It’s not your imagination. Where the journey from check-in counter to gate was once a mere stroll, these days it’s beginning to feel like more of a ‘well at least my step count will go up’ marathon. This is why it’s happening.

The planes are getting bigger

In the biz, it’s known as ‘upgauging’ and it makes business sense. As an airline, you’d want as many paying passengers as possible on any given flight – within the consideration of comfort of course – so the planes are increasing in size. Or at least smaller ones are being phased out. Bigger planes need more space in which to manoeuvre safely on the ground and around gates. Which translates to larger spaces between those gates and more steps. “There’s a much better business case for larger planes. That’s pushing airlines to upguage their fleet,” Wilson Rayfield, executive vice president of aviation at Gresham Smith, an architectural firm, told CNN. “When you park 10 planes next to each other and they’re 75 feet, it naturally translates to a much longer walk.”

Increased security

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, many airports built in the mid to late 20th century had to accommodate massive security infrastructure upgrades. According to Alexander Thome, who leads design firm Stantec’s US airport work and was cited in the CNN piece, this essentially divided terminals in two, increasing the space travellers need to walk. 

No-frills flights

Back in the day, your airfare included everything you might need on board. Blankets, food, booze, drinks… Now, though, in the era of double digit dollar flights all that’s been cut way back or monetised. But we all get hungry and thirsty, which is why airports give you ample opportunity to the items you may need after clearing security. All those rent-paying shops take up space though, hence the longer walk.

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The Uber effect

Airports are money-making enterprises and their bottom line is affected by two factors. The first is what’s termed aeronautical revenue – essentially what airlines pay to use their runways, terminals and even parking spots. Then there’s the non-aeronautical revenue and this is where the commercial sands are shifting. As astounding this may seem to younger readers, there was a time when many Australians would leave our cars at the airport when we went on holiday. At a daily fee of course.

Car rental companies needing airport side lots also threw in dollars and if you wanted to pick someone up from a flight you were stung for the privilege if you parked and went into the terminal. 

Nowadays, you pick up a GoGet near your hotel or just Uber to and from the airport. And if anyone still has the kindness to schlepp to the airport to get you, a check of an app will reveal exactly what time you’re landing. Which means kerbside pick up instead of parking. 

So what’s left? Aside from those billboards flogging flight sales and airport hotels, it’s the shops. The duty-frees take up ever larger spaces and woe betide the passenger who has the gall to try find a direct route through one. It makes Ikea look navigable. The adage is that modern airports look more like malls that have planes outside and there is good reason for it. They want to tempt you with corridors of shiny shopfronts that are kind of on your way but not really to the gate. Because the longer you tarry, the longer the walk and the more you’ll likely buy. Kerching.

The treks

Those signs showing how long it’ll take to get to your gate are a new and much needed initiative. Because the distances can be significant – even when travellators are involved. According to a study by shoe company Kuru Footwear, the longest airport trek in the United States is at Dallas Fort Worth, where the walk from an entrance in Terminal B to Terminal E clocks in almost 3.5 kilometers. Yes, there is a train but still.  Meanwhile, the folks at Phoenix’s Sky Harbour International Airport have cleverly spun its gargantuan footprint as a ‘fitness trail’. Presumably with a Cinnabon nearby.

But there’ll always be travellators right?

Perhaps not. Last year Orlando International Airport lashed out $4.3 billion on a shiny terminal without a single moving walkway. And peeps were pissed. Apparently there were so many complaints their installation is being considered. Stay tuned for more but probably pop on some comfy shoes in the meantime as you will certainly be covering distance.

This article was originally published on escape.com.au. It has been reproduced here with permission.

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