I'm sure you've seen the article. If not, I'm sure you've heard about it in the news. We, the Philippines, have the worst airport in the world. What people fail to mention was it was based on one criteria: the availability of facilities for sleeping in airports. Talk about sensationalizing an issue.
I admit that our airport is in bad shape. It needs repairs and updating. Chuvaness has detailed it in her blog so many times.
One media personality pointed out that since it is the first thing that greets tourists, it has to be aesthetically pleasing. I agree by a hundred percent.
BUT, no matter how sophisticated or spacious the airport is, it is not proportionate to the number of tourists. Take the case of the Cebu and Palawan airports. But, that's beside the point.
The point is, airports aren't for sleeping. I am always surprised to find people finding comfort in an airport bench. I assumed when the airport was designed, it didn't have "the idea of sleeping in airports" in mind. There wasn't a need because we come from a culture where there is always someone (a driver, a taxi driver, a family member, Park and Fly shuttle) who'll bring the passenger to the airport. In the other countries mentioned, they do not have the conveniences we are accustomed to.
In our defense, we are the only developing country in that list. Correct me if I'm wrong. The other countries in that list have more than enough resources to update their facilities. They have listed Los Angeles, London, France, Germany, Italy and other European nations.
Have you seen the Roma Fiumicino airport? When I was there, the tiles were broken. The fixtures were torn off the walls. There were no trash bins in the cubicles. May I just say that we're not the only people who haven't learned to flush? I might as well be in the Philippines. It took me a while to decide which is the least dirty of them all.
Paris CDG was quite a disappointment too, after seeing Singapore, HK and Bangkok. It was too small. The arrival area was too crowded for arriving passengers and their assigned drivers. There aren't enough shops and seats for departing passengers. The dining area looks like a cafeteria. The duty free shops in terminal 2A where smaller than what we have in NAIA 2.
LAX is no different. I expected a lot from this airport since it is one of USA's popular cities. The arrival area is chaotic. The departure area is quite boring so we usually hang out at the food court after checking in. It is true, the seats in the pre-boarding area aren't enough for Manila-bound passengers.
My point is, let us not be quick about putting our country down. We have a lot to aim for. But we are no different from the rest.
Even if it is the worst airport in the world, I am always glad to see it from the plane. It means that I am home.
I admit that our airport is in bad shape. It needs repairs and updating. Chuvaness has detailed it in her blog so many times.
One media personality pointed out that since it is the first thing that greets tourists, it has to be aesthetically pleasing. I agree by a hundred percent.
BUT, no matter how sophisticated or spacious the airport is, it is not proportionate to the number of tourists. Take the case of the Cebu and Palawan airports. But, that's beside the point.
The point is, airports aren't for sleeping. I am always surprised to find people finding comfort in an airport bench. I assumed when the airport was designed, it didn't have "the idea of sleeping in airports" in mind. There wasn't a need because we come from a culture where there is always someone (a driver, a taxi driver, a family member, Park and Fly shuttle) who'll bring the passenger to the airport. In the other countries mentioned, they do not have the conveniences we are accustomed to.
In our defense, we are the only developing country in that list. Correct me if I'm wrong. The other countries in that list have more than enough resources to update their facilities. They have listed Los Angeles, London, France, Germany, Italy and other European nations.
Have you seen the Roma Fiumicino airport? When I was there, the tiles were broken. The fixtures were torn off the walls. There were no trash bins in the cubicles. May I just say that we're not the only people who haven't learned to flush? I might as well be in the Philippines. It took me a while to decide which is the least dirty of them all.
Paris CDG was quite a disappointment too, after seeing Singapore, HK and Bangkok. It was too small. The arrival area was too crowded for arriving passengers and their assigned drivers. There aren't enough shops and seats for departing passengers. The dining area looks like a cafeteria. The duty free shops in terminal 2A where smaller than what we have in NAIA 2.
LAX is no different. I expected a lot from this airport since it is one of USA's popular cities. The arrival area is chaotic. The departure area is quite boring so we usually hang out at the food court after checking in. It is true, the seats in the pre-boarding area aren't enough for Manila-bound passengers.
My point is, let us not be quick about putting our country down. We have a lot to aim for. But we are no different from the rest.
Even if it is the worst airport in the world, I am always glad to see it from the plane. It means that I am home.
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