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.

Security staff rushing you out. Well I'd be quicker if I still had my shoes on and hadn't taken all the stuff out of my bag.

Lack of seating in quiet places.

Enduring a 6 hour delay in Manchester airport.

Airports that don’t have water fountains after security because they want to stiff you for overpriced bottled water.

DHs who wander off to buy a magazine and a sandwich just as the gate is called and you’ve got 10 minutes to get to the furthest point of the terminal.

I love London city Airport. Never overly busy. Its small so no massive treks. On the way back I have gone from getting off the plane to fully outside the airport in 10 minutes. Its my absolute favourite.

Heathrow is OK but too much walking, especially t5. It can take over an hour to get out even with just carry on luggage. I hate Stanstead with a passion! Gatwick isn't great but not quite as bad as Stanstead.

The funniest airport I ever went to was newquay. Its just a big shed. And people who had checked in bags had to stand single file in a narrow corridor as they came through a slot. I don't know what happens if you're in the back of the queue and your bag comes out first! Couldn't see any space where they could be put.

I suppose my biggest annoyance is no smoking areas after security anymore (except Heathrow T2). Don't mind if it's a short flight but when it's long haul it's annoying. Most other countries I've been to do have them. It's just here and I think Russia that we don't.

Checking in
going through security
hanging about on uncomfortable seats while waiting to board
boarding the plane
thkse horrible buses which take you to the plane
being on the plane
queue for security /passport control at the other end
the crush round the baggage carrasol.

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

Last time I went through Manchester, the fuckers took soooo long patting me down, waving wands up and down my limbs and sending me back through the scanner again, that by the time I got through, some bastard had nicked my lovely blue hoodie from my tray.

Booking special assistance, for autistic dc, confirming with special assistance the night before how it will work (we have to go the night before and stay over, to have a hope of getting on the plane ), then on flight day being told by some really arsey twat on the desk that we have to get in the massive really loud 'family queue' unless we need mobility assistance as its the same thing.... if we were able to do this, we wouldn't need to travel up the night before, show dc round airport the night before while quiet, etc... and my dc would not now be curled up rocking in a ball under the seats sobbing at how and what you just said...undoing ALL our preparation... too many bloody times they have done this at Gatwick..

I love most of it at my local airport. I hate most of it at big airports (no names, Manchester you total hell hole). I do have to double check in my mind that I’ve not accidentally packed 100 kilos of cocaine or gunpowder, but once through security I’m pretty happy!

I always think those X-ray trays are a huge security risk. Half the time it’s be really easy for someone to pick up your watch / purse and walk off with it. Stupid system.

Faffers in the security line. Strangely never a problem at 5am on a Monday morning at LHR but any airport which has a lot of holiday-type flights is a bloody nightmare of clueless faffers. Who the fuck walks past 5 animated displays explaining exactly what they should do and then comes to the head of the queue and acts all surprised that they should have their crap in a plastic bag, no liquids and their kid’s tablet out rather than buried at the bottom of their (oversize) carry-on. Fuckwits, that’s who. And the middle aged men with pockets full of keys/coins/penknives/assorted man crap. FFS, get a bag if you’re going to carry the contents of your odds-and-ends drawer with you. And no you don’t need to clutch your passport and ticket like it’s the only thing keeping you from drowning - put it the fuck away.

People.

Having to walk through miles of roped off queue areas when there is no queue.

At Gatwick North Terminal - having to walk for miles to or from the gates, up countless amounts of stairs, especially after a red eye flight and hand luggage. Some gates are quite near to the departures/arrivals areas, but a lot aren't.

Otherwise, people who aren't prepared at security and only get their things ready for checking when in front of the conveyor belt, even at premium security. Can only imagine these people aren't experienced or frequent fliers.

As someone said upthread, hell is other people.

People who can’t get their stuff off the belt at security and MOVE to put their belts and coats back on. Other people are trying to get their things as well.

And of course those who when at the boarding gate, push in front - especially on Easyjet Speedy Boarding, which has become someone of a free for all.

Manchester airport is hell on earth, designed by sadists.
If you aren’t already organised for going through security, you shouldn’t be allowed in the queue.
There should be something at the entrance that you pick up, akin to a shopping basket with handles; you then put your liquids bag, anything else that needs to be separate and electronics in it BEFORE you enter.

DH infuriates me, he doesn’t empty his pockets until the trays then he chucks everything, wallet, coins + phone into one, all loose rather than putting them into a travel pouch. I make him give me his passport as soon as he’s scanned it.
Why the fuck do they make you show your passport AGAIN at the fucking gate?

People who take ages to sit down when boarding the plane. Massive queue behind them and they are oblivious.

People drinking pints of lager at 8am. Just no.

People who zig zag obliviously through the airport with their head in the cloud as though there is no one else behind them or trying to get around them

I always think those X-ray trays are a huge security risk. Half the time it’s be really easy for someone to pick up your watch / purse and walk off with it. Stupid system.

I put watch / phone / wallet inside my bag so they’re not visible.

I do too, but if my bag got taken I’d be screwed - all travel docs, all money, phone etc.

But that’s the same for everyone? At least there’s not a watch or phone sitting separately that could be easier to lift than a whole bag (I’m usually hand luggage only so it’s a good size bag).

The heat. Jfk last week was hotter than hell. And that extends to planes. It took 2hrs into the flight to cool down.

And the security queue. Why can't they have more scanners?

On the plus side they don't give a shit about the liquids thing in the US. Even 6years ago they didn't care about the 100ml thing. So was delighted to see nothing has changed!

I’m a fairly tolerant person, although I’m bemused at people who have to open their entire cases to locate randomly strewn liquids etc they don’t bother me as I just weave past them and go ahead.
What does tend to tip me over the edge is the luggage carousel, sometimes we only have hand luggage and just walking past is enough to send me into a huffing and puffing madam, why do entire families have to stand 5 abreast?! Just have one or two up the front and get everyone else behind so you can pass the bags back!
The smell of duty free is too much though; I need to walk very quickly through the perfume bit before it triggers a migraine - not my favourite way to start a holiday.

Came back through Bristol a few days ago. Adults without children, straight through the security e-gates and away.
Families/people with children join a huge queue for immigration to enter your OWN COUNTRY with one (1) member of staff eyeballing every member of the party one by one. Eventually, two dads fucked off out of queue to get in the queue for the taxi. We queued for 40 mins!

Then, because of security theatre you have to book the only taxi company allowed onsite by visiting their hut, and join another huge queue to wait for a taxi while paying through the fucking nose to go 2 miles.

I love visiting friends at Edinburgh, that's a good airport.