Seeing off and greeting people at the gate pre-9/11, is something I miss
Posted by Alternative-Light514@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 170 comments
The best was
Majestic-Citron7578@reddit
I remember getting to go through the gate as a kid because once on vacation my parents thought it would be fun to let us see planes take off. When we were going through security my dad nudged me and said he hoped I didn't have a bomb on me. The security guard kinda lost his shit over it saying we couldn't joke about that or we would get fined. I thought the guy was wound pretty tight but I guess he was just a decade or so ahead of his time.
Bigdaddy291@reddit
That were the good old days. I have some interesting stories about strangers that I met at those gates.
salami_cheeks@reddit
I remember going to pick up my dad from the airport and going into the cockpit of the plane. The pilots even gave me a little plastic Delta wings pin!
pabloslab@reddit
Have you ever been in Turkish prison?
the_well_read_neck_@reddit
I got to do that around that age all the time. I really wanted to be a pilot.
Just-Try-2533@reddit
You like moves about gladiators?
GalaxyRedRanger@reddit
I never got to go in the cockpit but I got my delta wings just being a kid walking around the airport. This was back when you had to beg mom for a quarter so you could watch TV in the hard plastic chair.
Sad_Subject_5293@reddit
rangeghost@reddit
With all the airport stores and restaurants it was like going to a big mall where you also got to watch planes take off.
llamadramas@reddit
Some airports do allow this today, as long as you go through security. Like a day pass of sorts.
twirlerina024@reddit
Mine does. I think it's free, but you have to schedule ahead of time bc there's a limited number of passes per day, and they probably check if you're on the no-fly list too.
cybah@reddit
This I remember going to the airport just to eat and shop. My papa would take me so I could watch the planes.
Dabnician@reddit
There is a chickfila in a airport 5 minutes from me, the next closest one is 45 minutes away...
TerrakSteeltalon@reddit
The airport is the first place that I ever played Pac-Man
astem00@reddit
Same. When my dad was out for work for a few months when I was young, we would hang out in the terminal and just watch planes take off and land.
plantverdant@reddit
My local airport has a tram. I used to love going to the airport growing up!
Frostiesjoy@reddit
Man, remember when airport goodbyes were like movie scenes? Miss that chaos and the tears.
Cascade-Regret@reddit
Several years ago I actually got an airport moment like this. I had work travel that lined up with a trip to Disney with my family and in-laws. My 5yo daughter didn’t know I was also going to Disney, she just thought daddy was working and it was a trip with Mom, Grammy, and Grandpa. Instead of flying home, I few to Orlando and got in about an hour before they did.
I was standing at the end of the jetway when they walked out. We hadn’t seen each other in about two weeks!
It was a moment that I will not forget. I also remember the similes of others in the gate area reminding me of how rare this type of meeting is now.
WindTall5566@reddit
goat_penis_souffle@reddit
The suspension of disbelief required to get from the suburbs to the gate at Ohare in 45 minutes is almost too much.
im_THIS_guy@reddit
You can't even get from the entrance of O'Hare to your gate in 45 minutes.
Snugglebunny1983@reddit
That's why I hate O'Hare. I had a connecting flight through there one year for Christmas, and it was a major fiasco! Missed my flight, and had to call my dad to pick me up in Chicago to take me to his place in Indiana. They lost my bags twice. I honestly think I'd rather walk than ever use O'Hare ever again. That being said, I do like their Irish Coffee.
pastimedesign-05@reddit
My parents would leave 4 hours early at 2 am for the 20 min. drive. I never missed a flight.
Polkawillneverdie17@reddit
LMAO
scrotanimus@reddit
That and at O’Hare you need way more than 30 minutes lead time for checking luggage if flying internationally.
Govt-Issue-SexRobot@reddit
Watching this right now
MotherPotential@reddit
They used to have big food spreads at some terminals for travelers and friends to see them off. Like string cheese and free chips and you didn’t need a ticket
spaceporter@reddit
I was able to experience something like this while rushing to catch a domestic flight in Kagoshima back to Haneda in Tokyo.
The security was next to the tunnel, including the X-Ray machines. We arrived about six minutes before last boarding call and were held up because we had solid fuel for a camping stove (had just spent the week hiking on Yakushima and didn't think much about it as we brought the supplies with us through Haneda).
I mostly blame Kagoshima for us almost missing the flight. We passed a winery on the same street as the airport with a huge "free tasting" sign so told the taxi to pull over, and being the countryside next to Kagoshima, it took a minute to get another taxi.
