17 Moments At Airports That People Couldn’t Help But Stop To Stare At

Air travel can be a total breeze, but other times it’s nothing short of an anxiety-inducing mess. The thing is, you really never know which way it’ll go – not until you’re loaded onto the plane, anyway.

Although these mishaps can be painful or annoying in the moment, it’s hard not to laugh at how ridiculous some of these scenarios can be. Here are some of the most hilarious airport moments that have been caught on-camera…

Stretching My Legs

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

In most cases, all you want to do is completely stretch out, but there isn’t enough space to on a plane. So, with that in mind, this yoga enthusiast took advantage of his time in the airport and decided to go through his routine in public.

Just One More

Some jobs at the airport can be pretty mundane, but there’s plenty of room to make them creative and exciting. This baggage handler decided to do exactly that and channel his inner Tetris maestro to create an incredible luggage tower.

While you might wish that was the truth behind this image, the reality is that these are art sculptures placed in an airport and carefully molded. But, it’s still pretty cool and leaves you wondering how it was made.

What A Welcome

While many “welcome home” signs are sweet, thoughtful, and sentimental, some can be incredibly awkward.  This considerate husband clearly wanted to welcome home his beloved wife in the best way possible.

Not only was he sweet, but he also 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,” probably earned him quite a few looks, but it was probably worth it.

Flying To See Jenny

At the Nashville International Airport, travelers were in for a treat when they spotted someone who appeared to be Forrest Gump. From the haircut down to the famous Nike sneakers, this person put a ton of effort to look like the Tom Hanks character.

While there is no information where he was going or what he was doing, you might like to think he was traveling to see Jenny. In any case, there’s no doubt that if the Forrest lookalike was about to miss his flight, other passengers would certainly be shouting, “Run, Forrest! Run!”

Air-obics

For the most part, millennials generally are constantly glued to their phones or devices. So, it’s always refreshing to see people actually engaging in the moment and taking some time away from the screen.

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

K-911

You may not have thought twice about it, but many airports are at risk of wild animals running across the runway. Plenty of airports have overcome this issue by creating traps and obstacles to shoo the animals away from the danger.

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.

Run(a)way Bear

The majority of airports would never have to worry about bears, but occurrences like this are more common than you would imagine. This photo was taken at an Alaskan airport in an area that’s home to 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. Luckily, staff was eventually able to steer this endangered species away.

Shining Armor

While this looks like a complete joke, it most certainly was not. How many hundreds of times have you been through an airport where they have a few of these gimmick shoe shining stands open for passersby?

You probably just walk past it wondering who has the time to sit there and do that, or better yet, who would pay for that? Well, it turns out that these two were in town for Comic-Con and needed their shoes needed to look their best.

One-Way To Antarctica

While this might look like something out of a movie, it is completely real. Humboldt penguins were threatened by poachers, but through the quick and successful work of conservationists, they were able to transport them back to their native habitat.

However, transporting a ton of penguins is not nearly as easy as you’d think. The most logical way to guide the birds back to their South African island home was by taking them aboard a commercial airline.

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 airlines.

While that would be a hilarious story, the reality is that a Saudi Prince paid for his 80 falcons to travel on a United Arab Emirates flight. For an average person, this would never be permitted, but exceptions are made for princes.

Welcome Aboard

Let’s be honest – this just doesn’t seem like a practical place for the pilot to sit at all. Of all people, you’d think she should know the dangers of getting too close to the door, whether it’s open or not.

Whatever the case may be, in this photo, we know for sure that one lucky passenger had the honor of getting the photo in the first place. Maybe she started serving drinks once the plane got off the ground.

Runway Traffic

Looking at this picture would trigger a panic attack in just about anyone, whether you are afraid of flying or not. This is breaching airline safety on so many levels and a catastrophic collision is pretty sure to happen.

Luckily, this is just a 400-image composite stitched together by photographer Mike Kelley. He named it “Wake Turbulence,” and it depicts all the flights departing from Los Angeles’ LAX airport.

