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!

Laugh at them. Mentality decide to let them have a competition for who is the biggest bell end at the airport. Place a bet on it. See it as entertainment rather than a nuisance. Honestly it's the best antidote rather than let it wind you up.

Agree with this advice - try to focus on micro improvements that are within your control; better airlines, airports, speedy boarding, booking an airport lounge is a good idea too.

Quite honestly I loathe airports and flying - I find them boring - but it’s a necessary evil. Me and DH always try to be well prepared before we go through security with watches and belts tucked in bags, liquids bag out etc. similarly anything we need for the flight is already in small rucksacks which go under the seats, with my hand luggage hold-all straight up in the overhead locker and not touched during the flight.

Agree about whole families at the carousel. I usually stand back and DH stands at the carousel waiting for the cases.

We’re not model travellers but we do try and be considerate to fellow passengers and others.

I have a small child who flies with me. Where do you propose he stand- behind me where I can't see him and he might get in your way? Or in front of me at the baggage claim so I can watch him and we can watch for our bag?

You sound difficult and selfish

You’re alone, I find it fine!

You should tell them you require assistance they’ll look after you

I get mine to sit on the buggy or trolly (if he agrees!)
Although last time he was running laps of the carousel as the bags were late and I just let him after hours of sitting (stopped him as soon as bags arrive but I’ll probably be talked about on Mumsnet by someone who thought he was out of control!)

Manchester airport security and passport control is pretty good - much better than it used to be. I’ve had much worse times at many other airports.

It is a pain with electronics and liquids being so different at different airports now but I get round that by having stuff in one place and being able to quickly decant into a plastic bag or take out of a bag or whatever is needed. Also I don’t wear loads of shit you have to take off to get through security- it’s not rocket science. I can also do a week with a squashy rucksack that can go under the seat in front - so much stress released by not taking tons of luggage in hard shell cases.

I always though I was a terrible flyer but I realise it’s not me, it’s everyone else that stresses me out 😁 I hate people getting hammered because they can’t cope, package holidayers clapping the pilot because he landed the plane in perfect conditions, kids on devices with no headphones, men pushing in because they can’t possibly read a sign, people stomping round with the face on etc etc.

A combination of stress, anxiety and loss of control makes a lot of people dumb or badly behaved at airports (I include myself sometimes).

I adopt the attitude of a well brought up child at a formal event - follow instructions, sit quietly, say please and thank you. It gets you through.

I advise you never to go through Tivat airport specifically then because I’m the least stressed traveller ever and even I was very close to losing it there.

Ryanair has a bad reputation on here but I have flown with them loads and never had a problem. Flew back from Lanzarote yesterday in fact. We also went to Portugal with them in July. We fly hand luggage only from Stansted. We get fast track security. The new EES system has had well publicised problems but was straight forward in both Portugal and Lanzarote no queues on way in or way out at either. The worst part for me was having to take my glasses off for the photo and then not being able to read instructions on the screen. I must admit to find it amusing watching other people going through security. In Lanzarote yesterday there was a family in front of us. The man tried to go through the scanner with his rucksack on his back, the lady tried to take the buggy through with child strapped in. They had obviously got to Lanzarote so must have known this wasn’t allowed but they tried it anyway causing a back log of people behind us. We always fly priority and are very quick at getting to the gate, we are mostly the first people to arrive at the gate and board the plane. It astounds me how many people get on the front doors when their seats are at the back and their boarding pass clearly tells them to board at rear of plane. Then there are the people that struggle with numerical and alphabetical seating. By far the worst thing at airports though are the people that stop dead in the middle of the walkway at duty free and decide to have a chat. I know airports take you through duty free to entice you to part with your cash but with the numbers of people now it’s not practical anymore.

We flew out of both Heathrow and Gatwick this summer. My top tip would be choose Heathrow as chances are a higher % are flying for work, do it regularly and know what they are doing.

Gatwick was full of people who I am faintly amazed even made it out of their front door they seemed so baffled by everything around them 😂

And at the baggage carousel, stand back, people watch, and absolutely discuss how if everyone stood behind the line it would work better, but jostling for position with idiots who don't understand this is only going to stress you out. If you're lucky your case will come off first and you'll have the opportunity to take one of them out (because they don't move even thought they can see they're in the way) as you grab it 😁

So, you know that line on the floor around the carousel?

I suggest you both stand behind that.

not sure what’s difficult or selfish about that.