Far-Watercress698@reddit
right? those departures used to feel so intense and memorable, now it’s just a rush
gerstyd@reddit
I miss everything about flying pre 9/11. It’s an absolute nightmare now from the second you get to the airport.
Aftermathemetician@reddit
Pre-9/11, I enjoyed studying at the airport concourse.
theladyroy@reddit
My then-boyfriend (now husband) picked me up at the gate when I came back from study abroad, and we were both so teary, and it was delightful. I DO miss this.
RoastQueefSandwiches@reddit
You dont like trading $30 blown to park in short term parking and pick up or say bon voyage to your loved ones for $30 to get your own bag on the flight you paid for?
Esc1221@reddit
I remember flying alone as a kid because we could count on family being their at the gate on either end to make sure I got on and off the plane.
I didn't appreciate the joy of getting off the plane and seeing relatives I've missed for a while until it was gone.
It's too bad my kids may never experience it for themselves.
nimbycile@reddit
I met my girlfriend (at the time) at the gate to surprise her with flowers.
TSA is really security theater at it's finest.
The day prior to her arrival, I bought a ticket to fly out a few hours after her arrival time. I used the ticket to get through security and went to her gate. And then I cancelled my ticket within the 24 hour cancellation window while waiting for her at the gate.
Mission accomplished.
dirtyfoot_chonkey@reddit
In the mid 90's my uncle worked at either the Oakland Airport or San Francisco. My brother and I were taking a flight from there to L.A. and he went with us to drop us off at the gate. He wanted us to keep our big plastic boarding pass thing, so he looked around, found a rope near the gate and had us go under the rope and onto the plane. So yea 2 kids snuck on our flight and made it to L.A.
Longrange-legit@reddit
I tell my kids about this every time we fly! I really miss it…
ammodramussavannarum@reddit
A nerdy friend of mine had his 16th birthday at DIA. He wore all of his most ridiculous gear, including multiple radios, bullet proof vests, night vision goggles, multiple piercings, chains, batons, and whatever else he could think of and he did it just to waste the time of security as we all went through. It took several hours for him to be nearly strip searched, but we all made it through and celebrated with cake at some restaurant in concourse c. This was in the late 90’s and it always makes me think of how he would be treated these days.
grunkle_dan78@reddit
when I was in the 6th grade(89/90, if memory serves), we had a class field trip where we went to SeaTac. we took our lunch break in the arrival area for international flights. security was more of a suggestion, they even had a kiosk where you buy the schlocky display knives.
Unanimous_D@reddit
Ani DiFranco has a song about that.
Infinite-Football795@reddit
One of my main memories of my grandpa was him taking me to the airport to fly home to my parents
hello_fellow-kids@reddit
I miss, not being molested by a member of an illegitimate government organization who was not intelligent enough to graduate high school so they got a job in security theater so they can steal my shampoo and fondle my testicle. Useless mother fuckers!
Snugglebunny1983@reddit
Yeah, getting eagerly groped by one TSA agent while another one digs around in your luggage like a pig hunting for truffles is not a great start to a vacation.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
I almost fought a tsa agent in the early ‘00s. Surprised they let me on the flight. Fuck that guy.
KitchenNazi@reddit
I used to have a gf with a connection at the airport. She could get us “blank” tickets that went nowhere but would allow you through security - so we could meet each other at the gate whenever one of us traveled solo. Kinda neat in retrospect.
Snugglebunny1983@reddit
I miss that too. When I was a kid, if my grandparents had to go to Indianapolis for a doctor's appointment, sometimes they'd take me with them, and if we had time, we'd go to the airport, get some White Castle for lunch, and watch the planes.
MarandTierra@reddit
Airport goodbyes were such a big deal when we were growing up! When I went off to college, my parents and a few friends sat with me at the gate and waited with me before it was time to board my flight. And I remember how happy I was to see my parents’ faces in the crowd at the arrival gate when I came home for Christmas.
But the elaborate goodbyes made more sense back then because it was harder to stay in touch. Long-distance phone calls were expensive, I didn’t get a cell phone until my junior year of college, there was no Skype or social media to see what friends were up to. Now when someone moves away it doesn’t seem as big of a deal because it’s so easy to stay in touch.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
That’s a really good point about tech making it easier to stay (sometimes too) connected!