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 a dog is, though, 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 their business in peace. Don’t worry though – they can go without any nasty looks from appalled passengers.

Alternative Seating

You’ve probably seen people sleeping in strange positions in the airport, but this has to be one of the most unusual. Admittedly, it can be very hard to get comfortable while you are waiting for your flight.

So this man decided to use his suitcase as a backrest and the seat for holding his lower half. It definitely looks uncomfortable, but, given the fact that he’s fast asleep, it’s likely more comfortable than anywhere else.

Place All Cuddly Objects In A Bin

For many, the thought of traveling with children gives them anxiety—whether it’s their own child or someone else’s. After all, kids can be unpredictable travelers and require a lot of extra attention and luggage.

When this mother was asked to take her shoes off by TSA, she had to put her baby down somewhere and it looks like a bin was the only safe and available place. Let’s just hope the baby was not put through the X-ray machine.

You Shall Not Pass

Hands down, one of the worst things in a busy airport is navigating slow walkers. This grandma was letting no one pass her when she made her way through the airport at her own pace – her face says it all.

She was not going to be rushed, and she was so unbothered that she decided to stand in the middle of the traveler’s path. Luckily, judging by the faces in the crowd gathered behind her, no one was actually mad about it.

Choking Up

You’ve probably seen some embarrassing “welcome home” signs over the years, but this has to be one of the most mortifying we’ve ever seen. Mokie was certainly in for a surprise when he walked out of his gate.

His friends used the most embarrassing photo of him they could find and decided to enlarge it to poster-size, holding it up for the whole airport to see. Hopefully, he saw the funny side of it and wasn’t chewing anything when he walked off the flight.

Something To Hide

When someone is walking around indoors wearing shades, they’re often hiding something. Most of the time, of course, they’re trying to hide their identity—and that is precisely the case in this particular photo.

Candice Swanepoel, an actress from South Africa, was trying to remain incognito. Hopefully, she made it through the airport without being bothered by any fans (though the fact that this picture was taken suggests otherwise).

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 its turquoise blue waters and beautiful beaches, but it is also famous for its terrifying runway.

One of the beaches on the island is death-defyingly close to the runway, leading planes to come frighteningly close to sunbathers. It can be very unsafe and people often find themselves ducking out of fear – but, not before taking a selfie.

 

Overweight Luggage

When you’re going on an exciting vacation, chances are your friends and family will ask “can I come in your suitcase?” While this is usually meant as a joke, one man took it very seriously and packed himself into his friends’ suitcase.

Not only does this look like he’s in a very uncomfortable position, but there is also no way he’ll make it through security. He might win a stay in jail, though – maybe next time he’ll just buy his own ticket.

Proposed Itinerary

You can’t help but smile when you see someone proposing to their partner 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 asker.

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, especially when she said “yes.”

Always Log Out

If you leave your phone in an airport, chances are it’s gone for good. 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.

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 suspect that Jasmine probably won’t leave her phone behind again.

Not Taking Any Chances

Planes can be hotbeds for the distribution of germs and illnesses and it can just be too much to handle. This man was clearly struggling with his fear of germs and used every tool possible to block out smells, noise, and light.

It might look a bit bizarre and the other passengers sitting next to him probably felt awkward when they had to get past him to go to the bathroom. That is, until 2020, when people taking health precautions became the norm.

Mom Off Duty

By the look of this little one’s face, Dad couldn’t have gotten home at a better time. This humorous sign quickly makes it a favorite—it’s sweet and lighthearted while managing to pick fun at both parents.

As sweet as it is, though, this sign really gets you wondering how long Dad was away for Mom to have quit a whole two weeks before he returned home. Either way, it’s great to see the family back together.

Baby On Board

Everyone loves some good wordplay – or in this particular case, “songplay.” Who could think of a better possible “welcome home” than for a beautiful brand new baby ready to greet her daddy at the gate?

