I cannot understand why Airport security has lines and lines of queue for people but then only distributes the x-ray buckets right next to the machine.

This means that everyone has to undress and unpack everything while standing infront of the machine. On the other side, you have to return your bucket within a few feet of the x-ray and metal detectors, resulting in everyone hopping around trying to get their shoe on while holding their trousers up and trying not to drop their duty free - what a nonesense.

Instead, you should have x-ray buckets distributed at the beginning of the queue, with a canteen style slide all the way to the x-ray. Afterwards, you should have several tables, out of the way, to allow people to get dressed again without blocking the screening area.

This would result in much much quicker screening, and a more relaxed, flowing process for passengers.

Simple really.

Ah yes, the old matchbook covers "You too can be a keypunch operator"

My biggest design peeve is twofold: 1) toilet stalls in the airports that are too small to accomodate me and my carry-ons. Hello? I'm a traveller in an airport, why did you designers think I wouldn't have luggage? Or did you think I'd feel comfortable leaving it in a pile by the sinks where anybody could steal it? 2) more of #1 - toilet stalls with no shelves or hooks to put my carryons on. Why do I have to put my purse and laptop bag on the floor when the stalls have a 2-foot gap above the floor so anybody could reach under and yank my stuff away while I'm "going"?

Which is the #1 reason I love Terminal D @ DFW-plenty of both. Whomever designed the bathrooms there should be nominated for sainthood! ^

That made me think of another space-design issue, this one involving airport bars and restaurants.

There is often no provision made for the fact that most patrons will have carry-on baggage. They try to make charming, intimate spaces with little cafe tables jammed close together. This would be fine if you were empty-handed, but you have to bull-moose your way through there with a rollaboard or shoulder bag knocking things over.

I was just in the IAH Term E Pappadeaux at dinnertime and fighting my way through the place to a kitchen-bar seat for one was very difficult with luggage.

Airport restaurants should have cubbies behind the hostess podium for bag storage, like airline lounges do.

Taking your #2 a bit farther - Many gripe about walking shoeless through security. However, the restroom floors in airports are the place I would never dare walk shoeless and I'd really prefer not to put my luggage on it either. Not talking rollerboards but the backpack style I use, and I would assume purses for most women. I've seen some terribly disgusting things in a men's room and I pray that women aren't nearly as unpleasant or disrespectful in their public restrooms.

They're working on new designs to address those issues.

http://www.tsa.gov/evolution/innovation.shtm

All of the above plus airport specific:
* No clocks on concourses - It's like your in Vegas, but wouldn't you think the airports would want you to keep an eye on the time. Next time your in DFW try to find a clock
*An airport plus is rental cars I can walk to. All my favorite airports have walk to rental cars. I used to love Baltimore then they went to satalite rental cars. I don't want to shlep my stuff to a bus, train, monorail to get my car
* Satellite rental cars that are 10 minute drives.
* If you must have Satellite rental cars make them so you can roll your bags on ie SFO monorail and not lift ie buses
*Keep rental car buses company specific. BWI has airport buses. The timing of these busses are bad, and their is no one to complain to. Car companies can't do anything about them as they are airport controlled

I'm really enjoying this thread; my neck is getting sore from nodding. Some more..

Hotel doors that close too aggressively while you're juggling the room key, your carryon, and your checked bag. Why not just have a loop and a hook on the back of the door and adjacent wall?

Not enough room for two toilet kits in the loo; it would be okay even if one uses a hook on the wall.

Seat lights on planes that can't be re-aimed.

In Europe, I hate the idea that you have to put the room key in that little slot too turn on the lights. Which I always forget to take.

And who thought of these ideas for switches? One switch seems to turn on two lamps on opposite corners of the room, and two outlets no where near those lamps. But the outlet near the lamp is controlled by a switch on the other side of the room. except for that one lamp that you have yet to figure out how to turn off, since it is not controlled by ANY switch!

Oh, and airport waiting areas - why are the seats long rows - people don't sit right next to each other - I like it when they cluster them in groups.

I must not be very adaptable when it comes to cars.

You get off your plane, rum-dumb from travel delays, hobble on over to the car rental place, throw your bags into the pre-opened trunk, and drive off to your hotel in the middle of the night.

After parking the car in hotel lot, you walk around to the trunk. Where is the key hole? No problem. Use the fob. No trunk button on the fob. No problem. Open the driver's door and find the obviously labelled lever. No lever. No problem. Must be a button somewhere with a trunk open icon. No button. No problem. It'll be in the owner's manual in the glove compartment. No owner's manual.

Now what?

This has happened to me a couple of times. Only on Pontiacs.

My solution? Don't allow them to give you a Pontiac. All the controls are screwed up. Also, until and unless I can figure out how the trunk opens, baggage goes in the back seat.

I hate that about the hotels in Europe. It was discussed somewhere on FT before and many of those things will work with a random card, it doesn't have to be the room card. I've been using one of my old FF cards which has seemed to work and this way if I forget it, it's nbd.

That is why I always carry a "spare" hotel card key or ask for 2 at check-in.

I do the same... though my pet-peeve with regards to the "Room key" switch is that when I leave my laptop/ipod/camera in the room to charge, the housekeeper comes in, cleans up, and takes out my keycard, thereby killing the outlets my electronics are plugged into.. leaving them uncharged.

Damnit.

Also, what's with those crap European half shower doors? I've even seen those things in people's private homes. Why not just put in a full door? Why do I have to slip and fall on my ... every time I come out of the shower?

At the central marketplace in SEA they have several food options and huge windows to watch the runway. It's pretty nice.

But they filled it with table/chair set to acocmodate parties of 4-6 people.

Are most people at the airport traveling with that many friends/relatives?

I understand they want to enhance the "community" feeling of this great "public space" but when I'm waiting for a flight, early in the morning, I really don't want to have to talk/associate with a bunch of strangers just so I can find a place to sit and eat.