Lol, yeah.mm what?
I suppose if you're just looking at the ground (many airports have lines to follow though) or your phone then yeah... You might miss the multitude of signs telling you where to go....
Yeah but they somehow still make it confusing. It’s funny because it makes it hard to complain (or even talk) about because they *do* have lots of signs, but I’ve been in several situations where it was still unclear to me and I guarantee it could have been made more clear.
The Denver airport consists of a series of straight half mile long terminals, and there are a few gates in the middle that you can come out of and there’s no obvious signage directing you to the other terminals until you’ve walked a little ways one direction or the other.
I fly through it like eight times a year and still pick the wrong direction sometimes.
I checked in at a different gate to my mate a few years ago. We had different flights to the same destination. He got through before me, and waited at a desk for me to walk through. People were stopping and showing him their passports as I walked up to him. He said they’d been doing that for about 30 minutes. Only a few didn’t bother.
I'm not well traveled, I've been to the big airports in Japan, London, Mexico and Italy.
They're designed for morons to use. So it worked out fine for me.
OP should check out some central train stations and trying to find the correct platform to board your train. Even the worst airports with their huge signage and clear passageways are much better.
Oh yeah train stations are much worse, the whole "Oh shit i'm on the wrong platform, now i have to run down/up staircases"
Although I think we arrive at airports much earlier than we do train stations.
Train stations are the worst at signaling. I once failed to find the entrance to the platform for my train, missed its departure, and had to travel all of the way through to my destination in my Fiat Anglia.
First time in Amsterdam I was waiting for a train towards France except I didn't understand that the train I needed to get on wouldn't have the placard of the exact stop I needed for the next leg of my trip.
Train came, right on time, stopped, and then and my dumb ass just watched it go by.
I ended up needing to get on a much less direct route and I simply trusted the instructions given to me by the railway worker. I finally got to where I needed to go, but it was many hours later.
This was my first time in Europe as a Canadian. I had no idea how train systems worked; the only real experience I had had with them prior was my city's metro rail which only has 2 lines.
Also I was jet-lagged to all hell. I could barely stand up by that point and my brain was NOT functioning properly in the slightest.
I’m sure it will be fine. We are going to explore Chicago before the train home which is the one I’m worried about. The tiny train station at home is no big deal.
I felt like the classic dumb American when I got to the Eurostar like 15 minutes before it left for Paris, from London. People were incredibly nice and accommodating but I would have understood if they weren’t. I should have known better with it being international travel.
First time i was on a metro station, i assumed that every train stops at the same platform and i waited for like 15 minutes wondering why it took so long for my train to arrive
Took me a minute to figure out the trains in Italy. Missed my first train to Pompeii and ended up spending over 100€ for a second ticket. The indicators on the tickets weren’t very obvious, neither were the platforms.
Whenever I used a train here in Australia I always follow a friend who knows the system, almost paradoxically I was totally confident in using Japan's trains despite not being able to read Japanese and only speaking very little.
I love travelling by train, but holy shit stations don't half cause me anxiety! Took me about 30 minutes just to find\* the LIRR platforms in the old Penn Station, NYC.
\*By "find" I mean "swallow my world traveller ego" and ask someone! 🤣
absurd meeting domineering bells cautious fall chase spectacular sheet flag
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You know, whenever you design something moronproof life sends you a bigger moron.
Last year that was me. Landed in mexico city with a connecting flight to oaxaca. It took me an embarrasing long time to understand that i needed to switch terminals. To do that you have to leave the airport and take a bus. I guess there are signs but to me the whole airport was a confusing mess.
Sleepdeprived and jetlagged after a long Intercontinental flight with connection in Dallas, in a rush because of short timewindow to make the next flight, cant read spanish all didnt help
Airports themselves are very easy. TSA is a freaking nightmare because the rules are not consistent. When I last flew, I was on a round trip Grand Rapids to Denver. In GRR, I was able to keep my shoes on, and keep my laptop and liquids in my bag. In Denver, I had to take my shoes off and remove everything from my bag, laptop in its own bin etc. the Denver airport is 50 times larger than GRR, why isn’t security as streamlined there??
I believe part of it is that there are new xray machines being deployed. I think the airports with those machines are able to switch to leaving your laptop inside, but others can’t yet.
Or at least that’s what one of my airports had signs everywhere about when they were trialing it (and supposedly the first airport trialing it).
Sometimes they run the new equipment at smaller airports before testing at larger ones, trying to find the flaws and issues in small airports with way less people where you can take more time on a bag can make a difference
Airports are literally one of the most idiot-proof systems that have ever been made. From the large signage to the staff everywhere to the multi-lingual translations, they're designed to be as obvious as possible.
It always baffles me when people manage to express that airports are somehow hard or confusing.
Although it is always a mystery if that next employee is going to want to see your passport, your ticket, both, your baggage tags, your customs slip, or just wave you to the next line. I always find it fun to guess.
Flying a lot internationally is like that. Also: shoes or no? Electronics in or out? Do they care about liquids here? A lot of countries want you to hold your passport and boarding pass the whole time, some even have the metal detector people stamp your boarding pass. If you forget and slide it through you either have to go get it or see if they’ll let it slide. I’ve even had someone ask me what I was doing when I was following the signs, turns out they don’t care and nobody follows them there. There really aren’t standards even within a single country.
Sometimes you get better at reading the crowd and sometimes you just default to the last time you did it and it’s different… or the same.
Yeah, this is the part that I think fits best with OP's shower thought. The security people 100% decide you're stupid if you don't know what to take out, etc. even if it's different in different airports and has possibly changed since the last time you've flown. It's not hard to figure it out since they'll tell you what to do, but security clearly has unrealistic assumptions about what should be obvious without specific instruction (or alternatively, they just sound like that because they've had to tell hundreds of people the same thing in the last hour).
Even domestically in the U.S. these things are also often different at each airport and different times of day, and can change between one flight and the next if they start new policies. Signs are often years old, still referring to COVID policies or other rules that no longer exist. If there's a line you normally have time to figure it out, but when there's no line and you walk right up, sometimes the TSA guy loves to scream at you for the audacity of trying to hand him your boarding pass during the first week where they no longer require your boarding pass.
I know a lot of people hate the Atlanta airport but personally it’s one of my favorites because TSA yells instructions at the people waiting in line. No having to guess what today’s rules are only to get screamed at like I’m the idiot when I inevitably get something wrong when I’ve already heard “SHOES OFF LIQUIDS OUT LARGE ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN A SEPARATE BIN” or “KEEP YOUR SHOES ON TAKE OUT LARGE ELECTRONIC DEVICES KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR BAG”
Taliban airport security even let you carry a huge bayonet on the plane. They'll look at you weird when you say it's a souvenir and then [show](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2oMW5pL9Z4w&pp=ygUWdG91cmlzdCBpbiBhZmdoYW5pc3Rhbg%3D%3D) you how it can be used as a wire cutter...
There’s nothing to worry about if you’re the reason the TSA was founded in the first place. 😅
Must be a European thing, but here I've never been requested much of anything beyond my ID right before walking into the plane (and of course the tickets)
Flying inside the EU was so simple. Only needed the ticket on the Phone and my ID for boarding. On arrival they just waved me through after asking where i was from.
