Enjoying Airports
I like airports.* Each has a unique vibe and it’s fun to compare. They’re like tiny microcosms of the surrounding area and people that frequently pass through them.
At Colorado Springs Airport (COS), a few weeks ago, the TSA Agents were so friendly it felt like they were customer service representatives there to help ensure my trip ran smoothly. Even as my bag was being searched (too much change, that’s another story), I felt calm and relaxed. The airline attendant who took my boarding pass called me “sugar,” a term she used so sincerely and naturally that it was just endearing, not frustrating like being called “sweetheart” and the like by strangers as a 32-year old can sometimes be.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) last week was nothing like Colorado Springs. Newark does not mess around. The airport is sprawling, filled with business travelers and weekenders heading to or from a getaway in “the city” (New York City).
Even at 6AM, the pace at EWR quick, people move deliberately, and if you don’t know where you are going, you better get out yourself out of the way before someone else tells you to move. Security is down to a process. The TSA agents give commands as needed. The terminal I was in was beautifully modern and highly-automated, with iPads for ordering at restaurants and automated kiosks for paying for your snacks, waters, magazines, and food-court types purchases.
Denver International Airport, Colorado
Denver, Colorado (DEN) is like a mall, plenty to do and buy. Charlotte, North Carolina (CLT) is easy and clean, made memorable by its rocking chairs. Havana, Cuba (HAV) is dated, cramped, and slightly disorganized reflecting the unsettled nature of the country.
Nashville, Tennessee (BNA) has live music and allows you to walk around with a drink, making it the perfect airport for a truly happy, Happy Hour. Hong Kong (HKG) offers cold, warm, and hot water at stations to accommodate its domestic and international travels, with westerners typically preferring cold and Chinese typically preferring hot.
The list goes on…
Even with hot water and live music, there are, of course, times that I am antsy to be anywhere other than sitting in, or in my case, usually walking around an airport. But overall, I enjoy my time in airports and look forward to exploring ones I haven’t been to yet.
When you make time spent in airports part of the travel experience, instead of just a way of getting to it, you have interesting experiences and observations…and it’s a heck of a lot more fun.
*and it’s a good thing I do because my approach to travel often involves lengthy layovers. I’ll pay $7 for a beer but an extra $100 for a direct flight is just hard for me to swallow.
