Originally Posted by
Adam Smith
Yes, I recognize that climate is variable, but I can think of many non-North American airports with harsh winters where I wouldn't want to be outside, as well as very hot/humid places where walking 300m outside (or even 100m) can be pretty miserable.
I think it's also an issue of "how else would you get to this hotel?". So I would say if it was more than 300 metres, some people can't walk that with luggage and probaby the hotel has a shuttle. In moderate weather places such as much of Europe, you would be laughed at if you asked the hotel for a shuttle for that sort of distance, and there isn't a practical alternative. The need for the walkway to be sheltered would be odd in Europe too, we don't really have weather like you folks in the 'Mericas, but what does matter is that there is a safe pathway which is
intended to facilitate easy access betwixt hotel and airport. I note that HEL, which does have weather - the Hilton does have some exposed sections where you could have to trudge through snow. But it's a lot easier to get to than BOS.
Here is another example, this photo is taken from a room inside DoubleTree at NCL, you can see the room lights reflected on the glass. The nearest terminal door is on the right side of the white awning, you can see a lighted sign there, and it's a 200 metre walk from the terminal to the hotel reception. You see the pavement by the double yellow lines, the zebra crossing over the road, and then a paved concourse to the door of the terminal. As you can see, it is not at all sheltered but there simply is no other way to get to the hotel, the taxi rank is in front of that white awning on the left side. Indeed the problem we have at this time of year is light, since it gets dark at 3.30pm, so it may not be sheltered, but it is lit.
Maybe the best way to look at it is best a bit fuzzy, but something like
- in hotel terminal building (e.g. YVR) - always included
- in fully covered walkway as part of airport structure (e.g. BOS) -always included, though actually BOS is something like 750 metres from Terminal B, and some people would take the provided shuttle
- more than 300 metres after leaving a terminal building - generally not included
- no safe pathway / footpath / walkway - not included
- lack of realistic alternative to walking (e.g. no shuttle bus, restricted road access) - tends to inclusion.