By the look on baby Harper’s little face, someone seems to be a bit surprised by this sensational gesture. Here is hoping it’s wasn’t the baby’s father who was surprised by the baby’s dramatic debut!

Accurate Signs

Let’s be honest, the lines in airport bathrooms can be painfully long and extremely inconvenient when you are absolutely desperate to go. But this sign in a Chinese airport could not have been more accurate.

It’s as if they were already letting you know that you’d need to prepare to cross your legs and wait in very long lines in order to make it to the bathroom. Hold it in for just a bit longer, folks!

Checked In

Traveling can be incredibly tiresome, and there’s only so much you can do in an airport before you start going stir-crazy. Unless, of course, you’re a child, and it’s acceptable to play hide and seek.

Otherwise, the reality is that you’ll probably be sitting on your phone or laptop for the next few hours before boarding your flight. This girl, however, decided to bring back planking and take a leisurely ride along the luggage conveyor belt.

Well, That’s Reassuring

Taking off from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow is not the most calming experience for most travelers. There probably aren’t many who care to be presented with the remains of Dagestan Airlines Flight 37.

The plane had an engine failure, going 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.

We Talked About This

Selfies have become all the rage in recent years, to the point where 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 as to get the best gadgets out there to guarantee the best angles. However, when his girlfriend found his selfie stick, it looks like it was truly the last straw and she just couldn’t take it anymore.

Good To Keep In Mind

There are some signs that you see in every airport 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.

Unfortunately, the runway is situated much too close to the parking lot. Not only is this an astronomical safety hazard, but this also gives New Zealand a not-so-great reputation for their airport safety.

That’s A Neck Pillow, Right?

Whether she knew it or not, the travel neck pillow this lady brought with her didn’t quite seem like that’s what it was while she was carrying it around the airport. Naturally, many onlookers did a double-take as she passed them by.

Maybe next time she’ll decide to put in her purse to spare herself from all the sneak peeks. Or, maybe, she knew precisely what she was doing and just wanted to give her fellow passengers a little laugh as she walked toward her flight.

Lay-Under

When your flight’s delayed, it’s essential that you find the perfect place to make yourself comfortable while you wait. Getting comfortable at the airport can be a difficult endeavor, even for a short wait.

This woman gets props for thinking outside of the box to get comfortable – after all, she was smart enough to maneuver herself under the armrests. Hopefully, she was able to get back out when it’s time to get going.

The Airport Grinch

There are plenty of things that are totally understandable to ban from taking on the aircraft for everyone’s safety. However, many people began scratching their heads when the TSA banned people from taking snow globes airplanes during the holidays.

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 less-than-pleasant odor – if you’ve smelled one before, you’ll understand why.

I Saw The Sign… And It Was Illegible

Nothing is cuter than having your little girl come to welcome you home at the airport. The sheer excitement most toddlers get when they are reunited with a parent is heartwarming, no matter who you are.

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!

Drawing The Line

When you leave important documents out around young children, it should be pretty obvious that they’re going to do something to it. This man probably should have put his passport somewhere out of his children’s reach.

The biggest problem was the fact that the family were on vacation, and the border control wouldn’t accept the “new and improved” passport. Unfortunately, the man had to go to an embassy to get it handled.

Do You Mean Duty?

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

As the two lovers embrace, the world seems to disappear around them. A sweet homecoming moment that makes you glad you got to be a small part of it, even if it’s only second-hand through the internet.

Present Claim

Traveling can be hectic, at best. 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 on to your destination with all your belongings in tow.

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.

Sleeping Buddy

When your flight is delayed and you are exhausted from traveling, the only thing to do in an airport is look for a comfortable place to sleep. Single travelers seem to be open to sleeping anywhere, but when you are traveling with a partner, the task can be trickier.

This woman took advantage of her partner and decided to sleep across his lap as they waited to load onto the plane. All the boyfriend could do was take it, so he decided to rest as best he could on her, too.

Nun-derneath The Robes

Sometimes you can’t help but wonder if TSA is 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 less suspicious than others.