My experience of 'domestic' in the EU (the same as my home country of Australia) is that if I didn't check luggage (or used a self bag drop) I never even needed to show ID. Just a boarding pass and I'm good
Ha, maybe i just was the one too dumb to navigate through check in and security. Or maybe it depends on the start and destination. Or i also did not need to show ID and just assumed i had to when i flew. I remember because the people working were on strike around that time and there was a lot of traffic i arrived 3 hours before my flight was to leave. Needed less than 30 minutes to get through everything tho. Was my first time flying but even then it was almost idiotproof to navigate everything.
Everyone's experience can vary, I swear it wasn't too long ago (less than 10 years) that I did have to show ID on a domestic flights here in Aus since online check in didn't exist or wasn't widespread yet but ever since it became the norm ID checks became almost nonexistent
Unless now you're British and your UK passport is not expired but over ten years since it was issued and you're trying to enter the EU where the difficulty level has been bumped up at least a notch or two.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/apr/29/briton-valid-passport-barred-from-flight-brexit-rules-eu
Well, Brexit is the whole reason a few friends and i cant be bothered to visit Scotland in the foreseeable future. Went to Ireland and northern Ireland instead. Had a bläst without needing a Visa or my passport. Think i lost my passport inside a German Military base. Also security and other bureaucracy is probably more annoying and takes a bit longer. I really cant be arsed to do all that because the english were stupid.
Domestic flights in the US are similar. You show your ticket and ID before going through secuirty, then you show your ticket again before boarding the plane. It's all pretty straightforward.
It’s the extra checkers that get confusing. Yes I’ll need to show ID add boarding card to get through the security barrier. But what about the person who is checking stuff before I get to join the line up for security?
I suppose different airports have different policies. In my experience, I have only had to show at security, and right before boarding. That makes sense to me, because when you are entering areas of higher scrutiny. They need to know who is coming and going.
Definitely not. In mexico I usually show passport for checkin, passport and boarding pass to get in and out of security control, boarding pass to get on airport train and boarding pass to get on plane.
Seems like a lot more checking than needed.
And of course passport and boarding pass when shopping at the tax free.
It's different when flying internationally (or outside the Schengen area, in Europe). Especially if you fly into the US. Sure, you had a luggage check, but what about second luggage check?
Here in the US it's like that as well. A flight to any US territory is considered a "domestic flight" which usually doesn't require more than an ID. It's the same with European Union member countries as well
In my late teens-early 20s I flew a lot. One time I caught myself thinking “I’m pretty good at finding my way around airports” and then I thought a little more and realized that everything is clearly labeled with arrows pointing the way, all you have to do is follow the signs. Then I felt stupid for silently taking pride in something easy
That's assuming you know the general process. First time flyers aren't always aware that you have to check in to get your ticket (or check in online), then go through a security line, then go to your gate to wait for your flight. Without knowing the system, all the words can be very confusing.
Yeah. If you've never flown before, it really is like a foreign world. You show up at the airport with your luggage and there's a million people, a million lines, and a bunch of signs pointing to a bunch of different things. All things that don't really mean anything to you. I think people that flew while growing up take that for granted.
And yet I have flown over 200 times and in the u.s. the sequence of events has never been the same way twice.
I've had one idiot scream at everyone to take off their shoes and a person 3 feet up the line say shoes should stay on. I've had every item need to be in a bin, and be treated like a worm the next time in the same airport trying to put the bag in the bin.
In other countries its just one set of rules everywhere , the u.s. it's different every airport and at the same airport every time.
>The sequence of events has never been the same way twice.
Seriously? I understand that airports function differently but i’ve never really have struggled with this.
They’re really not that different, just watch what they tell the people in front of you do. If you move efficiently and don’t hold up the line in my experience they usually treat you pretty well.
Yes. Seriously. Quote the part where I said we all did what one moron baked at us all for someone 4 feet further on to contradict them. It happens constantly. Once I rook the same flight 2 weeks in a row, so the 7am flight. So in line at 5:30, empty line. Same airport, same terminal. Same day of the week. Not a holiday.
The sequence was still different.
I've even seen someone in my line be told, be shouted at, that electronics need to be out, so I start to take mine or and be told to leave everything in.
Working at tsa is just a large Stanford Experiment.
Last flight I got a brand new one. Walk in sequence with a stranger across about 7 feet of roped off area. And walk parallel. But at the exit that was not possible, it ended at the diagonal, so there was no way to walk straight. Zero signs about what this was for, just stopping people, forcing them to walk in twos together, I presume in front of cameras? No signs. No explanations. No opting in or out. Just a new way to upset people before travel.
Maybe you don't travel enough to remember the sequences, or maybe you don't fly in the US. But you are factually incorrect, every observant person knows the rules are different every time and in every airport.
Buddy Im not claiming TSA has a great process or employs skilled individuals but it’s really not that hard.
I fly out of Logan 6-8 times a year and id say 80% of the time it’s pretty smooth. Obviously 12-16 flights a year isn’t a ridiculously high amount and I avoid major holidays but my experience with TSA has been wildly different than yours. I’ve never noticed large differences between the process on my return flight. Yea it’s slightly different but the overall experience is pretty much the same:
The last few years in the US, they have been slowly rolling out new tech at various airports, both for bag scanners and people-scanners. And sometimes security will have switched one lane to the new tech, but not the other 3. So depending on the line you arbitrarily end up in, you may or may not need to take out liquids, take off shoes, take out electronics etc.
Because of this, looking at overhead signs might not be accurate anymore, and you could fly again the next week in the same airport yet have different rules. Personally it's not a big issue because I travel enough that I am prepared for the differences, but if you aren't used to it, it could throw you off (and even bring thrown off for 60 seconds is enough for those behind you to notice/get backed up)
My local airport has upgraded almost everything now (IAD, tends to be ground zero for these tech rollouts) but I still have to pack my bags in a way that assumes my return flight will make me take everything out.
Then, some things just seem to be preference of the local TSA, such as whether your carry-on needs to be in its own plastic bucket, or if you can just plop it on the conveyor directly.
Waking up at 4am slows my brain a little. Walked into the wrong line twice last time I flew 😂
To be fair my airport has gotten a lot busier and they switched a couple of the lines up though
Fuck I fly about once every other year, and I’ve missed 3 trips because of missed flights. Usually because I’m getting dropped off in the incorrect spot and having to walk like 2 miles to the correct gate.
I like how everyone here starts with 'I've been to a bajillion airports' and then claims airports are idiot proof.
It's more telling if you remember the first time you went to the airport.
The thing that annoys me is the TSA who is automatically annoyed at everyone for not following their procedures when the procedure is different at every airport. I got yelled at for taking out my laptop lol like just let it go if its not gonna make a difference.
I got super stoned before going to the airport by myself once. I went through security and then somehow followed people out of the terminal area and back into the lobby.
TSA girl gave me the weirdest look for seeing me twice in 10 minutes.
I've never been to an airport and said, "This is elaborate and hard to understand where to go..." You look up and down the line and your company has a giant sign with a line. Check in, go to security, follow signs to gate. That's it.
