Airports, a necessary evil

There are some that make better places to be marooned in than others

AS another year of travel passes, it’s not only a time to reflect on what was but also to contemplate what will be. Between flights, I often think about how travel has changed and what could change to make long-distance flights more bearable.

Being holed up in some forsaken airport is not my idea of fun. While I have had many delayed flights, all have ended up being bearable and certainly better than that taken by Mehran Nasseri. You may recall he was nearly a permanent fixture in Paris’s Charles de Galle Airport while the authorities spent years resolving his predicament. The authorities spent 18 years resolving his dilemma as he didn’t have appropriate travel documents to allow him to enter France nor to fly to another destination.

His story was made famous by the Steven Spielberg blockbuster movie, which starred Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tom

Hanks.

MAGNIFICENTLY MAROONED While such an extended period in an airport was a nightmare for Nasseri, there are some airports that make better places to be marooned in than others.

Airports are a necessary part of travel but few travellers really like to be there any longer than necessary despite what airport authorities would have us believe. Airports staking claim to being the best airport in the world are lost on me as I simply want to pass through airports as quickly as possible.

Sometimes delays occur due to rescheduling, unforeseen delays or maybe through misreading “0100” departure times on tickets as 1pm and not 1am.

I must admit having fallen victim to almost all scenarios. I’m still to miss that “0101” flight but I’ve heard of it happening

to fellow passengers. Some have even turned up a day earlier or later while, I’m told, flights never depart at 1200 (noon) or 2400 (midnight) but always a few minutes earlier or later to avoid confusion.

Airports serve the function of dispatching and receiving global travellers and if both procedures were done more efficiently, airports would simply be transit areas where travellers alighted from taxis, checked in, passed through immigration, boarded planes and departed for another airport where this whole process would be reversed.

Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world but maybe this is the way for future travel. Currently, travellers end up sitting around airports waiting so they need distractions to maintain their sanity. While most travellers now have a device to fiddle with and scroll though, others need external distractions to prevent them from running amok.

Today, we have airports that take on the appearance of mini cities with all manner of distractions to keep the travelling public focused on various travel-related activities.

Langkawi International Airport is the place for that last-minute shopping.

Shopping or window-shopping at Dubai International Airport is a must.

Take Kuala Lumpur International Airport, for example. It’s a functional structure with shops, hotels, banks, bars and restaurants. It also claims to be “an airport in a rainforest” although that claim has been downplayed in recent years.

I have noticed abundant vegetation behind glass panels and have thought it a good idea to pass a few lazy minutes strolling through the plants. While it’s never been possible to my knowledge, perhaps the authorities could look into offering forest “treks” for transiting passengers.

Maybe every national gateway airport could develop a cultural or natural attraction pertaining to the destination — like a mini tour of the country within the airport confines. At least that could make these airports more memorable.

One also wonders why the tourist authorities in Malaysia do not have an extensive display within the transit terminal to showcase the country. What about a photographic competition with the winning entries on permanent exhibition on the barren walls of the airport?

WAITING GAME

If waiting at airports is not bad enough, some travellers actually route their travels through certain airports to ensure they wait even longer but in what they consider to be better surroundings. Most travellers take routes that minimise delays and avoid certain airports at all costs while others seek out airports for shopping experiences.

Dubai is one such airport that lures travellers to its confines and has promoted itself as the shopping airport of the universe.

Like all travellers, there are some airports that I have enjoyed and others that have been permanently erased from future itineraries.

I must admit the ones I love most of all are those where, on the odd and fortuitous occasion, I am upgraded and thus gain access to the business class lounge. Now when this happens such as the Emirates Lounge at Dubai Airport or the KLM Lounge in Amsterdam’s Schiphol, I can stay there almost as long as possible while enjoying complimentary meals, the finest beverages and even a refreshing shower.

Everyone has their favourite airport and mine mostly revolve around one or a few small distractions as getting onto a plane as quickly as possible is still my top priority.

However, I confess to occasionally falling victim to a little retail or gourmet therapy. For example, the Demel Coffeeshop in Vienna Airport (Austria) has resulted in any transit through here taking on a new meaning. Anyone who has visited the original Demel’s in Vienna’s Kohlmarkt, crammed with the world’s most luscious cakes and sweet delights, will appreciate the significance of this airport retail outlet.

Passengers flying KLM through its Amsterdam hub can enjoy the cultural experience of admiring some of the world’s great painters on display an airport art gallery. On my last visit through there, works by Van Gogh were on display, free of charge to all transitting passengers.

Another favourite is Christchurch in New Zealand’s South Island. Christchurch is one of the closest cities to Antarctica despite it still being a long way away. However, within walking distance of the airport terminal is the International Antarctic Centre and Museum.

The building is easy to locate from the terminal and simply requires following the blue penguin footprints on the footpath for the five-minute walk to the centre. Once inside, any frustrating thoughts of delayed flights soon dissipate. Visitors can experience life at Antarctic’s Scott Base with the temperature being lowered to simulate the cooler climate (warm clothes are provided for visitors to borrow). My visit there was one of the few times I welcomed the news that my flight was delayed.

So while many contemplate their first journey in 2018, I am holed up in another airport waiting for my flight. Oh no, my flight’s been rescheduled again!