Summertime travel in the US can be an arduous and aggravating process. With booming storms, crowded runways and full aircraft; delays and cancellations are bound to happen. So we at the tripchi airport app wanted to brighten up your travel blues and bring you our top 5 most exciting extracurricular activities from airports around the world. In the age of airports2.0 many airports are taking the hint that passengers want more than fancy shops and a good bar. Passengers want to be entertained and airports want passengers to have a reason to come back. So if the summertime travel headaches got ya down, check out our list below to lift your spirits.

5. McCarren Airport Las Vegas – Slot Machines

Going to Vegas can turn many sane people into gambling, binge drinking, sleep deprived maniacs. It’s a place where social norms and morality become after thoughts as you put $100 on black. Like the adverts say “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” especially your money. So why not start or end your vacation adding to the Vegas GDP with a stop at one of the McCarren Airport slots machines. The machines give passengers who are too excited to wait until the casinos or one last chance at the ever elusive jackpot. There are approximately 1,300 slot machines at McCarren located in baggage claim, the shopping areas, in terminals near gates—even in the car rental center. You can’t miss them! The slots pay out just like the casinos, with a ticket which can be redeemed for cash from an uniformed attendant. The slots at the airport have a smaller payout on average but in 2005 a some lucky player won $3.9 million, so yes there is a chance. Our advice play once and move on no matter what the outcome. The real question is, do you feel LUCKY?

4. Seatlle-Tacoma Airport – Experience the City of Music

Seattle and the Northwest in general is well known for its culture of music. From Jimi Hendrix in the 60’s to the Grunge movement of the 90’s, Seattle’s Music roots run deep. Sea-Tac Airport is paying homage to this tradition with its Experience The City of Music program. The highlights include:

• ​Live performances seven days a week at locations throughout the terminal
• Overhead music exclusively by Northwest artists
• Videos featuring clips about Seattle’s music scene and history on terminal and baggage claim monitors
• Multi-genre web radio available through the airport’s free Wi-Fi Network
• Music-themed art exhibits curated by the Experience Music Project

Be sure to check out the Jimi Hendrix: West Coast Seattle Boy exhibit. It traces his rises to fame from a young guitarist growing up in Seattle to international rock superstar. There are also rare photographs, posters and illustration created by Hendrix. Keep Clam and Rock On!

3. Changi Airport Singapore – The Slide at T3

For the adrenaline junkies out there the Slide @T3 is the place to be. It’s the world’s tallest slide inside an airport and at four stories high it can zip passengers down at over 6 meters per second. For every $10 SGD spent at an airport store you can obtain a ticket for one ride. The slide is open daily from 12:00-10:30pm and you must be over 7 years old to ride.

Princess Juliana Airport, St. Marteen – Jet Blast

For any avgeek knowing the best vantage for plane spotting at your home airport is like having a home field adavantage. Maho Beach in St. Marteen which butts up against Princess Juliana Airport on the Dutch side, plane spotting it taken to the extreme. Here beach goers can experience the powerful jet blasts of a 747 and A340 during takeoff while hanging on for dear life on the perimeter fence or be propelled into the water. Due to the relatively short runway length of 2,180 meters (7,150 ft), arriving aircraft must touch down as close as possible to the beginning of Runway 10. Watching the planes arrive and depart has become so popular that many bars at Maho post departure and arrival timetables and broadcast live ATC chatter in the bar. There is a danger to being so close to the jet blast, as people have been injured on a number of occasion. We suggest watching takeoffs from the water, so when the jet blast gets too much you can duck for cover underwater.

Munich Airport – The Wave Machine

While this only a temporary installation at Munich Airport, its to cool not to mention. Being a novice surfer and avid traveler this seemed to good to be true. Lufthansa and Munich Airport have teamed up to bring you a giant stationary wave machine set up outdoors between Terminals 1 and 2. It will allow people to ride that perfect endless wave from July 30 to August 24, 2014. Check out Munich Airport Layover guide for more information. The wave machine is free of charge and can be ridden from 3:00pm to 8:15pm each night. Equipment can be borrowed from the airport but you must sign up two days in advance for the 45-minute wave session. Even beginners can get in on the action as twice a day rods are placed across the pool to make it easier to stay upright. For the less gnarly, you can watch the action between flights from the poolside grandstand or from a temporary beach, which has palm trees, lounge chairs and a cocktail bar. The European Standing Wave Championships were held at the wave machine on August 9 and 10 with surfers competing for 10,000 Euros in prize money. There is still time to enjoy this incredible opportunity, so sign up now. If I was in Munich, you would know where to find me.