About Airports

Airports are divided into several terminals. Often a terminal is so big it's like a small airport in itself. Every terminal has several gates, sometimes up to 50 or more gates. Most terminals have shops and stores where you can shop, often a dedicated food place called food court where you can eat. How you can get from one terminal to another varies from airport to airport. At some airports you just walk, at other ones there are dedicated buses, airport train (often called concourse) or monorail.

Terminal D of an airport with all the gates and parking lot in the middle

Most airports in the US have nowadays wireless internet, so if you have a laptop or PDA you can go online, surf the web or check your e-mail. In most cases this is not free, has a fee, typically about $5/hr or $10/day. On a few airports like Las Vegas McCarran Airport the wireless internet is free.

One of the other crazy things I noticed recently is that more and more planes are boarded (passengers seated) from front to back. What this means? Usually the "entrance" of a plane is at the front of the plane. Instead of boarding people at the back of the plane first, many airlines board the front of the plane first, e.g. the first ten rows first. Then the next 10 rows and so on. The only problem with this is: after you boarded the first 10 rows of people they will block the plane for several minutes and the rest of the passengers have to wait until these guy settle, and they can not move towards the back of the plane. Wouldn't be easier and more logical to let in first the pass angers who sit in the back of the plane, and filling in the plane from back to front? Because of this strategy with no common sense the boarding time is a lot longer (at least double compared to the other way) and people are standing in loooong line waiting to finally get to their seats. Hope this annoying procedure will change in the future.

By the way, about seating: Southwest airlines started to practice "open seating" which means you do not have a specific reserved seat, you can sit wherever you want. I though I will mention this as a curiosity.

Flights

Cell phones must be shut off during the flight. In America the cellular system is based on several different technologies. Some of these are similar with the European or worldwide standard (called GSM), some of them are completely different. Most probably your cell phone from other countries will not work in the US unless it is a world phone or tri-band phone (and many of the newer, more expensive phones are such).

Laptops and other electronic devices can be operated onboard after the plane reached the cruising height. Be aware however that most planes on the economy class do not have electric outlets.

If you switch planes in America and you continue your flight with an American flight then you will need some extra food. While on the trans-atlantic flights the food is quite decent, you get one or two hot menus during the flight, on the American continental flights it's a bit different. Let's say you land in New-York and take a connecting flight to Denver, Colorado. American airlines won't give you decent food, usually all you get is some crackers, or eventually a sand witch and some coke. Forget the hot menus. I never had hot meal on an airplane in the US. It looks this is non-existent in the US.

Even more, after 9/11 this is the new thing what airlines start to do more and more often, and this is what seems to become the new standard in America: during the shorter domestic flights you don't get any food. On the longer flights which exceed 2 hrs you get some crackers, peanuts or sort which is free. If you want to get some decent food you can buy a sand witch for $5. I'm just wondering how far this can go and with what they will come up next.

For those Americans who plan to visit Europe it will be a pleasant surprise the plenty food on the plane. Because Europe is much smaller geographically than the US, usually the European flights are not longer than 2 hours. And for 2 hours flight time you get a decent menu on the plane, most of the time hot menu.

[Forditotta: oldglory]