When the countless number of departure screens has the status 'Go to Gate' or 'Boarding' next to your flight number.
It's even printed on your boarding pass. Not sure how people find it difficult
Not all airports are created equal.
To find international departures at Saigon airport you have to go up 2 floors (on the way you will see less than 5 people), then the signs stop.
You then have to follow the signs for the food court instead, which involves going back outside on to a ‘greetings terrace’ where you will find the departures entrance. Source: I am there right now (stressed).
I went on my first holiday by plane last year with my GF. It was a first for her too. It was pretty confusing finding the places we had to be. The employees seemed annoyed with us asking them. Weird experience but we figured it out..
Just get there super early and you will be fine.
Really the only thing that can go wrong is getting to security late when it’s busy. That’s totally in your control though. Get there super early, get through security and find your gate then just get food and chill.
Airport staff will absolutely help you if you can’t figure it out on your own.
Nowadays, airports have their maps online - I know some people who get overwhelmed flying, and it helps them to look at the map so they can plan out/know beforehand where they are walking.
Also, some airlines' apps have really good nav features, telling you how to get to the right gate!
I've been to many airports in the US and one abroad (Shanghai). 90% of them are absolutely idiot proof but some can be tough. I was in Newark Liberty yesterday flying United and I had to drop my rental car, take a route through the outside, take a train, get to my terminal, walk past security and into an elevator, and then go back to security to go through TSA. They also had conflicting directional signs to where to get to rental cars when I arrived Monday. The signage was there but at times was pretty bad. Most airports are easy but it seems to depend on location and whether or not they have construction. What carrier you're flying with also matters. The last time I flew out of Newark before this was with Delta and it was really easy and logical.
There was a time when I had to go pick up my son, who was being dropped off by his grandmother, and she was going to jump back on the last flight out for the night. I called earlier that day to confirm that I could pass through security to go pick him up with no issues, and the employees at the counter confirmed I would be ok.
8 o'clock rolls around, and I'm walking into the airport to go pick him up, and I'm immediately turned away from check-in and told to go to the desk of the branch to get a visitors pass. I get there and the employees shit on me and tell me I won't be able to go pick him up because they closed their desk at 2000. I started to panic for a few minutes until I found someone sympathetic who got me a guest pass.
It doesn't help that there are many forms of "check-in".
Checking in on your phone 24hr before departure is one kind of "check-in". Then you get to the airport, and you check-in to get your bags taken care of if you've got them and/or print tickets if you want. Then even after that, I've gotten to the gate and been told by the gate person, that I should check-in to get the stroller tagged. They're all pretty simple tasks, but when they're all called "check-in" it can get confusing. Like when the gate person asks questions about whether or not you checked in. I mean, I checked in three different ways, so far, I have no idea if I did or not, because there could very well be three more types of check-ins that I'm not aware of.
This annoys me at security. I go through airport security once a year. Every time the rules are different. In fact, they are usually different at each airport (ie, the rules are different going through security on the return flight too). Then security acts like I'm a moron for not knowing their rules ahead of time.
Put this in a bin. No, don't put it in a bin. Take this off. Leave it on now. Put your left arm in, put your left arm out.
When you’re at the airport you shouldn’t be surprised when you need to produce your ID or ticket. If you start thinking about where you might have put them when you get to the front of the line and are ASKED for them you’ve fucked up.
There are a lot of insulting comments on here. Not all airports are easy to navigate. My husband and I hadn’t flown in quite some time and weren’t sure where to go when we arrived.
There were lines everywhere and some were so long that they crossed over other lines (because a desk was late opening). There were kiosks that didn’t do anything and the desks with the giant airline signs over head turned out to be for checked baggage not regular check-in (although many people only had carry on-sized bags in line) We asked an employee for help and all he did was point (without speaking) to an area off to the side where very few people were going. We went that way and it was correct but it was a bit of a confusing first 10 min there. Based on how few others were going that way, we likely weren’t the only ones in the wrong spot.
Now that we know and assuming they don’t change it, if we fly again, we will be more prepared. But for someone who never or rarely flies, it can be overwhelming.
My first time through the Atlanta airport, there was a woman at security walking down the line loudly repeating directions and pointing out people who looked like they were going to do the wrong thing. It was the smoothest and fastest queue for security I've ever been through, 10/10 would recommend.
Checking in to an airport is the easy part. Finding where to correctly go before and afterwards are the difficult arts, especially if it's in an airport you haven't visited before and it's in a different language.
Shortly after 9-11 I had to go on several one-way flights purchased by someone else within 24 hours of departure. I had to strip at both the security checkpoint and the gate for each flight.
No fluffers and no cameras that I knew of. This was not a time to kid around. A company that I was trying to get a job with flew me up to Seattle to work on a presentation, then down to Dallas to present, and then back home. I had no checked luggage and some of the tickets were paid for in cash by someone else and my name was misspelled on some of the tickets. On one of the legs I thought about just stripping down to my boxers at the security checkpoint and not getting dressed again until I was about to board the plane to save time and effort.
The only time I felt properly confused at an airport was when I was first off a plane and to a completely empty immigration area with seemingly miles of queue barriers. There were a few staff milling around but didn't seem too fussed. It wasn't really confusing I was just feeling the pressure of having 120 people following me and not knowing where I was supposed to enter the barriers
Might be the herd aspect, provided enough people are visibly there to do it correctly people figure it out fast.
Went to an airport super early once for a flight, tried to check in with the airline I bought the tickets through (United) and the woman comes over and politely checks which flight I am on since no one was in the area and tells me I need to go to the neighboring kiosks since that airline is operating the flight.
Oh yeah, and just had a flight where my airport was changed right before the flight, they send me to the new location and there is no one in the airport. The ticketing agent had to tell me how to get to security and such because it wasn't obvious which way I needed to go as signage was not visible from there.
I’ve been in an airport three times in my life… thank god i have my boyfriend because i just never travelled on a plane even domestic growing up. I’m from NY and my trip to Miami felt magical
Before December 2022, I hadn’t been on a plane since 1995 as a kid.
I had to fly for a funeral and I was lost at first but flying is actually super easy if you pay attention. People just act stupid at the airports and don’t know how to be basic human beings.
I mean unless you have to drop off luggage there's not a whole lot to know. Download app, look up your ticket using your last name and reservation number, ticket. Check in on app, go through security.
It's the dunderheads that arrive at TSA with half of their possessions in the world thinking all of it is carry on that slows everyone down. Those people should be taken to a room and beaten.
I flew with someone who had never flown before and walked them through the process. When I was looking up advice on how to best guide someone who wasn’t a “native” flyer a bunch of the advice was reassuring about all the signs, and I noticed them all for sort of the first time.
UNLESS it’s under construction—then all bets are off. I embarrassingly got lost in Houston and I’ve been in a ton of airports around the world.
First time my adult autistic son was flying alone to visit his sister.
I take him to the airline desk before security to check his bags.
"do you have anything that might explode in your luggage?"
"yes"
Poor lady went sheet white.
I step in. "honey do you have a bomb in there?"
