GSP is a top airport in the nation

GSP in top 50 airports, says Washington Post

Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport ranks 26th in the nation, says the Washington Post.

The GSP has also been dubbed in March the best small airport in North America for the third year in a row by the Airport Council International’s Airport Service Quality.

The awards gave GSP high marks on several fronts, including convenience of getting in and out of the airport, customer service, and food options, with some pilots expressing their preference for the cuisine at the airport over several hotels where they were staying.

A play area for children is a special feature at the GSP. I have not seen anything like it elsewhere in my travels.

In fact, the GSP partnered with a Greenville toy company Plus-Plus USA and The Children's Museum of the Upstate (TCMU) to create the play area. 

There have been some other significant updates to the concourses and the area the airport refers to as its Grand Hall.

Tiffany Cherry, communications manager, said one of the things she likes best about working at GSP is that “you always see so many interesting people coming in and out of the airport.”

Tiffany said it isn’t unheard of for travelers from Atlanta to drive to GSP for an outgoing flight, but she was pleased to learn that it can be a cost-effective plan in at least some cases.

As for GSPlay, Codie, a GSP customer, said, “It’s awesome. We were walking laps while we waited for our flight, and they saw this and were like, ‘Oh my gosh – this is perfect!’’

According to the GSP website, “(its) menu features a variety of signature recipes made with the best available, locally-sourced ingredients with something for every palette” in a “relaxed dining environment.”

Visitors may even eat outdoors in the Airside Garden.

According to the airport, the garden was the first of its kind in the country. And GSP remains one of the very few airports where travelers can access an outdoor space past the security checkpoint.

The Grand Hall also has Chick-fil-A, Baskin-Robbins, a Sweet South Carolina candy store, and the Upstate Marketplace gift shop.

One of the new additions to the Grand Hall is Sully’s Steamers, a locally owned bagel chain.

Just before the restaurant opened at GSP, founder Robert Sullivan said, “Being able to bring our steamer magic to the airport as one of the first options that greets new visitors to our area or feeds a local before they head out is a dream come true.”

Sully’s isn’t the only Upstate-based vendor with a significant presence in the airport.

I recently flew from GSP to the Philadelphia International Airport in June, stayed two weeks, and returned on June 20. Twice, I saw the RJ Rockers Flight Room, located in Concourse B, serve craft beer as well as entrees, appetizers, and salads. Rockers, of course, is a popular Spartanburg brewery.

The Grand Hall is also home to a collection of original artwork as well as a small museum with photographs and a narrative about GSP’s history.

Being old enough to remember when there was no Grand Hall and the only concourse was an outdoor breezeway, I enjoyed the displays about the airport’s early years.

The airport is adding new seating with cell phone charging stations for guests to wait comfortably for their bags or for their arriving friends or family members.

It all adds up to make GSP worthy of national acclaim, according to the folks who know airports best.

As Justin Erbacci, general director of Airport Council International, put it, “Flying through Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport is more than just a journey; it’s a carefully crafted experience.”

I enjoyed traveling as a journalist to experience firsthand what makes GSP special.