Travel Health and Fitness - Airport Gym Business Idea - Feedback requested

I've noticed the topic of gyms at airports has frequently been discussed, particularly the lack of a facility inside security. DFW has a small gym in the admirals club but who wants to pay $50 to workout. I am seriously considering trying to open a small gym, about 1200 square feet, post-security at a major hub airport. I wanted to get some responses from people about their interest in the idea. The gym would have about 16 machines, 8 cardio and 8 strenghth (a complete circuit), and there would be small shower facilities. I have two main questions.

1. How much would you be willing to pay for a day pass to one of these?
2. For the frequent travelers/airline employees, would you buy a membership and whats the most you would pay per month?

Thanks in advance for any help you're willing to provide.

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I would pay $20. Maybe that just to use the shower after a long flight in or just before heading home.

I've used the AC gym at DFW after TATLs.

A work-out with a shower? Maybe $20.00.

I would be more interested if there was a juice bar or light, healthy snacks available.

Now let's talk about my consulting fee. ;)

$10.....if there were some free weights I'd pay more.


I use to use the vegas 24 hour fitness a fair amount when I was working there.

$10.....if there were some free weights I'd pay more.


I use to use the vegas 24 hour fitness a fair amount when I was working there.

I've used the LAS 24 also, and I think their rate for non-members was $10. Of course if you were a member, it could have been nothing extra (depending on your membership level).

I think one of the best places for this would be at a hub airport that has a bit of incoming TA or TP traffic. I seem to waste the most time after one of these inbound flights, usually sitting in a lounge somewhere, just wanting my trip to be over.

I'd go up to $25 for a decent airside gym, but I suspect that I'm less price sensitive about this than most travelers. My wild guess is that you start losing lots of customers north of $20.

Does anyone know if any big companies have policies about gym fees while traveling on business? That might be a useful piece of info. for the OP. If there are such policies, how much is reimbursable?

I've noticed that the topic of gyms at airports has frequently been discussed, particularly the lack of a facility inside security. DFW has a small gym in the admirals club but who wants to pay $50 to workout. I am seriously considering trying to open a small gym, about 1200 square feet, post-security at a major hub airport. I wanted to get some responses from people about their interest in the idea. The gym would have about 16 machines, 8 cardio and 8 strenghth (a complete circuit), and there would be small shower facilities. I have two main questions.

1. How much would you be willing to pay for a day pass to one of these?
2. For the frequent travelers/airline employees, would you buy a membership and whats the most you would pay per month?

Thanks in advance for any help you're willing to provide.


Interesting concept.

Some ideas...

For me, I'd pay $20 if I was on a long layover. Throw a big bottle of water into the price.

Heck, I'd pay admission to your gym, just so I could have some personal space that doesn't have CNN blaring at me.

Capacity will be an issue: you're going to be empty sometimes, but at 7am, or on a day where there are a lot of delayed flights, you may get full quickly and for a long time... how do you placate members who've already paid a monthly fee?

You'll need a bit of space for lockers/luggage.

Is it a business expense? Find a sample of people in your target group; determine whether most of them feel, if they saw this at the airport, that they immediately felt they could and would claim the fee as a business expense.

You may get a lot of customers who are mainly there to get somewhere to freshen up.

Figure out whether you'll allow families/children. Airports may or may not have an opinion about that topic.

Been done in a few places:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/business/businessspecial2/18gym.html

Thanks in advance for any help you're willing to provide.

Have you tried posting in the FT Travel & Fitness forum?

Fantastic feedback so far, thanks. I'll check into that business reimbursement policy. I've also wondered about it.

If you don't mind me asking.....would you lease the equipment or buy it? What kind of timeline is there for replacement/MX on some of those cardio pieces?

We had a local guy open up a gym here a few years ago. Went too big and too much equipment (it was a sweet gym) and just didn't have the membership base to sustain it.

