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Ways to make that airport delay tolerable
I was scanning through some travel sites this morning when I stumbled on this piece over at MSNBC.com. The reading experience I had started with what the hell and ended only slightly more upbeat.
Harriet Baskas, who writes the sites's weekly "Well-mannered Traveler" column -- though has never, really, defined exactly what that means -- offers in her latest column, as far as I can tell, ways to make a flight delay more bearable when you're stuck in an airport.
Specifically, the piece's angle is this: "I've discovered that sometimes the line between a well-mannered traveler and a downright obnoxious one can hinge on the presence of an amenity or two in the airport."
Attending an amenities conference in Boston, she describes all the innovations coming to airport lavatories. Self-cleaning toilet seats! Pimped-out hand dryers! Sinks with a swing-out extension for your little one to wash his or her hands.
All pretty cool, granted, but would any of these make waiting out a flight delay really that much better?
That's pretty much where the specifics stop. Baskas tells us that most airports will soon have WiFi. And renting DVDs is a lot easier these days. OK, that will help. An airport amenities salesman tells Baskas that we can look forward to advancements on the food front too, but offers no specifics.
All in all, there's not much hope here that waiting in the airport will become better any time soon (unless you really like rotating toilet seats).
I'm still waiting for a serious campaign to install major hubs with a movie theater, perfect for longish layovers.
Until then, let's face it, nothing beats that old standby: The bar. A few good drinks passes the time like nothing else.
Filed under: Airports
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Nick Hawkins Oct 9th 2008 2:17PM
Harriet's article borders on moronic. To kill off time at an airport, you need to add things like more bars and things to do. Boredom is what makes delays unbearable, not lack of bathroom amenities.
Robobagins Oct 9th 2008 3:50PM
A Japanese style pod hotel thing would be useful. Give you a place to get some actual sacktime.
Harriet Baskas Oct 9th 2008 5:00PM
Thanks, Jeffrey, for reading and commenting on my recent Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com.
I agree, lots of other services and amenities would make being stuck at the airport more enjoyable. Karaoke bars, speed-dating, volleyball, art classes, and bowling come to mind.
I'm not going to hold my breath.
But for an on-going commentary about airport activities that are fun, I'd like to point you, Mr. Hawkins, and others to my blog:
http://www.stuckattheairport.com.
Harriet Baskas Oct 9th 2008 5:19PM
Thanks, Jeffrey, for reading and commenting on my recent Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com.
I agree, there are lots of other services and amenities that would make being stuck at the airport lots more fun. Bowling, karaoke, speed dating, art classes, and quiet places to stretch out and nap come to mind.
I'm not going to hold my breath.
In the meantime, for an on-going commentary about some intriguing airport amenities already here, I'd like to point you, Mr. Hawkins, and others to my blog:
http://www.stuckattheairport.com.
ltu1542hvy Oct 10th 2008 4:00AM
In my opinion the best thing to do during a long layover is to leave the airport and see the town. A couple of years ago I had an 11 hour layover at Seoul Incheon airport, and they offered what they called "Transit Tours." For a reasonable fee I got expedited through customs and got a four hour tour of Incheon. It may not have been the most spectacular tour I ever had, but it sure beat the heck out of sitting at the airport doing nothing. Last year I had a 12 hour layover in Casablanca, and even though they didn't offer any "Transit Tours," I went to the train station in the basement of the airport, took a 45 minute ride to the center of town and visited a very impressive mosque.
When I'm stuck at the airport and can't leave I either sleep or read and I take breaks from both by walking the length of the terminal. After a long flight in coach class I really want to stretch my legs and I generally walk from one end of the terminal to the other several times. In my book the more or less fancy, flashy or advanced the gadgets at the airport are doesn't make that much of a difference to me, although I do appreciate a reasonably clean restroom and a decent, not-too-expensive bite to eat.