I think that as long as we have flown once before, we tend to get a pretty good idea of what to expect from an airport. We would expect a smaller airport to have less facilities and to be a lot smaller and not as nice as a bigger one. However, when I went to Stansted airport I was really surprised at how good the facilities were. I always think of it as a lesser airport to some of the other London ones and so did not expect it to have very much there. Having travelled at Bristol, I expected it to be rather like that, but was surprised at the range of airport shops, for example.

I love the shops, because although I do not normally buy much, it gives you something to do while you are hanging around. I like looking at the books they have and have once managed to read a whole book while waiting for my plane! I also like flicking through the magazines. I also am interested in the kinds of things that the shops stock. You have to assume that they will only hold things which they know people who are travelling will buy and so I am really interested in the sorts of things people will buy. I often wonder why people might leave buying socks or sunglasses until they get to the airport. I can understand why they might need books, if their flight is delayed or papers and snacks, just to pass the time and sustain them.