Beneficial_Yoghurt18@reddit
When I was flying off to college in 2000, the crew let my mom on the plane to take a picture of me in my seat. Those were the days
RusticGroundSloth@reddit
My dad traveled a lot when I was a kid so I got to know the old Sale Lake airport pretty well. I kind of miss that, but considering how busy the new Salt Lake airport is it would be an absolute nightmare. Biggest problem is there are so many Mormon missionaries arriving/departing from that airport that they have a dedicated waiting room for families picking up a returning missionary - https://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake-airport-to-missionary-families-use-the-greeting-room-not-the-hallway
Getting in/out of Salt Lake on a Wednesday (the day they do most missionary flights) is a nightmare for parking, and I have personally seen dozens of people waiting to pick up one 20 year old kid. Even going so far as to have a videographer.
It was insanely cringey when I was just there to pick up my wife a few weeks ago and it took me nearly an hour to find parking in the 5-story short-term parking garage. Now imagine all 30 of those extended family members going through security with balloons and signs and shit while you're stressed about making your flight. Mormon families are insane. I try to avoid flying in/out of Salt Lake on Wednesdays just because of this.
I definitely prefer only ticketed passengers and escorts (for kids, elderly, etc.) being able to go past security.
MarandTierra@reddit
I was just going to say this. Although I have happy memories of having my parents wait with me at the airport gate and greeting me there on the return home, there simply wasn’t as many people traveling back in the late 90s/2000 as there are today. Airports are much more crowded then they were at that time, and it wouldn’t make sense today to allow in people that don’t have a ticket.
TurtlesAreEvil@reddit
Not me. Security lines were significantly worse by doubling or tripling the people going through them.
CasualEveryday@reddit
We used to eat lunch at the restaurant on the concourse because it was faster to go through security at the airport than drive 3 blocks to Denny's.
The lines were longer but it took half as long to get through them.
Wobbling@reddit
You can still go to the gate as a non-flyer in Australia. It doesnt affect security lines much as most people just don't do it and opt for drop off / pick up.
Security lines only really became a problem in some parts of the world because of the security theatre after 9/11.
Your beef is with your country's overbearing security apparatus, not people wanting to wave off their loved ones.
TurtlesAreEvil@reddit
Nah it’s with the 10 idiot people that show up to wish one person goodbye. Security lines sucked ass in the 90s and not just because they let anyone through. They were also ran by each airport and were all over the place. Were you flying then? I was some idiot agent asked me what the batteries in my Walkman were.
Also you can get a pass to go to the gate in pretty much every airport. It’s a big enough pain in the ass though that most people don’t do it which reduces the lines dramatically.
Cross_22@reddit
On the other hand, security checks were way faster without all the TSA clowns, and just a cursory wand wave.
ashcach@reddit
This! I remember one group caught my attention because they were all wearing matching jackets. I was behind them and it took forever to get through security. Must have been 10 of them. They all ended up at my gate but when we started to board they all said goodbye to one person as he got on the plane. Thought did they all really need to go through security and say bye? That couldn't have been done at the curb?
username32768@reddit
They should have curbed their enthusiasm.
^(Sorry. I'll go now.)
Kind_Sea7994@reddit
Being in the cockpit mid-flight as a kid looking out the pilots' windows at cruising altitude was fun too before 9/11.
BUNNIES_ARE_FOOD@reddit
Honestly it's better now. I hated having to wait at the gate until someone's plane took off. And then if it gets delayed and you want to leave? Awkward.
imhungry4321@reddit
My mom used to be able to walk me to my seat on the plane when I flew solo in elementary school (early-mid 90s).
Lonely_Opening3404@reddit
Was just going to say this too. I remember my mom bucking me in and leaving the plane. The flight attendant helped me find my grandma at the gate when we landed.
imhungry4321@reddit
YES!!
We kids would stay on the plane to be the last off!
Admirable_Average_32@reddit
I flew at 9 yrs old with my bro at 13 yrs. My dad got stuck in a snowstorm on the way to pick us up. So the stewardesses took care of us and treated us like gold for 4 hours. I never had so much food in front of me at once!
imhungry4321@reddit
That's awesome! Flying that young made us feel like royalty with the treatment we got.
I'm sure parents don't allow kids that young to fly solo in today's society (I don't have kids).
0215rw@reddit
You can still do this. You just have to go to the ticket counter and get a pass. The family member who’s meeting the kid can do the same.
imhungry4321@reddit
That's great to hear. I didn't know it can still be done (guess it's not as easy anymore)
0215rw@reddit
Actually you can go to the gate, probably not on the plane.
