What are your pet hates whilst travelling through airports?

[DoooooWhoop]

Mine are as follows:

Having to walk through stinky perfume shops on the way to the gates.

In the queue for security why do people stand so close behind you? Forever getting bashed or they push in whilst you're trying to sort your stuff into the security trays.

Being called to the gate too early, and then having to sit for AGES and can't get to the toilets.

So humour is with your pet peeves at airports.

Other passengers

Inadequate numbers of immigration/passport checking staff leading to long queues.

Nowhere to buy a coffee or a cold drink at regional airports. If you have people checking in at 6am, then your cafe needs to be open as well.

The end bit of security where everyone is scrabbling to get their stuff back and the trays keep coming! Some airports are set up better than others for this and have designed space for re-packing but others are carnage.

Waiting on your luggage coming out of the carousel, we waited over an hour at Edinburgh last week. Everyone stands so close, if everyone stood back and only stepped forward when their luggage came round it would be far easier.

I love the duty free perfume section, so each to their own.

Only putting the gate up 5mins before boarding then it's a mad dash to find the gate.

People who aren’t prepared and organised at security and suddenly realise after standing in a line for 10 minutes they need they need to find million bottles of liquids which are hidden about their person and in different children’s bags.

I hate everything about airports. I end up with a migraine every single time.

Hard agree on duty free perfume. I’m allergic/asthmatic and it’s a real pain in the arse. Wheezing and itching eyes isn’t a great start to a holiday.

People who haven’t got their liquids in one easy to reach pocket/bag at security and have to rummage through everything. You know it’s coming ffs! Also people who don’t have their passports/boarding passes ready at security or gates.

Unruly kids with scooter/suitcase hybrid things.

Families in matching loungewear. I mean, it doesn’t directly affect me so this is totally unreasonable but eugh.

The power crazed staff who shout at you like you are thick. Although having said that , airports do tend to have the effect of lobotomising people!

The long winding path through duty free, with no opportunity for a short cut.

I just want to sit down, have a snack and find out my gate number. Not have a fragrance assault.

Worst of all in Stansted.

Security. Especially security at Manchester airport. Where tf do they get those people? North Korea?

The rest I don't mind. They're weird liminal spaces. There's been a couple of times when I've been massively delayed and it's always a bit of a headfuck to leave after spending 10/12 hours in one - like I've forgotten how to operate in the outside world. I'd be a basket case if I did actually work in one, for sure. There was that guy who lived in one for years wasn't there? He would have needed intensive de-programming when he left, surely.

Not enough seats.

And my husband. He'll wear a belt with a big buckle, shoes with a metal plate, metal and wood wristband, watch, coins in 26 different pockets and an old cob of chewed gum in the silver wrapper. He'll have a water bottle somewhere in his bag despite saying he didn't have any!
It must be grounds for divorce. I go through and 20 min later he wanders up like he's still getting dressed .

Tip at Gatwick south.
After security , do not go down the escalator. On the left there is a pushchair/ wheelchair passageway. It takes you straight to where the restaurants are. No need to go thru duty fre.

Duty free isn't good value any more - no bargains to be had.

Regarding the previous poster's comment about people who 'scrabblle' at the 'last minute' to put their bottles into the security tray - what are we supposed to do? Queue up for ages while balancing 10 bottles of moisturiser/calpol/mascara on our heads and clutching passports, tickets, boarding passes and bags? Packing for air travel is like a mix of Jenga/The Krypton Factor and Tetris - making sure everything fits into the right space in the right place. You can't really be pulling out random shit ahead of time when you've only got two hands.

Certain older mc British men (not a stereotype, pattern recognition) who think security protocol doesn't apply to them because they are the Special ones.

My colleague who complained about me seating us in Row 13 and made me go and change it at the last minute. Um Row 13 is STILL on the plane luv.

My son who has a different surname to me and whenever a passport offiicial asks if I'm his mum stares blankly in silence.

People who have apparently never been to an airport before and have actively chosen not to research it. Today we had the joys of two people blocked the security lane they were in as they wanted to travel with their normal size shampoo and conditioner. Then the people at the gate who for some reason didn’t know they needed both a boarding pass and a passport to get on the plane. There needs to be lanes for experienced passengers.

