Am I alone in not being able to remain pleasant in an airport?

[aperolspritzbasicbitch]

Nothing raises my cortisol quite like being in an airport.
i hate it.
I become snappy, everything annoys me and the general public can do no right.
I was born to fly private, but unfortunately I am without the funds.

My mood is only really improved if I have hand luggage only, because at least then I don’t have to deal with people crowding around the luggage belt, making it impossible for the rest of us to see our bags. And don’t get me started on those who allow their children to stand right at the front!

Is anyone able to breeze through without becoming stressed? If so, please share your secrets to being calm!

My ex husband is like you. On our last holiday, going through the airport was when I knew we would not be going on any more holidays together.

It’s not a choice to be stressed out; how you behave in that situation is a choice though.

Me tooo, my holiday begins the moment I'm free of my hold luggage.
I don't/can't/won't understand why members of 1 family, toddlers included, stand at the carousels. Twats 😂

I think it’s a lack of control thing. Adults don’t like being told what to do by other adults, especially by those they see as lower than them such as cabin crew, ground staff etc so being told to put your armrest down/the chicken has run out/your bag needs to go somewhere else due to lack of space, is difficult for some to process. If people really kicked off, the captain would come out and have a word - surprise surprise, they listen then! There must be some psychological studies into it because I’ve seen some people I’d imagine are normally pretty good humans, behave appalling on a flight.

With a box of pringles and a Cappucino

It’s the being shuffled and ‘handled’ and having to go through all the different steps - it’s all necessary but takes all the joy out of travel. Lots of waiting around and anxiety of missing announcement or (in my case) losing something essential before making it to the gate. It’s a lot, and often unreasonably early in the morning 🤣

Me! I love Airports!! I am a very happy girl in Heathrow terminal 5. Even if I can't afford to shop in the swish shops, I have enough for a glass of champagne in fortnum and mason.

I no longer do budget Airlines though. DH refuses and I kind of agree with him. If BA doesn't fly there, then I'll change my destination.

I love everything about airports. The exciting drive there, parking, the airport bus, I don't mind security with my hand luggage. I love getting a snack from Pret or a glass of champagne if we have time.

Its part of the holiday for me.

Love an airport! I only fly a couple of times a year which probably helps. I enjoy the people watching - wondering where everyone is going & why. The staff are usually friendly & helpful if you give off a happy vibe. They just feel like another world before you even properly set off on a holiday.

I appreciate i might feel differently if I flew more often or had children to deal with.

I feel you @aperolspritzbasicbitch

Can you throw a bit of money at it? Buy a Fast Track Pass even if you're flying cattle class? Buy a lounge pass?

I only ever fly Business now on long haul, partly because it means on those flights at least I never have to deal with other travellers' fuckwittery - I'm with you on the crowding around at luggage belt - including people who seem to think I'm invisible and stand right in front of me. Business class means you have a separate security check & priority on the luggage. You never have to wait.

But if it's shorthaul to Europe, I fly the cheapest I can find. It's only a couple of hours in the air - but it's on the ground that the fuckwittery abounds.

My pet hate is people who don't take their tray off the security check belt and to a table, but proceed to re-dress themselves at the security belt. So the rest of us cannot get to our trays.

Or the fuckwits who don't take their liquids and laptops out in preparation for the security check (at the airports which still require these to be passed through the security machine separately), and so keep us all waiting. Idiots.

My annoyance is assuaged by having a lounge pass from my bank - I put my head in a gin & tonic and sit in a quiet lounge. Except when effing Tui offers "free" lounge passes to package holidayers, who then allow their sprogs to run around shouting.

Really annoys me people putting things in overhead lockers, then deciding they need something from their bag before everyone has sat down. For this reason we normally load last as we know we can just sit down, rather than stand cramped in aisle.

Had to laugh though, last time we had a very tight load time before take off. Chap kept messing with his bag, and staff told him to sit down so the last passengers could sit down.

That's interesting thank you. BTW, I hate airports/flying but I don't behave like that. I'm more a curl up and wake me up when it's over type of flyer 😂

But I DO love flying! I've flown long haul since I was 7, and I'm still going, 60 years later. So I'm pretty smooth & practiced in my flying prep and time in airport.

The only airport where I wanted to lie down and cry is Palma I hate it but love Mallorca it is a double edged sword.

@bromatichow do you have enough room if you don’t take a case in the hold? I’d like to be like this but struggle to travel light!!

Never take a hold bag.

Do laundry whilst away if necessary. But if a hot country and just wearing light stuff it's very easy.

In California we found laundrettes. I Europe we normally stay in villas with a washing machine.

I did 6 nights in Chicago in midwinter last year with a small cabin bag. And brought home clean clothes.

My DH is like this. I think he is genuinely overwhelmed by the environment and situation. He almost starts pushing us along and tuts at anyone who takes more than 2 seconds to do anything. I manage it by leaving plenty of time and ignoring him.

Ps - Southend airport is amazing for ND or frazzled travellers. The even have visiting emotional support dogs

We send the teenagers to the luggage belt
They love it
And short-tempered adults tend not to be such pricks to teenagers.

See, I’m the opposite. I try to carry as little on board as possible. Even going out to the southern hemisphere you don’t need very much during the flight. Far less than you think. And then it’s one less thing to think about and no fussing about putting an oversized suitcase in tne locker.

Yeah same as above - tend to stay in villas and apartments then do washes plus a wash before going home so I return with clean clothes.

Wear my fave shoes, take half of what I first put out and am good to go. Never have a full carry on bag. Works in any temp.

I don't get stressed in airports. Of course I find other people irritating in any setting and there are more of them in an airport than other places. But I seem to have mastered how, for the various types of trip I take, to avoid the daydreamers and meanderers as much as I can.

I live in Australia and only fly full service airlines both domestically and internationally from Aus where my loyalty status gets perks like business class check in regardless of cabin of travel, priority boarding and lounge access. Usually a combination of these things make airports quite a pleasant experience.

This Summer and last I have come to Europe and have flown Easyjet and Veuling. I think I would have a nervous breakdown or stop travelling altogether if these were my only options (which they were due to destinations/timetables). European airports are a new circle of hell, I don’t think there is enough wine in the world that would make it better.

Impressive!! One jumper all week or light layers?

We have lounge passes with our credit card, so usually we have a nice, peaceful time in there. Last Saturday, we flew from Stansted and the lounge was fully booked. It annoyed us, having to walk through endless duty free stuff, we’d never buy, to get to the restaurants.

The main thing though, we don’t like at airports, is when we go through the boarding gate, and then have to stand on stairs for ages. DH has a heart condition and can faint, if he has to stand up for any length of time. I have nerve damage in my neck, and can get dizzy on stairs! Both of us think it’s dangerous for people with health conditions/ reduced mobility!

I regularly travel alone with two very young children (3yo and 1yo). I don't find it particularly stressful.

• for baggage collection, get to the baggage area and use the toilets there. They are less busy than the first ones off the plane and it allows time for the bags to arrive and start going round.
• have two bags for on board stuff. Very small one of absolute essentials (phone, kindle, chocolate) and everything else in a bag that will go under the seat (in my case a spare t shirt for each of us in case of vomit, wipes, etc that you may need but can hopefully leave alone).
• don't travel hungry

Manchester airport Saturday morning. Asked a member of staff to fellow the luggage trolley as couldn’t get the machines working. She didn’t even look up from her phone. That kind of thing gives me the absolute rage.

Yes, I breeze through without getting stressed.

The key is to assume everyone around you is doing the best they can do.

Also, if you don't see your luggage the first time, it will do a few more circuits.