Going to the airport is always an adventure. Sure, there’s the thrill of traveling and seeing a new place — or even better, an old place. There’s also the amazing fact that an enormous piece of metal can travel safely through the sky. That’s not even to mention how cool it is that you can travel thousands of miles in just a few hours.
But beyond the facts of air travel, even the airport itself is a cool place. The busiest airports in the world accommodate hundreds of thousands of travelers every single day, not to mention all the non-travelers. The travelers come from every corner of the world. That means you can see people from almost every continent sitting in the same terminal.
Along with all the amazing things in the airport, you’ll also see some pretty weird stuff. Once you cross the line of airport security, it often seems as though you’ve entered a different reality. At the airport, people sleep on the floor, play on moving walkways, and buy $11 bags of chips.
Even with that, sometimes you see something in the airport that’s so bizarre, you can’t help but do a double-take.
1. It turns out there’s a wrong way to carry a flesh-colored neck pillow
If you’re going to use a neck pillow that’s the same basic color (more or less) as your skin tone, you might want to be careful how you carry it. Otherwise, you could draw a lot more attention than you want.
Forget putting your name on your luggage like other people. Just go ahead and print your entire face on it. Not only is it easily recognizable, but no one will want to steal it.
This guy was relaxing at his gate and watching The Avengers when he noticed he had some fans behind him. I hope he took his earbuds out and invited them to join him.
You have to wonder just how long their layover was that caused them to resort to doing this. After a few hours, you get tired of crossword puzzles and playing on your phone.
Well, how else is a person supposed to transport a giant fish costume? You have to admire the ease with which they stepped into it. Then they walked out without carrying anything.
Even the airport staff gets bored on occasion. You can’t blame them for having a bit of fun with the sign — and seeing how many of the passengers even noticed.
During a 12-hour flight delay, you’ll probably look for anything to do to help pass the time. We don’t judge this adult man for joining a group of kids for a Pixar marathon.
Something tells me the airport staff was a little exasperated when they printed this sign. After all, the only thing worse than an emergency is an emergency that needs to be rerouted.
When you’re traveling home for the holidays, you should always wear your most ridiculous festive suit. You never know when you’ll meet another guy dressed the same way only to become best friends.
Flying alone for the first time as a minor is a pretty big deal. It’s a little awkward, though, when your dad decides to pick you up dressed like this. Geez, Dad, play it cool.
There is so much grandpa-ness in this photo that you can’t even measure it. There’s a grandpa in the back just sitting, then one taking a nap, and finally the one reading his phone with a magnifying glass. Grandpa to the third power.
What happens when a troupe of ballet dancers wants to kill time during a flight delay? Pure magic, that’s what. It probably made the day for the rest of the people at the airport, too.
Apparently, the pay at Hogwarts is so low that Professor Snape had to get a second job at American Airlines. I wonder if he ever had to announce a change to gate 394.
Pilots understand that a lot of people are afraid of flying. It seems as though some pilots also have a sick sense of humor, like this one who took a stroll through the airport with this getup.
When a child boarding the plane told a gate attendant: “I left a secret agent to watch you,” she had no idea how to respond. It was several hours later when she finally noticed the “secret agent.”
You would think working on the tarmac would be an interesting job, but it probably gets boring just like any other job. At least this guy found a way to make his day a little more interesting.
It’s not uncommon to spot celebrities at airports, but you might also see celebrity lookalikes. I wonder how often this guy gets asked for his autograph — or Weird Al’s autograph, at least.
Kudos to this creative dad for finding out a way to keep his kid entertained while they waited to board their flight. Even better, he’ll also be tired once they get on the plane. It’s a genius plan.
21. If your pilot looks soggy, you know what they’ve been up to
Pilots have very interesting jobs, but just like anyone at an airport, they have flight delays and long waiting periods. These pilots regularly keep themselves entertained with water pistol fights.
This advertisement in Tel Aviv was meant to make people look silly, but one traveler hit the jackpot. The poor men don’t even realize they’ve been turned into seductive models.
Regardless of the airport, you see a lot of people — in fact, the biggest airport in the U.S., Hartfield-Jackson International Airport, sees an average of 275,000 passengers every day. With those numbers, it’s not surprising to see your doppelganger.
