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Old 05-01-2019, 05:33 AM   #41
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The best part of going to an airport is the anticipation of a trip - so take that away and go to the airport as the destination? Um no.

That said, I do have one of the nicer airports near me, PBI, Palm Beach International. Very nice, clean, easy, smaller... unfortunately small enough that for most direct and all international travel I need to go to FLL or MIA.
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Old 05-01-2019, 05:59 AM   #42
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I honestly enjoyed airports as a young man in my 20’s. Bustling, exotic, paragons of logistics, and you could get a beer at an absurd time in the morning. I would walk the length of every concourse. Back then, a 5mile hike with all my luggage was just stretching my legs while waiting for the connecting flight.

Even just a few years ago I remember enjoying the architecture of John Wayne airport in OC, and the 1980’s quaintness of the Grant County airport with its single terminal in NM.

But now I concur with the herd: din and crowds and getting treated like cattle. Flying is a necessary evil of expedient travel and airports are the worst part of it.
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Old 05-01-2019, 06:22 AM   #43
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I just want to get from point A to point B so no. But I do get a kick watching those old Airport movies with Dean Martin. All the customers are wearing their Sunday best!
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Old 05-01-2019, 06:45 AM   #44
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It would be nice to greet visiting friends and family at the gate when they arrive. Like we could in the old days. Would this be possible?
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Old 05-01-2019, 06:45 AM   #45
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Not at all, I'd rather have a root canal. Crowds, waiting in line, waiting on baggage, pat downs and going through x-ray detectors, removing shoes off, postponed flights, crummy food, getting rental cars, returning rental cars, taking shuttles from long term parking in freezing/raining or excruciating heat are not enjoyable. Flew enough in my work career to fill a lifetime. Will only fly now if it makes sense not to drive. I actually thought the question was tongue in cheek.
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Old 05-01-2019, 06:55 AM   #46
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I can't imagine paying for parking, walking a mile +, and going through TSA/security check points just to enjoy the ambiance, and restaurants of a major airport where everyone is just trying to get somewhere.

Go to a relaxing waterfront bistro, and chill, keep excess congestion away from the airports.
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Old 05-01-2019, 07:02 AM   #47
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After 3 years of retirement and a number of long road trips I am finding that airports aren't too bad after all. Sure beats sitting in traffic and dealing with another set of hassles. We have the ability to pick our flights, always direct with no connections, along with less busy times. Furthermore we find it much healthier than sitting in a car for a couple days. We arrive at DTW an extra hour early and get in about 3 miles of walking which we never do on the road. It is also a great stress reliever. A whole different experience than the old days of business travel every week.
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Old 05-01-2019, 07:19 AM   #48
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Well, there’s the security issues too. Usually they don’t let you through security unless you have a boarding pass which means you have a ticket.
The airline ticketing agent will give you a guest pass to go to the gate if you give a reason, such as receiving an arriving passenger in person, or helping a passenger board.


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Old 05-01-2019, 07:29 AM   #49
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I don't think much about airports. They're necessary for travel. Just like gas stations and fast food while you're driving long distances. There are some that are nice (clean) and some that are creepy. O'Hare is not my favorite but I don't have a choice. I have to go through there for the best prices.
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Old 05-01-2019, 07:35 AM   #50
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Spent many years w*rking in airports.

1. MRY had a great pre-checkpoint restaurant that served fresh fish from the bay, overlooked the runways, and many locals would come out to enjoy the ambiance and food.

2. KOA’s outdoor terminal huts with ground loaded wide body airplanes was fun. Gave an immediate sense of place when de-planning, with the smell of plumerias In the air and instant humidity.

I think the need to have such high load factors on airplanes has definitely impacted the enjoyment and romance of air travel.

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Old 05-01-2019, 07:39 AM   #51
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Only once I'm past the TSA ordeal and if I'm in an airline lounge with an adult beverage in my hand.
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Another reason to keep an eye on your stuff
Old 05-01-2019, 07:46 AM   #52
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Another reason to keep an eye on your stuff

I'll echo the general sentiment about airports, and add that a down-side to this practice is that it will incent local thieves to visit.


