Are You Airport Cool.

[GeorgeW]

I don't see being the last one on as being 'cool'. As long as you don't have a lot of cabin baggage it does show you know how to travel though. I prefer being the last one one most times rather than mix it up with all the ill-mannered people who rush to get on the plane. Not that everyone who's first on the plane are ill-mannered, it's just that a lot of them are, perhaps due to not having flown much. I did get a great laugh at the OP who think's it's cool to be last but then says he flys Air Asia. Nothing could be more un-cool than flying Air Asia. I suggest you go out and travel some more on different airlines before you start tying to define what is cool and what isn't.

[tw25rw]

I usually leave it til the last second to get on when flying economy, unless it's EasyJet with the open seating..

I recently flew LHR-BKK in business on Thai and charged for the gate as soon as it said boarding and wasted 30 mins that could have been spent in the lounge. How late can I safely leave it? Final Call?

[Cuban]

Great subject. Yes - I hope I'm seen as 'cool' by the travelling masses, particulary when travelling first class. But even when cattle class is my only option I consider travelling light is everything: Bose headphones and MP3 player and sometimes a laptop and a paper taken from the lounge pre-flight.

Why carry bags onto the cabin?

[Kerryd]

I like all you "cool" people !

I wish there were more like you, as it would mean I could get on the plane and get settled in with my first drink and snack even quicker ! It would be especially great to see the plane back away from the gate, and see all the "cool" people still sitting in the departure area, all waiting for someone else to be the first to move.

And I would be off the plane, through Immigration and out of the airport even quicker, if more "cool" people would just stay in their seats while I disembark !

And if you are super cool, you'd stay on the plane until the departing passengers started loading for the next flight, and wait until the person that is supposed to be sitting in your seat shows up !

[fft100]

Not worth being cool if flying business, as you will probably miss the pre takeoff drink...

In the back, being one of the last ones on enables you to have a good look round for empty seats in case your middle seat is occupied - the older i get, the more i like it when there is noone sat next to me - unless the girlfriend is there....

Seriously UNCOOL - If you are the last one on, but that is due to 'flight xxxx is awaiting passenger xxxxxx. The plane is due to depart etc etc ' - esp if it gets down to 'we are taking your luggage off the plane' . Annoys the <deleted> out of me.

[mikethevigoman]

I am freezing if you are cool! , i get to the airport about an hour before departure and im nearly always last to board,i dont even go in the departure lounge ( wait in the gold lounge ),only to walk on the plane with a carry out from thai air lounge,.,and actually they have been using the intercom to find me sometimes, never missed a flight !,been close though

Edited July 17, 2008 by mikethevigoman

[KhunDave]

It is of course impossible to be cool when travelling via The Swamp as the A/C is f*cking useless.

[Payboy]

Just returned from a Penang visa run

visa run = uncool

overstay = cool

[farang prince]

I'm so cool that I don't even care if the cool people think I'm cool.

[Jingthing]

My checked luggage, first in, last out.

[bendix]

Flying Air Asia and 'cool' do not belong in the same sentenced.

End of discussion

[technocracy]

Flying Air Asia and 'cool' do not belong in the same sentenced.

End of discussion

How very true. The last time I flew on a budget carrier was Easyjet from Liverpool to Amsterdam around 2001 with the 'unreserved fight for you seat' seating plan. Not pleasant experience!

[sibeymai]

The coolest way to travel by far is to ensure that you have a checked bag in the cargo hold. The plane can not depart without you, unless they search the hold and remove your bag. Then you can take as much time as you like (up to about 1 hour after boarding) in the bar/smoke room/duty free shops. The airline staff will come searching the terminal building for you and escort you to the plane. They might even have one of those golf carts used for VIP passengers. Guaranteed by the time they do this you can walk straight on, no queue. But you have to put up with the disapproving stares on the passengers who have already been on the plane for 30 minutes waiting for you.

Passengers on board either think you are a big VIP because they waited for you, or think you are a complete <deleted> for being late.

Edited July 18, 2008 by sibeymai

[Kerryd]

You heard the man, stop discussing this !

Of course, the really, really artic cool people would never actually fly. They'd buy tickets, pack their bags, and maybe even get to the airport, but then...........Line Ups ! Not cool. Can't check in if there is a line up !

So they wait until the line up dies down (seconds before the check in closes,maybe). OK, checked in just in time, too cool. Now you've got to get to the Departure Gate. Oops - Line up at the Security Check !