When a high school rowing team had time to kill at Chicago O’Hare, there was only one thing to do. I hope they won their competition after putting in so much practice.
Traveling is an adventure at the best of times but traveling with an animal is even better. Just try bringing a dog into an airport bathroom and see how well they behave.
Trust your dad to embarrass you when he picks you up at the airport. He was getting in the holiday spirit by dressing up as Buddy the elf, from the movie “Elf,” of course.
How do you want to be greeted after a long day of sitting on a cramped airplane? The answer is “with a margarita bar put together by my doting father.”
You’ll see a lot of strange stuff in the baggage claim area, with everything from musical instruments to pets to personalized luggage making the rounds. But I have to say, a single stick is a new one.
There are few things worse than trying to get some shut-eye at the airport. People do whatever they have to do, from sleeping on the floor to leaning against each other. This guy might just be a genius, though.
If you’re a fan of “Doctor Who,” you’ll recognize these cybermen who stopped for a shoeshine in Heathrow Airport. Well, is it technically a shoeshine if your whole body is made of metal?
Imagine booking a flight for a business trip only to find out your fellow passengers are on their way to a furry convention. Even worse, you’re the only non-furry on the flight. Aside from the pilot, I hope.
When you’re tired in an airport terminal, you’ll nap any way that works. And if that means you have to serve as your spouse’s table, so be it. Anything for a good snooze.
When one dad bumped into another at the airport, they noticed they were wearing the same outfit and just had to stop for a picture. Is this now the official “dad uniform?”
When a service dog in training went into early labor in the airport, nearby paramedics jumped in. They delivered the happy mom of a litter of healthy puppies right there in the terminal.
Someone didn’t think the design of this airport sign through very well. Who knew you could do a walk-in sex change at certain airports? Not me, that’s who.
When you’re going to pick up your brother — a Marine — from the airport, make sure you don’t embarrass him in front of his buddies. Actually, scratch that. Make sure you really embarrass him in front of his buddies.
We’ve all had the experience of forgetting to charge our cell phone before going to the airport. But have you ever forgotten to charge your prosthetic arm? At least you’ll have first dibs on the outlet.
As you might be able to tell, these conditions aren’t ideal for flying, and the poor passengers waited to take off for four hours. Thankfully, the workers on the tarmac kept them entertained for a little bit.
Okay, you know you’ll see a lot of strange things at the airport, but a cat running free on the luggage carousel isn’t one of them. Is he a passenger or does he live in the airport? We’ll never know.
When you need to charge your phone at the airport, you do whatever it takes. If the only available outlet is seven feet in the air — well, you do what you have to do.
Say what you will: this is a genius strategy for the next time you have to spend a night at the airport. Sure, it’s a bit of extra carry-on luggage, but it’s a heck of a lot more comfortable than a chair.
Stickers are a great way to keep the kids entertained during long airport waits. But if you fall asleep while the stickers are out, you have only yourself to blame for the results.
Doesn’t this sound like the beginning of a joke? “A Buddhist monk and a Mennonite woman both walk into the airport and sit down to use their cell phones…”
44. Good thing he didn’t need to do a strip search
After losing a bet, this guy had to wear a dinosaur costume to go through security. But the joke was on his friends. In all honesty, that looks like a comfortable way to travel.
Seattle is known for its hipster and alternative scenes, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that this was spotted in its airport. This must be the most annoying sound to listen to inside a terminal.
While planes were grounded at Heathrow Airport due to snow, the ground crew took it upon themselves to entertain nearby passengers. I hope there weren’t any children sitting on that side of the plane.
A word to the wise: if you try to bring 50 packages of cookies through airport security, the TSA will become highly suspicious. They’ll do a full search worthy of a drug bust. That’s okay, as long as they don’t take any cookies…
Asian countries are known for their love of merchandise with English writing — often with hilarious consequences. In this situation, I think she’d better hope no one in security can read English.
When this guy was spotted at the airport, a passenger asked him why he’d cut his hair like that. He replied, “Because I can.” Something tells me he’d heard that question one too many times.
