Author: Harriet Baskas, Special to USA TODAY

New amenities and creative activities introduced by airports, airlines and in-terminal vendors are making airport dwell time more enjoyable.

Scheduled to open in time for the busy Christmas travel week, the Sleepbox Nap Lounge will offer 16 sound-proofed rooms at Washington Dulles airport.

Passengers at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport can now interact with baby alligators in the baggage claim area.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport’s SEA Visitor Pass gives the public access to activities past the security checkpoints.

Some airport signs can not only provide information, they can also be fun.

The world’s first and only revolving glass floor is now suspended and spinning – slowly – at the 500-foot level of Seattle’s iconic Space Needle.