor of
Hospitality Design, a magazine that covers the restaurant, bar and hotel
industry. She says airport upgrades reflect "the democratization of
style. ... People (now) expect an aggressively designed experience
wherever they go." 

Harriet Baskas, author of the "Stuck at the Airport" guide to services
at terminals nationwide, applauds the trend. 

All those airport sports bars "look fun, but as a woman traveling by
myself, I'd feel more comfortable having a drink in a nicer place.
(Also), there are a lot of people who go early, get through security and
want to sit down and have a nice glass of wine in a nice place." 

The target customer for the new upscale bars is "the sophisticated
individual who's not too concerned" about paying what's charged at a
trendy city watering hole, says Paul McGinn, president of Newton,
Mass.-based MarketPlace Development, which develops retail programs at
airports. It brought Figs, Akoya, Shades of Blue and Cibo into the
Philadelphia and LaGuardia terminals. 

Another reason for upscaling at the airport: Patrons are spending more
time waiting. "In the post-September 11 world, we have people coming to
the airport earlier, and they have time on their hands," McGinn says.
"Traveling isn't easy, and if a bar or restaurant can provide more
amenities ... it's a win-win." 

But in the post-September 11 era, a stylish bar can be a win-lose. 

Before the terrorist attacks, airport planners aimed to make airport
bars, eateries and shops destinations for locals too. That's iffier now
that airports have become more like fortresses. 

"We did have a lot more (local) and event business" before September 11,
says Connie Bass, marketing director for the Encounter Restaurant at Los
Angeles International Airport, a forerunner of the new super-hip airport
bareateries. 

Encounter, perched on 135-foot arches on the grounds of the airport but
not in the terminal, is complete with fabulous views and bartenders who
squirt mixers from dispensers decked out as laser guns. While it retains
an Los Angeles-area following, "now, it's more travel business," Bass
says. "Every time there's an Orange Alert we get calls saying, 'Are you
open?' We are. ... It's challenging."


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