Do you enjoy airports?

[cbo111]

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?

 

[Walt34]

I do like little airports, the kind where the largest airplane that can land there is a Piper Seneca (light twin engine).

For the airports the airlines fly out of, I'll just save myself the trip and hit myself on the head with a hammer because it feels so good when I stop. And that's a lot cheaper too.

 

[audreyh1]

No, I don’t particularly enjoy airports. Long walks on hard surfaces, noisy. So we have a club membership that makes layovers much more comfortable.

 

[CardsFan]

Do you enjoy airports?

Is this even a serious question? (Walt34's small airport for fun excluded).

I tolerate airports because they get me somewhere a heck of a lot faster than a car or boat.

 

[BigNick]

I would like to see an airport theme park. In particular, I think people would pay money to get on mocked-up planes, put on lifejackets and smoke hoods, jump out of the door into the emergency exit slides, etc. I actually know a lot of reasons why this is a terrible idea in practice, but a lot of people I mention it to think it would be cool know what the emergency procedures look like. Ditto for the crew-only areas, the place where they make the drug mules poop in a transparent toilet, etc.

 

[easysurfer]

I enjoy leaving the airport more that navigating around one.

 

[aja8888]

35+ years of business travel by air - a big fat NO to airport enjoyment.

I've slept in too many of them for hours on the floor or on a hard bench. Also sat for 12 hours in foreign airports waiting for planes that didn't show. Now that I am retired, I want nothing to do with air travel.

 

[Ronstar]

Nope - don't enjoy airports. Too many people. Too much congestion. Too much stress.

 

[Car-Guy]

NO! And I haven't been in one since I retired. I've done my world travel and now I'm more than content to "Drive North America".

 

[gerntz]

JFK is great. If you like wandering around and lines.

 

[audreyh1]

The Singapore Airport has an enclosed rainforest butterfly garden. That would be cool to visit, but you'd have to have the time.

 

[Physics Guy]

If I twist my thinking around I can see the appeal in that I see other developments with similar mixes of high end shops and overpriced food. But I can't understand why anyone would deal with the security to go to such an area in an airport as I'm sure you could find a nicer development or area in the city itself.

BTW, I'm the odd man out I guess. I still enjoy seeing new airports outside the US. I'm easily amused I guess but I still like the people watching and most airports outside the US seem to have faster security lines.

 

[RAE]

I do not like airports at all - I only tolerate them when I have to be there. And your post mentioning the Tampa airport struck a particular nerve with me, because I was just there a couple months ago, and was particularly upset about being ripped off for parking. We parked in the elevated parking structure there, for about an hour, having a bite to eat in one of the restaurants while we waited for a friend to arrive. The restaurant was overpriced and the food was not very good, but I expected that. What I did not expect was the $18 charge for parking when we left. Eighteen bucks for an hour, really? Good luck attracting people to come enjoy the Tampa airport! No thanks, I will pass.......

 

[Red Badger]

It's a shopping mall for transients. Going to a few tomorrow. Only because DW is against cross country driving.

 

[COcheesehead]

After I stick needles in my eyes, I enjoy browsing and dining at an airport.

 

[Lewis Clark]

I also saw that today. They are finishing up a major airport remodel in Tampa and have recruited popular local restaurants to open eateries at the airport. This is an attempt to increase traffic at the restaurants and other retailers.

It's an interesting idea and it's nice to see some out-of-the-box thinking. But I am skeptical about how successful it will be, for all the reasons stated in the previous posts.

 

[MarieIG]

No.

 

[davebarnes]

After I stick needles in my eyes, I enjoy browsing and dining at an airport.

And, being blind, you cannot see the prices for crappy food and goods.

 

[audreyh1]

I also saw that today. They are finishing up a major airport remodel in Tampa and have recruited popular local restaurants to open eateries at the airport. This is an attempt to increase traffic at the restaurants and other retailers.

It's an interesting idea and it's nice to see some out-of-the-box thinking. But I am skeptical about how successful it will be, for all the reasons stated in the previous posts.

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.

 

[ls99]

From about 10 miles away they are tolerable. Unless under the departure or landing corridor, then add another 50 miles.

 

[CRLLS]

Just what we need. More people to clog up the TSA checkpoints!

 

[W2R]

Truthfully, I don't enjoy airports. I think they are boring, sterile, and dull. I could think of a few more similar adjectives. Tedious, uncomfortable, and mind-numbing. I would go on but you get the idea.

If I enjoyed airports, my Dream Home would look just exactly like an airport. After all, I have the money to decorate it however I want. That said, the way I have decorated it is not at all reminiscent of an airport, thank heavens!

One of the really nice aspects of retirement, is that I no longer have to travel for work ever again. Now that's worth celebrating.

 

[samclem]

So, I see a story on the local news (Tampa) that the international airport will be opening up to the nonflying public.

The Tampa airport has some interesting "midcentury modern" architecture and cool murals, I can see maybe running a weekly tour of the place for folks who like that. But anybody who would go through the hassle of airport parking, TSA, etc just to eat at an overpriced restaurant is nuts.


My "favorite" part of the Tampa airport is the ridiculously short "peoplemover" tram ride out to the terminals. It is, what, 150-200 yards from end to end? And for that you wait for the little trolley to arrive every 3 minutes, then pack into the trolley with all your bags and everyone else with their bags, then do the same thing in reverse 45 seconds later. There's no other way to travel that 200 yards--everybody has to wait for the trolley. It breaks down a lot. A moving sidewalk would make so much more sense. I can only guess that they got some sort of federal mass transit dough to do it like this.

 

[harley]

Will they include groping by the TSA as part of the experience? Maybe the people from the Jupiter FL prostitution sting could just go to the airport instead.

 

[ABQ2015]

I have nieces and nephews who live in a small town and rarely fly who would enjoy going to an airport concourse in my city to view the planes landing and taking off. They would also like the food court selection. I like the gift shops at my local airport but seldom have much time to spend there. They have lots of local arts and crafts and trinkets that are hard to find in one place within the city.

I usually check out the shopping and restaurants at airports when I travel. Some airports have good restaurants and shopping. I have done some Christmas shopping during a long layover at DFW at stores not available in my area. And it is fun to people watch, especially fashionable women who actually dress up for travel.