Airports account for 6% of global luxury spending, and as the number of passengers from both emerging and mature markets increases, the amount of money splashed out by jet-setters is expected to boom. So, how can brands capture the hearts – and wallets – of luxury travellers?

Who wants to wait in endless security lines and be caught between the masses trudging to the boarding gates if you can afford a private jet? That’s what Los Angeles International Airport thought, so decided to open a segregated terminal for the world’s rich and famous.

With $385 billion currently invested in global airport developments, lounges and runways are changing rapidly. It might be decades before ‘airport cities’ are developed, but we’re already seeing new outdoor spaces, retail opportunities and better logistics. What does the future of airports hold?

Many of us enjoy a pre-flight tipple when travelling abroad, but according to a recent survey conducted by CheapFlights.com, Americans are split on the issue. Just under half of travellers enjoy drinking at the airport, though younger people are steering clear of the bar, preferring to fly sober.