They say the best thing to do as you get older is to accept the aging process. But they never mentioned anything about getting a silly tattoo to accentuate your bald spot.
Don’t be surprised if you see someone famous at the airport or if they don’t look like their normal, more glamorous selves. They’re just as frazzled as we are.
Here’s how you know the seasons are changing in Michigan. The first day you see snow, all the snowbirds come out. They’re flying to Florida for the winter.
These ground workers must have a lot of time on their hands if they’re hosting a barbecue in-between flights. What does it take to get a barbecue through airport security?
57. It’s easier to cross the Delaware River these days
You never know what to expect at the airport. But a man dressed in historical regalia isn’t high on the list. Sometimes, ships and horses aren’t fast enough.
Sometimes, you’re rushing to catch your flight while other times, you have way too much time to kill. This guy falls into the latter category as he sits on the walkway, eating McDonald’s and playing Pokémon Go.
When you’re stuck in the airport at 2:30 a.m., you’re probably hungry. That means you’re willing to eat almost anything. For this guy, it’s a bag of frozen vegetables.
There are a lot of ways to make your luggage stand out on the conveyer belt, but this one might be the cutest. It’s super easy to spot a sashimi roll from a distance.
Sure, you might judge a stranger for eating a bag of Cheetos with a fork. But I say he’s a genius who found a way to avoid sticky orange goo on his hands.
When your flight’s delayed until 2 in the morning, you’re bound to feel tired. But you’ll have nothing on this poor little girl who’s in the same boat.
People love to have fun with signs used to greet their loved ones at the baggage claim. While this guy looks pleased with himself for this, I’m not sure how his significant other felt.
The TSA’s rules have become stricter in recent years. Bottles of water and toiletries are forbidden, but apparently, a full head of antlers isn’t a problem.
Public bathrooms aren’t the place where you want to make eye contact with anyone. Unfortunately, they’re also a place where you don’t want to put your kids down.
Airports are the worst possible place for a mess. With a lot of foot traffic, it’s important to keep the walkways clear and safe. Thank goodness the custodial staff came to save the day.
When you’re not allowed to bring a full bottle of shampoo on a plane, I don’t think you’ll manage to get a bow through. And what are you going to do with it once it comes out of your suitcase?
Oh, come on, dude. When everyone’s waiting in an airport terminal, they need to be respectful and aware that it’s a shared space. I know you’re bored but do a crossword or something.
I don’t know what this man knows or where he got his amazing suit. But as long as he’s wearing it, I think he’s obligated to answer any questions I have. Now, why is the sky blue?
Sure, this man looks silly. But when you think about it, this is probably a more practical way to travel with hats than putting them in a suitcase. Who’s silly now?
You always assume airport security knows what they’re doing. You trust them to keep you safe in the sky. So, you don’t want to catch them playing video games while on the clock.
I don’t know what’s going on with these two, but hey, to each their own. But hey, they’re eye-catching — and that can be useful in a crowd. They won’t have to search for one another, that’s for sure.
People sleep just about anywhere in the airport. Sometimes, they need to grab a quick nap any way they can. But this is extreme. I hope there’s a doctor somewhere nearby.
When you ask your friends to print out your boarding pass, you’d better be as specific as possible. They might just print it out on an entire poster board.
Going to the airport is always an adventure. Sure, there’s the thrill of traveling and seeing a new place — or even better, an old place. There’s also the amazing fact that an enormous piece of metal can travel safely through the sky. That’s not even to mention how cool it is that you can travel thousands of miles in just a few hours.
But beyond the facts of air travel, even the airport itself is a cool place. The busiest airports in the world accommodate hundreds of thousands of travelers every single day, not to mention all the non-travelers. The travelers come from every corner of the world. That means you can see people from almost every continent sitting in the same terminal.
Along with all the amazing things in the airport, you’ll also see some pretty weird stuff. Once you cross the line of airport security, it often seems as though you’ve entered a different reality. At the airport, people sleep on the floor, play on moving walkways, and buy $11 bags of chips.
Even with that, sometimes you see something in the airport that’s so bizarre, you can’t help but do a double-take.
