R
emember the days when the
thought of an airport layover
brought shudders and a sense
of dread? Today’s airports
are breaking out of that mold
— and breaking all the old rules —
to offer bespoke services to modern
travelers. From luxury lounges,
modern spas and art museums to
wine bars, gourmet restaurants
and markets filled with fresh
produce, airports around the
world are revolutionizing the
travel experience. Discover a new
place each month for your next
luxe layover.
London Heathrow,
United Kingdom: LHR
London Heathrow Airport (LHR),
located about 17 miles west of
central London, started out in 1930
as a private airport—Fairey’s Great
West Aerodrome—with one grass
runway, used for assembling and
testing new aircraft. During World
War II, the British government
acquired Fairey’s private airport, as
well as land in the village of Heath
Row as a base for British troops. In
1946, the land was given to the Air
Ministry as London’s new civil
airport, originally called London
irport. he first commercial ight
left London Airport bound for
Buenos Aires.
he first passenger waiting areas at
L
were tents e uipped with oral
armchairs, settees and tables (set
with real owers . But there was no
heat. Passengers were bitterly cold
in winter, but it was evidently quite
nice in the summer months when
tent sides were opened up to allow
in breezes.
By 1951, when nearly 800,000
passengers ew through the airport,
work began on the first permanent
passenger terminals and control
tower. Original terminals were the
Europa Building (later renamed
Terminal 2, which was replaced in
2014 with the new T2: The Queen’s
Terminal) and the Oceanic Terminal
(now Terminal 3). Terminal 1 opened
in 1969 and by that point, nearly 5
million passengers ew through L
every year.
During the 1970s, LHR was home to
the massive Concorde and more than
million passengers ew through
the airport annually. Terminal 4
opened in 1986, followed by the
massive Terminal 5 in 2008. Today,
LHR is the busiest airport in the
world, serving more than 72 million
passengers every year. It is home
to 82 airlines, servicing 180
destinations in 85 countries around
the world.
fun when you realize you can easily
transfer between terminals. Note
that terminals 1, 2 and 3 are all
within about a 10 minute wal