Airports want you to come hang out — even without a flight

Surprised no-one mentioned the WP paywall

Adding people who are in no hurry to catch a flight to the already insufferable TSA lines? What could go wrong?

Some of the best restaurants I've found are around Fla. at small strips.

Nowadays, maybe on a nice day at a GA airport

Perhaps at the very small airports, but the larger airports are a huge hassle when you have to be there. Nothing in a large airport (other than a flight out/in) is worth the trouble! Parking, trams, busses, TSA, massive amount of hurried stressed passengers is not an inviting atmosphere whatsoever!

We live in Vero Beach, Florida. It is a small town, and the airport restaurant is a nice choice for dining close to downtown.

Never at a Large airport, but as an Aircraft Owner of a Small Single Engine... gping to Lunch or Lunch Flyin's with friends is great... Usually very good and economical food... Fill Up your Belly, Fill up your Tanks and head on back...

Once, once upon a time, before TSA and concourse checks this was something that was done.
Sundays were spent on the observation deck at Philadelphia International followed by lunch or dinner in the Stratosphere restaurant; that was the fabled late 50s-60s.
My Dad and Mum made sure we were as entertained as they were............

This is unthinkable now regardless of day passes.

We all see the inflated prices of food and merchandise sold in airports today geared toward spur-of-the-moment customers who left something behind, forgot to buy 'that' gift or want something memorable in that area regardless of price.

This horse bolted with our first hijackings followed by terrorists taking planes to the desert and blowing them up (look it up, the late 60s) and then 9/11 that changed everything.

Airports want you to hang out?
Oh, wait it is Florida.

Great for people watching, too. Kinda like going to the zoo.

Orlando, that's too funny!!!!.

It's at least 20 minutes to anywhere in the area. Find a place to park (unless you're Brightlining up from Miami or Cocoa Beach) and pay a minimum or $14 (daily rate I couldn't find an hourly one.) And that is economy parking which includes a shuttle bus. Oh, and after visiting Term A mall, head back to the terminal for TSA going to B mall. Head over to Term C mall, another shuttle ride and TSA again. I guess if you've been to Disney where every ride is over an hour long, this might not be so bad. (You could sign up for TSA PRE/Clear just like "Lightning Lane and Genie+" at Disney).

And on top of that, there isn't even a place for awesome plane spotting. (Although in C there's pretty good view from the gates to the south end of 18/36 R/L

Add more people to TSA (After a few days with the family waiting to get through 30-60 minutes of TSA), just to have the chance to get people to the mall shopping in a "mall"?

Thats dope very magical . . .

the larger airports are now expanding to bigger and better terminals,and as part of that they want to contract with restaurants and shops to entertain passengers waiting..i dont however,know too many people who would go through the airport hassle of driving there,paying to park,etcetera, just to go to a restaurant..our larger airports here have the usual mcdonalds,starbucks,fridays,taco bell,and the like,and the airport hotel between the terminals has a restaurant and used to have an upper level for viewing the gates,but no longer..the shops are also the usual jewelry,t shirs and hoodies,cofee mugs,etcetera,and a duty free shop in the international terminals..when i was little the family thing to do (or even on a date as a teen)was to go to the airport,park at the end of the runway and watch the planes land and take off,then maybe go into the airport coffee shop! of course the airport was a "smallish" one and that was long before all of the security checks!

Why would Flight Aware post an article that can't be read without subscribing to a left wing newspaper? Beats me !