At a small, select few airports in the world, connecting travelers can spend their layover watching a movie on the big screen.
When most travelers think about an upcoming layover, especially a long one, they imagine wandering the airport to kill time, finding a place to nap, or camped out at the gate scrolling on their phone. Few know that at certain airports, you can hop off a flight and into a cinema seat while you wait for your next one — no extra cash required.
Singapore Changi’s Airport Movie Theater
Voted the “World’s Best Layover Airport” this year by Airport Parking & Hotels, Singapore Changi Airport is one of the rare flight hubs where travelers can sit in a cinema for free before catching their connecting flight. Located on Level 3 of Terminal 3, next to the Ambassador Transit Hotel, the Changi Airport Movie Theatre shows everything “from heart-pounding action films and enchanting family flicks to the latest blockbusters.”
All ages are welcome. The cinema operates 24/7, except on Thursdays between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., when staff service it. The cinema seats around 50 people, and the airport describes it as “equipped with facilities and services” that accommodate those with disabilities.
Most of the films screened at the Changi Airport Movie Theatre are in English. The airport notes that moviegoers can even bring in their own food and drinks. It also has a second, commercial cinema, Shaw Theatres, in Terminal 2.
Changi’s reputation extends beyond the cinema: this year, Skytrax also crowned it “Best Airport in the World” for the 14th consecutive year.
Stateside Airports With Free Layover Cinemas
Domestically, two flight hubs let you go to the movie theater for free during your layover. The Hollywood Theatre, a 22-seat microcinema that’s open 24/7, is inside Portland International Airport. Located in the C Concourse near gate C13, moviegoers can watch short screenings created about the Pacific Northwest and/or by filmmakers from the region. Each film is 10 minutes or shorter and suitable for viewers of all ages.
The response online backs that up. In a Reddit post this year about Portland International Airport’s free theater, the thread creator described the cinema as “a nice and fairly calm place to kill time in the airport.” Another online user chimed in and wrote, “The seats are so comfy, and it’s nice and cool in there! And they only show indie films.”
Additionally, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) has its own free, 24/7 mini cinema called See18 Film Screening Room. It’s located in Terminal 1 between Gates C18 and C19. It plays music videos, documentaries, and short films. The airport discloses that “All the films are closed-captioned, and the space is wired with telecoil/an Assisted Listening System to provide people who use equipped hearing aids greater accessibility.”
Airport Cinemas Aren’t A New Idea
Pittsburgh International Airport (formerly the Greater Pittsburgh International Airport) claims to have had the world’s first airport movie theater. The cinema opened in 1952 and reportedly “operated into the early 70s.”
However, the Detroit Historical Society claims that Willow Run Airport was the first flight hub to have a movie theater. The latter was established in 1948, and according to the Ann Arbor District Library, was removed in 1954.
What To Expect
Visiting an airport movie theater during a layover isn’t just cool and convenient for cinephiles. Though you may be able to watch a movie on your flights, doing so at the airport has a unique novelty.
After a long, stressful flight, sitting in a dark cinema and watching a movie might be the perfect respite from the hustle and bustle of a bright, crowded airport. Also, if you’re traveling with children or teens, visiting the movies during your layover is the ultimate hack to keep them entertained for hours.
An airport movie theater can turn an otherwise arduous or boring layover into an enjoyable, curated experience. After landing and finding your way there, all you have to do is sit back and let the selected screenings roll till your next flight.
