What A Great Read!!!
By: Tommy “Tj” Sotomayor

Airports are full of people of all ages, from all walks of life, so it is no surprise that you get some pretty interesting characters traveling alongside you to your desired destination. These photos have given us the opportunity to witness the most unusual, hilarious, and straight-up awkward happenings that go on day to day in airport terminals. As you look through, there will definitely be a couple of photos that really hit home and will make you realize that you are not alone in having unlucky moments in the airport. Even if these things are completely new to you, you will find a new appreciation for traveling.

What A Welcome

Of course, some welcome home signs can be incredibly awkward, while others are sweet and thoughtful. This husband wanted to welcome home his wife in the best way possible, so not only was he sweet, he paid her a huge compliment that probably resulted in quite a few blushes.

Picking her up dressed as a limo driver and writing “Smokin Hot Italian Chick,” earned him quite a few looks, but it was certainly worth it. He probably got big brownie points.

Mom Off Duty

By the look of this young one’s face, Dad couldn’t have gotten home at a better time. This humorous sign is one of our favorites, it’s sweet and lighthearted while managing to pick fun at Dad (and Mom). We’re wondering how long Dad was away for Mom to have quit two weeks prior!

Such a sweet gesture, we’re sad we didn’t get to see Dad’s reaction to their “Welcome Back” sign. We hope Mom managed to gain her strength back, but if not, Dad’s back!

Never a Dull Moment

There’s never a dull moment at the airport. Whether you’re rushing to your gate or waiting in line for baggage drop off, the airport is simply full of sights.

Frequent flyers are probably accustomed to seeing certain faces stand out, as they rush to reach their flight. The images below clearly represent exactly that.

Adjusting

Being at the airport means adjusting. Adjusting to the rules, adjusting to delays, adjusting to time differences, or adjusting into a confortable position on a long layover.

Sometimes it’s too hot, sometimes too cool so you need to travel prepared. No matter the situation, you may find yourself having to adjust to all kinds of bizarre circumstances.

Random Security Checks

If you frequent the airport a lot, then you know there is no avoiding a random security check.

However, being help up and having to pose for the x-ray machines isn’t always to peak of a traveller’s airport experience. At least this woman is taking her scan with a smile.

Getting Handsy

Awkward moment #100108338 at the airport. Obviously, this security guard was just doing her job, but it seems like her handsy manoeuvre was caught at the exact right time.

We can’t help but wonder if she knew cameras were rolling when this routine security check went down.

Do You Mean Duty?

We’re guessing that this man of duty couldn’t have asked for a better welcome home sign. These two lovebirds look so happy to see each other we’d be surprised if he even read the sign.

As the two embrace in each other’s arms, the world disappears behind them. We’re happy this guy got home safe, and that his girl was waiting for him. A sweet welcome home, and we’re happy we got to be a part of it, even if it’s only through the internet.

Lay-under

When your flight’s delayed you need to find the perfect place to make yourself comfortable, which is not the easiest of things.

This woman thought outside of the box and was smart enough the maneuver herself under the armrests. You’d have to be a certain size to make this one work!

Welcome Aboard

This just does not seem like a practical place for the pilot to sit. Of all people, she should know the dangers of getting to0 close to the door, whether it’s open or shut.

Whatever the case may be in this photo, we know for sure that one lucky passenger must have had the honor or getting the pic in the first place. Hopefully she got around to serving drinks after that.

Place All Cuddly Objects In A Bin

What is worse than traveling with a child? Traveling with a small baby. They are unpredictable and can cry at any time, and must be lugged around in a stroller.

When this mother was asked to take her shoes off by TSA, she had to put her baby down somewhere while she did so. Let’s just hope the baby was not put through the X-ray machine, as that wouldn’t be a good situation for anyone.

Flying To See Jenny

At the Nashville International Airport, travelers were in for a treat when they spotted Forrest Gump at the airport. Even the Nike sneakers and haircut resembled the famous film character.

While there is no information where he was going or what he was doing, we’d like to think he was traveling to see his own Jenny. In any case, if the Forrest lookalike was about to miss his flight, other passengers could just start shouting “run, Forrest! Run!”

When You Think No One Is Watching

Traveller’s beware. Someone is always watching. Be it the security cameras, undercover security guards, or just random travellers navigating their way through the airport.

So if you’re going to strike a pose like this lady did, just know that your moment could be caught on camera. She was probably just very excited to get where she was going.

