Do you enjoy airports?

[Nick12]

So, I see a story on the local news (Tampa) that the international airport will be opening up to the nonflying public. They will allow a limited number of "guests" to pass through TSA and "enjoy" the use of all restaurants, bars, and stores in the particular concourse they select. They can only visit one concourse.
This story struck me as odd for several reasons, the biggest being I cannot stand transiting airports when I fly and always try to minimize multi-leg flights with long layovers in terminals. Granted there are a few cool terminals (Seattle comes to mind), but not enough to make me want to visit for no good reason. Second, isn't stuff way more expensive in the airport versus the real world? And this, after paying for parking and taking that shuttle bus to the terminal, makes someone want to enjoy fine dining at one of the delicious restaurants?

Why waste your time when you can go next to the airport and check out the upscale International Plaza mall with over 200 stores, including upscale shops, dining and nightclubs.

 

[samclem]

Today's newspaper said about 600 people signed up in the first three days.

I'm assuming/hoping the Tampa Airport Authority will be getting a bill from the US Treasury for 600 scans/gropes by TSA. Those folks don't work for free, and that ticket surcharge isn't there to accommodate dinners and shoppers.

 

[mchisam]

I love airports, cant wait to spend more time in them someday. Looking to FIRE soon. Love the energy and all the possibilities. Must be and outlier on this site

 

[cbo111]

I love airports, cant wait to spend more time in them someday. Looking to FIRE soon. Love the energy and all the possibilities. Must be and outlier on this site

Thats awesome, good to hear someone is enjoying the experience. I have actually had a couple pleasant experiences. Rome Intl comes to mind. Not intending to sound sexist, but that is an airport to people watch. There are so many amazingly well-dressed women who must be models traveling between assignments.

 

[Souschef]

I am with Walt34. I live a half mile from my little airport and love it. On out last 2 cruises we have opted to leave from our home port of LA rather than fly to a port closer, such as Seattle.
It is worth it to us not to have to fly. On our last transatlantic flights we opted for Business Class because of the lounges at the airports that get you out of the noise and geck and gull.
We try to avoid LAX at all costs.

 

[athena53]

Well, I'm with someone who loves airports right now. My 5-year old granddaughter and I flew in to ORD form DSM yesterday, we're in the Hilton on the side where she can see the planes taking off and landing and she's VERY happy! We fly home tomorrow and will likely visit the dinosaur skeleton replica in Terminal B. Much more fun with a child and no worry about connections!

 

[scaubie]

It's kinda sad but I feel at home in airports. I've travelled my entire career and the Atlanta airport feels like my second office. Like I said...sad. The brisk walks from one concourse to another, over-priced food (but hey, I'm on an expense account!), delayed flights, weather... I didn't say I Like airports, just that I feel at home there. Regardless, there is no way I would visit one for the fun of it.

 

[RAE]

The only airports I enjoy now are sea-plane bases.

In 3 weeks I'm going to overnight at a lakeside cabin next door to one then fly out the next morning. There will be DeHavilland Beavers, Otters and maybe a Piper or two on floats.

No lines or security, you back your vehicle up to the dock then help load the plane yourself and pick your seat out of the 3 or 4 on the plane. I like to sit next to the pilot. You can't hear a thing over the big engine, some of the planes are old enough to claim social security (at 62).

Fly an hour or so to a peaceful cabin on a little lake, catch fish, relax and wait a week for your return flight. That's how I like to travel by air now.

+1. I did the same thing for quite a few years (some years ago now), and loved it. I assume you are talking about NW Ontario? I have some great memories of our fly-in fishing trips up there. Great walleye fishing, great scenery.

 

[audreyh1]

It's kinda sad but I feel at home in airports. I've travelled my entire career and the Atlanta airport feels like my second office. Like I said...sad. The brisk walks from one concourse to another, over-priced food (but hey, I'm on an expense account!), delayed flights, weather... I didn't say I Like airports, just that I feel at home there. Regardless, there is no way I would visit one for the fun of it.

The best thing about flying United in and out of Atlanta is that they use terminal T - through security and I'm right there. No need to take the steep escalators down and the train to a far terminal.

 

[jIMOh]

So, I see a story on the local news (Tampa) that the international airport will be opening up to the nonflying public. They will allow a limited number of "guests" to pass through TSA and "enjoy" the use of all restaurants, bars, and stores in the particular concourse they select. They can only visit one concourse.
This story struck me as odd for several reasons, the biggest being I cannot stand transiting airports when I fly and always try to minimize multi-leg flights with long layovers in terminals. Granted there are a few cool terminals (Seattle comes to mind), but not enough to make me want to visit for no good reason. Second, isn't stuff way more expensive in the airport versus the real world? And this, after paying for parking and taking that shuttle bus to the terminal, makes someone want to enjoy fine dining at one of the delicious restaurants?