Yes yes to security staff....wtaf. I get it, but do they have to treat us like dogs?

Yes yes to the last minute rush to the gate

Mine are other passenger related!

The biggest one is people moving at snail’s pace and not being prepared through security causing massive queues. I imagine there are very few that genuinely don’t know what the procedure is (and others that have a valid reason such as small children/elderly), but the number of people that appear never to have experienced it before baffles me. I’ve got all my electronics/liquids at the top of my bag ready to unload and I take off my watch/belt and empty pockets while I’m in the queue. It really gets to me when I’m watching others ahead of me when I just want to get through and eat:shop/chill for a bit before the flight. They’re the same when they get on the plane unloading everything from their bags before they can put them in the lockers and sit down. All the while nobody else can get past to get to their seats.

The luggage carousel is another annoyance. I’ve had people walk off with my bag because they don’t check the labels, entire families standing right in front of the carousel blocking it for everyone else, people that dither and then see their case going past so start to panic and shove past everyone else to get to it.

Hell is other people!

Definitely the lack of seats, the lack of practical shops (things you might randomly need eg normal underwear for women/men/kids) v extreme high end luxury.

Thank you for these comments, I can relate to all of them!

Yy re no practical items for sale and the cost of duty free. Once you get past security you'll be hard pressed to buy a stick of deodorant but you can buy all manner of $90 perfumes.

Every now and then they'll have a good price on spirits but it's all 1 litre bottles - so unless you spend your holiday legless you'll have too much to take home with you once it's over due to the liquid restrictions.

Queue up for ages while balancing 10 bottles of moisturiser/calpol/mascara on our heads and clutching passports, tickets, boarding passes and bags?

Put any bottles you really need to have in your hand luggage into a plastic bag, of course, it shouldn't be so much you can't stuff it back into your carryon bag after security. And use a carryon or handbag which has a suitable slot for paperwork. This isn't 'random shit', it's completely and utterly predictable when you'll need it out.

Anyhow, my hate is the winding path through duty free, wtf can't they have a straight route for those of us who have absolutely no interest in it?

Just landed at stansted (it’s a shit airport anyway) and have sat in traffic for 25 mins to get out of the pickup zone as they have installed gates to fleece another few quid off people - it’s ridiculously busy and I am just want to get my car and get home now

When they announce your gate a 20 minute walk away when they want you there in 15 minutes.

The fact that some gates are 20 mins away.

All the queuing.

Regarding the previous poster's comment about people who 'scrabblle' at the 'last minute' to put their bottles into the security tray - what are we supposed to do? Queue up for ages while balancing 10 bottles of moisturiser/calpol/mascara on our heads and clutching passports, tickets, boarding passes and bags?
No, you queue up holding your one hand luggage bag that contains a clear plastic bag with your bottles of moisturiser/calpol/mascara and possibly a laptop or tablet. Have a bag around your shoulder with your boarding pass and passport in it. When you get to the security scanner you put your big bag in one tray then quickly put your laptop, cosmetics bag and shoulder bag in another. Whip your shoes off if you need to and put them in your second tray as well. It can be done in seconds with very little organisation.

Packing for air travel is like a mix of Jenga/The Krypton Factor and Tetris - making sure everything fits into the right space in the right place. You can't really be pulling out random shit ahead of time when you've only got two hands.

If the things you need to whip out of your bag at security aren’t at the top where they are easily accessible, then they’re not in the right place. There is no need to pull out random shit ahead of time if you’ve organised it all properly.

People who seem genuinely shocked to find themselves at an airport and seemingly experiencing security for the first time.

No you can’t carry a sword in your hand luggage, it is not possible for you to walk through drinking a two litre bottle of fanta, it doesn’t make a difference if you say it’s not poison. And that large collection of janitors keys on your belt will set the scanner off.

Being asked for my boarding pass after security when I’m buying anything from one of the shops- I know there must be a logical reason why this is done , but it annoys me .

The ridiculous barriers before security that make you walk many hairpin bends when the place is not busy. I've been shouted at for taking a short-cut.