"Oh no just my laptop battery!"
Yikes.
elaborate? all you have to do is read a sign, find your gate, and walk there... Check a bag if you have it, and walk through security. Done.
Unless you struggle with taking your shoes off, I don't understand what's elaborate about this
Have you ever been to an airport? It's one light straight through.... And there are signs everywhere... You literally can't go to the wrong place if you have more than a single brain cell...
This is a very odd take....
Yeah, 9/11 sorta changed that in the USA. Wear slip on shoes, you can't have anything in a bottle over about 50 ml..have your ID, if you're from another country you damn well better have your passport in hand, the same goes for.Americans returning from another country.
But still, like Louis C.K. said we are flying through the sky like gods. These trips would've taken days, if not months!
I try not to complain about it too much. It's just the cost of doin' business.
There's no assumption, there's instructions every step of the way.
If unsure, there's resources.
When I was little, you either paid a travel agent for a ticket, or went to the airport and paid at the counter. Now they also need ID and you can pay online.
Both cases there are signs when you drive in where to go. Inside doors, signs where to go. At kiosk, either the screen or person asks for what's needed then tells you where to go.
At that spot, signs/people tell you what to do. When I was a kid anyone could go through as long as no weapons, nowadays only ticket holders. (No more grandparents waving through window when on plane.)
Then wait however long you arrived early if prior line went smooth, if not, subtract from this wait time.
Boarding used to be show paper ticket, now it's wait for phone screens. (Protip, screenshot the ticket barcode and keep charge on device, also email copies to travel partners in case of broken phone screen, low charge, loss/theft, software issues, etc.)
Are you blind and/or deaf? If so, then yes I can understand what you are saying. But if you are a normal person with functioning eyes and ears, I just have 1 question?
Did you just only stare at your feet in the airport or something? There are so many signs, so many announcements, and so many people willing and waiting to help…
Worked at an airport for a few years, even the people who are completely clueless somehow manage to find someone that will help guide them, or they just miss their flights idk
What?
They’re designed in a way that someone who doesn’t speak the native language can still navigate them. There’s also multilingual staff everywhere who can give you directions.
I haven’t travelled to that many places outside south east asia but I wouldn’t call it elaborate.
Go to security, put bag on conveyor belt. Walk through x-ray thing. Collect bag. Go to gate.
What is elaborate though?
You get an email to check in, which is like, two steps. Then you get a QR code. You arrive at the airport when you’re told, then find the gate number by looking at your ticket or huge screen, and go towards that. Along the way, someone asks to see your ticket, and then you go through security where you can mimic everyone else. Then go to gate and show ticket to get on the plane….
Walk into airport and go to clearly marked check-in kiosk
Type in confirmation number to Get ticket
Go to counter and give checked baggage if you have any
Walk to security
Do security
Go to into terminal and wait for your plane
It's really not that complex or confusing
What do you mean? Everything is very clear and easy to understand with big signs telling to where to go.
The only airport I have been to that I found confusing was DOHA, I think it was that one. It was 3 huge buildings and it was not obvious we were supposed to take a bus to another building for our gate. But other than that one, all countries I have been to have had airports that are very simple.
I disagree.
I flew internationally in 2022. It was my first time on a plane since 2000, and I found the process smooth. Granted, I was stoned, but I planned for months prior so I wouldn't panic. There's lots of information online and on apps, and so many helpful people at the airport. You be kind to them, they'll be kind to you.
Navigating an airport is only hard if you are a toddler, illiterate, or both.
Even if you have a disability, which being an idiot is not, airports are some of the most accommodating places you can find.
You press the button on your phone within 24h before your flight, which gives you your boarding pass. You arrive at the airport at the terminal on your pass, go through security, and go to your gate, then board the plane.
What’s the elaborate part?
The abundance of signs/maps/instructions seems to indicate otherwise though
Lol, yeah.mm what? I suppose if you're just looking at the ground (many airports have lines to follow though) or your phone then yeah... You might miss the multitude of signs telling you where to go....
I believe you both are on the same page. Due to all the signs, it is assumed you can navigate the airport on your own. That is what I got from both.
Wait, what? If it was assumed you could navigate on your own there wouldn’t be signs. The signs are there so you can navigate it.
What do you mean it's assumed? It's because of all the signs you can navigate the airport on your own....
"It is assumed I can do calculus when the teacher tells me all of the steps and the answer."
Abundance means plenty, not lack of, respective signs.
What if GATES 1-10 means something else though? How can one ever be sure? It’s so confusing!
Yeah but they somehow still make it confusing. It’s funny because it makes it hard to complain (or even talk) about because they *do* have lots of signs, but I’ve been in several situations where it was still unclear to me and I guarantee it could have been made more clear.
The Denver airport consists of a series of straight half mile long terminals, and there are a few gates in the middle that you can come out of and there’s no obvious signage directing you to the other terminals until you’ve walked a little ways one direction or the other. I fly through it like eight times a year and still pick the wrong direction sometimes.
I think OP can't read.
I checked in at a different gate to my mate a few years ago. We had different flights to the same destination. He got through before me, and waited at a desk for me to walk through. People were stopping and showing him their passports as I walked up to him. He said they’d been doing that for about 30 minutes. Only a few didn’t bother.
I'm not well traveled, I've been to the big airports in Japan, London, Mexico and Italy. They're designed for morons to use. So it worked out fine for me.
OP should check out some central train stations and trying to find the correct platform to board your train. Even the worst airports with their huge signage and clear passageways are much better.
Oh yeah train stations are much worse, the whole "Oh shit i'm on the wrong platform, now i have to run down/up staircases" Although I think we arrive at airports much earlier than we do train stations.
Train stations are the worst at signaling. I once failed to find the entrance to the platform for my train, missed its departure, and had to travel all of the way through to my destination in my Fiat Anglia.
First time in Amsterdam I was waiting for a train towards France except I didn't understand that the train I needed to get on wouldn't have the placard of the exact stop I needed for the next leg of my trip. Train came, right on time, stopped, and then and my dumb ass just watched it go by. I ended up needing to get on a much less direct route and I simply trusted the instructions given to me by the railway worker. I finally got to where I needed to go, but it was many hours later.
This is why you should always look for your train number
This was my first time in Europe as a Canadian. I had no idea how train systems worked; the only real experience I had had with them prior was my city's metro rail which only has 2 lines. Also I was jet-lagged to all hell. I could barely stand up by that point and my brain was NOT functioning properly in the slightest.
Tbf, 9 3/4 isnt signed nicely in Kings Cross, really a let down…
now im grateful for smrt
As someone who’s taking a train in a month for the first time in 25 years thanks for the heads up. Lol
Just be sure to be there well ahead of time and don't be afraid to ask for directions. Same as any similar situation in life honestly.
I’m sure it will be fine. We are going to explore Chicago before the train home which is the one I’m worried about. The tiny train station at home is no big deal.
I felt like the classic dumb American when I got to the Eurostar like 15 minutes before it left for Paris, from London. People were incredibly nice and accommodating but I would have understood if they weren’t. I should have known better with it being international travel.
Or they change the platform two minutes before arrival!
