With upgraded terminals featuring movie theaters, spas, indoor gardens and lounges with private bedrooms and showers, international travelers have more options to pass the time than ever before. Shopping is no exception, as duty-free shops attract travelers with discounts on high-ticket items like Chanel and plenty of sweets and savories to stay satisfied before the next flight. But now airports are racing to transform their terminals into high-end shopping plazas with unique boutiques and high-brand retailers. This holiday season, skip the mad dash to the mall at home and use your layover to pick out coveted items from jewelry and fashion to local gourmet foods.

A TRIP TO THE NETHERLANDS isn’t complete without a bouquet of vibrant flowers. The country leads the world as top exporter of live trees, plants, bulbs and cut flowers. Travelers in Amsterdam for the holidays can pick up a fresh bouquet of flowers from Aviflora, Bloem or Fleurtiek at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, or can ask the clerk for bulbs or seeds certified to clear U.S. Customs. Stroll through the collection of Golden Age illustrations and history at Rijksmuseum Schiphol Airport before heading into the museum shop. Art-inspired gifts and home goods embrace Dutch artists featured inside the gallery. For a sweet gift, choose from more than 100 Belgian-crafted bon-bons found at Leonidas. Family travelers should check out Planes@Plaza for model airplanes, toys and kid-friendly gadgets sold from an aircraft fuselage shop façade.

Travelers worried about what to buy can reserve items in advance through Amsterdam Airport Schiphol within two days of departure. Shop on the way through Amsterdam and collect items on the way back instead of hauling them around for the duration of your trip. The airport also offers a two-year global warranty on any non-perishable item and items without a sell-by date.

PARIS IS SYNONYMOUS with fashion, luxury and shopping. Browsing Charles de Gaulle Airport for Dior may seem anti-climactic when a sea of luxury boutiques welcomes visitors off the cobblestone streets of the city just a train ride away. But you’ll also find plenty of high-ticket and unique items tucked away in the airport.

Shopkeepers open early as travelers arrive for their crack-of-dawn flights. Browse expensive leather goods and duty-free items, and look for Swarovski crystal or silver hoops and gold bracelets from Cécile et Jeanne. Like other airports, duty-free shops at CDG are lined with Dior, Hermès and Prada. But the airport also features the high-end retailer Montblanc. Skip over the onyx cufflinks and pick up a unique Meisterstuück 149 fountain pen in black resin and platinum. Shoppers feeling especially inspired by the literary lover on their holiday list can ask about the limited-edition fountain pens, with only 4,810 pieces issued each year.

Le Clos at Dubai International Airport © Ritu Jethani | Dreamstime.com

TRAVELERS CAN FIND enough shopping options to keep them busy for days at Dubai International Airport. The global duty-free and travel retail industry accounts for nearly $50 billion in sales, with Dubai Duty Free alone reporting figures of $1.8 billion in sales in 2013. Emirates Terminal 3 features more than 118,400 square feet of retail space with everything from Apple to Ralph Lauren and Rolex.

Pick up fine wine from Le Clos after ordering online or by phone in advance, or just stop by and browse for a bottle. Travelers feeling spontaneous can try their luck at the Dubai Duty Free raffle ticket for a chance to win a luxury car like a BMW, Porsche or Mercedes-Benz for $139. The raffle also includes a chance at a motorbike and the opportunity to win $1 million. The latter has an entry cap of 5,000 people, upping the odds to walk away the winner.

AFTER SEEING A FILM on a 4D-projection screen at Hong Kong International Airport, pick up an herbal tea gift from Fook Ming Tong Tea Shop in Terminal 1 to help loved ones reduce stress, relax and improve circulation. Over at Giorgio Armani Cosmetics, browse through 2,669 square feet of signature fragrances, cosmetics and skincare products.

Head to Terminal 2 for authentic confections, treats and snacks from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Europe and beyond at the 759 Store. Terminal 2 also houses a cozy Oriental Rich shop complete with Asian-inspired arts and crafts for a unique keepsake gift. Next, look for luxury leather handbag retailer Pelle Borsa and Shanghai Tang, featuring clothing for men, women and children.