That line up almost never dies down ! What to do ? Join the line and look uncool ? Sneak through the air crew/airport staff screener ? Maybe. Better hurry. Final boarding call has sounded a couple of times now.

Argh, just managed to elbow your way ahead of some lady and her kids. Not cool, but chances are she isn't on your flight (and if she is, you're barely going to make it as it is. With the kids in tow, no way she'll get there in time).

Oh boy, that is one long way from security to the Duty Free area, and then to your Departure Gate ! Hard to look cool when you are almost sprinting, out of breath, sweating, red faced and ready to keel over with a heart-attack. Do you risk trying to load up on some Duty Free as you are running past ? Or hope that you'll have a few seconds to spare for a quick puff before going into the Boarding Gate ?

Was that your name being announced ? Cool ! Everyone is going to know who you are !

Sheesh, why is that cashier taking so long ? It's only 2 bottles, 2 cartons, 4 boxes of chocolate, a camera, couple of postcards, couple of souveniers, magazine and newspaper ! Hurry up girl ! Got a plane to catch !

OK, gates just ahead, surely you've got time to have a puff before you go in, it's going to be a long flight. Whooo boy, outa breath, sweat is drippin down, but man are you super cool !

Look at that ! Departure Gate is empty ! No Line Up ! Time to do the Super Cool Stroll up to the counter. Hmmm, where is the attendant that checks the boarding passes ? No matter, they know you're coming. Just scoot under the turnstile and meet them on the plane.

Ah, what a joy. Nobody in front of you, the less coolios had to board already. Won't they be jealous when they see you coming. Hmmmm, door is locked. Can't get out to the walkway to the plane. Better look out the window and see where the attendant is to open the door.

That's odd. The plane is being pushed back from the gate. How are you supposed to get on ? If you bang on the window, will they bring the plane back ? Nah, that wouldn't look cool.

Oh there's the attendant ! Surely they'll arrange to have a car take me to the plane now. They won't ? What do you mean I missed the flight ? The next one isn't for 2 more days, if there's a seat available ? You mean I have to go all the way back out and pick up my luggage ? How am I supposed to carry my luggage and my carry on and my bags of duty free ? What do you mean I can't stay here until the next flight ? Aren't you going to put me up in a hotel ? What do you mean it's my fault the plane left without me ? It wasn't my fault, it was that slow cashier at the duty free ! Oh man, I have to pay for a new ticket ? That's not cool ! I didn't have enough for my vacation as it was ! I was going to slide by using my extra cool factor. In fact, I don't have enough for cab fare to get home ! I blew it all on the duty free. Call my parents for money ? That's not cool, they're like 80 now. How's it going to look if their 50 year old son calls them up asking for cab fare ? It's bad enough I'm still living in their basement (pssss - don't tell anyone, it might lower my cool factor). Is there a phone I can use to call them from ? OK, they'll pick me up in front of the airport.

Look at all those uncool people lining up for that flight. Don't they know how cool it is to be the last one to board ?

Why is that lady and her kids laughing at me ? I'm not the one standing in line to get on a flight !

Oh, there's my ma. She doesn't look happy. I probably won't get dessert tonight. Pa looks like he's going give me a whooping, like he did when I forgot to take out the garbage last week. Still hurts to sit after that one.

Well, at least I can go to the local tonight and tell the lads about how I was soooooo cooool, I didn't even go on that trip to Thailand I had been bragging about all year ! That out to be good for a couple of free drinks !

Ha ! Look up there ! That's the plane I would have been on ! Look at all those uncool suckers heading off ! Looossseerrrssss !

Oww ! Ma ! Stop pulling me by the ear ! It's not cool ! Ooww ! Maaaa, stop ! Those girls are laughing at me ! Maaaa ! Maaaaa !

[sibeymai]

Once was working in Melbourne back in the 80s with a bunch of guys from Sydney. We flew home every second weekend. We had a competition about who could check in the least amount of time before the scheduled departure time and still get their bags on the plane (in the cargo hold). The record was 10 minutes. I tried for 7 minutes, but my bags went on the next flight.

The 10 minute record stands to this day.

Edited July 18, 2008 by sibeymai

[sibeymai]

You heard the man, stop discussing this !

Of course, the really, really artic cool people would never actually fly. They'd buy tickets, pack their bags, and maybe even get to the airport, but then...........Line Ups ! Not cool. Can't check in if there is a line up !