$10 for machines only; FW and maybe a couple bucks more

I agree with an above poster, luggage storage and I'll add that security is a must. People have laptops and just don't want to leave them around where anyone can swipe them

I probably wouldn't pay any membership unless it was my home airport

don't forget you will need two locker rooms or changing areas (M/F) so thats space as well

If you don't mind me asking.....would you lease the equipment or buy it? What kind of timeline is there for replacement/MX on some of those cardio pieces?

We had a local guy open up a gym here a few years ago. Went too big and too much equipment (it was a sweet gym) and just didn't have the membership base to sustain it.

I would likely buy the equipment because the up-front capital required for a small amount of machines is not tremendous. I'm assuming a 5-7 year replacement cycle.

Another revenue source is airport employees. Think of selling memberships to people who work in the terminal. Also give day discounts to pilots and FA's. Lots of ways to increase revenue for repeat users.

What about buying a franchise of a gym like Planet Fitness or something like that? That way you would tap on an existing member base as well.

I would most likely only pay with enough of a layover. I try to avoid long layovers. If you stuck one in CLT I would just make it my main gym and buy a membership to it.

Per visit I'd pay $10-15. Maybe up to $20 if the shower came with a toiletry kit like the airport showers.
Per month I'd pay $20-30. Maybe up to $50 if it includes other airports I use as well.

Think of selling memberships to people who work in the terminal.

^

I'd pay $20.

My main concern would be how crowded it would be. I wouldn't want to pay $20 just to have to wait for a machine in a time-constrained situation.

I also think 1200 sqft would be prohibitively small.

Check out

Miami International Airport Hotel
at Miami International Airport
P.O. Box 997510 Airport Terminal Concourse E
Miami, Florida 33299-7510
305-871-4100

They offer a pool, rooftop running / walking track, sauna, health club etc. It's one of the best places for a lengthy layover at the airport. Contacting them might reveal fees for services, etc. though I doubt they would proffer proprietary information about use, etc.

how do you placate members who've already paid a monthly fee?And for this reason, you can't do memberships/monthly fees that guarantee access. The best the OP can do is offer a monthly fee that provides reduced rates.

As far as capacity problems, maybe adjust your rates on the fly, depending on the demand. And you'll likely have to limit time on the machines.


One thing to consider: Many people in a gym today have really no idea how bad they smell. I'm sure some of these same people will work out and get on a plane without showering.

DFW as airports go would be good in the fact that all terminals are connected inside security and of course its a huge AA hub. I'd consider up to $25 assuming I had at least one hour to workout, excluding shower and changing time.

I would also recommend that the locker rooms be fully supplied with all personal items (shaving cream, razors, mouthwash, deodrant, etc.). Also, the equipment needs to be good and kept in very good condition.

Now whether the OP can make this a profitable business venture is a concern. While franchising with a chain gym would bring the people it may not bring the income versus an independent gym in which people would be paying per workout or some predetermined fee.

Been done in a few places:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/18/business/businessspecial2/18gym.html

That's my website talked about in that article and we were just talked about in USA Today (http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-02-20/Airports-get-into-the-fitness-craze-for-stressed-travelers/53177398/1) as well.

For the OP, if you get an airport gym going, please reach out to me to list it. For others reading this, please reach out to us - via our website ideally - if you have any airport gyms listings we are missing or information you see is old and dated.

You can do that here: http://www.airportgyms.com/

Our website is free for everyone to use!

That's my website talked about in that article and we were just talked about in USA Today (http://travel.usatoday.com/flights/story/2012-02-20/Airports-get-into-the-fitness-craze-for-stressed-travelers/53177398/1) as well.

For the OP, if you get an airport gym going, please reach out to me to list it. For others reading this, please reach out to us - via our website ideally - if you have any airport gyms listings we are missing or information you see is old and dated.

You can do that here: http://www.airportgyms.com/

Our website is free for everyone to use!

So I took a quick peek for LAX and found this

I know where the Radisson is and its not in the airport?


California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport - LAX
Gym Name Radisson Hotel
Gym Location IN THE AIRPORT TERMINAL
Cost N/A
Hours N/A
Select Facilities N/A
Contact 6225 W. Century Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90045
310-670-9000
Notes N/A
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