5 Airport Features You Rarely See Anymore

Is it just us, or is flying not what it used to be? But in many ways, that’s a good thing — air travel has only gotten safer throughout the years, fares are cheaper (adjusting for inflation), and it’s doubtful that many travelers miss the smoke-filled cabins of yore. Even so, it’s hard not to be nostalgic for some airport features that no longer (or rarely) exist anymore. Here are five airport relics you may remember.

Observation Decks

Planespotting is a hobby beloved by many so-called “avgeeks,” but it isn’t as easy to pursue as it once was. Most airports used to have observation decks outside the security area where anyone who wished to while away the day watching commercial airliners depart and arrive could do so to their heart’s content.

In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, most of these decks were closed due to security concerns, but the concept has been making somewhat of a comeback in recent years. At Raleigh/Durham International Airport, there’s Observation Park, which is open to the public, while Denver International Airport has added outdoor viewing decks to its newest concourses, though they’re accessible only to ticketed passengers. 

Tel-A-Chairs

Staring at screens while waiting for a flight is nothing new. Back in the 1970s, though, it wasn’t a phone or laptop — it was the coin-operated Tel-A-Chair, which had a small television set affixed to the armrest. A fee of 10 cents got you 10 minutes of TV, but the innovative entertainment option had issues even before advances in technology made it obsolete. Children had a habit of snapping the dials, and some travelers sat (or even slept) in the chairs without paying to watch anything.  

Free Luggage Carts

Before Smarte Cartes were introduced in the 1970s and soon became ubiquitous, airports did something that would be considered wild these days: They let travelers use luggage carts for free. That changed (in the U.S., at least) when airports and vendors realized they could make a pretty penny renting carts instead — and now they cost as much as $9 to rent at airports like Miami International.

Smoking Areas

You used to be able to smoke pretty much anywhere, including in airports and even on planes. That began to change in 1990, when Congress formally banned smoking on U.S. domestic flights for good. Recent legislation even eliminated the need for “no smoking” signs to have an “off” switch, a policy that the Federal Aviation Administration said had become “time-consuming and burdensome.” With the recent rise of e-cigarettes and vapes, many passengers still try to smoke at cruising altitude — they just aren’t as successful as they used to be, and they now face the prospect of heavy fines for attempting to do so.

Life Insurance Vending Machines

Yes, you read that right: You used to be able to buy life insurance at vending machines inside airports. In the 1960s, policies could be bought for just $2.50 (paid in quarters, naturally) immediately before flying and featured warnings like this one: “Do Not Purchase More Than a Total of $62,500 Principal Sum — Nor for Travel on Other Than Scheduled Air Carriers. This Policy Covers on One-Way Trip Only Unless Round-Trip Ticket Is Purchased Before Departure.” As air travel grew more common and passengers became less concerned about the risks, the demand for trip insurance at the airport went away.