Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

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ian16th
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Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#1 Post by ian16th » Thu Apr 07, 2016 8:23 am

Cynicism improves with age

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#2 Post by Tom Joad » Thu Apr 07, 2016 10:39 pm

It does often seem to be more about making a statement for some sense of national pride/kudos rather than functionality. That said, I don't think passenger experience at airports will ever return to be a pleasurable one.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#3 Post by ian16th » Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:08 am

Things have got worse as time goes by.

My best experience as SLF was of course with the RAF, during my time on 214 Sqdn. the original flight refuelling sqdn in the RAF.

We were flying Valiant's and part of Bomber Command, when a detachment came up, some admin type contacted Transport Command and gave them our requirements.

The net result was the appropriate a/c, usually a Britannia, was assigned to us for the detachment and arrived at Marham the night before and it was parked on our sqdn dispersal.

Next morning, we went to work with our baggage, of course everyone only ever had one small bag each, and tool bag. We would stop by the Brit and hand in the bag, then off to do the pre-flights.

Then see off the Valiant's.

Next we pick up tool bag and trot up the steps of the Brit, tool bag in hand.

No ticket, no boarding pass, no check in, no security, no passport control, no customs. Ah bliss ^:)^

After take off, tool bags were opened and a row of seats were turned around, with one of the spares pack-up boxes between as a card table and play commenced.

Sometimes the AQM asked us to turn the seats back around for landing.

When and wherever we did land, it was usually right next to our Valiant's, and we trotted down the steps, tool bags in hand to do the after flights and de-snag.

If we were ferrying fighters, the routine was repeated daily.

Now that was service from Transport Command. :-bd

In civilian life the best for me was a short period, 1974-76, I was working out of an office in Leeds, I lived in Tadcaster and used Leeds/Bradford to commute to customers around the UK, with Air Anglia and Dan Air. With the odd trip into Europe via BA Viscount to Schiphol as the 1st leg..

From 1976-82 I worked out of Birmingham and traveled into Europe, and started my rather frequent trips to the USA, but after the thrill of the 1st US trip, it all just became work.

After moving to SA in 1982, the trips became longer as it was during sanctions and to get to the USA one had to fly to Europe 1st. Though when I had to get to the west coast, I discovered the route through Rio with Varig. That was better than average, but they went bust.
Cynicism improves with age

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#4 Post by Capetonian » Fri Apr 08, 2016 11:11 am

For me the 'new' Munich airport is the prime example of an airport that is designed for aircraft and not for passengers, with 'miles and more' of long corridors lit up like a bloody disco. Just awful, and not even as efficient as one might expect from the Germans. Normally when the Germans design something, it may not look great, but it works.
Then you have the converse, the Italians or Spanish design something and it looks great, but is dysfunctional.
Then you have the French, who design things that are ugly and don't work properly.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#5 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:38 am

A bit out of touch with airports these days mainly MUB, JNB, DXB & ATH. Although an International airport MUB doesn't really count. JNB & DXB are vast you have to walk miles, immigration and baggage claim take ages. I may be shot down in flames for this but we like ATH. Good road and rail connections. Plenty of seating. Fast check in (1st & business anyway). Very small queues for immigration and security. Very pleasant helpful staff. Very few operational delays. Perhaps one improvement could be to upgrade the Executive lounge which is not really of a very high standard.
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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#6 Post by Capetonian » Sat Apr 09, 2016 8:51 am

The last time I travelled through Athens, and it was many, many years ago, it was still the old airport, but I remember that it was a compact, friendly and pleasant airport, a bit 'messy' but it worked. Rather like Greece and the Drachma until the Bungling Bureauprats of Brussels got involved and effed it all up.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#7 Post by Ex-Ascot » Sat Apr 09, 2016 9:08 am

A friend of ours has the dubious honour of being one of first pax to fly into the new ATH and almost certainly the last to pick his baggage up from the old which is where it had gone. Work that one out. He only found out when he got back to Amorgos. They refused to deliver. It was a 20 hr trip for him.

It was Lufthansa so they had probably opened the bomb doors on the approach a little early.

Operated into the old many times. Every single time 12,000' downwind. 'Are you visual?', 'Affirmative', 'Clear land'. I do not like the use of spoilers, they put waves on your champers.
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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#8 Post by Ex-Ascot » Mon Sep 09, 2019 12:07 pm

See Finningley (Robin Hood) has made UK airport of the year. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-49628875

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#9 Post by Capetonian » Mon Sep 09, 2019 12:39 pm

Strange coincidence but I'm in Belfast today, having lunch at was once the most bombed hotel in the world during the times of the troubles here.