S_A_R_K@reddit
You can also take your elderly parent all the way to the gate
pastimedesign-05@reddit
Getting off as a youth, waiting for the flight attendant to help me, getting the wings from pilot, and seeing my super tall grandpa waiting for me, then getting to the car where grandma was waiting and heading to Cracker Barrel, absolute core memory.
TheNickelLady@reddit
I feel this every year when we watch Love Actually
oldscotch@reddit
I don't know where you were, but you had to go through security with a boarding pass to get to the gates here well before 9/11.
MsCricket67@reddit
Me too
d_lev@reddit
It was nice, I am a bit younger but I did get to experience this and still do when I'm other countries, feels weird.
VotingRightsLawyer@reddit
My grandfather would always meet us at the airport gate and when he saw us get off the plane would shout, "HEY YOU GUYS!!!!" like Sloth from Goonies.
ooo-ooo-oooyea@reddit
I'm so glad they don't let random people come to the gate anymore. Security is already a mess and having to process more people would suck. I also know scam artists would be sneaking in, causing trouble, and pillaging unattended bags.
I still remember at Delhi's old airport, anyone could come into the arrivals terminal. They would gather up the bags of anyone who looked rich and demand that they get to lug it around for a big tip. The second time this happened I was able to grab my bag before some jerk held it hostage. He followed me around with his hand on my bag. Luckily my driver saw this and chased the guy away with a pointy stick. Good times
ahopskipandaheart@reddit
I did a few solo flights as a kid and was very grateful for being taken to and picked up at the gate.
genivae@reddit
You still can for unaccompanied minors, it's just a lot of paperwork and sometimes an escort, depending on the airport
drunkpickle726@reddit
you can actually do this for anyone. maybe the rules differ by airport but i accompanied my 71yo mother to the gate a couple of months ago. just had to complete a form
genivae@reddit
Oh, that's quite nice! I haven't encountered that, but I imagine that's so much more comfortable especially if someone starts needing memory care.
Klutzy_Way994@reddit
I had to explain this to my son who is 11.
Wobbling@reddit
Can still do this in Australia, at least for domestic flights. I pick up my sons and take them to the gate every time, its wonderful.
summerlea1@reddit
Those were the days. Luckily tho, quite a few airports have visitor passes that allow you to pass thru the TSA checkpoint without a boarding pass. Philly, Seattle and Orlando are a few and there many more. You simply apply in advance and it’s fairly simple.
JerrysWolfGuitar@reddit
The OKC bombing really accelerated the security increase at airports. It’s not like on 9/10/01 you could walk a loved one all the way down to the taxi way.
TEG24601@reddit
There was no logical reason to take it away.
And at some airports, you still can, like SeaTac.
FoggyFallNights@reddit
Hate to say, but everyone is always in the way these days. For that reason alone I am glad they don’t let just anyone beyond security. It would make the already overcrowded airports now days 10x worse.
MisRandomness@reddit
I worked at the airport pre and post 9/11. It was shocking how lax security was. We found quite a few big knives on the planes we cleaned and once even found a gun. It was practically no big deal when we called the airport sheriff.
-Boston-Terrier-@reddit
Gate? When I was a kid in the '80s, my sister and I would board the plane with our grandparents and hangout with them until there was effectively a last call to leave.
non_clever_username@reddit
I know a lot of people want this back, but I think they must be the people who fly infrequently…lol.
Even with only the travelers in airports now, the concourses, gates, security lines, etc are already packed as shit. You add even 5% more people to that, you’re making an already miserable experience even worse for the people actually traveling.
That said, I do think there should be more and easier exceptions for friends/family to assist the elderly, people with physical difficulties, people to where a language barrier could be an issue, etc.
Intersectaquirer@reddit
I flew solo from NY to CA each summer from age 7 to 17, all before 9/11.
Mom would drop me off at the gate, Dad would pick me up when I landed. It was so similar to taking a bus and having my parents drop off and pick me up directly at the terminal.
fromfrodotogollum@reddit
Last one I remember is love actually.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
(As I was trying to say, before my dumbass hit the post button)
The best was also when someone you knew would be passing through on a layover, but it wasn’t long enough to hassle with trying to leave the actual airport, so you’d just go hang out with them for an hour or two.
