chrisl137

LAX has been my main airport for 20 years and it's never seemed hot - I think it's that it's controlled at a temp for how people dress in LA, which in the summer is "pretty lightly". Living in a place where the weather never really changes much, I have the opposite problem - I often forget that it might be cold at my destination. I've been quizzed about where my coat is (I usually don't have one, anyway, just layers that I can add or subtract).

Especially when neighboring gates are boarding and are on different groups. They'll announce which rows or groups, but not always which flight. It's getting to be a little less of a problem with the display screens also showing who's boarding.

Aside from the TSA Theater that's already been mentioned, and the lack of outlets/places to charge (slowly improving), one of my main complaints is the restroom entrances/exits. Most of them were designed at a time when you could leave your bag at the gate and go to the restroom without causing a terminal evacuation. If you're a solo traveler, you have to carry your bags in, and many of the entrances are sized so that two unladen people can pass each other entering/leaving, but two people with personal items and carry-ons don't really pass very well.

And the whole liquids thing. I've been traveling dehydrated most of the time since it all started - I used to bring a 2 L bottle of seltzer for a transcon. They usually don't even sell seltzer in the airside concessions (grrr!) and they want criminal prices for still water, anyway, and you can't always find a place to fill your own bottle if you remember to bring one.

eta: and for LAX, the last mile or so of getting into the airport. It used to be bad but manageable, but with the increased passenger volume and increased number of vehicles going into the loop, the last mile has become a nightmare.

tmiw

This, though it's not just a UK thing. For instance, last time I flew through PVR I went through two duty free shops to get to my gate.

chris19992

I think my main complaint about airports, especially in Europe is that they are specifically designed and setup to do nothing but rip off the passengers.
It's really amazing how you can be charged money for every little thing here but then go to airports like SIN or HKG and everything is either free or very cheap.

stut

Agree, but I do have sympathy for the airports. The LCCs' dominance at many (most?) non-hub airports puts an incredible squeeze on landing fees, and regional airports in particular struggle. Unless regional governments are happy to subsidise this to bring in investment and tourism, then the airports need to find ways to compensate. Parking fees, drop-off fees, retail, premium security, pay lounges, all sorts of parking and traffic fines... These are the inevitable result.

bingoclio

Airports in USA are horribly filthy. So much cleaner in Europe. The seats are disgusting and if one does not belong to an airport lounge and the plane is delayed one suffers. Planes are always delayed. The seating areas are overcrowdedandsoepeople take up several seats with their luggage. Rude gate staff. Over priced food. Some very difficult to navigate such asMiami and Atlanta. Overall a nasty experience.

Danwriter

Join the club. Literally — join the club. Any club. That will address a number of issues raised here.

enviroian

It took you 7 years to come out with your first feel-good post?

LOL

RaoulM

Two major gripes that seem to be universal in the US and widespread overseas:

1) Heat or cooling are set for the convenience of the employees, not the passengers. Particularly bad in winter when travellers all have winter coats and the employees are in shirtsleeves, with the heat set to suit
2) Nowhere seems to have been designed for carry-on luggage. None of the restaurants, bathrooms, lounges have any accommodation for luggage. Even before checkin, the assumptions seems to be that we are rolling up with a briefcase. For instance, the air train at EWR has elevators that accommodate a single wheelchair or luggage cart, so you can wait 15-20 minutes to get between the air train platform and the terminal. Every restaurant or bar has tables packed close together and nowhere to store bags while you are sitting or eating.

jrpallante

DEN has a skating rink in front of the new Westin hotel, which is just a few steps from the security entrance.

tmiw

This really depends on the airport. For instance, I wouldn't call SAN T2 or PDX "dirty".

jrpallante

1) Some better than others, but bathrooms are always too small and usually dirty. I realize the bathrooms may be totally empty for extended periods, but they should be sized for those times when four planes are simultaneously deplaning and delivering 1,000 passengers to two small bathrooms. The facilities manager should visit a Buc-ee’s to see how it’s done!
2) We are constantly instructed to never leave our bags out of our sight, yet the toilet stalls are designed with inward swinging doors, which makes it nearly impossible to enter with your roller bag, especially if you prefer not to rub up against a toilet covered in some other guy’s piss. I try to get the handicap stall whenever possible.
3) Security requirements vary drastically between airports, and even within the same airport. One day I go to DEN and am required to remove shoes, liquids, belt, coat, and all devices, and all of these items must be in separate bins. The next week, same airport, they have removed all the bins, and we are instructed to leave everything in our bags, and keep our shoes and coats on. Week three, it's back to Plan A. I mention this to the TSA agent, and he tells me I am a liar; they never removed the bins or allowed passengers to keep everything in their bags. Week four, no bins again! Most security efforts are useless anyway, but the lines might move a little faster if everybody knows what to expect.

donaldsc

Buy one of these on TVBGone devices on Amazon -
DON

nrunning24

It seems to me that a lot of the newer international airports now force you to walk through a maze of duty free shopping areas and high end designer stores just to get to the main gates. I feel like it used to be somewhere to the side and you could go if you wanted but now it seems like they are forcing everyone to walk the conga line through them.

haa

Great thread!

Duty free shop maze:
I'm waiting for the passive-aggressive day that people start walking straight thru and knocking any stuff in the way down. Maybe they would then make the walking area wider and more straight. But I'm told many people "like shopping".

Dirty hot small toilets that barely fit carryon:
Add to that the people who "output" all over the place, so you must start by cleaning up.

Maybe this is all to make FF status look more worthy, e.g.

• Some security fast tracks bypass the shop maze all together (e.g. LHR T3, T5). Amazingly great.
• Quite many lounges have nice and sometimes large clean airy toilets. Wonderful.

It must be hard to be the airline, sandwiched between horrible airports (shops, security theatre, toilets) and inconvenient getting to/from the airport, all of which is out of their control.

Alfonso XIV

ANY AND ALL blaring TVs, anywhere in the airport passengers are captive to the noise.