Why this nun was asked for extra checks is beyond us – she probably just wants to go on her pilgrimage in peace without any hassle. Hopefully, this was the last of the troubles this nun was put through on her travels.

Make Yourself At Home

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

This one looks particularly awkward because the sleeping man is lying in the middle of check-in while others are standing normally around him without a care. Maybe he’ll try and find a quiet corner next time?

Rolly Davidson

When your taxi cancels your trip to the airport, everything becomes a panic and all focus pinpoints on not missing your flight. These guys decided to come up with their own last-minute solution when they couldn’t get an Uber.

This hilarious idea seems genius in planning, but can be 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 somewhere along the highway.

Red Light, Green Light

We can’t imagine how this runway was given the green light to be built as it looks absolutely lethal. This runway is situated in Gibraltar International Airport and cars are forced to stop at the light while planes go in for a safe landing.

When the barriers are not down, cars are free to pass through, but it can be incredibly dangerous for everyone in the event that a plane needs to do an emergency landing. Who has time to wait for a green light for a crash landing?

Multipurpose Luggage

This girl very accurately represents almost everyone’s mood at an airport. Between the constant waiting in lines for luggage and passport checks or security, it’s a long and draining process for all.

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

It’s Personal

We’ve all had moments when we’ve either forgotten what exactly our luggage looks like when coming around the luggage conveyor. Or for those more foolish, forgotten to grab the duffle bags altogether.

This man has clearly been guilty 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 his luggage again.

Delayed Maturity

Most people go for generic welcome home signs when greeting a friend or family member back from a long trip. But others choose to get creative, romantic, or even a bit comical when greeting their loved ones.

Everyone’s had a time when there was no food in the house. 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 a desperate need to stop at the grocery store.

Time Limits

This sign is situated in an airport in Aalborg, Denmark. At many airports, the stewards can be incredibly aggressive when it comes to cars blocking the roadside check-in line as they say goodbye to their loved ones.

However, Denmark thought of a way around this and designated a “Kiss and Goodbye” area to cherish those last few moments with your loved one before their travels. Nonetheless, they did decide 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 in tow. Between making sure all of your children are accounted for and keeping them calm, traveling with kids can be a huge ordeal.

That scene from Home Alone 2 when Kevin gets on the plane to New York City alone is a prime example of why parents watch their children like hawks. This mother decided to stop her kids from running off by putting them on leashes.

Terminally Grounded

There are some natural disasters that cannot be prevented, and the effects on the locals are often devastating. These people were trying to get back to Asia, but bad flying conditions were keeping them grounded

These poor travelers were stranded at the airport for days on end with no flights on the horizon. However, they decided to be incredibly resourceful and use cardboard boxes as makeshift houses while they waited.

Top-Notch 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, and ports don’t want passengers to find any reason to question the safety of air travel.

Therefore, when someone spotted this security officer playing a game of solitaire on the computer instead of checking passports and profiles, it caused an uproar. This is one time that you really shouldn’t procrastinate 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 or scrolling through social media is one of the worst things imaginable.

At many airports, they have introduced charging stations that charge you money to charge up. One traveler was so outraged at the concept of being charged so thought outside the box and plugged his phone into the outlet the machine was using.

Sparking An Idea

When a new Star Wars movie comes out, die-hard fans needed to prepare and plan. These fans decided to coordinate before the release of The Last Jedi to ensure that they could all experience it 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. Onlookers couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

A Warm Welcome

The smug look on this guy’s face is really confusing, and it’s difficult to tell if he’s upset or just goofing around with the guy he’s picking up. Regardless, his sign is pretty hilarious for those outside of the situation.

“The guy who knocked up my sister” seems like an awkward greeting to who you can only assume is his brother-in-law. Hopefully, this wasn’t the family’s way of telling the guy he was going to be a father!

Too Specific

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

As the mother saw her family holding the mortifying signs, she turned the other way and pretended not to know them. The signs got some questionable looks from other passengers, but the family will never forget the priceless look on mom’s face.

