Ten Most Annoying Things About Airports
Join Date: Aug 2013
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Greggs
It’s time to give travellers what they really want: Greggs
Most annoying thing about airports: The automated announcements.
"For your comfort and safety..."
"Security measures have been implemented..."
"No, the white zone is for immediate loading and unloading..."
OK - the last one isn't annoying, but then it isn't a real airport.
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Talking of announcements, whenever I have flown from AMS to ABZ the gate always seems to be right at the end of the travelator which constantly churns out "Mind your Step" every 3 minutes. It really is no fun listening to that over and over again.
PS why did I post this as "Mind Your Step" is now going over and over in my head!
Oh and talking of ABZ airport, or should I say International airport as it is now known, lets mention the (yes singular as we only have one) baggage carousel, which is such a joy when 3 flights come in together. And, why do wives/partners/girlfriends/kids etc have to stand with their significant other along with their push chairs etc, right at the front of the belt when only one of them will lift the bag off. Me, I am too polite, I always stand well back and leave my poor hubby to fight his way to the front.
Overpriced inedible food
Dirty toilets
Unacceptable queues despite the fact you have checked in and only want to drop off your bag
Disgusting car park charges (Aberdeen take note here)
People who think it is their right to lay across 4 seats
The crowd of smokers right at the entrance door
PS why did I post this as "Mind Your Step" is now going over and over in my head!
Oh and talking of ABZ airport, or should I say International airport as it is now known, lets mention the (yes singular as we only have one) baggage carousel, which is such a joy when 3 flights come in together. And, why do wives/partners/girlfriends/kids etc have to stand with their significant other along with their push chairs etc, right at the front of the belt when only one of them will lift the bag off. Me, I am too polite, I always stand well back and leave my poor hubby to fight his way to the front.
Overpriced inedible food
Dirty toilets
Unacceptable queues despite the fact you have checked in and only want to drop off your bag
Disgusting car park charges (Aberdeen take note here)
People who think it is their right to lay across 4 seats
The crowd of smokers right at the entrance door
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Two most annoying things at UK airports
!. The humiliating treatment of elderly people with disabilities at so-called 'security'. Overseas airports manage to discriminate between people with hip-replacements and potential terrorists without the lengthy, intrusive and officious 'searching' of the former.
2. The need to produce your boarding pass just to buy a daily newspaper once through to airside.
2. The need to produce your boarding pass just to buy a daily newspaper once through to airside.
Join Date: Jun 2008
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Airports per se are fine : all of them.
It's people that make them unbearable. By that , of course , I do mean other people
Sartre was right !! (L'enfer , c'est les autres)
It's people that make them unbearable. By that , of course , I do mean other people
Sartre was right !! (L'enfer , c'est les autres)
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The two airports we usually fly out of are dumps. By that I mean that the gate facilities look really tired. One of them even lacks enough glass at the gates to allow the entertainment of watching operations while waiting to board your flight. There is also the lack of bustle that characterizes busy airports, which is mostly a plus.
Another gripe is the lack of mainline service from either airport. Yes, both do have some mainline, but most journeys to most destinations involve a flight to a hub on a regional jet. It is really amusing to see a separate boarding lane for those with airline status when the boarding involves a single class forty eight seat aircraft.
Overpriced food and drink once inside security is an irritation. Even worse is that this overpriced fare is not usually available for those taking early flights. If I'd like to buy my wife a cup of tea while awaiting an early flight, nothing will be open.
Depart either CVG or DAY for a connection through ATL and it's as though you've flown from the third world into civilization.
One thing I do hate to see is airports with vast unused gate space.
DAY, CVG and SJU come to mind.
In all three cases, I wonder whether the airport authority couldn't better market the facility and increase utilization.
Maybe not, since SJU is no longer the connecting gateway to the Carribean that it once was, CVG is no longer the medium sized hub that it once was and DAY peaked years ago, with a brief revival courtesy of Airtran, which at least flew (still flies, although it's gradually being absorbed) all mainline from DAY. The acquiring carrier is all mainline as well but is rapidly dumping the distictive B717s. At least they're going to a good home with a long history of operating the earlier versions of this last development of the DC-9.
Another gripe is the lack of mainline service from either airport. Yes, both do have some mainline, but most journeys to most destinations involve a flight to a hub on a regional jet. It is really amusing to see a separate boarding lane for those with airline status when the boarding involves a single class forty eight seat aircraft.
Overpriced food and drink once inside security is an irritation. Even worse is that this overpriced fare is not usually available for those taking early flights. If I'd like to buy my wife a cup of tea while awaiting an early flight, nothing will be open.
Depart either CVG or DAY for a connection through ATL and it's as though you've flown from the third world into civilization.
One thing I do hate to see is airports with vast unused gate space.
DAY, CVG and SJU come to mind.
In all three cases, I wonder whether the airport authority couldn't better market the facility and increase utilization.