We had an early morning flight from Manchester recently. We did twilight bag drop and it was just as well: the queue to get to security was massive and went a long way back into the check in hall/bag drop area. There is Security East and Security West (each with it's own queue), but there is nothing to let you know that, unless your airline has specifically told you to use one of them, there is no difference and you can use either.

Once through the barriers that read your boarding pass, security was pretty quick. No taking anything out of your bags anymore. Once we got through the bloody duty free shop they route you through we barely had time for anything more than a trip to the loo before we had to get to the gate. We arrived as people were going through to the plane.

Totally understand this OP. I hate flying now but I love holidays. I get stressed on departure day until through baggage reclaim at the other side. I only like aisle seats, I panic at automatic bag drops, I don’t like small spaces and worry about toilet availability and queues.
When I arrive at the destination I need a day to recover.

Gatwick was full of people who I am faintly amazed even made it out of their front door they seemed so baffled by everything around them

Stansted and Luton are worse, and they’re usually all drunk as well.

Virgin Upper Class from JFK uses the Delta private check in and security. A whole separate area of the airport and departure gates. It’s bliss

Re the baggage queue you don't need to stand within the first 5m of belt. It's quieter further along

I have to say I’ve flown out of Manchester the last twice I’ve travelled and it was a far superior experience.
There also seems to be a common theme of children making airports really stressful.
Maybe stick to holidaying in the UK. I don’t think young children get much benefit out of holidaying abroad anyway.

I fly every month as I live overseas but need to get back to the UK. Timing of flights is everything. If flying out to Spain on a Thursday or Friday it's an absolute shit show with stag/hen parties, my heart drops if this happens. I have priority pass so can use the lounge which is great to escape the hoards of people. Being organized is key, having laptop and liquids to hand. Not having belts, jewelry or clumpy shoes also helps. And relax, most issues are out of your control

ITA, I have found major airports in China and the Middle East to be in a different league to English airports!

Yes, it’s going to take as long as it takes, desperately trying to be first, to get through it at break-neck speed only to be earlier in the next spot where you have to wait and then getting cross at the person in front of you who is also in the same hellish queue is only going to raise your blood pressure further. I get there early, I have comfy shoes and layers so I can manage different temperatures, take a drink. And go with the flow.

The last time we travelled I told DH he either travelled at my pace or I’d meet him at the gate, I wasn’t getting dragged into to the rushing nonsense, neither was I getting tutted at by him when I deigned to be 2 metres behind. It was much more pleasant all round…

Agree.

It's entirely different if you are travelling for work but if it's for pleasure there's no hurry. Allow plenty of time, because if you're one of those people who doesn't think it necessary to get to the airport the designated two hours before, you will be in a rush. If you are in a hurry then everyone else who isn't will annoy you.

Check in your luggage. Saves hooking cases onboard , just a small bag and no fuss. It takes so long to get through immigration in the EU at least that you will never be waiting for your luggage because it's there before you. Use air tags or Samsung tags to track your luggage.

If you can afford it pay for the extras. Fast track, VIP lounge, taxis to airport and from destination airport to accommodation.

Also it's no consolation but one day you might be one of those who moved too slowly because you are old or ill.

I need to use the assistance service by booking a wheelchair to the gate.

Yes I did that last time I travelled. Had to change planes at Frankfurt which is a huge airport. Fortunately I was whisked around in a buggy by a charming young man who did all the checks for me. I just had to give him my passport. I quite enjoyed the dirty looks I got from those waiting in the queues. Before I became disabled with arthritisI I did my share of queuing too. However I still hate airports and being bossed around by minimum wage oiks. I will never travel that way again.

I always check a bag. Not worth the stress of trying to pack light and hauling it around the airport. Entering Spain recently did not take long at all, even with EES and e-readers for passports. In fact it took my Irish passport holder partner longer to get through.

Surely, being intolerant of people Not Standing Behind The Line at the airport is very princessy. You obviously have the privilege and resources to make your life very comfortable, so a tiny bit of good grace wouldn’t go amiss. You do seem to have rather let it get out of perspective.

Your sense of entitlement that people ought to be like you is completely unwarranted. Are you sure you aren’t the same about the school run, being in a waiting room and friends being delayed 15 minutes for dinner?

but even if it is only the airport it is sickening to be the punch bag and “it doesn’t matter if I take it out on you here as I’ve baggsied the airport for that” wears very thin.