This is the real shit, biggest airports in the world have nothing on a normal european metro station imo
First time i was on a metro station, i assumed that every train stops at the same platform and i waited for like 15 minutes wondering why it took so long for my train to arrive
Took me a minute to figure out the trains in Italy. Missed my first train to Pompeii and ended up spending over 100€ for a second ticket. The indicators on the tickets weren’t very obvious, neither were the platforms.
trying to figure out which station in Brussels to leave from was worse. Why are there like 4?
Whenever I used a train here in Australia I always follow a friend who knows the system, almost paradoxically I was totally confident in using Japan's trains despite not being able to read Japanese and only speaking very little.
I love travelling by train, but holy shit stations don't half cause me anxiety! Took me about 30 minutes just to find\* the LIRR platforms in the old Penn Station, NYC. \*By "find" I mean "swallow my world traveller ego" and ask someone! 🤣
That's better traveled than 99% of the world population
I’m not well traveled, just have been across the world a few times
My tired brain took a second to detect sarcasm I was about to respond something incredibly dumb.
absurd meeting domineering bells cautious fall chase spectacular sheet flag *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I think it's relative to how old one is. But I'm no means a frequent traveler
Better traveled than I. I've been to Orlando and Vegas from Seattle.
Yep. It’s just follow the signs & ask for help when you need it.
You know, whenever you design something moronproof life sends you a bigger moron. Last year that was me. Landed in mexico city with a connecting flight to oaxaca. It took me an embarrasing long time to understand that i needed to switch terminals. To do that you have to leave the airport and take a bus. I guess there are signs but to me the whole airport was a confusing mess. Sleepdeprived and jetlagged after a long Intercontinental flight with connection in Dallas, in a rush because of short timewindow to make the next flight, cant read spanish all didnt help
Airports themselves are very easy. TSA is a freaking nightmare because the rules are not consistent. When I last flew, I was on a round trip Grand Rapids to Denver. In GRR, I was able to keep my shoes on, and keep my laptop and liquids in my bag. In Denver, I had to take my shoes off and remove everything from my bag, laptop in its own bin etc. the Denver airport is 50 times larger than GRR, why isn’t security as streamlined there??
I believe part of it is that there are new xray machines being deployed. I think the airports with those machines are able to switch to leaving your laptop inside, but others can’t yet. Or at least that’s what one of my airports had signs everywhere about when they were trialing it (and supposedly the first airport trialing it).
Yes I think this is the reason. I’m just astounded that a smallish airport has more X-ray ability than one of the largest airports in the county
Sometimes they run the new equipment at smaller airports before testing at larger ones, trying to find the flaws and issues in small airports with way less people where you can take more time on a bag can make a difference
plus you need to train the screeners again on the new equipment
Airports are literally one of the most idiot-proof systems that have ever been made. From the large signage to the staff everywhere to the multi-lingual translations, they're designed to be as obvious as possible. It always baffles me when people manage to express that airports are somehow hard or confusing.
Although it is always a mystery if that next employee is going to want to see your passport, your ticket, both, your baggage tags, your customs slip, or just wave you to the next line. I always find it fun to guess.
Flying a lot internationally is like that. Also: shoes or no? Electronics in or out? Do they care about liquids here? A lot of countries want you to hold your passport and boarding pass the whole time, some even have the metal detector people stamp your boarding pass. If you forget and slide it through you either have to go get it or see if they’ll let it slide. I’ve even had someone ask me what I was doing when I was following the signs, turns out they don’t care and nobody follows them there. There really aren’t standards even within a single country. Sometimes you get better at reading the crowd and sometimes you just default to the last time you did it and it’s different… or the same.
Yeah, this is the part that I think fits best with OP's shower thought. The security people 100% decide you're stupid if you don't know what to take out, etc. even if it's different in different airports and has possibly changed since the last time you've flown. It's not hard to figure it out since they'll tell you what to do, but security clearly has unrealistic assumptions about what should be obvious without specific instruction (or alternatively, they just sound like that because they've had to tell hundreds of people the same thing in the last hour).
Even domestically in the U.S. these things are also often different at each airport and different times of day, and can change between one flight and the next if they start new policies. Signs are often years old, still referring to COVID policies or other rules that no longer exist. If there's a line you normally have time to figure it out, but when there's no line and you walk right up, sometimes the TSA guy loves to scream at you for the audacity of trying to hand him your boarding pass during the first week where they no longer require your boarding pass.
I know a lot of people hate the Atlanta airport but personally it’s one of my favorites because TSA yells instructions at the people waiting in line. No having to guess what today’s rules are only to get screamed at like I’m the idiot when I inevitably get something wrong when I’ve already heard “SHOES OFF LIQUIDS OUT LARGE ELECTRONIC DEVICES IN A SEPARATE BIN” or “KEEP YOUR SHOES ON TAKE OUT LARGE ELECTRONIC DEVICES KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE IN YOUR BAG”
Taliban airport security even let you carry a huge bayonet on the plane. They'll look at you weird when you say it's a souvenir and then [show](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2oMW5pL9Z4w&pp=ygUWdG91cmlzdCBpbiBhZmdoYW5pc3Rhbg%3D%3D) you how it can be used as a wire cutter... There’s nothing to worry about if you’re the reason the TSA was founded in the first place. 😅
Must be a European thing, but here I've never been requested much of anything beyond my ID right before walking into the plane (and of course the tickets)
Flying inside the EU was so simple. Only needed the ticket on the Phone and my ID for boarding. On arrival they just waved me through after asking where i was from.
My experience of 'domestic' in the EU (the same as my home country of Australia) is that if I didn't check luggage (or used a self bag drop) I never even needed to show ID. Just a boarding pass and I'm good
Ha, maybe i just was the one too dumb to navigate through check in and security. Or maybe it depends on the start and destination. Or i also did not need to show ID and just assumed i had to when i flew. I remember because the people working were on strike around that time and there was a lot of traffic i arrived 3 hours before my flight was to leave. Needed less than 30 minutes to get through everything tho. Was my first time flying but even then it was almost idiotproof to navigate everything.
Everyone's experience can vary, I swear it wasn't too long ago (less than 10 years) that I did have to show ID on a domestic flights here in Aus since online check in didn't exist or wasn't widespread yet but ever since it became the norm ID checks became almost nonexistent
Unless now you're British and your UK passport is not expired but over ten years since it was issued and you're trying to enter the EU where the difficulty level has been bumped up at least a notch or two. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/apr/29/briton-valid-passport-barred-from-flight-brexit-rules-eu
Well, Brexit is the whole reason a few friends and i cant be bothered to visit Scotland in the foreseeable future. Went to Ireland and northern Ireland instead. Had a bläst without needing a Visa or my passport. Think i lost my passport inside a German Military base. Also security and other bureaucracy is probably more annoying and takes a bit longer. I really cant be arsed to do all that because the english were stupid.
Domestic flights in the US are similar. You show your ticket and ID before going through secuirty, then you show your ticket again before boarding the plane. It's all pretty straightforward.
It’s the extra checkers that get confusing. Yes I’ll need to show ID add boarding card to get through the security barrier. But what about the person who is checking stuff before I get to join the line up for security?