Mommy & Mini-Me

There’s no better way to make light of an awkward situation than to poke fun at yourself. That’s what this new mama did with her homemade “welcome home” sign made especially for the father of her child.

Pointing out the fact that she’s gained weight since having the baby and inviting daddy to come to meet his mini-me – does it get more adorable than that? There’s no doubt this dad was happy to see his wife and newborn.

Traveling Light

You find all sorts of people in the airport from all walks of life, just trying to get to their next destination. Naturally, some of them are a bit out of the ordinary and seriously stick out in a crowd.

Interestingly, these two people were at Seattle airport within weeks of each other with their huge, antique typewriters. Not only are they completely impractical to travel with, they probably raised some eyebrows at security.

Rolling Out the Red Carpet

When someone you love gets home from a long trip, it makes sense that a little celebration is often in order. This man didn’t even want to wait until they got back home to get started with a warm welcome back.

When he got to the airport, he decided to set up shop. Complete with a stand and margarita mix, he was ready to celebrate his loved one’s arrival home as well as National Margarita Day – it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

Spare Rider

If you make your living as a driver, the number of people you take from place to place is positively correlated to the amount of money that you make. This self-made man was ready to earn an extra buck.

On his sign, he has the name Alice – the person he’s supposed to pick up from the airport – as well as “random citizen,” inviting a second person to ride along with them. After all, he has to make a living somehow!

Getting Handsy

Awkward moment #1 at the airport is, without a doubt, getting patted down at security. Obviously, the security guard is just doing their job, but it seems like her handsy maneuver was caught at just the right time to make it look comical.

More often than not, the best way to make it through these awkward moments is to simply smile. However, the sly look on her face suggests she knew cameras were rolling when this routine security check went down.

Adjusting

Being at the airport often means making adjustments. Adjusting to the rules, adjusting to delays, adjusting to time differences, or maybe just adjusting into a comfortable position to rest during a long layover.

Sometimes the adjustments you need to make to get flying might just be taking off your jacket. No matter where it is you’re going, you may find yourself having to adjust to all kinds of bizarre circumstances.

Lost Your Clothes?

When the airport lost this guy’s luggage, he decided to get on the return flight in nothing but his undies. Presumably, he did it to prove a point to the airport staff: be more careful with peoples’ belongings.

Without a doubt, this looked like a funny situation to the people around him. However, it was likely very serious for him prompted by losing some of his precious valuables – or, at least, his extra set of clothes.

Hitch a Ride

This little girl’s legs were too short to keep up with her dad as he rushed through the airport, so she decided to hitch a ride on his suitcase instead. You have to wonder if he noticed that his bag suddenly got heavier.

Surely other tired passengers looked on with envy, wishing they could also ride leisurely on the back of someone’s suitcase instead of walking. Do you think they could start making those in adult sizes?

When You Think No One Is Watching

Travelers beware: someone is always watching you. Be it the security cameras, undercover security guards, or just random travelers people-watching their way through the airport while they wait to depart.

So if you’re going to strike a pose, like this particular lady did, just know that a stroll through the terminal could be your moment to “shine.” She was probably just very excited to get where she was going.

Never a Dull Moment

With people moving to and fro, there’s never a dull moment at the airport. Whether you’re rushing to your gate or waiting in line for baggage claim, the airport is simply full of wonderful and wild sights.

Frequent flyers see people from all walks of life rushing to reach their flight, but even so you’ll always find a few faces that stand out from the rest. These lovely ladies are representative of just that.

Let Me Just Lay Down a Minute

Isn’t this what just about everyone wants to do when they’re on a long layover or their flight has been delayed? Sometimes all you need is to lay down in the terminal, if just for a few minutes, to recharge.

Hopefully, no one stepped on this woman while she shamelessly took her power nap in public. While it doesn’t look like the most comfortable digs around, she must have felt a whole lot better when she finally picked herself up off the floor!