Sacramento International Airport Terminal B

Opening Date: October 2011

Fifty-year-old Terminal B needed an overhaul: “The size of the ticket hall, baggage claim, and hold lounges were all undersized for the modern era of aviation,” says Brent Kelley, principal at Corgan Associates, which oversaw the $1 billion makeover along with Fentress Architects. To maximize energy efficiency, the terminal now features solar shading devices, heat-reflecting glass, low-flow fixtures, and redwood-tree remnants embedded into the ceiling. Art adds character to an otherwise airy, utilitarian space. Look for Leap, a red rabbit jumping into a suitcase, and Acorn Stream, a twisting sculpture of a Valley Oak root system hung with hand-cut and polished Swarovski crystals.

Kudos For: The gate area’s 140 triangular tables, each with USB ports and a two-plug outlet for charging gadgets. Plus, Sacramento teamed up with one of its food vendors, HMSHost, to launch a mobile app (B4 You Board) that allows you to order food from restaurants and have it delivered at the gate before boarding.

Who Flies Here: Aeroméxico, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Horizon Air, JetBlue, Southwest.