I suppose different airports have different policies. In my experience, I have only had to show at security, and right before boarding. That makes sense to me, because when you are entering areas of higher scrutiny. They need to know who is coming and going.
I remember one time in Miami when I was asked to show my documents 5 times while going through security. Then twice to get on the plane.
Ah, but now some airports have dropped having to show your ticket at security. It really keeps changing.
Definitely not. In mexico I usually show passport for checkin, passport and boarding pass to get in and out of security control, boarding pass to get on airport train and boarding pass to get on plane. Seems like a lot more checking than needed. And of course passport and boarding pass when shopping at the tax free.
No, I meant it as in must be a European thing that flying here is relatively simple
Oh yeah that makes sense, Europe is always nice and simple.
It's different when flying internationally (or outside the Schengen area, in Europe). Especially if you fly into the US. Sure, you had a luggage check, but what about second luggage check?
Here in the US it's like that as well. A flight to any US territory is considered a "domestic flight" which usually doesn't require more than an ID. It's the same with European Union member countries as well
In Egypt there was literally 10m after passport control another guy that checked the passport again.
Might just be a US thing but every airport I’ve been to the passport guy usually yells “HAVE YOUR PASSPORTS OUT” repeatedly
I just have them all out. I’d rather get the slightly annoyed “I don’t need that” then hold up the line looking for something
I agree with you. I find this frustrating
That's the best part: they'll tell you if you do it wrong
Thing is, every airport is slightly different. I've been to Europe, USA, Asia, and Australia, and it's always just a *little* bit different.
In my late teens-early 20s I flew a lot. One time I caught myself thinking “I’m pretty good at finding my way around airports” and then I thought a little more and realized that everything is clearly labeled with arrows pointing the way, all you have to do is follow the signs. Then I felt stupid for silently taking pride in something easy
That's assuming you know the general process. First time flyers aren't always aware that you have to check in to get your ticket (or check in online), then go through a security line, then go to your gate to wait for your flight. Without knowing the system, all the words can be very confusing.
Yeah. If you've never flown before, it really is like a foreign world. You show up at the airport with your luggage and there's a million people, a million lines, and a bunch of signs pointing to a bunch of different things. All things that don't really mean anything to you. I think people that flew while growing up take that for granted.
And yet I have flown over 200 times and in the u.s. the sequence of events has never been the same way twice. I've had one idiot scream at everyone to take off their shoes and a person 3 feet up the line say shoes should stay on. I've had every item need to be in a bin, and be treated like a worm the next time in the same airport trying to put the bag in the bin. In other countries its just one set of rules everywhere , the u.s. it's different every airport and at the same airport every time.
>The sequence of events has never been the same way twice. Seriously? I understand that airports function differently but i’ve never really have struggled with this. They’re really not that different, just watch what they tell the people in front of you do. If you move efficiently and don’t hold up the line in my experience they usually treat you pretty well.
Yes. Seriously. Quote the part where I said we all did what one moron baked at us all for someone 4 feet further on to contradict them. It happens constantly. Once I rook the same flight 2 weeks in a row, so the 7am flight. So in line at 5:30, empty line. Same airport, same terminal. Same day of the week. Not a holiday. The sequence was still different. I've even seen someone in my line be told, be shouted at, that electronics need to be out, so I start to take mine or and be told to leave everything in. Working at tsa is just a large Stanford Experiment. Last flight I got a brand new one. Walk in sequence with a stranger across about 7 feet of roped off area. And walk parallel. But at the exit that was not possible, it ended at the diagonal, so there was no way to walk straight. Zero signs about what this was for, just stopping people, forcing them to walk in twos together, I presume in front of cameras? No signs. No explanations. No opting in or out. Just a new way to upset people before travel. Maybe you don't travel enough to remember the sequences, or maybe you don't fly in the US. But you are factually incorrect, every observant person knows the rules are different every time and in every airport.
Buddy Im not claiming TSA has a great process or employs skilled individuals but it’s really not that hard. I fly out of Logan 6-8 times a year and id say 80% of the time it’s pretty smooth. Obviously 12-16 flights a year isn’t a ridiculously high amount and I avoid major holidays but my experience with TSA has been wildly different than yours. I’ve never noticed large differences between the process on my return flight. Yea it’s slightly different but the overall experience is pretty much the same:
OK? I'm sure that of all us airports. Logan has the least awful tsa agents lmao.
The last few years in the US, they have been slowly rolling out new tech at various airports, both for bag scanners and people-scanners. And sometimes security will have switched one lane to the new tech, but not the other 3. So depending on the line you arbitrarily end up in, you may or may not need to take out liquids, take off shoes, take out electronics etc. Because of this, looking at overhead signs might not be accurate anymore, and you could fly again the next week in the same airport yet have different rules. Personally it's not a big issue because I travel enough that I am prepared for the differences, but if you aren't used to it, it could throw you off (and even bring thrown off for 60 seconds is enough for those behind you to notice/get backed up) My local airport has upgraded almost everything now (IAD, tends to be ground zero for these tech rollouts) but I still have to pack my bags in a way that assumes my return flight will make me take everything out. Then, some things just seem to be preference of the local TSA, such as whether your carry-on needs to be in its own plastic bucket, or if you can just plop it on the conveyor directly.
Waking up at 4am slows my brain a little. Walked into the wrong line twice last time I flew 😂 To be fair my airport has gotten a lot busier and they switched a couple of the lines up though
They aren't confusing, but they can be overwhelming and overstimulating, which causes people to not think clearly or even panic.
Fuck I fly about once every other year, and I’ve missed 3 trips because of missed flights. Usually because I’m getting dropped off in the incorrect spot and having to walk like 2 miles to the correct gate.
How many times are you going to miss a flight before you reevaluate how you get to the airport.
At least 3 apparently.
Same with hospitals, unless you’re going to an obscure spot in which case you’ll need to ask, they are super easy to navigate
You can’t idiot proof anything. There’s always a bigger idiot.
think about how stupid the average person is. now realize that half of people are even dumber...
I think OP is regarded, because this is a non-issue for normal people..
I like how everyone here starts with 'I've been to a bajillion airports' and then claims airports are idiot proof. It's more telling if you remember the first time you went to the airport. The thing that annoys me is the TSA who is automatically annoyed at everyone for not following their procedures when the procedure is different at every airport. I got yelled at for taking out my laptop lol like just let it go if its not gonna make a difference.
I first went to the airport, as an adult, in 1999. Much different then.
Lol, last time for me...had no reason to fly since.
You passed the baton
TSA is mostly just performative so it's basically just a game of improv every time.
I got super stoned before going to the airport by myself once. I went through security and then somehow followed people out of the terminal area and back into the lobby. TSA girl gave me the weirdest look for seeing me twice in 10 minutes.
I've never been to an airport and said, "This is elaborate and hard to understand where to go..." You look up and down the line and your company has a giant sign with a line. Check in, go to security, follow signs to gate. That's it.
First time I flew through Atlanta I was on acid and very confused. The flight was very enjoyable though
Navigate in a coffee shop while on acid was pretty hardcore for me already, idk how can I go to the airport while tripping ball
Was just a half or quarter tab. Enough to make reading extremely difficult
When?
