At Your Service: Terminal Envy

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The good news for the rest of the country is that upgraded facilities may be coming to your airport soon--in part because international travel is growing at a much faster rate than domestic travel. In the past 10 years, the number of international travelers has jumped more than 10 million, to 54 million people. San Francisco International Airport has just opened an attractive new section of a terminal for its overseas passengers, and last week Dallas/Fort Worth Airport announced plans for building a $1.8 billion, 2 million-sq.-ft. facility that will be able to process 2,800 passengers an hour. "Airports are what railway stations used to be," says David Plavin, president of Airports Council International-North America, who says an airport revival is under way. "Airports are being designed to be welcoming, inspiring places and to communicate something positive about the region or the city travelers are visiting." Terminal 4 at J.F.K. fits that bill with ease.