what do you think are some of the design problems related to airports and planes? something u think that could be redesigned better. i.e. washrooms, compartments, seats, terminals, etc.

Airports vary. Here are some examples of annoying design:

LAX: some terminals require exiting and re-entering the security checkpoint if you are trying to connect to a flight in a different terminal.

ATL: In the gate areas in the "arms", there are no direction signs to get to the "spine" or other terminals, and there are no flight information boards in the gate areas (only in the "spine"). Not the best for connecting at.

But some improvements can be done at many airports:

1. Have some airplane seats and overhead compartments for people to test their carryon baggage in (to see if it fits in the overhead or under the seat). (Some passengers may want to test fit themselves in the seats...) Put these in the checkin and gate areas.

2. Put scales next to the baggage checkin lines so that people can test weigh their baggage before they get to the checkin desk, so that they won't be repacking their baggage to avoid the excess baggage fees and holding up the rest of the line.

3. Have the checked baggage screening take place where if hand inspection is needed, the passenger can observe the hand inspection and hand the key or combination to any locks to the inspector.

How about taking all luggage through secutity and it is checked and loaded/unloaded and retreived at the gate?

Welcome to FT...and great first post!

One of my pet peeves is being forced to take a train, i.e., having no option to walk. For this I like Atlanta (you can walk parallel to the train tracks connecting the concourses), but dislike Denver. Unfortunately, many airports don't have a walkway -- Las Vegas, Dulles (of course, the "people movers" are a whole separate abomination), DFW (I think), Pittsburgh -- but they should. If I have time I would rather walk every time.

I strongly dislike the train at DEN along with the big TSA check point that can have nearly endless lines.

I also prefer to walk when there is sufficient time.

More facilities in women's rest rooms with dry places to put your carry on bag so you don't have to put it on a wet floor while you are 'busy'.

Obvious places to put in items that need to be recharged with enough for all who need them.

Clear signs in large print.

Greenery? Subscribing?

some9one?

Oh, the memories

1) More electrical outlets in the gate area for people to plug in their laptops, cellphones, etc...

2) Scanners in the baggage claim area where you can scan your tags and see the status of your bags. This way, you won't have to wait until the last bag comes out before finding out that your bags never left your point of origin!

My biggest complaint is lack of airside connections between gates/terminals -- MCI, LAX, etc. It's 2006; we've been using metal detectors in airports for at least 30 years. About time for airport designers to wake the hell up!

Number two is poor signs. MIA is the worst offender I've found here. After an overnight flight from LIM with no sleep (757), I've literally been on the verge of tears trying to figure out where to drop my luggage for a domestic flight. There's also a surreal spot in one of the terminals with two signs for the Admirals Club; one has an arrow pointing directly up, and the other has an arrow pointing directly down. In reality, the Admirals Club is straight ahead and around a corner.

The common rental car bus (BWI, DFW) is a disturbing trend. I've literally had to elbow my way on at BWI. I'd like to see the various companies have a chance to compete on service -- capitalism anyone?

I'm sure I'll notice some more annoyances on Sunday.

Great question by the OP!

I would have to say the biggest design flaw I have noticed is that as you walk further back through the cabin the seats for some reason get more narrow and smaller.....Maybe the designers realised as they were putting them in that they were going to run out of room if they kept using the big comfy ones at the front, so they had to find smaller ones

Interesting idea but I think that might cause more "false lost" bags. If a bag does not get scanned at departure, but still makes the plane, you may be running off to the baggage office early when it really did make it. I've seen it on UPS/FedEx tracking when a package arrived at a stop, never left, yet arrived at local sorting facility.

1. Move the seat recline button so I don't accidentally hit it and lean back without realizing it.

2. Remove the call button "Ding" and give the FAs pagers that vibrate instead - and display the seat number paging. I really don't care if someone in 42F wants a drink when I am trying to sleep.

Fundamental design problem #1 in airports is where the security is done. At present it is usually done as early as possible, just after the check-in desks. This leads to a range of problems; a huge sterile area, difficulties with connecting pasengers, duplicated catering and shops either side of the divide, need for double security checks at some airports, meeters and greeters no longer allowed down to the gate, etc, etc.

Move it right down to the gate, one at each gate, and do it as late as possible in the process, opening up for each flight either into a gate holding area or straight into the aircraft. Many of the difficulties then go away. It is not difficult to move security staff up and down between gates.

In case you have never seen this there are a couple of airports round the world where this is done. Kuala Lumpur is one, there are others. The difference is amazing.

From my perspective, this one is a bad idea. My last two trips, involving seven different airports, tells me that the folks with no consideration for others who run power cords across aisles and block seats with their toys already have enough outlets with which to public menaces. In a crowded gate area, there are plenty of hazards without having to deal with power cords stretched here and there to trip you. Either plan ahead or get a car charger, the gate areas are not offices.

One improvement I'd like to see on the plane is to make the seatback pocket from mesh instead of opaque fabric fabric: that way you could see what is in it before you reach in for the safety card and encounter somebody else's used Kleenex. See-thru mesh pockets should also make it easier for the cleaning crews to see trash they need to pull, and hopefully they would make it harder for pax to leav things behind in the pockets because they'd be able to see at a glance they had left something behind. My brother would benefit greatly from such a change - he is notorious for leaving his return tickets in the seatback pockets.