So they wait until the line up dies down (seconds before the check in closes,maybe). OK, checked in just in time, too cool. Now you've got to get to the Departure Gate. Oops - Line up at the Security Check !

That line up almost never dies down ! What to do ? Join the line and look uncool ? Sneak through the air crew/airport staff screener ? Maybe. Better hurry. Final boarding call has sounded a couple of times now.

Argh, just managed to elbow your way ahead of some lady and her kids. Not cool, but chances are she isn't on your flight (and if she is, you're barely going to make it as it is. With the kids in tow, no way she'll get there in time).

Oh boy, that is one long way from security to the Duty Free area, and then to your Departure Gate ! Hard to look cool when you are almost sprinting, out of breath, sweating, red faced and ready to keel over with a heart-attack. Do you risk trying to load up on some Duty Free as you are running past ? Or hope that you'll have a few seconds to spare for a quick puff before going into the Boarding Gate ?

Was that your name being announced ? Cool ! Everyone is going to know who you are !

Sheesh, why is that cashier taking so long ? It's only 2 bottles, 2 cartons, 4 boxes of chocolate, a camera, couple of postcards, couple of souveniers, magazine and newspaper ! Hurry up girl ! Got a plane to catch !

OK, gates just ahead, surely you've got time to have a puff before you go in, it's going to be a long flight. Whooo boy, outa breath, sweat is drippin down, but man are you super cool !

Look at that ! Departure Gate is empty ! No Line Up ! Time to do the Super Cool Stroll up to the counter. Hmmm, where is the attendant that checks the boarding passes ? No matter, they know you're coming. Just scoot under the turnstile and meet them on the plane.

Ah, what a joy. Nobody in front of you, the less coolios had to board already. Won't they be jealous when they see you coming. Hmmmm, door is locked. Can't get out to the walkway to the plane. Better look out the window and see where the attendant is to open the door.

That's odd. The plane is being pushed back from the gate. How are you supposed to get on ? If you bang on the window, will they bring the plane back ? Nah, that wouldn't look cool.

Oh there's the attendant ! Surely they'll arrange to have a car take me to the plane now. They won't ? What do you mean I missed the flight ? The next one isn't for 2 more days, if there's a seat available ? You mean I have to go all the way back out and pick up my luggage ? How am I supposed to carry my luggage and my carry on and my bags of duty free ? What do you mean I can't stay here until the next flight ? Aren't you going to put me up in a hotel ? What do you mean it's my fault the plane left without me ? It wasn't my fault, it was that slow cashier at the duty free ! Oh man, I have to pay for a new ticket ? That's not cool ! I didn't have enough for my vacation as it was ! I was going to slide by using my extra cool factor. In fact, I don't have enough for cab fare to get home ! I blew it all on the duty free. Call my parents for money ? That's not cool, they're like 80 now. How's it going to look if their 50 year old son calls them up asking for cab fare ? It's bad enough I'm still living in their basement (pssss - don't tell anyone, it might lower my cool factor). Is there a phone I can use to call them from ? OK, they'll pick me up in front of the airport.

Look at all those uncool people lining up for that flight. Don't they know how cool it is to be the last one to board ?

Why is that lady and her kids laughing at me ? I'm not the one standing in line to get on a flight !

Oh, there's my ma. She doesn't look happy. I probably won't get dessert tonight. Pa looks like he's going give me a whooping, like he did when I forgot to take out the garbage last week. Still hurts to sit after that one.

Well, at least I can go to the local tonight and tell the lads about how I was soooooo cooool, I didn't even go on that trip to Thailand I had been bragging about all year ! That out to be good for a couple of free drinks !

Ha ! Look up there ! That's the plane I would have been on ! Look at all those uncool suckers heading off ! Looossseerrrssss !

Oww ! Ma ! Stop pulling me by the ear ! It's not cool ! Ooww ! Maaaa, stop ! Those girls are laughing at me ! Maaaa ! Maaaaa !

Kerryd, just way too kool !!

Reminds me of the time I missed a flight at Narita, not realising it wasn't a 24 hour airport (expecting to sleep in the terminal overnight). Immigration security escorted us to the "airport detention" hotel (I had a Thai girl with me who couldn't get a transit visa into Japan) and stayed the night with security guards outside the hotel roon door. Was escorted to the door of the plane the next day. Quite an experience. not one that I'd like to repeat, entry denied stamp in my passport and all....including the cost of the "services" provided.

Edited July 18, 2008 by sibeymai