Unfortunately, if you’re in the US, you’re held captive by uncreative and generic airport retailers. If you’re in an international hub, you’re subject to endless duty-free malls – all carrying the same ‘luxury’ items that you can easily get in any city, at roughly the same price. Who buys ‘fragrances’ or Scotch at the airport anyway?
An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting would be more useful and grounding than a couple of hours in an airport concourse. Or how about a spa where you can check your luggage and they provide you with gym clothes for the treadmill, followed by a whirlpool and a massage? Of course, in various parts of the world, these facilities are already available to first-class travelers. But at the right price, given the erratic nature of air travel, wouldn’t everyone be tempted?
Alternatively, how about a luggage check counter outside customs where you could drop off your bags and run into town for a quick museum tour, before zipping back to catch your flight? Or how about a laundromat for those travelers who actually need fragrances because they’ve been hiking across the continent, or a dry-cleaner that can have your suit available for pick-up at your destination?
How much would you pay for a clean bed for a quick nap? You could drop off your luggage, don a sleep suit and climb into a cocoon for a couple of hours. Or how about a pharmacy that can fill your prescription, no matter where you are, or a doctor’s office where you can make sure that the ache in your leg isn’t DVT? Or even a rent-a-pet center where you can play with a dog or cat for an hour to calm your pre-flight nerves?
And sell me something useful in those damn shops – at reasonable prices! I’m tired of WH Smith at every destination pushing pulp fiction, newspapers and the tackiest of souvenirs for outrageous prices. There should be a law that forces airports to reserve some retail space for locally made goods. At least that way you might know where you are when you land.
As for the food, it sucks. Doctors tell me that it’s better to eat a light, healthy meal before I get on the plane than to eat the dreaded in-flight meals. But what is my choice at the airport? Burger King or Garfunkel’s. Even the few ‘health food’ places seem to be run by overworked, lethargic folks who look like they could use a shot of wheatgrass themselves.
Furthermore, alcohol and flying really don’t mix. The combination increases the effect of jet lag, increases the hangover impact, increases your susceptibility to airborne bugs and makes passengers more likely to rebel in the air.
Yet as soon as you get into the airport they push the booze. It’s all part of the glamour of travel, I suppose. But with enough alcohol in you, maybe you’ll be able to find something interesting in those duty-free shops!
