Airports are genuinely fascinating. On the one hand they are a business like any other – transporting people or freight from one point to another – better airlines doing so in the notified timeframe and with all people and goods intact. But oh my, the stories behind the trips people are taking are not all the same.
There are the seasoned travellers, usually there for business, the flight simply a necessary evil to enable them to do the work they are required to. You spot them straight away – dressed a little more smartly, laptops out as soon as allowed. Often they are only to be seen in the far off business class, but lesser employees have to make do with ordinary old economy. They keep the airlines in business, and remind us who are on holiday to be grateful that we get to watch the movies (provided we have remembered to bring a suitable device – which is really annoying if you haven’t! And for the airlines info, I don’t consider a phone a suitable device, it’s screen is far too small.)
Some are flying simply for the love of it. I wouldn’t say this is the most common category but recently met someone who fell within it. We had just completed the Sydney to Los Angeles leg of our trip – a long dash and though it went smoothly enough, it is hard to be enthusiastic about those long hauls. While that is my take – it’s not the take of the person I chatted to while waiting to pass through customs. I asked him where he was off to and he said he and his wife had a night in LA and were then flying to Portugal and then to wherever the whim took them. He elaborated that his son has a very senior position with the airline and one of the perks he can gift to his parents are flights in business or first class at a tiny fraction of the usual fee. He added that it was cheaper for them to sleep on an aeroplane than in a hotel room, and as he usually managed to check in first class it was also a lot more pleasant. He then complained that the flight he had just been on he had to slum it in Premium Economy, downgraded at the last minute by another flight’s engine trouble which meant they relocated their First class passengers onto our flight, precipitating his downgrade. I tried to sympathise but don’t think I was entirely convincing. Fancy flying to some of the most exotic locations on the globe and rarely leaving the airport. Seems a waste to me – but each to their own.
Then there are those flying for a family or friend reunion. Their pleasure seems to be related to if it’s the outward or return trip. Lot’s of older people on flights are grieving that they won’t be seeing their 2 and 4 year old grandchildren for a couple of years. Trips are great when you are saying hello, less so when you are saying goodbye.
At times the reason for the flight is poignant. Catching up with a loved person who is seriously unwell – or returning from a ceremony remembering their life. Airports are places where tears are often shed. Sometimes you know you will never again see the person you just said goodbye to.
And then there are all the exciting reasons people fly. The wonderful holidays taken, the memories made. Or the new opportunity that has opened up for those with the courage to start again – to say goodbye to what is, for what they hope will be.
Why am I writing as I am? Well truth to tell, Rosemary and I are at the airport, and try though we did to get a more hospitable flight, we’ve a 7 hour wait before we board. Rosemary has disappeared for yet another cup of tea, and I am quietly categorising my fellow travellers. There is not much conversation going on, just plenty of doomscrolling. An older lady fell asleep as I watched, her head rolling forward a little precariously. And I am thinking about the 7 hours that lie ahead. For us – this flight is a holiday – seeing things we have never seen, trying to expand our horizons, trying to understand what makes a life deep and rich and meaningful. We are grateful travellers. But even so – 7 hours at an airport…
My verse for today is Ps 118:24 – “This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” And I am glad – even at an airport in Quebec where almost everyone speaks French and my Qantas Gold membership doesn’t count for anything, and the tea is outrageously expensive. But if life is made up in the moments, these moments are a gift from the God who made today and every day. And it is right to rejoice in them. And actually, I am just a little bit excited. We are off to see the Niagara Falls tomorrow – and nope, I’ve never seen them before. But just for now, I will like a few more Facebook posts, and then join Rosemary in another cup of tea. We’ve now a little over 6 hours to go….
Nice chatting…
Photo by Optical Chemist: https://www.pexels.com/photo/modern-kuwait-city-architecture-with-airplane-36333271/
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