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10 Types of People You’re Likely to Run Into at the Airport

  • Things To Do
  • Renee Martin
  • 6 minutes

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Now that travel is back on, there’s plenty of people at airports. Yes, crowded airports can be annoying, but they can also be much fun with so many different kinds of people! Everyone you’ll meet has their own little quirks and ways to kill time at the airport. If you’re into people-watching, you’ll find a whole lot of entertaining characters at airports. Here are 10 types of people you’re likely to run into at the airport.

1.    The Sleepyheads

These folks take their naptime super seriously! They arrive at the airport ready to catch their forty winks whenever the opportunity presents itself. You can easily spot them- they’re no masters of disguise. They are usually spotted carrying travel pillows, blankies, and wearing clothes that look suspiciously like PJs. They don’t necessarily travel in packs and can be seen arriving at the airport on their own. Still, once they’re in, some mysterious force compels them to gravitate towards fellow sleepyheads and proceed to contort themselves into sleeping positions nearby. They are unconcerned about their stuff being stolen or about snoring in public.

2.    The Last-Minuters

They love living on the edge. After all, what fun would travel be without the uncertainty of whether you made it to your flight on time? You’ll usually find them sprinting across the terminal and trying to cut ahead in security lines. While seeing them scramble is usually amusing, you might just find yourself cheering them on.

3.    The Turtles

Did you think we meant these folks move real slow? You couldn’t be more wrong. Named thus for carrying whatever is in their home on their back, the turtles will usually refuse to admit that their backpack or carry-on is too big to be well carried on. They’ll swear that it’s all kosher; they’ve traveled with it before, after all. However, it’s easy to see the destruction they cause in their wake as they bump into everyone in the queue. They can also be seen fighting to squeeze their luggage into a ‘way too small for this’ overhead receptacle, hoisting it onto the conveyor belt with all of their muscles (?), as they argue over the need to gate check.

4.    The Harried Parents

The age of the offspring is inversely proportional to the level of harried-ness of the parents. Some parents just give up and let their kids do their own thing. Others make brave attempts to pre-empt crises at their airport by stocking up on food and toys. You’ll probably hear them before you see them. Their tiny sizes are not indicative of their lung capacities or vocal ranges. You can spot them frantically attempting to collapse a stroller while carrying an assortment of toys or treats. You may often catch them looking wistful as they wish had left the rugrats with the grandparents instead.

5.    The Fashionistas

These are people who believe in putting their best foot forward and make sure that said foot is clad in the latest Manolos! They are easily spotted since they look like they’re at the airport for a photoshoot rather than travel. They will be well-dressed from head to toe, and they will undoubtedly turn heads as they glide through the terminals, not a hair out of place. Some of them are also a part of the next category, which is

6.    The Insta Celeb

Selfies are their game, and the whole world is their studio. They can be easily spotted painstakingly posing in front of departure boards, check-in counters, duty-free shops, or even at Dunkin’ Donuts. Note the precisely placed passport and boarding card in their hand for the ultimate #wanderer image. If you do come across an Insta celeb, you might want to discreetly sidestep them and avoid getting in the frame. They won’t notice you or anything else in their pursuit of the ideal shot.

7.    The Business traveler

Easily spotted since they are accompanied by various sorts of technology (at least two cell phones) as well as a power suit. You’ll find them looking very serious and speaking sternly over one of their phones. They’ve already set their watch to the destination’s time zone and arrives at the gate as boarding begins. Usually gazes at the rest of the rabble with a bored, superior expression while waiting to be bumped to first-class thanks to all the miles they have accumulated.

8.    The Entitled

 

The sense of entitlement is strong with these folks! Something always goes wrong for them, and they just have to speak to the manager about it. They don’t take no for an answer, and they love to let everyone know why and how terribly they’ve been wronged!

9.    The Lovebirds

They’re so in love and oh so happy. They are easily spotted as the twosome holding hands, gazing into each other’s eyes, and murmuring sweet nothings. Some of them might be on their way to a honeymoon, while for others, their whole life is a honeymoon. Get a room, y’all!

10.         The Spirited Ones

(All images via GIPHY)

Usually spotted at one of the airport bars chugging on their fourth margarita by noon. Not for them those tiny little in-flight drinks! They’d rather live life with the help of full-sized drinks before they board their flights. Easily identify them as they weave their way across the terminal, eyes red, legs wobbly, and increasingly emotional about all the things around them. This is probably the most flexible category, quite cheerfully absorbing all the categories mentioned above into their fold any time, any day.

Which type of traveler are you?

Have you ever observed any of these types of people at the airport? Or perhaps you know that you’re one of these! In any case, airports are still can be fun places to hang out in! After all, you’re going to travel, right?


 Airport Travel Tip:

  • If you want to spend time enjoying all that the airport has to offer, be sure to reach the airport early. Make sure you book your airport parking spot ahead of your travel so that there’s no last-minute hurrying. 
  • Avoid public transportation and services like rideshares or taxis as far as possible – opt instead to drive yourself to the Seattle airport if you need to catch a flight. You can further minimize your risk by booking your contactless airport parking spot online.

    Book contactless airport parking

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