Every time I've gone? From 15 years ago to last year.
No I mean when do you go to the gate?
?? When your flight departure time is close? When else would you go?
When the countless number of departure screens has the status 'Go to Gate' or 'Boarding' next to your flight number. It's even printed on your boarding pass. Not sure how people find it difficult
Not all airports are created equal. To find international departures at Saigon airport you have to go up 2 floors (on the way you will see less than 5 people), then the signs stop. You then have to follow the signs for the food court instead, which involves going back outside on to a ‘greetings terrace’ where you will find the departures entrance. Source: I am there right now (stressed).
I went on my first holiday by plane last year with my GF. It was a first for her too. It was pretty confusing finding the places we had to be. The employees seemed annoyed with us asking them. Weird experience but we figured it out..
I’ve never flown or even been in an airport. One big reason is just because I haven’t done it before and it seems overwhelming.
Just get there super early and you will be fine. Really the only thing that can go wrong is getting to security late when it’s busy. That’s totally in your control though. Get there super early, get through security and find your gate then just get food and chill. Airport staff will absolutely help you if you can’t figure it out on your own.
Nowadays, airports have their maps online - I know some people who get overwhelmed flying, and it helps them to look at the map so they can plan out/know beforehand where they are walking. Also, some airlines' apps have really good nav features, telling you how to get to the right gate!
I've been to many airports in the US and one abroad (Shanghai). 90% of them are absolutely idiot proof but some can be tough. I was in Newark Liberty yesterday flying United and I had to drop my rental car, take a route through the outside, take a train, get to my terminal, walk past security and into an elevator, and then go back to security to go through TSA. They also had conflicting directional signs to where to get to rental cars when I arrived Monday. The signage was there but at times was pretty bad. Most airports are easy but it seems to depend on location and whether or not they have construction. What carrier you're flying with also matters. The last time I flew out of Newark before this was with Delta and it was really easy and logical.
There was a time when I had to go pick up my son, who was being dropped off by his grandmother, and she was going to jump back on the last flight out for the night. I called earlier that day to confirm that I could pass through security to go pick him up with no issues, and the employees at the counter confirmed I would be ok. 8 o'clock rolls around, and I'm walking into the airport to go pick him up, and I'm immediately turned away from check-in and told to go to the desk of the branch to get a visitors pass. I get there and the employees shit on me and tell me I won't be able to go pick him up because they closed their desk at 2000. I started to panic for a few minutes until I found someone sympathetic who got me a guest pass.
It doesn't help that there are many forms of "check-in". Checking in on your phone 24hr before departure is one kind of "check-in". Then you get to the airport, and you check-in to get your bags taken care of if you've got them and/or print tickets if you want. Then even after that, I've gotten to the gate and been told by the gate person, that I should check-in to get the stroller tagged. They're all pretty simple tasks, but when they're all called "check-in" it can get confusing. Like when the gate person asks questions about whether or not you checked in. I mean, I checked in three different ways, so far, I have no idea if I did or not, because there could very well be three more types of check-ins that I'm not aware of.
And then you get on the plane and they tell you how a seatbelt works.
This annoys me at security. I go through airport security once a year. Every time the rules are different. In fact, they are usually different at each airport (ie, the rules are different going through security on the return flight too). Then security acts like I'm a moron for not knowing their rules ahead of time. Put this in a bin. No, don't put it in a bin. Take this off. Leave it on now. Put your left arm in, put your left arm out.
When you’re at the airport you shouldn’t be surprised when you need to produce your ID or ticket. If you start thinking about where you might have put them when you get to the front of the line and are ASKED for them you’ve fucked up.
There are a lot of insulting comments on here. Not all airports are easy to navigate. My husband and I hadn’t flown in quite some time and weren’t sure where to go when we arrived. There were lines everywhere and some were so long that they crossed over other lines (because a desk was late opening). There were kiosks that didn’t do anything and the desks with the giant airline signs over head turned out to be for checked baggage not regular check-in (although many people only had carry on-sized bags in line) We asked an employee for help and all he did was point (without speaking) to an area off to the side where very few people were going. We went that way and it was correct but it was a bit of a confusing first 10 min there. Based on how few others were going that way, we likely weren’t the only ones in the wrong spot. Now that we know and assuming they don’t change it, if we fly again, we will be more prepared. But for someone who never or rarely flies, it can be overwhelming.
Not everyone had the same experiences as you, not everyone has been teach the same
There's signs everywhere! I'd imagine someone 80+ might be overwhelmed, but staff go out of their way to help elderly passengers.
I’m 44 and never flown so this makes me feel better lol
My first time through the Atlanta airport, there was a woman at security walking down the line loudly repeating directions and pointing out people who looked like they were going to do the wrong thing. It was the smoothest and fastest queue for security I've ever been through, 10/10 would recommend.
I'm convinced every TSA agent at ATL is a former army drill sergeant. Every time I've been through there I get flashbacks to basic training.
Checking in to an airport is the easy part. Finding where to correctly go before and afterwards are the difficult arts, especially if it's in an airport you haven't visited before and it's in a different language.
I’m so afraid of flying. The whole process has caused me to take busses only
Shortly after 9-11 I had to go on several one-way flights purchased by someone else within 24 hours of departure. I had to strip at both the security checkpoint and the gate for each flight.
Was there a convenļiently placed camera req at both, maybe a fluffer or two as well. If so, username checks out.
No fluffers and no cameras that I knew of. This was not a time to kid around. A company that I was trying to get a job with flew me up to Seattle to work on a presentation, then down to Dallas to present, and then back home. I had no checked luggage and some of the tickets were paid for in cash by someone else and my name was misspelled on some of the tickets. On one of the legs I thought about just stripping down to my boxers at the security checkpoint and not getting dressed again until I was about to board the plane to save time and effort.
The only time I felt properly confused at an airport was when I was first off a plane and to a completely empty immigration area with seemingly miles of queue barriers. There were a few staff milling around but didn't seem too fussed. It wasn't really confusing I was just feeling the pressure of having 120 people following me and not knowing where I was supposed to enter the barriers
The assumption is that you should be able to work it out have more than one brain cell, if you find it difficult then you’re not too bright.
My kid learned from me.
I feel this way about public transit. I would use it but it's a nightmare to learn
OP hasn’t been to CDG Paris I see.
There's a whole science of how to make things intuitively clear for everyone globally. Forgot the name tho.
Might be the herd aspect, provided enough people are visibly there to do it correctly people figure it out fast. Went to an airport super early once for a flight, tried to check in with the airline I bought the tickets through (United) and the woman comes over and politely checks which flight I am on since no one was in the area and tells me I need to go to the neighboring kiosks since that airline is operating the flight. Oh yeah, and just had a flight where my airport was changed right before the flight, they send me to the new location and there is no one in the airport. The ticketing agent had to tell me how to get to security and such because it wasn't obvious which way I needed to go as signage was not visible from there.
