Freshly shined loafers and beach sandals. Pinstripe suits and tank tops. Leather belts and pierced midriffs. A special time of the year.
Everyday thousands of people enter and exit airports across the nation. During the first few weeks of March eager students flood the terminals on their way to Spring Break vacation.
Photo courtesy of California Aviation Alliance.
Incoming crowds of teenagers grant airport faculty and flight attendants a refreshing change to the typical workday. William Bridges, security officer at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport enjoys the short period of time when Spring Breakers arrive.
“Always checking in men and women with suits and briefcases gets boring,” said Bridges. “It is nice to see the less serious faces of enthusiastic kids every once in a while.”
Having fun is just as important during Spring Break as is safety. Parents rely on the airlines to ensure full security and speedy travel for their sons and daughters.
“My mom and dad didn’t trust me and my girlfriends to drive all the way from
Austin to South Padre on our own” said Laura Alvarado, a junior at Austin Community College. “We had no choice but to take a flight instead.”
Bridges believes air travel is a safer alternative to driving long distances.
“When kids chose to drive to their destination there is a greater possibility of drinking and getting the party started on the road,” said Bridges. “When they’re on a plane there is no chance of getting arrested for DWI or worse.”
While shorter than a car ride, flights can still get very uncomfortable. Over Spring Break, cabin crews share light-hearted laughs with their vacationing passengers to keep them happy. For flight attendant Cindy Hatley her job means more to her than passing out the salted peanuts.
“It is important for the crew to remember that most children and teens on Spring Break are not used to flying often,” said Hatley. “I love helping guests take their mind off the fact we’re thousands of feet off the ground.”
Flight attendants will often crack jokes over the intercom to calm the nerves of others. “We told passengers there was a man onboard who had never flown before and was celebrating his 100th birthday,” said Hatley. “Everyone was clapping and looking around for him until we revealed it was the pilot!”
Not everyone has such positive experiences at the airport. Flights are frequently overbooked, late or cancelled due to weather and technical difficulties. Senior Marine Biology major at The University of Texas Louise Downs was stranded for five hours in San Francisco at one of the U.S.’s busiest international airports.
“The pilot on our flight said there was a technical problem and SFO couldn’t track and coordinate flight paths,” said Downs. “We had to wait at the terminal because they were only using one runway for all incoming and outgoing flights.”
One aggravated passenger can affect the mood of everyone around them. Flight attendants try to identify this early on to avoid problems after takeoff.
“When a flight is delayed we will usually give out snacks and refreshments as quickly as possible,” said Hatley. “Feeding someone’s appetite can also feed their peace of mind.”
Handling rude guests is one thing. Handling unruly teenagers is another. Security Officer at the Los Angeles International Airport Damien Rousse knows Spring Breakers can be a hard crowd to manage.
“Many young people don’t pay attention to our instructions during check-in and security checkpoint,” said Rousse. “Either because they are too distracted by their electronics, or they get a kick out of challenging authority.”
When a brave few vacationers attempt to test the patience of airport security, it doesn’t take much to get escorted to their office.
“We have a low tolerance for any individual that becomes aggressive, loud or starts using too much profanity,” said Rousse.
Most people on Spring Break just want to have a good time and the airport gives students the opportunity to meet others on their way to the same destination.
“On my flight to Padre Island, I sat next to a group of people that were headed to the same beach as my friends and I,” said Alvarado. “We ended up partying together for a lot of the trip and made great friendships that will hopefully last a long time.”
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