Choking Up

We have seen some embarrassing welcome home signs, but this has to be one of the most mortifying. Mokie was in for a shocking surprise when he walked out of the gate. His friends found the most embarrassing photo, choking on some food and decided to blow it up huge and hold it for the whole airport to see.

We hope he saw the funny side of it and wasn’t chewing anything as he walked off the flight in the case this face would happen again.

Proposed Itinerary

You can’t help but smile when you see a couple getting engaged in public. Anyone who has experienced that moment will remember the shock and overall excitement that comes with being asked to spend your life with the one.

This man chose to propose when his partner returned from a trip, straight as she walked out of the gate. Everyone in the background couldn’t contain their excitement for the adorable couple, and most importantly, she said yes!

Doodie Free

The vast majority of airports are not dog-friendly, but the small percentage of them that do, make plenty of allowances for man’s best friends. No matter how well-trained your dog is, they have needs just like the rest of us.

This San Diego airport decided to assign a special “pet relief” area, so your pet can go about its business in peace and without nasty looks from appalled passengers. Think about it, it’s also a great place to hang around with cute puppies while waiting around.

Baby On Board

We love a good wordplay and in this case, “songplay”. We couldn’t think of a better “Welcome Home” sign for a baby to greet her daddy with. By the look of Harper’s face, someone seems a bit surprised, and we’re hoping it’s not her father.

This sign was a thoughtfully planned out one, and we really appreciate it. Let’s just say, if we’re going to greet someone with a baby, we might steal this idea.

Checked In

Traveling can be increasingly tiresome, there is just so much you can do in an airport before you start going stir crazy.

Unless you’re a child and it’s acceptable to play hide and go seek, the reality is that you will probably be sitting on your phone or laptop for the next few hours before boarding your flight. However, this girl decided to bring back the planking craze of 2010 and take a ride along the luggage conveyer belt.

Well, That’s Reassuring

Taking off from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow is not the most calming experience, as you are greeted with the remains of Dagestan Airlines Flight 37. The plane had an engine failure and went down shortly after taking off, but the emergency landing was botched and the plane broke into three pieces.

There were two deaths as a result of the crash and they decided to leave the remains of the plane to be used in the pilots trial.

Yogie

Sitting on planes for hours on end can really take its toll on your body. Many experts recommend keeping your body moving on a plane and getting your circulation going, through small exercise.

However, in many cases, all you want to do is completely stretch out, but there just isn’t the space to do that on a plane. Therefore, this yoga enthusiast took advantage of his time in the airport and decided to go through his routine in public.

We Talked About This

Selfies have become all the rage in recent years to the point that it was named Oxford Dictionary’s word of 2013. This woman decided to publicly shame her partner for his narcissistic obsession with constant selfies. He even went so far to get the best gadgets out there for good angles.

However, when his girlfriend, Britney, found his selfie stick, it was truly the last straw and she just couldn’t take the embarrassment anymore. Hope you had a good flight, Simon!

Alternative Seating

We have seen people sleeping in very strange positions in the airport, but this has to be one of the most unusual.

Admittedly, it can be very hard to get comfortable in a sleeping position while waiting for your flight, so this man decided to use his suitcase as a back rest and the seat for holding his lower half. It might look very uncomfortable, but he looks to be fast asleep, so maybe it isn’t as bad as it looks?!

Many Hands Make Flight Work

Without a back story, this photo is just cruel, discriminative slave-labor, but then when you find out what it is for, you can breathe a sigh of relief and laugh.

This photo was taken during the filming of Man Vs. Beast, to figure out if an elephant or 44 little people could pull an airplane quicker. We’re sad that the elephant had no choice but to do it, but of course he was stronger than the humans.

The Grinch Of The Airport

There are plenty of things which are totally understandable to ban from taking on the aircraft for your safety and the safety of everyone else. However, many people began scratching their heads when TSA were the Grinch over the holiday season and banned people from taking snow globes on the plane.

The reason was that the liquid might be switched with an explosive chemical. In addition Bangkok banned the Thai and Malaysian native fruit Durians for their bad odor.

Not Taking Any Chances

Planes can be hotbeds for the distribution of germs and illnesses and for germ-o-phobes, it can be too much to handle. This man was clearly one of those people and in addition, he used every tool possible to block out smells, noise and light.

It might look a bit bizarre and we feel for the other passengers sitting next to him as that is an awkward moment when they need to get past him to go to the bathroom.

In Plane View

“Do it for the Insta” is a saying which has people doing crazy things to get more followers and more attention on their social media. This Brazilian pilot, Daniel Centeno has garnered over 70,000 Instagram followers due to his plane selfies that only the most fearless of people would take.