Once past security, I know I'm supposed to keep a close watch on my stuff, but I'm pretty relaxed about setting stuff down on the floor, maybe even dozing, and not worrying about some sly emeffer unzipping a pocket on my carry-on and running off with a bit of my electronics or something. But there will probably be "professionals" that target the airport, now that they don't need a ticket.
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Old 05-01-2019, 07:58 AM   #53
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Airports are a fact of life . I try to fly from Sarasota airport which is basically hassle free. My favorite airport was the old Wilkes Barre airport . They had a coffee shop that served decent inexpensive food and they would page you when your flight was boarding . I have flown from Tampa many times and no way would I go there just for fun.
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:02 AM   #54
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That said, I do have one of the nicer airports near me, PBI, Palm Beach International. Very nice, clean, easy, smaller...
Agree, PBI. We go through there instead of FLL to visit my DB sometimes. Very sweet/clean/small airport.
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:09 AM   #55
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Not at all, I'd rather have a root canal. Crowds, waiting in line, waiting on baggage, pat downs and going through x-ray detectors, removing shoes off, postponed flights, crummy food, getting rental cars, returning rental cars, taking shuttles from long term parking in freezing/raining or excruciating heat are not enjoyable. Flew enough in my work career to fill a lifetime. Will only fly now if it makes sense not to drive. I actually thought the question was tongue in cheek.
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Spent many years traveling. No!
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:23 AM   #56
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I like them a lot more now that I am travelling for pleasure as opposed to business!
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:33 AM   #57
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I guess I'm odd that I enjoy going to our local airport in Portland, Oregon. It's a lot like going to the mall with most shops and restaurants on the public side (pre TSA screening). It's also fun to watch people coming and going wondering where they're all traveling off to. I actually enjoy riding the shuttle buses too, weird huh. We live out in the country, so it's all a bit of an adventure for us.

I would not make a trip to the airport just to see the shops, but if we're traveling or picking someone up it's a fun place to visit. I do miss the days when you could sit and watch the airplanes coming and going, but the windows are all behind security now.

I don't remember much about the other airports I've been to. I think the worst was the St Louis airport about 30+ years ago. It was dark, dingy, and smelled really bad. I sincerely hope they have cleaned it up since then.

Fairbanks, Alaska was a smaller airport and I don't remember seeing much of a security presence there. The main thing I remember is once we were past TSA there was absolutely no place to get anything to eat or drink, nothing to do, and very few places to sit. It made for an uncomfortable two hour wait.

The worst part of Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was the assault of people trying to sell you stuff. Sometimes it was difficult to know who was an employee of the airport or just someone trying to make a buck or con you into a timeshare. Not good when you're trying to find your way through an unfamiliar airport. There was a guy in the bathroom wanting me to pay him a dollar to pull a paper towel out of the dispenser for me. No thanks, I can manage. Another guy grabbed our luggage without permission and took off to the check-in terminal, then wanted money for that "service". Leaving the airport in Cancun we had to walk down a long path with people on both sides yelling and waving arms at us to sell us something. It was actually kind of scary for our first trip out of the US.
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:56 AM   #58
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I enjoy the function of the airport. I don't enjoy all of the experience, but some of the experience can actually be partially enjoyable. I probably more enjoy the outcome of the visit to the airport resulting in a visit to somewhere different. So change can be good, it can be bad say on the flight back though when I dread returning..but that is usually overcome with the desire to be back around my things, stuff, and peeps.

I do try to learn something while at the airport, treat it like an expensive museum. Sometimes I meet some cool people, sometimes i meet some terrible people.

Being around large groups of people gives me severe anxiety so I prefer to just blow through security and find a quiet corner in the facility.

I've had some cool sky lounge and military USOs before. Been on some cool planes, and some terrible planes lol.

I sort of have a strategy to airports. Arrive 1.5hrs early, earlier on weather days. check the bags at the curb, or just use carry-on if I can get away with it. Find the least busy Security checkpoint, where my comfy airport clothing, and just relax. I try to find the humor in other people as I stroll along but sometimes its tough. Once through TSA I double-check my departure gate and the time I have to make it there. Then, we immediately snag the stroller tag at our gate and backtrack to fill water, use bathroom etc. I always take the road less traveled when it comes to navigating airports lol. The strategy really starts before I reach the terminals drop-off. even that can be a zoo.
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Old 05-01-2019, 08:58 AM   #59
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After 30 years of travelling on business I can safely say NO!
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Old 05-01-2019, 09:16 AM   #60
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I wouldn't say I enjoy airports. I would say they can offer a few enjoyable features.

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When I was a kid my Dad used to take us to the airport (Cleveland Hopkins) just for fun. There was no TSA to deal with and one of the concourses had an outdoor rooftop area for folks like us to go out and watch the planes take off and land.
Back in the 1970s, I went to Dulles just to watch the Concorde come and go. Didn't need a ticket to get in, parking was cheap, and that flexible front end made it an impressive airplane.

These days I dislike pretty much everything about travel, although I acquiesce when my employer or wife insists on it. However, when I'm stuck on layover in some distant airport, the opportunity to people-watch is a treat. I am writing a novel, and as raw material for creating supporting characters I imagine a life story for each passerby. There aren't many other places with such a target-rich environment.
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