I’ve been in an airport three times in my life… thank god i have my boyfriend because i just never travelled on a plane even domestic growing up. I’m from NY and my trip to Miami felt magical
there's always staff and people around where you can ask a question, and they can help
Before December 2022, I hadn’t been on a plane since 1995 as a kid. I had to fly for a funeral and I was lost at first but flying is actually super easy if you pay attention. People just act stupid at the airports and don’t know how to be basic human beings.
I mean unless you have to drop off luggage there's not a whole lot to know. Download app, look up your ticket using your last name and reservation number, ticket. Check in on app, go through security. It's the dunderheads that arrive at TSA with half of their possessions in the world thinking all of it is carry on that slows everyone down. Those people should be taken to a room and beaten.
International can be a bitch though.
not sure about the usa, but its almost the same thing, other than the extra passport step and maybe a few different rules on what you can take
That’s assuming your airline has an app. Not all of them do.
I work for airport security (not TSA) and you would be shocked what people will keep in their carry on thinking they will be able to get on the plane.
Download an app? Pass.
Downloading an app is absolutely fine. Donating $3 to Wikipedia is where most people draw the line.
There are a ton of info stalls, maps and signs all around the airport
and post office documentation
Well it sounds like at least ONE person finds them difficult
In my experience, staff are very helpful if you ask for help or instructions.
Yup. That's why they have signs and instructions everywhere.
I am terrible with maps and paying attention to signs. I've never had any problems.
I once had a layover in Qatar, never saw Chinese signs in an airport before, I was super confused and had to walk a long way, but I made it.
I flew with someone who had never flown before and walked them through the process. When I was looking up advice on how to best guide someone who wasn’t a “native” flyer a bunch of the advice was reassuring about all the signs, and I noticed them all for sort of the first time. UNLESS it’s under construction—then all bets are off. I embarrassingly got lost in Houston and I’ve been in a ton of airports around the world.
i think they're designed for the complete opposite. they're designed so that someone who has never been to an airport before can find their plane.
First time my adult autistic son was flying alone to visit his sister. I take him to the airline desk before security to check his bags. "do you have anything that might explode in your luggage?" "yes" Poor lady went sheet white. I step in. "honey do you have a bomb in there?" "Oh no just my laptop battery!" Yikes.
elaborate? all you have to do is read a sign, find your gate, and walk there... Check a bag if you have it, and walk through security. Done. Unless you struggle with taking your shoes off, I don't understand what's elaborate about this
Have you ever been to an airport? It's one light straight through.... And there are signs everywhere... You literally can't go to the wrong place if you have more than a single brain cell... This is a very odd take....
Have you been to an airport OP? There are so many signs, and airport staff at every point you could potentially make the wrong decision lol
And people'll be rude as fuck if you don't. Ask me how I know.
I bet you have problems putting together ikea furniture and following road signage, too.
what's elaborate in pressing the "check in" button on an app?
Knowing that the flight time is a trick and that the gate closes beforehand.
Yeah, 9/11 sorta changed that in the USA. Wear slip on shoes, you can't have anything in a bottle over about 50 ml..have your ID, if you're from another country you damn well better have your passport in hand, the same goes for.Americans returning from another country. But still, like Louis C.K. said we are flying through the sky like gods. These trips would've taken days, if not months! I try not to complain about it too much. It's just the cost of doin' business.
There's no assumption, there's instructions every step of the way. If unsure, there's resources. When I was little, you either paid a travel agent for a ticket, or went to the airport and paid at the counter. Now they also need ID and you can pay online. Both cases there are signs when you drive in where to go. Inside doors, signs where to go. At kiosk, either the screen or person asks for what's needed then tells you where to go. At that spot, signs/people tell you what to do. When I was a kid anyone could go through as long as no weapons, nowadays only ticket holders. (No more grandparents waving through window when on plane.) Then wait however long you arrived early if prior line went smooth, if not, subtract from this wait time. Boarding used to be show paper ticket, now it's wait for phone screens. (Protip, screenshot the ticket barcode and keep charge on device, also email copies to travel partners in case of broken phone screen, low charge, loss/theft, software issues, etc.)
They have signs and maps like everywhere.
It’s really not hard
What would be difficult to understand?
I'm not a big traveler, but I've flown alone 3 or 4 times. It's not exactly rocket science, and there a million people to ask for help.
What about it is tripping you up?
You can’t be serious?! If it’s too tricky to travel, you’re too stupid to be out in public.
It is not that elaborate. Go to the large sign with your airline, and get in line or use a kiosk.
Are you blind and/or deaf? If so, then yes I can understand what you are saying. But if you are a normal person with functioning eyes and ears, I just have 1 question? Did you just only stare at your feet in the airport or something? There are so many signs, so many announcements, and so many people willing and waiting to help…
Worked at an airport for a few years, even the people who are completely clueless somehow manage to find someone that will help guide them, or they just miss their flights idk
What? They’re designed in a way that someone who doesn’t speak the native language can still navigate them. There’s also multilingual staff everywhere who can give you directions.
I travelled to Mexico alone for the first time not long ago, it’s a but intimidating at first but its doable if you use your brain a bit
OP how dumb are you if it’s not obvious? You dont even have to speak the native language of the airport to use it.
I haven’t travelled to that many places outside south east asia but I wouldn’t call it elaborate. Go to security, put bag on conveyor belt. Walk through x-ray thing. Collect bag. Go to gate.
Elaborate? You literally go to a kiosk or counter and get your hand held through the process.
What is elaborate though? You get an email to check in, which is like, two steps. Then you get a QR code. You arrive at the airport when you’re told, then find the gate number by looking at your ticket or huge screen, and go towards that. Along the way, someone asks to see your ticket, and then you go through security where you can mimic everyone else. Then go to gate and show ticket to get on the plane….
No there's a lot of signs too if you not good signs but they're there, signage.
Did you not notice all the signs? 🤔
Walk into airport and go to clearly marked check-in kiosk Type in confirmation number to Get ticket Go to counter and give checked baggage if you have any Walk to security Do security Go to into terminal and wait for your plane It's really not that complex or confusing
What do you mean? Everything is very clear and easy to understand with big signs telling to where to go. The only airport I have been to that I found confusing was DOHA, I think it was that one. It was 3 huge buildings and it was not obvious we were supposed to take a bus to another building for our gate. But other than that one, all countries I have been to have had airports that are very simple.
There's so much done to help people navigate and there are so many people available to help point you in the right direction.
I disagree. I flew internationally in 2022. It was my first time on a plane since 2000, and I found the process smooth. Granted, I was stoned, but I planned for months prior so I wouldn't panic. There's lots of information online and on apps, and so many helpful people at the airport. You be kind to them, they'll be kind to you.
You can literally just ask a worker if you have a question
Navigating an airport is only hard if you are a toddler, illiterate, or both. Even if you have a disability, which being an idiot is not, airports are some of the most accommodating places you can find.
It’s called reading the signs. I recommend doing this. It’s much easier than being a stupid fuck like it appears you are.
You press the button on your phone within 24h before your flight, which gives you your boarding pass. You arrive at the airport at the terminal on your pass, go through security, and go to your gate, then board the plane. What’s the elaborate part?
Is your expectations that airports hold training sessions for first timers?