This selfie was taken above the famous Palm in Dubai but many questioned the validity of them. It turned out that they were photoshopped and everyone died a little inside.

I Saw The Sign… And It Was Illegible

Nothing is cuter than having your little girl come and welcome you home from the airport. The sheer excitement toddlers get when they are reunited with a parent is heartwarming for anyone to see. When this six-year-old wanted to greet her grandparents at the airport, she insisted on making a sign for them.

Despite all of her hard work, the sign was completely illegible, but she looked proud nonetheless. Hey, it’s the thought that counts.

Drawing The Line

When you leave important documents in the way of your young children, it should be expected they are going to do something to it. This man probably should have hidden away his passport from his kids, who decided to practice their best artwork on it.

The biggest problem of all was the fact that the family were on vacation and border control wouldn’t accept the passport. The man had to go back to the embassy and this kid probably got one big scolding.

One More

Some jobs at the airport can be rather mundane, but there is much room for making them creative and exciting. This baggage handler decided to do exactly that and channel his inner Tetris maestro to create the most incredible luggage tower in airport history.

While we wish that was the honest truth, the reality is that these are art sculptures placed in an airport and molded together carefully. It’s still pretty cool and leaves you thinking about how it was made.

Good To Keep In Mind

There are some signs that you see in airports around the world, but this one is very rare. The sign can be found at St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana Airport in New Zealand, and is genuine in warning travelers to stay away from the runway, which is situated much too close to the parking lot.

Not only is this a huge safety hazard, but this also gives New Zealand a bad reputation for their airport safety.

K-911

You may not have thought twice about it, but many airports are at risk of wild animals running across the runway which would cause a huge safety incident. Plenty of airports have overcome this issue by creating traps to shoo the animals away from the danger that is all around them, but Cherry Capital Airport in Michigan went for a different method.

They decided to hire a Border Collie named Piper who runs around the airport perimeter, chasing animals away and keeping all passengers and airlines safe.

Runway Traffic

Looking at this picture would have anyone having a panic attack, whether you are afraid of flying or not. This is breaching airline safety on so many levels and an astronomical collision is pretty sure to happen. Luckily, this is just a photoshopped image by photographer Mike Kelley.

He named it “Wake Turbulence,” and it depicts all the flights departing from LAX, Los Angeles’ international airport. It was made up of 400 individual images and then doctored together.

One-Way To Antarctica

While this looks like something out of a movie, it is completely real. Sadly, these Humboldt penguins were threatened by poachers, but through the quick and successful work of penguin conservationists, they were able to transport them back to their native habitat, an island off of Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

However, transporting penguins is not as easy as you’d think and the most logical way to travel with them was by taking them on a commercial airline.

Run(a)way Bear

The majority of airports would never see such an incredible sight, but for those countries that are used to extreme temperatures and conditions, occurrences like this are more common than you would imagine. This photo was taken at an Alaskan airport and the area is home to plenty of polar bears.

Although the beautiful, yet dangerous animals, spend much of their lives in cold waters, when they appear, it seems like they enjoy wandering amongst the planes.

Always Log Out

If you leave your phone in an airport, chances are it’s gone for good and there’s no turning back. However, in Newcastle International Airport, these airport workers decided to have some fun when a passenger left their phone behind by posting a funny selfie on her Facebook page.

Geordie’s don’t tend to have the best reputation, but these two men were able to change many of the perceptions about the strong-accented northerners. We’re sure Jasmine wouldn’t forget this one.

Air-obics

For the most part, millennials are constantly glued to their phones or technology while on-the-go or stationary, so when young people are engaging in the moment and making use out of their free time, it is refreshing to see.

These guys decided to take activities in the airport to new levels when they decided to perform some circus activities to the delight of other passengers. Although no precautions were taken, both guys got away with no bruises or scratches.

Present Claim

Traveling can always be hectic and everyone knows that nerve-wracking moment when you stand by the luggage conveyor belt, hoping that your luggage isn’t lost and you can go home without a hitch.

However when Spainair landed on Christmas Eve, they decided to give their passengers a wonderful parting gift and give out presents on the luggage conveyor. Everyone was surprised and got a thoughtful gift, all age-appropriate of course, it was truly a Christmas to remember.

Is This The Cockpit?

This just does not seem like a practical place for the pilot to sit. Of all people, she should know the dangers of getting to0 close to the door, whether it’s on or off. However, there is a story behind this one as the pilot is Swedish Maria Pettersson, who often combines her love of flying and yoga.