Maybe not, since SJU is no longer the connecting gateway to the Carribean that it once was, CVG is no longer the medium sized hub that it once was and DAY peaked years ago, with a brief revival courtesy of Airtran, which at least flew (still flies, although it's gradually being absorbed) all mainline from DAY. The acquiring carrier is all mainline as well but is rapidly dumping the distictive B717s. At least they're going to a good home with a long history of operating the earlier versions of this last development of the DC-9.
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The refusal of security staff at the transit security check at Dubai/DXB to use wands. If you go through the hoop and it sounds off you have to go back, take off what you think is causing it to go off and try again.
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Plenty of good replies here, many concerning costs and security. These irritate me, but I have to admit that I grudgingly accept them as inevitable now that flying has become so cheap (relatively), popular and such a potential target for terrorism and other criminal activities. They are very annoying but inevitable, therefore I grin and bear them.
What I do dislike is the fact that all major airports are now basically crowded shopping malls (with ancillary transport connections).
They are full of information such as shop names and ads for products, which make it hard to spot the signs for what I have actually gone there to do : to catch a chuffing plane or meet someone from a plane, not go on a spending spree!
Furthermore, with few exceptions I can hardly ever see the planes at all, and can almost never go out onto a viewing balcony and HEAR them coming and going as well as seeing them; flying was once an exiting adventure.
Lastly, I exit the shopping mall, along a sealed tube and into my plane without actually being able to see it, I used to love walking out to the plane, seeing it, the under-carriage, the engines, and all the bustle of airport staff loading, fuelling and preparing the plane for flight. Climbing up the stairs gave a grandstand view, and the view of a VC 10's engines from the rear steps was a particular thrill.
And then as soon as the plane takes off, the person at the window seat shuts out the view; the view which mankind dreamed of seeing for thousands of years is now just a hindrance to us doing what we all do every day....look at a screen!
What I do dislike is the fact that all major airports are now basically crowded shopping malls (with ancillary transport connections).
They are full of information such as shop names and ads for products, which make it hard to spot the signs for what I have actually gone there to do : to catch a chuffing plane or meet someone from a plane, not go on a spending spree!
Furthermore, with few exceptions I can hardly ever see the planes at all, and can almost never go out onto a viewing balcony and HEAR them coming and going as well as seeing them; flying was once an exiting adventure.
Lastly, I exit the shopping mall, along a sealed tube and into my plane without actually being able to see it, I used to love walking out to the plane, seeing it, the under-carriage, the engines, and all the bustle of airport staff loading, fuelling and preparing the plane for flight. Climbing up the stairs gave a grandstand view, and the view of a VC 10's engines from the rear steps was a particular thrill.
And then as soon as the plane takes off, the person at the window seat shuts out the view; the view which mankind dreamed of seeing for thousands of years is now just a hindrance to us doing what we all do every day....look at a screen!
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Security at US airports is number one for me.
Checking in at SFO one time took a whole hour in the queue which wasn't particularly long.
But going through security! Queue at that stage - still San Fran - wasn't long. Two hours. 
Another US airport, going thought security with the usual deal of taking just about every piece of clothing off, jackets, shoes etc, and emptying pockets, back packs, lap tops, separating liquids, cables etc etc, then of course you have to time your walk through the scanner.....not until your luggage goes through first!!.....and not until your called through!!!.........
.....
.....then I have to do the infamous nude scanner.......then a hold up......security looks at each other.......talking on radios......looking at booth with reflective glass.....I finally get slightly jack and ask what's up....."hold on sir"......more security come.....pat me down.....and find out it was because my back pocket on some casual pants I had on was bulging and they couldn't tell what was in it.
Walking through 'high-tech' US security scan, then nude scanner and none could tell that my pocket had nothing but air in it?
Just flew here in Australia couple days ago. Out of MEL, I could've gone in and out of the terminal security several times before the US security would have even one go through.
Seriously, it's a joke. An embarrassing one at that.
Checking in at SFO one time took a whole hour in the queue which wasn't particularly long.
But going through security!
Queue at that stage - still San Fran - wasn't long. Two hours. Another US airport, going thought security with the usual deal of taking just about every piece of clothing off, jackets, shoes etc, and emptying pockets, back packs, lap tops, separating liquids, cables etc etc, then of course you have to time your walk through the scanner.....not until your luggage goes through first!!.....and not until your called through!!!....
...............then I have to do the infamous nude scanner.......then a hold up......security looks at each other.......talking on radios......looking at booth with reflective glass.....I finally get slightly jack and ask what's up....."hold on sir"......more security come.....pat me down.....and find out it was because my back pocket on some casual pants I had on was bulging and they couldn't tell what was in it.
Walking through 'high-tech' US security scan, then nude scanner and none could tell that my pocket had nothing but air in it?
Just flew here in Australia couple days ago. Out of MEL, I could've gone in and out of the terminal security several times before the US security would have even one go through.
Seriously, it's a joke. An embarrassing one at that.
