MyWestworld

The Big Layover

Posted on 20. May, 2008 by Kerry Banks in Travel Blog

On a recent international trip I was faced with the daunting prospect of an eight-hour layover in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Lengthy airport layovers can be a horrid experience for travellers, especially since they often occur between long flights. In this case, the layover was the filling between a jet-lag sandwich of two nine-hour flights, pushing my total in-transit time close to 30 hours. So I had to decide: Do I leave the airport and try to squeeze in some sightseeing in Amsterdam? Or, do I wait it out and risk being driven insane by boredom? From past experience, I know that airports are uncomfortable places–noisy, crowded and bereft of any form of entertainment. And few offer anything in the way of a comfortable spot to relax. But leaving the airport introduces a whole series of dilemmas. Do I keep my bags with me? If not, then where do I leave them? How much time do I need to get to somewhere interesting? How much money do I need to change? Do I catch a bus or a train? How efficient is the local transportation system?

In the end I opted to stay put. I had done some research about Schiphol before my departure and it seemed to have a healthy number of diversions. Besides, I’d already been to Amsterdam twice before and seen all the major sites. In retrospect, I think I made the right decision. The airport was quite a revelation.

Schiphol is the fourth-busiest airport in Europe. Last year, it served 48 million passengers. The 126-acre facility, which is run by Schiphol Group, a private company whose shares are 75.8 percent owned by the Dutch government, 21.8 percent by Amsterdam and 2.4 percent by the city of Rotterdam, operates according to an “aerotropolis concept,” which assumes that an airport should not merely be a stop in the travel process but a unique experience. Evidently, the approach is working. Schiphol pumps billions of dollars into the Dutch economy and provides directly or indirectly more than 100,000 jobs.

The airport’s design is clean and slick with wide corridors, white-tiled floors and high glass windows that allow travellers to keep an eye on the airfield and gates. The layout is consistent throughout and there is signage wherever you happen to be. Each screen gives you a live “walk time” from the gates–and this time value changes depending where you are in the airport.

Because more than a third of the airport’s passengers are in transit, awaiting connecting flights, Schiphol has repeatedly sought new ways to reduce the boredom and stress of layovers. The airport has installed a gymnasium, a computerized golf course, showers and hotel rooms in the terminal that can be rented by the hour, and a nursery with muted light and little cribs that babies can sleep in. For those who just need a quiet spot to catch a nap or gather their thoughts, there are banks of black leather snoozing chairs and a meditation room.

Art lovers will be pleased to learn that Schiphol is the first airport in the world to house a museum in its terminal–and not just any museum. It’s a branch of Amsterdam’s world famous Rijksmuseum. Set on two pillars to minimize vibrations from airplane takeoffs and landings, the galleries are protected by bulletproof glass. The museum maintains a permanent collection of Dutch art from the Golden Age, as well as temporary exhibits, and admission is free. There is also a gift shop at which you can purchase souvenirs featuring the work of the Dutch masters.

The airport also boasts an in-terminal gambling casino. Operated by Holland Casinos, a private company, the Schiphol casino is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. It has a roulette table, three blackjack tables, 75 slot machines and accepts 15 currencies in exchange for chips or tokens. Winnings are paid in Dutch guilders, which can be exchanged for other currencies at the casino or at the 24-hour airport banks. Unlike other casinos, which encourage lingering, the casinos display clocks prominently on the wall to help passengers catch their connecting flights.

As one might expect, Schiphol offers plenty of shopping and dining opportunities. There is a mall with a 24-hour grocery store, a hair salon, restaurants and shops selling everything from tulip bulbs and toys to lingerie, luxury cosmetics and electronics, and a caviar and champagne bar called Bubbles. Other amenities include chair massages, wireless Internet access, full-service business centres and a children’s play area with free video games. If you feel you need some pampering, there is also a beauty and wellness centre. Supposedly the first of its kind at any European airport, the spa offers treatments tailored to the length of time passengers spend at the airport and include massages, manicures, pedicures and facial treatments.

Even Schiphol’s washrooms are noteworthy. A number of them feature cheery murals of Amsterdam cityscapes, canal houses and flowers. The men’s urinals have an added bonus–a house fly etched in the bowl just to the left of the drain. This is not simply an amusing artistic touch—it serves a purpose. Most men instinctively aim at the fly when they urinate. Research conducted at the airport found that the fake-fly technology reduced spillage by 80 percent, saving a bundle on cleaning bills.

However, not every trend-setting concept has been embraced by Schiphol. In 2000, in anticipation of the official legalization of brothels in Holland, Theo Hueft, the owner of an Amsterdam brothel called Yab Yum, filed an application to open a men’s club at the airport to relax–or perhaps reinvigorate–weary and stressed travelers with champagne, caviar and erotic massages. “They could pop in before going home to the lady wife,” suggested Hueft. His application was turned down.

So, how did I spend my time here? Well, since the relaxation club was not an option, I limited myself to some light shopping, grabbed a meal and a few Heinekens at one of the bars, then sacked out on one of the black recliners. The chair was remarkably comfortable, but it was difficult to drift into dreamland because of the women’s voices emanating from the airport loudspeakers. Well-modulated and precise, they delivered their messages with cool efficiency. “Mr. Bunkhead, travelling to Glasgow, please proceed to Gate D6A.” This notice was followed a minute later by another slightly more stern announcement: “Mr. Bunkhead, you are delaying the flight. Please report to Gate D6A immediately or we will begin to offload your luggage.” The process was repeated throughout the afternoon with a parade of tardy travellers.

But even more distracting was the computerized voice of the sidewalk lady. Each time someone approached the end of a nearby moving walkway, her mechanical voice rang out in a clipped singsong, “Mind your step.” The phrase reverberated in my brain for days afterwards.