Excitement/depression of baggage claim

Here is what I mean: When you arrive, your trip starts at the baggage claim. Thats where you start to see the lights, the ads and the slots. The excitement is just rushing through you and you cannot wait to get out there.

On the same note, when you leave, looking down from the security checkpoint, watching a fresh new batch of travelers grab their bags and start their trips, indicates that your trip is over. This is where it gets a little drepressing. It signifies the beginning and the end.

Anyone else experience this?

 

Yep....every trip!! We always wish we were heading in the other direction when taking the walk back to reality..

 

Absolutely, baggage-claim envy has hit me many a time.

 

Carry on only imo...

 

We always talk about the happy ready to party faces coming in and those long sad faces going out! Hate being the long, sad!

 

I'm totally with you on that. I hate being the sad face, too.

 

Not me.

Although this does signify the end of one trip, it also marks the beginning of when I get to start planning for the next one...

When we are at the airport and heading home I am usually looking forward to going home.

Though I am sure I had a good time, winning trip or not, I do like to get back in to my routine, I enjoy working, and I miss my cats... and I know that pretty much 4-6 months later I'll be back in Las Vegas and the whole thing will start all over again.

Maybe you just need longer trips or more trips in a year?

 

I dunno the baggage claim is always pretty depressing to me. I feel lucky just to get my bag at all at that place. Twice I've had issues with it not making my flight.

 

I always feel pumped up as I de-plane in Vegas and feel a pang of sadness for the poor saps that are in the process of leaving. On the otherhand, I am usually so worn out at the end of the trip that I feel little or no remorse that I am leaving...that's what a lack of sleep and consuming copious quantities of alcohol can do to a guy. The day after I am home(and had 8 hours of sleep) I am ready to start planning my next Vegas adventure.

 

Since Southwest now uses the other security gates, I don't get to look down over baggage claim when leaving now. But the Excitement/depression is when you get off the plane at McCarrin and everyone on board is excited and the people waiting to leave are either depressed or just plain tired. When my trip is over I am usually just sad to leave and want to get home as soon as possible!

 

I'm a McCarran neo compared to most everyone here, but the thing I most take away from my airport experiences is just what was said above.

I've never seen an airport where the flying in/arriving passengers are so excited, I mean not even those heading to Hawai'i or Cancun or overseas. And no group of people not incarcerated look as burned out, depressed and even pissed off as the departing crowd.

We're usually in pretty good spirits driving home. We've had a fantastic time, but we look forward to getting home and getting going on the next round of experiences.

 

While waiting for my flight out of McCarran, I hand out porn slapper cards to those coming down the jetway.

 

Its like passing the torch.

I had my time and actually happy to be heading home to recharge. By leaving I am making room for the next person.

Eventually I will once again be that person on the other side with a fresh perspective, attitude and bankroll.

 

Oh yeah. Although it's not at baggage claim. For me, it's when you are getting off the plane, and all the sad faces sitting there and you know in a few days, that's going to be you.

 

For me it really doesn't stop/start at baggage claim.

I'm pretty excited long before baggage claim on the way in, and it only really ramps up once I'm checked in and walking the strip or at a table.

And on the way home I'm usually so burned out I don't notice the fresh arrivals.

 

Yeah it used to start for me at Baggage Claim, but now that I'm a car renter, it really doesn't start until I start up the rental car I LOVE having the freedom of a car, but it sucks that you have to land sober. It used to be a ritual to hammer back 3-4 drinks on the plane, and then head straight to the Budweiser bar for a roadie before getting in the cab line!

 

lol! I'm gonna try this one....

 

RF, hilarious.

I only do large carry ons but otherwise I do notice people's faces when entering...and departing.....I have to shake the grudging feeling that that will be me one day, so I get even MORE pumped to do what I came to do and live it up!

 

I thought this thread was going to be about bags getting lost. My trip doesn't ever really start until I see my bag drop onto the carousel. I've had some poor luck with lost bags...