Seoul > Houston

Much too quickly, my time this summer in one of my favorite cities has ended, with too many people still unmet and too many places not visited. Here's a sincere apology to those I thought I'd have the chance to see more of this summer but was unable to.

On a completely different note, walking this morning through Incheon International Airport (repeatedly ranked among the best airports in the world) made me ponder the elements that, in my opinion, can make a transportation hub a pleasant stop rather than a necessary burden for travelers.

Pleasant architecture
(no complaints against natural light or hardwood flooring)


Enough comfortable seats for passengers to rest/wait


Interesting cultural activities/exhibits


Convenient facilities to snooze/relax/clean up


Large, clear, well-placed signs
(e.g. information, departure schedules)

Also:

• Shops customers are actually glad to enter and browse
• Logical floor plans
• Free, ubiquitous, high-speed internet
  
• Friendly and courteous airport staff
  

Dear JFK/IAH, for the sake of your travelers, I fully advocate plagiarism.

. . .

Goodbye, Seoul!