Hotels In Albufeira

Airport dining stinks, literally and figuratively. Airport food is expensive and lacks any culinary value. In other words it tastes awful. The service is non-existent . What do you think?

 A hamburger or sandwich with a drink might seem like the least expensive item to purchase, but when the bill  arrives it feels like a second mortgage on a home. Or that slice of pepperoni pizza? Maybe it will only cost the price of the golden egg. Okay that’s a little radical, but a family "enjoying" a meal in their terminal will need a fat wallet to keep the kids happy. .Seriously what is the deal with the prices?

The complaining seems to go in one kitchen door and out the other. The restaurateurs excuses for pricing have been thrown on the wall, and like el dente spaghetti, they just haven’t stuck. “Rent is more expensive in the airport.” “A percentage of our income goes back to the airport”. Wah, wah -- they sound like a bunch of crying babies.

It is difficult to understand a latte coffee can have a different price in another terminal. Over the past few years airport managers have said they are pushing for street prices in their restaurants. Richard Marchi, an advisor for  the United States Airports Council International, actually said, “What has happened is that airport managers have become much more sensitive to the traveling public.” Excuse me; when did that happen?


Airport Food .. Terrible

It is discouraging enough that the food will come in a plastic container or wrapped in paper, but it is almost guaranteed when the below average meal is finished, pounds of weight has been gained. Why is it the case that most options are  fast food ? Choices are very limited. Options range from burgers to bagel or burritos.

Consider this recent  encounter with a refreshingly honest airport waitress at a United States Airport. She attempted to describe the process of microwaving a pre-cooked, frozen for eternity enchilada suiza and the tough chewy tostados that came at no extra cost. Honestly, it would cause a starving man’s stomach to turn a double flip-flop. It was not a convincing interpretation of any food.

The vast majority of passengers waiting for a plane are not interested in 5 star dining. What they want is something tasty and refreshing. Very rarely do they get it. Anyone sampling Airport Food in most African and Asian Airports is simply asking for trouble.Western travellers get ripped off. One particular Asian Airport serves up a noodle snack for US$ 6.00. You can buy the same thing from a street hawker outside the airport for fifteen cents.

What is the travel weary person who is hungry to do? In an airport eating fast food is about the only option. And there is nothing speedy about airport food. Customers stand in line for 20 minutes just to order. Then they are given a number. They wait another 15 minutes for their food to come up – usually wrong. When the subject of “wrong order” is broached, managers are called to approve the changes. Food is taken out of bags. At least three employees man-handle it. Is it any surprise the cries of exhausted globe-trotting people are heard screaming, “Just give me my money back,” as they run from restaurants?

On the subject of service, why is 95% of the food in airports fast food? There is nothing fast about an airport anymore. Travellers have to be at the airport two or three hours before flights. Often flights are delayed and people can’t even get a relaxing meal to eat. It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to discover people have time to kill in airports and they could use a nourishing meal.

Airports are no longer glamorous places. Mid-century women wore gloves, heels and their best Sunday dress. Men were attired in business suits and ties. It was possible to sit down in a restaurant with tablecloths and silverware. Waiters with little towels over their arms happily took orders. A refreshing martini could always be purchased at street price. Does the public really want to go back to those hermetically sealed days? Probably not, but we could strike a decent balance.

Even if there are “up-scale” dining experiences in some airports, the environment is usually lacking. Imagine eating chicken cordon bleu while watching hubs of pooped people in too-tight sweat pants, trudge over-packed suitcases through airports. The only view possible is at the window if you are lucky enough to get it. Here planes can be watched landing and taking off. Yahoo! This is not exactly optimal for relaxation.


Airport Travelers Are Held Captive

It has been more difficult for people to travel since 2001. We all know that, but the restaurateurs and concessionaires are greedily smiling like the Cheshire cat over their captive audience. People can’t bring along a packed meal from home because they can’t get it through security. They can’t even get a bottle of water through security. Thus water is priced at £2 a bottle at the gates.

Dining in an airport is most often a cash-stealing experience in gastronomic monotony. In closing, a few tips will enhance your stay at the airport. Eat before you leave home. Stay busy in the airport to keep your mind off of hunger. If you must eat, buy an apple.