LOL I'm way late on this thread but just wanted to comment as I use the codes in my signature.

Sorry.. not trying to be elitist, but I'm proud of all the travel I've done this year and yes it's a LOT easier to abbreviate. If these codes didn't exist, I'm sure we would invent another way to do it.. and at least this way, we're all on the same page.

Oh and yes I do have to google some of the airport codes that people mention here, but I think it's fun because I like learning about new airports. I spend a lot of time waiting there so why not learn something about ones I haven't been to?