Friday 10 February 2012

I love Airports


The holiday season is over for another year.

Sitting on a plane returning home and it reminds me how I love Airports.

I really enjoy everything about them, the flying, the planes, the order of everything, all the people, the lounges and even the security and bomb scans. It is a great place to be even when I'm not flying.

Ever since I was little I have loved planes and flying. The freedom it seems to come with and that coupled with size, noise and a little boys love of everything that technological advanced. I really enjoy that the fact that humans should not be able to fly but we defied that an gravity to travel and fly. I still get excited, like a little boy would; whenever I get on a plane- do you remember when you were allowed in the cockpit?

Subtly every airport is different. However, they are all so similar, in setup and operation. It is rare that I cannot find my way around and airport, although I enjoy testing myself to try to find my way around a new airport without looking at maps- guessing where the food court will be compared to the lounges, where the gates start and with what numbers, etc. Comparing well-designed airports with, lets say, American airports is great fun and I find it so pleasing to find clever architectural solutions to the problem of huge volumes of planes and people attempting to pass through them everyday – with the least disruption possible.

 For Australia: Adelaide has the simplest set up with the quickest car to plane time with great views of the runway. Melbourne has the best food and drink facilities and when they bring in the new pick up area they will win this as well. Canberra probably being the worst airport in Australia.

Everyone likes to feel like they are special and airports have multiple ways to make that happen. From lounges to checking-in, handing your bags to someone else, flying through security, getting your assigned seat, given your little personal meal and the knowledge that you get to fly somewhere. This all adds up to the feeling that maybe your the most special in the airport that day. The ability to pick your seat, your meal, your airline and the designation all leads to the notion that maybe on this day your are the most special person in the airport.

Finally the people watching; if people watching were a hobby - I'd have all the badges and I would go to a weekly appreciation society meetings. Although the scene from 'Love Actually' was very corny it did get it right people watching is perfect at an airport so many possible story lines. Where have they come from, where are they going and why are they here, have they been here before – these are all fine scenarios to think about whilst waiting, walking or whisking around an airport.

I love airports. I love their design, the feeling I get when travelling, the little tests they can throw up - where to get the bags, will I get scanned, will i get a good seat, will I make the flight, have I got everything (where’s my passport), will I be met at the gate? All these reason and more makes airports one of my favorite places to be.

When will I be at one next and where will I be going?

Do you enjoy airports or do you share my enjoyment for another random place?

No comments:

Post a Comment