LunchboxDiablo@reddit
When I was like 19 I was going to visit my parents and had a layover in the city where my older brother (then early-20’s) was going to school. (He was going to make his way home after his semester finished a few days later).
So he came to meet me at the airport to hang out for a couple of hours like you said. He’s always been super into cycling, so I didn’t think too much of it when he said he would take the opportunity to ride one of his bikes to the airport. I figured he’d find a way to cruise on over, then take his time heading back.
Imagine my surprise when he rolls up to our pre-determined meeting place in full spandex, helmet, clip in shoes, the works. I was like ‘WTF are you doing?’ and he just explained that he was training for a charity ride he was organizing at his university, and the airport was an ideal distance away to knock out his training that day. Whatever dude. It was obviously the most awkward layover I’ve ever had, and my connecting flight couldn’t come soon enough…
Oh, and while he was airside his bike got stolen. He didn’t bother to lock it up because he thought ‘who goes to the airport to steal a bike?’ which I could understand. Still, it meant he had to catch the Skybus home dressed like that…
BrakkeBama@reddit
Once you've lived in the Netherlands, you will be cured of this.
Over here, your bike WILL get stolen. It's just a matter of time.
So buy the most expensive chain and padlock you can afford and USE IT!
And no, a lamp post will not suffice if the thieves can stand on their shoulders and slide the entire bike over the post.
IndomitableAnyBeth@reddit
Someone who's expecting a traveler not to catc them or notice the theft for a good while.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
This is fucking hilarious! I hope he had one of those little hats with the tiny brim, too lol
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
This is fucking hilarious! I hope he had one of those little hats with the tiny brim, too lol
IndomitableAnyBeth@reddit
In 2003 or so, I got to see how that worked post-9/11. I saw an extended family where the members had arranged to take independent vacations but all have long, mostly overlapping layovers in Phoenix. They had a family reunion in am airport somewhere none of them lived or was going. Waiting for my own flight, I witnessed all the hugs and stuff as the first family within their group had to be off to their own destination.
enters_and_leaves@reddit
That’s a really neat idea.
TerrakSteeltalon@reddit
It’s amazing how fast it changed.
I was on travel the week of 9/11.
I left for Newark and did my usual breeze through so I could barely make my flight… and that was the end of that
Orbital_Vagabond@reddit
I miss all the islamaphobia being quiet and not living in a fucking police state.
SteakJones@reddit
A lot of the bullshit we do now in airports because of 9/11 seems to be unnecessary. But of course it will only take 1 person to screw that up if we lift it.
mattchewy43@reddit
In the summer of 94 I visited family and was out of the state for close to a month. When I came home my friends (with the help of my mom) were at the gate with a sign reading "Welcome Home Matt" and they all shouted and cheered when they saw me.
It was honestly great to see them, even though I was pretty embarrassing.
UrAverageDegenerit@reddit
Or being greeted by a friend or loved one as soon as you exit the jet way into the gate.
I miss so many pre 9/11 things.
MrdnBrd19@reddit
August 23, 2001 was the last time for me. I remember it like it was yesterday because I was heading off to Basic Training in Georgia.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
Damn. Things changed so quick for y’all, I bet. It’s crazy we had a particular guest at the WH yesterday, rolled out a red carpet and everything. Not to get political, I digress. Thank you for your service
cbih@reddit
Things were so much more chill back then
whatiscamping@reddit
We went to the airport cause we could. Using our heelies on the moving sidewalk, fast as fuck boi.
Glittering_Tea5502@reddit
Me too. I don’t even know what it’s like to fly anymore. I haven’t flown since 2001 (July). I’m scared to, especially with what’s going on now.
onesleekrican@reddit
I had to take my son to the gate to fly back from our summer together after moving back east to help my parents out. When I got to the gate to wait with him I was reminded that my step dad used to do the same with me when I was in the military flying home and back to base. Definitely a weird realization that it used to be normal.
Foreign_Good_@reddit
That was back when airports still felt like part of the world instead of sterile security prisons. You could actually have a real goodbye hug right where they got on the plane.
FeelTheWrath79@reddit
That was the thing I looked forward to most on my mormon mission: Walking out of the gate and seeing my family there.
DiaDeLosMuebles@reddit
I do not miss this at all. Feeling obligated to sit and wait with your friend or family to board their flight is a loose social contract I can do without.
AytumnRain@reddit
The last time I was in an airport was in 98/99 to see of my friend at the time. I have never been back to once since.
rockerswise@reddit
It was a free-for-all. I went to Jamaica in 1999 with no passport!