The airport has come in for a lot of criticism over the years and i find it quite unjustified and wonder if the people who did that survey have been to Luton or Stansted both of which are 1000 times worse than Belfast, mainly because they are infested with Ryanair passengers.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#10 Post by Ex-Ascot » Mon Sep 09, 2019 1:42 pm

Cape they probably just went around the airport interviewing the great unwashed. Used to go in there for lunch about twice a week but not the civilian side. Our chap down the back had a job there but lived in London. Always flew with little fluffy white dogs which left hair all over the blue carpets just to annoy the cabin crew.
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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#11 Post by Rwy in Sight » Mon Sep 09, 2019 1:53 pm

Brussels airport is good for a check up. You walk from the gate to the taxi rank and it proves you are healthy.

I don't mind walking long distances (for the time being) but I do dislike when security is slow.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#12 Post by Fox3WheresMyBanana » Mon Sep 09, 2019 2:08 pm

It's the insanity of the security that is the real problem.
Got to security at Winnipeg airport, normally no queues at all, to find a security training session in progress which was causing the delays. Queues a mile long, and a stupid time to do it given the concentration of flights departing at that time. They didn't suspend the training, but those who would have missed their flights were directed to a rapid lane where there was basically no checks.
Nevermind the profiling they refuse to do which would cut the security requirement by 90%+.
Number of terrorists caught by the TSA - zero known.
Percentage of training bombs placed by the FBI undetected by the TSA - 80-95%
Response by the TSA? Cut dog detection teams from 31 to 8.
https://abcnews.go.com/US/tsa-fails-tes ... d=51022188

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#13 Post by Rwy in Sight » Mon Sep 09, 2019 4:01 pm

I guess you do the training when you have most pax to give opportunities for screening.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#14 Post by Pontius Navigator » Mon Sep 09, 2019 4:27 pm

In Chennai you need a boarding pass to even enter the terminal.

Most dismal had to be New Orleans, especially as our cruise ship dumped us there 5 hours early and baggage was xrayed and then given back to us to checkin.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#15 Post by Woody » Mon Sep 09, 2019 4:29 pm

Don’t start me off on T3 at Perry Oaks International X(
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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#16 Post by CharlieOneSix » Mon Sep 09, 2019 10:35 pm

From the BBC website article:
Steve Szalay, managing director of Aberdeen International Airport, said Which's survey was "months out of date and in no way tallies with the hugely positive feedback we're receiving from the tens of thousands of passengers who are travelling through our doors on a weekly basis".
Apparently there were responses from 48 passengers about Aberdeen Airport which equates to 0.002% of the annual passenger numbers. Hardly a scientific result however Which? weighted the responses.
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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#17 Post by ExSp33db1rd » Tue Sep 10, 2019 5:44 am

I do not like the use of spoilers, they put waves on your champers.
Or, as I heard an American Airlines pilot reply to ATC, who had asked him what turbulence he was experiencing at his new Flt. Level? "Waa-al .. I don't know what you-all'd call it, but I've got white caps on my cawfee"
Percentage of training bombs placed by the FBI undetected by the TSA - 80-95%
A Captain I flew with once suggested that the best security was to carry your own bomb on board ( this was before security screening ) as there has never been an example of two bombs been found on an aircraft.

One has to be fit to survive modern airports ( or carry crutches and demand assistance in the shape of a golf cart or similar ?)

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#18 Post by probes » Tue Sep 10, 2019 6:25 am

I'll have to spend a cosy afternoon in Frankfurt soon, which I decided would be better than taking off at 6 a.m. from Belgrade. The last time I was there (FRA, 4 hours early "thanks" to my boss who insisted - and she had the tickets :) ) I practiced walking the moving parts of the terminal floor to be able to step on and off without any change in tempo or balance (a real life skill, of course! :ymdevil: ), and was quite happy with the result at the end of the 1st hour or so... but it's better than running your lungs out to the other end of the other tine of the fork, of course.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#19 Post by Pontius Navigator » Tue Sep 10, 2019 6:47 am

Probes, except for the parts that stand side by side. I have a suitcase, 4 wheels and a strap. As you walk the wheels make a steady background rattle. If you pull hard and release the pitch rises and falls. A pleasing sound 😆, they look back and get out of your way.

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Re: Airports, Designed for Everyone but the Passenger

#20 Post by Slasher » Sat Sep 14, 2019 2:14 am

Airports try to gauge every cent they can out of you by using psychological tricks. You can skip the ***** by starting at 4.45





I think they don't work on the more strong-minded of us.

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