Airports Respond To Power Demands

By Author: Steve Robinson
Total Articles: 467
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Travelers these days view airports as more than simply departure spots for cheap airplane tickets and cheap vacation packages. Travelers are also looking to airports to take care of their many digital devices power needs.

Travelers often become quite anxious when they cannot use their tablets or smartphones because their batteries have died.

In response, airports and select airlines are working to make electrical outlets readily more available. Some airports are creatively responding to increasing demand for power by providing charging stations at old payphone banks.

56 of 89 major U.S. airports in 2010 reported offering power stations to passengers. Recently airports in Nashville, Oakland, and San Francisco have added power stations.

The following airports have been particularly response to passenger power demands:

• Las Vegas McCarran International Airport is opening a new $2.4 billion Terminal 3 on June 27th that will have outlets spread around seating areas. The airport has announced plans to add more seating areas with power sources in its busy C concourse.

• Phoenix Sky ...
... Harbor International Airport has added 240 electrical outlets and 204 USB ports throughout its facility. As part of its power initiative, 36 sets of new padded chairs were installed recently with a table in between each set of chairs with two outlets and one USB port.

• Seattle Tacoma International Airport has installed over 114 charging units to seats recently, each with two plug-ins. Another 300 will be added prior to the end of the year.

Airlines are also getting into the power supply act. Delta, US Airways, and Virgin America have added electrical outlets close to some of their gates at select airports. Interestingly these same airlines claim that they are only tenants of the airports and that providing charging stations is the airports responsibility.
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