Dear New York, LaGuardia Airport SUCKS

24 Oct Dear New York, LaGuardia Airport SUCKS

I love this city, I hate it sometimes, too. In an effort to keep track of my feelings about the Big Apple during my time here I try my best to chronicle them in a letter to this crazy place. Welcome to Dear New York–a series posted monthly on the anniversary of the date I moved here. 

Hi New York.

I have something to say. I hope you’ll keep an open mind and hear me out. Hmkay?

LaGuardia Airport sucks.

Not only is the food bad, and expensive, but there wasn’t a decent place for me to sit and work on my computer. The U.S. Airways employee my friend and I spoke with when we were on the verge of being stranded in that place–and we’ll get to that in a second–told us that the lounge hadn’t yet opened. He couldn’t even give us a WIFI voucher or drink coupons for our troubles.

But you know what, New York? We wouldn’t have needed any of that, had our intended flight, US 2085 to Charlotte, North Carolina not been de-planed twice and each time we were reloaded onto the same malfunctioning plane. What’s up with that? Because of U.S. Airways incompetence, we missed our connecting flight in Charlotte, North Carolina to Montego Bay, Jamaica. We were in the airport from 5:00am when we arrived for our 6:00am flight to Charlotte that would have brought us into Jamaica at 11:15am, until 5:30pm when we finally could board a plane only to have to spend the night in Charlotte.

During this time, we bought expensive food that tasted like cardboard and fiened for a Starbucks. A nice cup of coffee or a proper lunch and magazine rack could have done wonders in turning this experience around. ‘Cept it didn’t happen.

You can imagine the surprise that I felt when we finally arrived in Charlotte’s airport to see that they have not one but 4 Starbucks in the span of a 10 minute walk. A Cinnabon and amazing breakfast place serving up hot grits and biscuits (yes, I eat both, leave me alone). The kicker was arriving in Montego Bay, and they too, had a Starbucks and Cinnabon. Not to mention both airports had viable shopping options.

New York, you should be ashamed of yourself. You are the greatest city in the world and yet, with that airport reeking of despair, a first time visitor to our beloved Big Apple would never know of your promise. They may even think they landed in some small time city’s airport, and NYC, ain’t nothing about you small time.

Step it up. You’re 15 minutes from my apartment, but you know what? When my friends and I yolo’d and booked a trip for London, Paris and Barcelona happening in late December, you weren’t even an option. No one wanted to be bothered with your nonsense. Do you see what you did? Open a Starbucks and quit your shanagians. A Hudson newsstand wouldn’t kill you either.

And while I have your attention, who do I have to speak to about creating adult-only flights?