The pilot often posts pictures of herself doing yoga around the aircraft, which has garnered plenty of attention on Instagram.

Powerful Beach Breeze

If you haven’t heard of it already, you have now. Maho Beach on Saint Martin in the Caribbean is not only famous for it’s turquoise blue waters and beautiful beaches, but it is most commonly known for its terrifying runway.

One of the beaches on the island is death-defyingly close to the runway, leading planes to drop down extremely close to beach revelers. It can be very unsafe and people often find themselves ducking down, but not before they take a selfie.

You Shall Not Pass

Hands down, one of the worst things in an airport is slow walkers. This grandma was letting no one pass her when she disembarked the plane at her own pace.

Her face says it all, she did not want to be rushed, and she was so unbothered, she decided to stand in the middle and take no prisoners on her snail pace journey to passport control. Luckily, everyone saw the funny side of the situation, judging by their faces.

Sleeping Buddy

When your flight is delayed and you are absolutely exhausted from traveling, the only thing to do in an airport is look for a comfortable place to sleep. For single travelers they seem to be open to sleeping pretty much anywhere, but when you are traveling with a partner, finding somewhere can be more tricky.

However, this woman took advantage of her partner and decided to sleep across his lap. All the boyfriend could do was take it, so he decided to rest on her too.

Nunderneath The Robes

Sometimes you just have to wonder if TSA are going overboard with their jobs. Of course, it is important to check passengers thoroughly for any weapons or chemicals they may be carrying, but some people are much less suspicious than others.

Why this nun was asked for extra checks we don’t know, she probably just wants to go on her pilgrimage in peace without any hassle. We hope this was the last of the troubles this nun was put through on her travels.

Accurate Signs

Lets be honest, the lines in airport bathrooms can be painfully long and extremely inconvenient when you are absolutely desperate to go. This sign in a Chinese airport could not have been more accurate when giving directions as to where the toilets were located.

It’s as if they were already letting you know that you need to prepare to cross your legs and wait in very long lines. Maybe invest in more bathrooms rather than making these huge signs?

Overweight Luggage

When you are going on an exciting vacation, there are numerous times that friends and family will ask “can I come in your suitcase?” While this is supposed to be a joke, one man took it very seriously and packed himself into his friends suitcase.

Firstly, this looks like a very uncomfortable position, secondly, there is no way he would pass through security and thirdly, he is lucky he didn’t go to jail. We would advise to just buy a plane ticket instead.

Make Yourself At Home

Seeing people laying around on the floor in an airport might be slightly bizarre to look at, but it is actually very common. Between flight cancellations and delays, seats in the airport can be hard to come by, so in many cases, you need to improvise.

This one looks particularly awkward because the sleeping man is laying in the middle of check-in while others are standing normally around him. Maybe try and find a quiet corner next time?

Rolly Davidson

When your taxi cancels your trip to the airport, everything becomes a panic and you just don’t want to miss your flight. These guys decided to come up with another option when they couldn’t get an Uber, and used a motorbike to transport the traveler and his luggage to the airport.

This hilarious idea seems genius in planning but is disastrous in practice. There’s no way that bag made it to the airport in one piece and they probably had to hail a rescue taxi on the highway.

Red Light, Green Light

We’re not even sure how this runway was given the green light to be built because is absolutely lethal. The runway is situated in Gibralter international airport and cars are forced to stop at the light while planes are given the go ahead for a safe landing.

When the barriers are not down, cars are free to pass through and it incredibly dangerous for everyone in the case a plane needs to do an emergency landing, they have to wait for a free road.

Multipurpose Luggage

This girl represents everyone’s mood at an airport. Between the constant waiting in lines for luggage, passport checks or security, it is a long and draining process, and in many cases you are forced to stand for hours on end. In addition, delays make the airport experience ten times worse.

What this girl did was pretty genius if you ask us. Not only was she able to take a nap, her father would be able to transport her to the plane while she was snoozing.

It’s Personal

We’ve all had moment when we have either forgotten what our luggage looks like when coming around the luggage conveyer, or for those more foolish, forgotten our bags altogether.

This man was a culprit of both of those things and to ensure that he did not have yet another incident with his luggage, his friends gifted him with a bag with his face printed on it. Let’s hope he never forgot about it again, as that is just too much.

Shining Armor

While this looks like a complete joke, it was not. How many times have you been in an airport where they have these gimmick stands for shoe shining and walk past it thinking who has the time to sit there and do that, or better yet, who would pay for that?

Well, it turns out that the figures in need of a shoe polish were in town for Comic-Con and their outfits needed to be glistening to look their best.

