Airport Terminal Seating

[easyflyer83]

My point was that long delays are actually quite rare. I travel a lot and can't remember my last one. Some would argue that delays are fewer than they were 20 years ago. This would especially be the case if you were used to flying charter carriers.


The items sold at the airport, again, aren't tat but can be quite high end. I've made some decent savings in the past when compared to the high street.


My partner hates using LPL because he thinks the terminal is "boring". And feedback from pax at a carrier I used to work at consistently cited lack of retail as a drawback of us using MAN T3.


You forget that despite the added "stress" (I never get the stress but I concede some do) the holiday starts at the airport and the retail offering is part and parcel of that. If you travel regularly and you see the airport as little more than a train station then that is understandable but it doesn't mean the retail offering is wrong.


We all know how airports rely more on non-aeronautical revenue than they ever did so I won't labour the point. Suffice to say it helps, in part, to keep us travelling cheaper than we used to. We can all look back at the old days, often with rose tinted glasses, (even I do) but we have to accept that they aren't coming back. Quiet terminals, less stressful security, complimentary newspapers, free IFE, complimentary hot meals on the shortest of flights were all great but we paid through the nose for pleasure.

[Heathrow Harry]

because of security we spend a lot more time in the airport - the high end shopping is for the once in a while well off passenger - the rest have to put upwith a grim W H Smith's which offers the same choice as my local underground station branch

If i do get through then get to the gate and chill out - even the lounges aren't that good in many places these days but the real bugger is if you are in transit and have 2-3 hour +++ wait.......

[Davef68]

Or an expensive Wetherspoons with prices 70% higher than the High Street.....

[fdcg27]

The lack of gate seating often seems to backfire on the sit down eateries, since many travelers order a little somehting and then sit for hours surfing.
I can go without eating all day and normally do so when traveling by myself. If I'm with my wife on vacation, we'd like to get a little something while in transit. I'd happily drop some dollars on drinks and nibbles, but we often can't find a table without being rude.
We flew home from an airport in December on an A330. The gate seating would have been adequate for an ATR.
I did shop the duty free and got four bottles of spirits at a good price.
Three of these were bought as gifts for others.

[Hipennine]

At NCL, a vast acreage has been given over to the exclusive use of the Oyster bar (or whatever it's called). I have never seen anybody using it.

Anybody have an idea on the legal enforceabilities of using any of these reserved areas ?

[joy ride]

I think DFW is not bad for a modern airport, it's basically linear with shops and eateries on one side of the corridor and seating areas on the other. The entire seating side is glazed so you can watch all the airport activity while you wait. It is an "airport with shops" rather than a "Shopping Mall with planes".

I still wish modern airports would let me sit outside though!

[ExXB]

Originally Posted by joy ride

I still wish modern airports would let me sit outside though!

What? With all the nicotine addicts? No thanks …

[joy ride]

Damn, I forgot about the smokers, an airtight room for the lot of them!
As a boy I used to love the terrace/balcony cafe at LONDON Aiport (now LHR!) and the one at Carrasco, Montevideo. That is the proper place to wait at an airport...all senses fully stimulated!

[PAXboy]

Last December, in T2 at MUC, they had a smoker's room, airside. Enclosed, with some suitably powerful air circulation system (this was Germany!) seemed a good idea. I also recall seeing one at Spanish airport but can't remember which.

[Xenophon]

OP : there is ,available in all airports , a third type of seating which I have used often - it's called the floor.

[baselb]

At least the seats in the OP look reasonably comfortable. I remember having a six hour wait in Paris with similar chairs, but made entirely of metal. Every time anyone sat or stood, the whole row jolted, making it impossible to even nap sitting up.

I was Mr Grumpy Crocodile that day...

[PAXboy]

Snapping at everyone were you, baselb? Have not heard the term but noted for future use.

Kinda thread drift ...
Today I took the train, London Kings Cross to Durham for a two day conference. I had not been through the station since it's refurbishment. I can report that it is a 'son-of-modern-airports'.

• Seating = all the same problems. I squatted on a low level barrier set to guide trolleys. It was uncomfortable and I then spent half an hour standing. [THAT's on thread but the rest isn't ]

• Info Displays = much better. They have the large scale vertical displays that are easily read from 50 feet+ away.
• Info delivery = same problem. Notifications of which gate/platform was to be used, was only given about 15 minutes before departure, so Pax had to hang around in the main areas, then rush.
• On board = good. Seat was as requested - forward facing with full table. And a power socket at each row on both sides of the carriage. Very good as I could power both PC and SatNav (Like a seat-back moving map display, so that's kinda on topic).
• The seat next to me was booked for the same journey as myself but the person did not show. My guess is that they did not know that each advance booking also books a seat. So it was more comfortable.

• At the snack bar, I was VERY pleased to see that the tea was the same brand as I have at home (Yorkshire) and each bag sealed in it's own sachet. The catering staff carefully opened the sachet and ... used her fingers to take the bag out of the sachet and place it in the mug. Oh dear.
• The loos? As bad as I remember them.
• Arrived on time.
• Was probably ripped off by the taxi driver, will check up t'row.

[Dubaian]

About the only good thing I can say about the current Doha Airport is that a high proportion of the seats in Departures have a really nice view of the main runway and an adjacent taxiway. So few places actually let PAX look at planes these days.

But I bet the new DIA, if and when it ever opens, will be modern style totally enclosed with no windows worthy of the name.

[joy ride]

When things go wrong:

BBC News - Gatwick Airport Christmas Eve chaos a 'wake-up call'