SilverIsFreedom@reddit
I miss pre 9/11 everything.
glavent@reddit
Some airports are now allowing gate side send offs again. I think it’s something that is slowly rolling out for the benefit of the airport and their tenants
Dry_Yogurt2458@reddit
You could only do this in the U.S
Most of the rest of the world had the same system that you have now since way back in the 70's
Adventurous-Depth984@reddit
Between Covid and 9/11, daily life is literally unrecognizable. It’s been enshittified in all the worst possible ways.
StillhasaWiiU@reddit
I had a flight in Aug 2001, I remember the parents waiting with me at the gate. It was nice.
erween84@reddit
Same, i flew to Argentina on august 21st 2001 and both my parents and brother came to the gate with me. I was gone for a yr and when I flew back it was like a labyrinth walking through Ohare trying to find them with no cell phone.
giraffemoo@reddit
I sent my son to see his relatives in another state, with all the proper ID and proof that I was his mom, I got to take him to his gate too. They had to print me a special "fake" ticket that would allow me to go through security but not board a plane.
saltporksuit@reddit
I got the USO to get me one so I could meet my husband’s plane when he came back from deployment solo. We got a round of applause. Felt like a movie.
S_A_R_K@reddit
I just did the same exact thing to put my mother on a plane
CubesFan@reddit
And somehow it was less busy even though anyone could walk to the gate with you.
JayRay_44@reddit
I remember flying to San Francisco on 9/5/2001 with my Dad seeing me off at the gate. When I returned on 9/14/2001, the world had changed… it was the most surreal and stressful experience in my young life.
Crans10@reddit
The DFW airport was built with that in mind pre 9/11. That was a real change for that airport.
I mean the design is you walk into a terminal and right in front of security. So there is no real waiting space. you used to just go through security right to the terminal. Other airports have all the restaurants and shopping areas before security so people could wait with passengers and see them off.
Impossible_Memory_85@reddit
That was the only good thing about security changes after 9/11. Being on the other side of the gate is packed enough without extra people.
cloudydays2021@reddit
Agreed. The gates would be even more packed these days with so many people needing to say goodbye and livestream, not to mention to potential for weird stalker behavior of famous people. Think about it - a person on a flight has access wifi and tweets that a celebrity or politician or whatever is on their plane. People are fucking nuts and WOULD go to the airport and approach them at the gate as they deplane.
I hated going to the airport to see people off. Just get on the plane and go do your thing! I love airports because I can be left the fuck alone.
Natural_Disk_8234@reddit
True. But airports were a lot less crowded back then. Now everyone can afford spirit
Impossible_Memory_85@reddit
It’s probably less about being able to afford it and more about the need for people to fly has gone up significantly since then.
lshaped210@reddit
San Antonio International has gate passes for non-ticketed people so they can meet departing or arriving passengers at the gate.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
DFW is my main hub, I wonder if they have the same thing
nounthennumbers@reddit
They wouldn’t give me one to meet my kid because she was 16 so no longer and unaccompanied minor.
red286@reddit
A lot do, but you have to go through security still, and they'll usually demand to know the flight number you're meeting.
fromthedarqwaves@reddit
I remember seeing military people get off a plane and were greeted with a crowd of people cheering and clapping with signs that said “welcome home heroes”. It doesn’t quite have the same affect when you have to stand by the exit door on the other side of security.
Do_it_My_Way-79@reddit
I absolutely hate airports now. I would much rather drive when given the chance even if it means losing a day or two of visiting.
red286@reddit
I remember when I was a young teenager (13/14), sometimes my friends and I would just go down to the airport and watch the planes taking off and landing from inside the terminal. Can't do that anymore.
chrhe83@reddit
Made it much easier to travel with kids as grandparents or other family members could be in the airport to see you off.
No-Hospital559@reddit
In the NY metro area you weren't allowed near the gate several years before 911. You still had to go through security and everything it just was some private security contractor.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
I think the difference is you didn’t have to have a ticket to go through security back then?
No-Hospital559@reddit
Nah, you had to have a ticket at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark, well back into the mid 90's.
altarwisebyowllight@reddit
God, yes. Anytime someone in my extended family got back from a long overseas trip, we would have this massive gathering to welcome them home at the gate. I tried my first champagne at like 8 in the airport this way when my grandpa handed me a glass (I spit it out on the floor lol).