GRAB A LIMOUSINE, bus or train from Incheon International Airport and easily zip to downtown Seoul on a longer layover for Korean shopping options. But getting stuck in Incheon Airport isn’t really a hardship with a tucked-away sauna, movie theaters, an ice rink, a casino and plenty of shops. Pick up last-minute holiday items in the Lotte Duty Free store on the third floor, offering cognac, cosmetics from Lancôme and gold watches and handbags from Hermès. For a less luxurious but authentic treat, bring something local back home with packaged Korean foods in the duty-free area near Gate 114.

LIKE SEVERAL OTHER AIRPORTS on this list, London Heathrow Airport features a reserve shopping and rewards program. But what Heathrow offers that others don’t is a personal shopper. Reserve a shopper with an appointment made 48 hours before departure to assist with everything from gifts to personal effects and attire. The first airport in the world to offer such service, Heathrow’s accredited personal shoppers are available in the luxury Terminal 2, complete with access to accredited stylists and private suites for trying on suits, jackets and other clothing; watches; and fragrances.

Luxury shoppers can also browse through British brands from Cath Kidston to Ted Baker and high-end fashion retailers like Bvlgari for Italian jewelry, watches and leather goods. Pick up caviar, Champagne and balik salmon from the Caviar House & Prunier in Terminal 3, or check out Miu Miu, Prada’s more avant-garde brand with clothing, handbags and shoes.

TAKE TIME TO SEEK out a Japanese tradition at Narita International Airport’s Makanai Cosmetics shop for local beauty products made from natural ingredients. Women working in makanai, or workshops, and kitchens of the Yoshitaka Gold Foundry created the cosmetic recipe. For children’s gifts, Stomp Stamp stocks up on more than a hundred brands of toys from around the world; and Shanghai Tang offers modernized cheongsam dresses and luxurious robes along with pillows and housewares. Shoppers can browse luxury favorites Tiffany & Co. and Cartier or stop in Samantha Thavasa for handbags featuring local Japanese designers. Before heading to the gate, pick up a stocking stuffer of a modestly priced bottle of Suntory Hibiki from the duty-free shop to impress loved ones with authentic Japanese liquor, or scoop up some Japanese candy in local flavors like green tea at Terminal 2’s Greenport store.

MOST TRAVELERS THINK of Portland, Ore., as a city full of bespoke, handcrafted wares and local brews. But Portland International Airport makes the list for its combination of quality and original items, not to mention some surprising finds. Travelers who didn’t have time to step into Portland’s infamous Powell Books can browse for last-minute gift ideas at its outpost and inquire about rare and collectible books. Shoppers who happen to be done with their own book can even sell it to the store on the spot.

Beyond books, The Real Mother Goose boutique showcases an award-winning gallery with handcrafted jewelry, ceramics and works from more than 1,000 artists and craftspeople. Those looking for local products can try Made In Oregon or Pendleton for clothing, blankets and gifts — though don’t forget Nike hails from Oregon, with a shop located pre-security.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL Airport offers a variety of local, high-end gifts from food to jewelry. The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art stocks sterling silver, gold vermeil and stainless steel jewelry featuring San Francisco and Northern California artists. And no museum store is complete without the requisite contemporary design items like vases, clocks, children’s toys and, of course, art books. Luxury duty-free items include Burberry, Gucci, Hermès and Coach, also located in the International Terminal Main Hall.

Travelers transiting between the domestic and international terminals can find local gourmet food and wine at California Lifestyle as well as handcrafted jewelry featuring local artists and designers at Bouclé. Both can be found in the domestic Terminal 3 at Boarding Area F.

Shopping at Changi Airport © Jacetan | Dreamstime.com

DINING AND RETAIL OUTLETS ENCOMPASS 753,000 square feet across the three terminals at Singapore’s Changi Airport. More than 350 shops and service stores range from popular duty-free perfume and cosmetics to luxury goods from brands like Swarovski and Rolex. Shop in Terminals 1, 2 or 3 at Alfred Dunhill for men’s leather bags, belts and jackets, or purchase a silk clutch bag from Bottega Veneta.

Regular travelers on a layover through Singapore can join Changi’s loyalty program to earn points for vouchers to be spent at the airport. And for those shopping on their way into town, Changi assures airport prices are the same as or lower than fixed-price department stores downtown, with a 100 percent money-back guarantee.