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.

Surely you must know it goes in a clear bag to get through security. Just have it to hand. It’s been like this for many years now.

I have a travel bag with an easily accessible pocket for passports and boarding cards and my bag of liquids. I travel with no belt or it’s in my bag to be put on later, nothing in my pockets and I read and listen to what I’m being told. DH on the other hand always seems to get it wrong and then ends up flustered and half dressed as we go through duty free. Every time we travel.

Everything about it is an awful experience. Herded through like cattle.

Business lounge in T5 is ok. It takes some stress away. Also my pet hate is unprepared people at security. Total nightmare when they are not prepared. I do exactly as @Smurfmurf does. I’m through as quickly as possible but I’ve waited behind numerous “Ethelred the Unready” who must surely know what’s needed. Once I’m through - breathe!!!! Off to the lounge.

Our local airport has those new scanners where you can bring any amount of liquids through. We travelled during the summer with DC and it actually helped make the airport enjoyable. Only keys needed to be removed from bags if I remember correctly. Electronic equipment didn't need to be removed. We were wtf it was so easy .

Taking shoes off for security seems quite random though. Flew last week and I had to take my trainers off but DH could keep his walking boots on.

@SparkyBlue Im hoping they all
get that soon. I never understand show rules but I wear slip ons. Just in case!

Boarding.....so they call out boarding instructions, i.e rows 1-5 and everyone rushes forward, so then I have to battle my shortarse self through a crowd, (accidentally on purpose) smacking the douchbag in row M in the shins as I go past as he won't move!

Taking all the electronics out of hand luggage....
if you forget to take something out the machine picks it up, you open the bag and take it out for the security person to give it the tiniest of glances for it to go straight back in.....what's the effing point??

Hand luggage weights....DP had stuffed his hoodie in the bag as it was so hot in the terminal, oh you 0.75 overweight, take hoodie out of bag, re weigh, all OK of you go, to stuff the hoodie back in said bag! Oh and I'm then allowed to go buy untold amount of crap from the shops (big boxes of new trainers) etc 🤷‍♀️

I worry about this as having prosthetic hips I stand akimbo with alarms raging then have to be wanded and patted down. All the time my bag is unattended.

You are all in a really secure area though. If someone nicked your passport or wallet they would be caught on camera and they can’t leave unless it’s on a plane they’ve booked.
I still don’t understand how my lighter gets through every time though. That’s got to be more dangerous than an oversized shampoo.

Totally agree around the loading from the back- flew a few days back, and was saying the vèry same thing! All this priority/non priority thing just means it takes a lot longer while you’re standing in the aisle waiting for people to sort themselves out and sit down.

All this priority/non priority thing just means it takes a lot longer while you’re standing in the aisle waiting for people to sort themselves out and sit down.

More to it than that, you're forgetting about revenue - the system means on your non-priority boarding ticket may be cheaper than it would be if it was always simply board by row. Those that pay for priority to a small extent subsidise those that don't.

For the non-LoCos boarding driven by perhaps airline loyalty card ranking/status is an incentive for the regulars to keep flying with that airline.

I'm at Heathrow now, it's the sitting around, hard seats, just wondering why I had to be here so early.

@notimagain I don’t have a problem with priority seating in itself. Those people can get on first. They are pretty much all in the front or on the extra length seats so sat down quickly.
The airline staff then call everyone else or the other groups too quickly and there’s no advantage in being first on if you sit there for 20 minutes watching the aisle queue stuck behind dithery Derek.
In Covid it was done by seat blocks. So much more efficient.

@Brumbies hope you had a good flight.

My husband, who will scuttle along at top speed even when we have hours to spare, leaving me with my short legs having to basically jog to keep up.

Thanks I did, although a long one.

Other people's unpreparedness at security, which delays everyone else. Why is it last-minute news to you that liquids go in a clear bag and on a tray, that electronic devices go in the tray as well, and that you need to take off your coat and belt? Many people also sort their liquids, electronics and accessories out right at the beginning of the conveyor belt, not the end...God forbid they should give anybody else some room to get their things on the trays.

When an airport has very few seating areas, and selfish people use them to sleep on, horizontally, taking up several seats. It's equally annoying when people set up camp on the floor in the busiest areas of the airport.

People leaving their trash on seats and tables instead of throwing them in the bin.

People leaving seats and tables full of disgusting and greasy crumbs from the food they have eaten.

People standing and socialising in the middle of busy walk-throughs, hindering others from smoothly passing through.

People in airport restaurants and coffee shops that don't place their bags and suitcases to the side, or somewhere else where they are not in the way, so others can actually maneuver between the tables.

I can relate to so many things mentioned here, so I'll sum it up - the inconsiderate people. No need to explain any further, somehow I know everyone here will understand.