Nothing, absolutely nothing, beat stepping out of the gangway to my grandparents being right there to hug when we would visit. They loved travel, loved celebrating it, and loved celebrating homecoming. People not being able to experience that exact moment of joy anymore makes me so sad.
enters_and_leaves@reddit
Those types of reunions still happen, you just have to walk to the security point first.
Ok_Researcher_9796@reddit
I used to live to watch the planes take off. They would even let me through security with my pocket knife(I was a boy scout as a kid and carried one all the time)
Truffleshuffled@reddit
In high school a group of us would occasionally go to the empty PDX terminals around midnight and play capture the flag.
its_raining_scotch@reddit
I wonder if this will ever come back now that mass surveillance + AI has taken off. Seems like they’ll be able to catch the bad guys way before they ever make it to the gate. May as well relax these types of restrictions then.
UnrecoveredSatellite@reddit
Detroit allows passes now for non-flyers.
eikelmann@reddit
There are actually still airports where you can do it.
https://allears.net/2025/08/01/finally-this-game-changing-airport-trend-is-catching-on-including-in-orlando/
PizzaWhole9323@reddit
I remember being 10 and getting to run up all the way to the gate my grandparents were going to get down from and putting my face on the window and watching the plane come in.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
Also (and I don’t think this has any direct relation to pre-9/11), it was super common for travelers to dress up for their flight. It was like this fancy thing you were going to do, even if you weren’t flying 1st class. Now you got people hanging their bare feet on your armrest and pajamas seem to be the preferred airport outfit.
Not necessarily better or worse, do your thing (but keep your feet the fuck away from me), it was just different
Conscious_Home_4253@reddit
Flying out of Logan, the first week of September 2001 vs. the first week of October 2001, was an experience.
HandstandsMcGoo@reddit
It was the best feeling when you arrived and your people were waiting there at the gate for you
BoyznGirlznBabes@reddit
LOL my ex dumped me at the gate while we were waiting for his flight home in August 2001. So I don't miss it at all.
Alternative-Light514@reddit (OP)
Airport breakups have got to be pretty rough!
donttrustthesoup@reddit
No you don't. It was a chore you didn't want to do ya fucking liar. Quit trying to immortalize an otherwise mundane childhood ya poser.
sky0175@reddit
We do have so many good memories. People used to smile at you. It may sound foolish of me, but I'm in tears as I'm typing.
Its that a good or a bad thing? I just miss it
Mexican_Boogieman@reddit
Nickel and dime airline fees were supposed to go away after 9/11 blew over. It was started to keep the airlines in business. Like, the bailouts weren’t enough. Tax payers getting bailed out, now thats a concept.
DrJJStroganoff@reddit
From philly. We have a train that went direct to the airport. In summer vacation I'd would sometimes just head down there and watch planes land and take off. Cheap entertainment.
JustAnAgingMillenial@reddit
I wish I had gotten to experience that. The first time I flew was in 2002 😢
MolassesConstant2256@reddit
Before 9/11, we’d make it a point to go eat dinner at a fancy restaurant at the airport—they existed—and then pick up family right at the gate. It was a magical time.
BrattyTwilis@reddit
Definitely something I remember. My dad often went on business trips, so waiting at the gate for him was the norm
Illustrious-Coat3532@reddit
This was great.
probablyatargaryen@reddit
When I was in preschool we took a field trip to our airport to watch planes depart from the gate. It’s one of my favorite memories. A couple years after 9/11 I was a preschool teacher and suggested we do that. The admins laughed at me. I hadn’t flown recently so I didn’t know
Prestigious_Ear_2962@reddit
I first flew alone in hs on an international trip. My parents were able to walk me all the way up to the gate at JFK to ensure I got on board and people were able to meet me at the gate when I landed. It would be so much harder for a kid to fly solo these days.
StormyStenafie@reddit
My minor kids were visiting my mom via plane and I got to drop them off and pick them up at the gate.
It was pure joy!
GalaxyRedRanger@reddit
I’m going to be honest with you guys - I haven’t flown since 9/11.
I use to fly a lot in the 90s. But now it just seems like a huge hassle. Now it’s like, “eh. Fuck it. Everything worth doing is within a five hour drive for me anyway.”
Opening-Reaction-511@reddit
I don't. Wait in the car, much more peaceful
Ineedavodka2019@reddit
Same
johntwilker@reddit
It's definitely so jarring, even now after all this time how much airports have changed.