Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) is the gateway to all that Greater Palm Springs has to offer, providing an exceptional start to your meeting experience and setting the perfect tone. At PSP, arrival feels like a welcome escape. Instead of navigating long lines and wait times common at other airports, attendees can enjoy a leisurely open-air stroll along outdoor walkways surrounded by lush courtyards featuring gardens, water features, and original artwork. This serene, open-air environment is one of the many reasons Palm Springs International Airport was named one of the “Top 10 Most Stress-Free Airports in America” by SmarterTravel.com. 

Fantastic updates are on the horizon in PSP’s ongoing transformation. With new seasonal flights and two more restaurants set to open in 2025, travelers can enjoy the convenience of flying directly into PSP alongside a vibrant blend of dining and shopping options that reflect the spirit of the local community.

Discover why PSP provides an ideal beginning for your group's meeting and what's new.

 

1. More Flights, More Often

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)
A view of Palm Springs International Airport outdoor courtyard and Sonny Bono Concourse.

Travelers to Greater Palm Springs now have more flight options than ever before. Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) has expanded its services, welcoming new airlines and offering new nonstop destinations. The airport now hosts 13 airlines providing nonstop flights from almost 30 destinations and connections from 500+ locations worldwide.

In addition, United Airlines has added nonstop seasonal service from Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Palm Springs operating daily through April 30, 2025. Delta Air Lines has also added nonstop Saturday-only service from PSP to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) operating now through May 3, 2025.

 

2. Retail Therapy

PSP - store
The Hey Joshua store at PSP offers refreshments, keepsakes, and gifts. 

The diverse selection of magazines, books, snacks, drinks, sundries, and souvenirs available at Las Palmas Oasis, Hey Joshua, and I ❤ PSP will satisfy most of your attendees' shopping needs. Conveniently located beyond the security checkpoints in the Sonny Bono Concourses (Gates 4-11), these shops offer a variety of options.

Las Palmas Oasis features leisure resort wear, upscale golf apparel, and spa-quality skincare products. For a taste of High Desert charm, Hey Joshua is the perfect stop for keepsakes and handcrafted goods from local artisans. If you're in a hurry to catch your flight, I ❤ PSP provides a quick stop for last-minute bites or travel essentials.

Opened in fall 2024, Uptown Essentials offers a curated selection of midcentury modern gifts, stylish souvenirs, and unique artistic items, allowing attendees to bring a piece of Greater Palm Springs home. InMotion serves as their tech hub in case they've forgotten any essentials, featuring the latest gadgets from top brands like Apple, Beats, Bose, JBL, and Sony, ensuring they stay well connected. The Pink Door, inspired by the iconic "That Pink Door" home, embodies the charm of Palm Springs with its vibrant boutique offering packaged food, coffee, and a retro flair that captures the essence of the area.

Discover more about these shops at PSP here

 

3. More Food & Beverage Options

Nine Cities Craft
Nine Cities Craft offers full-service breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 

As attendees exit TSA, they make their way to Nine Cities Craft in the Agua Caliente Concourse (Gates 12-20), the first of seven new culinary hotspots set to redefine airport dining. Named in honor of the nine cities of Greater Palm Springs, Nine Cities Craft invites travelers to savor the diverse flavors and rich cultural heritage of the region.

In summer 2024, PSP's culinary offerings grew with the grand openings of three additional restaurants: Cactus to Clouds Kitchen and Bar, Las Casuelas Terraza, and Coachella Valley Coffee. Plus, Vino Volo and Trio will join the lineup in 2025. 

 

4. Amazing Design

Palm Springs Airport meetings

Arriving at the airport, meeting attendees immediately know they've arrived in Greater Palm Springs as they walk through the authentic midcentury modern design of the airport's architecture, a style the destination is known for.

The main terminal, designed by renowned architect and longtime Palm Desert resident Donald Wexler, opened in 1966 on the site of a former military airbase. Wexler once called it his love letter to Palm Springs. It epitomizes midcentury modernism with its clean lines, sweeping shapes, simple materials, seamless flow from indoors to outdoors, and supreme functionality. These same ideals are evident in everything from the user-friendly X-shaped layout to the open-air corridors and the welcoming entrance canopy that resembles a tremendous wing taking off.

But the most breathtaking feature of all are the 30-foot-tall windows soaring from the center of the main terminal, forming a temple of glass facing Mount San Jacinto. (See No. 5 below.)

In 1999, the Sonny Bono Concourse was added to the original terminal in response to the area's rapid growth as a world-class resort destination. A bust of Sonny Bono—the late singer, congressman, and former mayor of Palm Springs—stands to the right of the shaded open-air escalator leading up to the concourse, which accommodates the largest planes with its jet bridges.

Today, the airport stands as a major sight on any traveler’s bucket list—a crown jewel of Greater Palm Springs.

 

5. Inspiring Views

PSP Airport - Mountain View
PSP’s main terminal offers one of the destination’s most breathtaking views of Mount San Jacinto, for many visitors the most surprising and impressive natural feature of Greater Palm Springs. The mountain's San Jacinto Peak rises abruptly from the desert floor, towering over the city of Palm Springs. On certain days, in particular lighting, it's as if you can almost reach out and touch the mountain from every corner of the city.

Attendees arriving and departing from the airport are treated to the striking view of the peak’s northern granite face, which ascends dramatically from 800 to over 10,834 feet in less than seven horizontal miles. This rapid ascent is unmatched by any other mountain in the lower 48 states, including those in the Sierra Nevada, Rockies, and Tetons. Another box on the bucket list? Check!

 

6. An Airport Oasis

Palm Springs International Airport (PSP)

Travelers feel relaxed and stress-free from the moment they step off the plane. This relaxed environment puts most travelers instantly at ease as the usual stresses of modern-day travel melt away.

This tranquility is partly due to the airport's user-friendly design, with views of majestic mountains and wide-open spaces. Inviting courtyards are accented with bubbling fountains, verdant stretches of grass, and, of course, palm trees. Coupled with never-ending blue skies, short wait times, and perpetually light traffic, it's clear why SmarterTravel.com named PSP one of the “Top 10 Most Stress-Free Airports in America.”