Thoughts about airports
I used to like flying. I suppose I still do but the psychic price that comes with the entire endeavour is just too much for me these days. Airports and flying used to hold a mythical status for me as a child. My father used to travel a lot for work and my mother and I would go to the airport to pick him up, so airports were a connection to the wider world. People coming and going from all over the world on business or holidays. This is probably not true but way back then, pre 9/11, I think only interesting people flew. “Real” Travellers if you will. In my mind airports were the beginning and end of adventures and that’s how I viewed them for decades after I too embarked on my first big adventure in life.
Once I moved to the UK I didn’t travel much until I got my British passport but since that day I have taken advantage of the British passport and travelled extensively. Riding the privilege of the now failing colonial empire I have been to every continent and have passed through a variety of airports. Some small and some gargantuan they all had a charm and a character to them that made then unique...ish. Over time you come to know that while airports are different, they are also the same and operate on the same basic principles. Arrival then on to checking in and the security processing before spitting you out into a holding area where apparently the freshly frisked traveller can purchase cheap cigarettes,alcohol, perfumes and sun glasses. I never really partook in duty free shopping as it never seemed cheap to me. This might have been a sign of the slow homogenising of the airport.
Some time in the last decade flying has become accessible to most people which is a good thing but has come with monkeys paw curling consequence. More people travelling leads to more queues and logistical issues with baggage whether that in the bowls of the airport or the entitled passenger that has a carry on bag that’s too big. I’m no fan of discount airlines and their luggage policies that exist to fleece the already cash strapped passenger of more of their cash, but sometimes people should know better. In fact this reminds me of an issue I noticed a while back. People seems to not understand that overhead luggage is for small carry on bags while under the seat is for handbags or day packs. I noticed this when I was boarding and realised I had no overhead space for the single item of luggage I know travel with. This might be the nexus of my hate for airports and flying as it became a frequent issue for me. With the uptick in air travel there also seems to be an increase in the amount of people who have never actually left home before. This is not their fault but also I need to clear security and catch my connecting flight so can you please move with some urgency. Also yes you will need to remove your belt and finish that water you have. Lets return to airports before I spiral off into a misanthropic rant on people travelling with excess luggage and no idea how airport security works.
It makes sense that airports all adopt the same sort of layout and design for ease of use so that people from all over the world can use them with little to no knowledge of the building. The bigger issue is that every airport has the same shops and restaurants inside. They have become malls for travellers and very few of them have anything unique in the sense of shopping or entertainment. Maybe I’m just being a grouch but when I am dropped off at an airport after a long flight I will walk around for as long as possible to remind my legs that they are indeed still alive. While doing this is don’t see any real variety. There are some of the fancier airports that have games consoles or indoor gardens but in general its the usual stuff everywhere you go. I’m not sure if the airlines have any say in what airports can have but wouldn’t it be amazing if you landed somewhere and could kill some time with a free cinema. How about a museum about the country you are in, nothing massive but just something to stimulate the mind while you wait for your gate to open. I suppose these sorts of things aren’t in service of hoovering the money from your pocket so therefore not a priority.
These are just some of the thoughts I have while I wander the sterile hallways and travelators of the worlds airports.