There was a period of my life where the bartender at the Tampa Airport called me a regular.
"Liking" airports is akin to liking snow. I can have fun in an airport and fun in the snow, sooner or later I want to go somewhere else.

And if I am hard up on the love life portion, TSA might be most action I get that week.

 

[YoungSaver]

I enjoy the nice ones. Changi is cool, Taoyuan is fun. Some of the Japanese airports can be interesting.
Free beer in the lounges is always enjoyable.

 

[Walt34]

And if I am hard up on the love life portion, TSA might be most action I get that week.

 

[Koolau]

I've said it before: When I fly, I know it's going to be a miserable experience for some number of hours. I deal with it because there are so few (if any) alternatives. Airports are a significant part of the misery. Realistically, we have accepted our "fate" and just go along with the program to get where we are going.

I can understand folks wanting to "be" someplace else, but I find it difficult to believe anyone actually enjoys the process anymore - arguably, the airport is a big part of the unpleasantness. YMMV

 

[meleana]

Short answer- no. And I only do non stop flights.

 

[YoungSaver]

I only do non stop flights.

That really puts a limit on where you can go.

 

[kgtest]

That really puts a limit on where you can go.

Not if you stay the night and board a new non stop the next day . remember retirement = free time and ehen you are retired you dont need to travel across the world in one day. You can take your leisurely time. One thing I really look fed to when retiring.

 

[meleana]

That really puts a limit on where you can go.

Not really. I have not been to THAT many places. I can always make it work.


No non stop flights? I pick another place to visit, that's all.

 

[athena53]

Not if you stay the night and board a new non stop the next day . remember retirement = free time and when you are retired you dont need to travel across the world in one day. You can take your leisurely time. One thing I really look forward to when retiring.

I do this a lot for long trips- my home airport is Kansas City so nearly every international flight is a connection. For mission-critical connections I like to get to the connecting airport the night before. Sad you can't trust the airlines to make a 2-hour connection, but a fact of life.

By the way, if you and your 5-year old travel companion have bath bombs in your carry-on it will help the TSA people if you have the original packaging. Ask me how I know this. ;-)

 

[tinlizzy]

I don't enjoy airports but my son and DIL, who are 28, enjoy them immensely. I dont think they would intentionally pick flights with a long layover but they don't mind one.

They walk around like it's a mall. They use the massage chairs, browse all the stores, get lunch or pop into the sports bar for a drink and to watch a game on TV. They go looking for pets to look at, charge their phones, repack the luggage, play 2 person games on their phones. It's like they're on a date. They do make it more enjoyable for me when I'm on vacation with them.

 

[AirOps]

Love airports, must have visited over 150+ airports in the US, Mexico and Canada. The old industry saying is, if you seen one airport, you've seen one airport. Every airport have its own unique operations.

I been hanging around airports since I was 15-years old. 45 yeas later, retired from the airport.

 

[pc95]

No, airports are holding pits and stressful. When possible and feasible, I try to buy direct flights, and always try to cut it close on the boarding ( no 2-hours-before-the -flight stuff usually, go for ~ 1 hr unless a huge airport).

 

[kcowan]

On the way back from PV to Vancouver, we "enjoyed" our layover in Portland. San Diego was second and Salt Lake third. But we are not into shopping or playing games, so time spent is reading (and eating/drinking in the business class lounge). Even though we could watch shows on our iPads, we have never done it.

 

[braumeister]

On the way back from PV to Vancouver, we "enjoyed" our layover in Portland.

A few years ago we had some time to kill at PDX and I was struck by the TSA operation there. Friendly, efficient and courteous, far beyond any other airport I've seen. I had the chance to chat with one of them for a bit and he said they were one of the TSA's "model" operations. Other airports send TSA personnel there to see how it should be done. Quite amazing.

 

[NW-Bound]

I enjoy airports as much as I enjoy my colonoscopies, of which I have had 5.

Will still go to airports in the future, just like having another colonoscopy in a few more years, but not doing either for "enjoyment".

 

[brett]

We like airports about as much as we like going to the dentist.

They are a necessity in order to travel to the places that we want to go. Some are better than others. We go though quite a number in the course of a year. Cannot say that any of them would be on our bucket list of places to see. Doha was an experience but at the end of the day it was just a 3 hour airport terminal in the middle of the night.