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[choirguy]

I live about 100 miles from 2 international airports (Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham).  I am also 100 miles from 2 reasonably sized regional airports (Greensboro and Columbia, SC).  I usually avoid Charlotte because fares tend to be $100 higher than at other airports.  But - 9 flights out of 10 from any of the other airports, I change planes in Charlotte.  I've never figured this one out.  The only saving grace is that the Charlotte airport has decent amenities (and you don't have to go through security every time you leave the gate to find a drink or to pee). 

[polly_mer]

Okay. This isn't about one airport in particular, but who thought this flight plan was smart?

Origination airport to Atlanta to Las Vegas to Reno. Return, Reno to San Francisco (7 HOUR layover) to Las Vegas to Atlanta to Origination airport.

Much like DCA - DTW - MSN - LAS (Washington-National to Detroit to Madison, Wisconsin to Las Vegas) when Northwest was trying to make a Madison, WI to Las Vegas non-stop work a few years ago . . .

The cheesehead-gambler market being critical to their financial viability, no doubt.

Those Mississippi River Boats out of Dubuque don't run all winter, Mister.  At least when I lived in WisCAHNsin, no tribal gambling was allowed.  However, I still can't believe the smart choice would be nonstop to Vegas instead of Phoenix, Tempe, or Tucson.  Any Arizona destination should have a packed flight because a substantial fraction of WisCAHNsin migrates there during the winter.  As it is now, flying into Chicago, renting a car, and driving is almost always faster and cheaper than trying to fly into Madison.

[helpful]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

[polly_mer]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

Really poor airports that don't have the money to do the necessary remodelling do this.  I can think of several regional airports that were built with the few shops and such outside of security and there is simply no room to put them inside.  They will have to build new terminal buildings to conform with the new standards and the budget probably won't be in place for another ten years.

I can also think of some fairly big airports that have outlier buildings for the perhaps twice daily regional service.  These buildings frequently have restrooms (one each gender, if they're in order), but no snacks or other amenities.  You have to know to acquire them before you leave the main terminal. 

Yes, I have always lived in the hinterlands.  What is this direct flight thing that I have heard about?

[dr_stones]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

Kansas City.

[helpful]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

Kansas City.

Wow! A big place like KC? That is unbelievable.One more reason not to fly through there.

[dr_stones]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

Kansas City.

Wow! A big place like KC? That is unbelievable.One more reason not to fly through there.

Yeah, it came up early in the thread . . .

[science_expat]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

Parts of Heathrow - you go through secondary security at the gate and there's no toilet. Ditto for Charles de Gaulle.

[aandsdean]

This reference to having to go through security again if you want a drink or pee has me thinking. I have never been in an airport where that is the case. All the airports I fly through have multi shops in the gate area and multi bathrooms, too. What kind of airport in this modern age doesn't have shops to buy drinks in or bathrooms in the gate area?

Parts of Heathrow - you go through secondary security at the gate and there's no toilet. Ditto for Charles de Gaulle.

Singapore Changi is like this as well, as are at least parts of Frankfurt.  However, at Singapore they don't let you into that section until about 15 minutes before boarding, so it's not that big a deal, and the rest of the airport is so fabulous and efficient that even this hiccup--which I wouldn't describe as a hiccup, even--is virtually invisible.  It also spares missing a flight due to a security pileup miles away from the gate, which is worth a lot.

[eddean]

Tashkent has to be the worst.

[regular_joe]

Eddean,
You've been to Uzbekistan? I'm jealous! Maybe someday I'll make it there...
RJ

[eddean]

I have been to a few of the ‘stans. I once took a bus from Taraz to Bishkek.  That was an interesting trip.