Airport Experience® News - Customer Service Issue 2025

Below: Paul Hoback, chief development officer at PIT, says the outdoor spaces at the new PIT terminal were once on the chopping block due to budget concerns during construction, but ultimately airport officials decided the amenity was worth the cost.

really never a time people aren’t out there,” says Stacey Stegman, senior vice president of communications, marketing and customer experience. Fire pits glow, heated floors stretch the seasons, and dogs find relief outdoors alongside their owners. In Palm Springs, the mood shifts to leisure. “Our open-air courtyard is one of the most unique and beloved features of Palm Springs International Airport (PSP),” says Executive Director Harry Barrett Jr. Travelers step into citrus groves and mountain views, with coffee, wine,and playgrounds woven into the setting. “It’s a space that feels more like a resort than an airport, where people can relax, breathe, and enjoy a final taste of the Coachella Valley before boarding their flight,” he says. The effect across these airports is cumulative. Outdoor spaces reset energy, extend regional identity and create pockets of relief inside some of the most engineered environments on earth. Hoback captures the traveler’s side of it, saying that the outdoor terraces offer travelers a chance to unwind outdoors, bring nature to passengers and give children a place to burn off excess energy before boarding a flight. Turning Space Into Business Open air pairs naturally with hospitality, and airports are proving that fresh air can also be a revenue engine. San Diego has integrated its terrace with dining. “It’s

adjacent to a dining area featuring five quick-serve restaurants and an anchor full service restaurant and bar. Novecientos Grados by Tony Hawk [has] dedicated outdoor seating on the terrace as part of its premises,” says Zachrisson. Palm Springs has taken a similar approach, orienting its concessions toward its central courtyard. “These spaces and brand concepts were designed with the local charm of Palm Springs in mind,” says Barrett. Together, these examples show how outdoor areas can become extensions of the restaurant floor and, at the same time, strong reflections of regional identity.

Above: The new terminal at Pittsburgh International Airport will feature outdoor terraces, offering travelers a chance to unwind outdoors, bring nature to passengers and give children a place to burn off excess energy before boarding a flight. Airports also see outdoor terraces as platforms for new kinds of commercial activations. DEN has already installed bar infrastructure and is considering special events and sponsorships. Pittsburgh is planning with flexibility in mind. “We are considering pop-up concessions that would be located in the terraces, as well as

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AX NEWS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025