Delayed Maturity

Most people go for the generic welcome home signs when greeting a friend or family member back from a trip, but others get creative. Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there when there is no food in the house and its just incredibly frustrating that your mom isn’t there to restock the fridge.

This son decided to take this concept and run with it by showing up at the airport in a penguin onesie along with a sign signaling which food was finished in the house.

Time Limits

This sign is situated at the city of Aalborg in Denmark’s airport. At many airports, the stewards are incredibly aggressive when it comes to cars blocking up the space in the roadside check-in line as they say goodbye to their loved ones.

However, Denmark thought of a way round this and designated a “Kiss and Goodbye” area to cherish those last few moments with your loved one before their travels. Nonetheless, they did decided to cut off the smooch session at 3 minutes.

Heel!

Traveling can be stressful enough as it is, so imagine doing it with young children. Between making sure all of your children are accounted for and keeping them calm is a huge challenge in itself.

That scene from Home Alone 2 when Kevin gets on the plane to New York City alone is a prime example of why parents should watch their children like hawks. This mother decided to stop her kids from running off by putting them on leashes, but it didn’t look too useful in practice.

Terminally Grounded

There are some natural disasters that no one can prevent from happening and the effect is huge for natives of that place. These people were trying to get back to their home in Asia, but bad flying conditions were preventing them from getting home, so they were stranded at the airport for days with no flights on the horizon.

However, they decided to be incredibly resourceful and use cardboard boxes as makeshift beds. Despite looking like homeless people, it worked!

Organized Security

Airports are said to have the tightest security of any official establishment. History shows that airports and planes are targets for terrorism and passengers don’t want to find any reason to question the safety of air travel.

Therefore, when someone spotted that a security officer was playing a game of solitaire on the computer instead of checking passports and profiles, it caused quite the uproar. This is one time that you really shouldn’t be procrastinating at work!

Sparking An Idea

Having no phone battery at the airport can honestly be a complete travesty. Not being able to pass the long waiting hours by texting your friends and scrolling through social media is one of the worst things. At many airports they have introduced charging stations that charge you, but is this really fair?

One traveler was outraged at the concept of being charged so thought outside the box and plugged his phone into the outlet the machine was using!

Check Your Lightsabers At The Counter

When a new Star Wars movie comes out, the die-hard fans need to prep and plan accordingly for what might be the most monumental moment of their year. These fans decided to coordinate before the release of The Last Jedi to ensure they experienced it all together.

When the Stormtrooper’s friend, Darth Vader arrived at Denver airport, they greeted him by playing the “Imperial March” out loud and celebrated his arrival at the gate while onlookers couldn’t help but laugh.

A Warm Welcome

The smug look on this guy’s face is confusing. We can’t really tell if he’s upset or goofing around, but this sign is hilarious. “The guy who knocked up my sister” seems like an awkward greeting to what we’re guessing is his brother-in-law.

He looks like he came to the airport and casually waited for his sister’s partner. We’re hoping that this guy wasn’t the one breaking the news that they’re expecting to whoever he was picking.

Passenger Falcons

Messenger pigeons were thought to be a thing of the past, but it seems that these sneaky falcons thought up a genius way to make their journey easier and less strenuous by traveling on commercial airline.

While that would be a hilarious story, what was actually happening was a Saudi Prince paying for his 80 falcons to travel between the United Arab Emirates. For an average person this would never be permitted, but the Prince used his status to get what he wanted.

Too Specific

This family wanted to think of a hilarious way to welcome the matriarch home in the most embarrassing way possible. As they waited for their mother and wife, they held up signs welcoming her back from prison!

As the mother walked through the gate to see her family holding the mortifying signs, she immediately turned the other way and pretended she didn’t know them. The signs got quite a few questionable looks from other passengers but the family will never forget the priceless look on their mom’s face.

Mommy & Mini-Me

There’s no better way to make light of a situation than to poke fun at yourself. That’s what this new mama did with her welcome home sign.

Pointing out the fact that she’s gained weight since having the baby (we think she looks great), inviting daddy to come to meet his mini-me. We’re sure daddy was happy to see his wife and newborn, and that nothing else really even matters!

Traveling Light

You find all sorts of people in the airport from all walks of life, and some of them can appear as something out of the ordinary. Interestingly, these two people were at Seattle airport, just weeks within each other, along with their huge, antique type writers.

Not only are they completely impractical to travel with, they probably raised some eyebrows at security. Companies like Apple have come out with lightweight, small, state-of-the-art technology, so can someone please buy these people an iPad?!