Travel | Closing times at airports – what is reasonable?

For me, traveling is a synonym for being at an airport. Airports have this very special vibe, I think. You find all kind of people there; super excited people going on their holiday.

Loving couples impatiently waiting to go on their romantic escape.

Business people who are mostly on their laptops/phones and almost look completely alienated from their surroundings.

And people like me, who an airport is just like a bridge between their current life and their family & friends back in their home country. 

I like airports; kind of, I think.

I don’t like everything about them, to be honest; the security lines, the waiting, the noise and I could point out a few other things.

What does this have to do with the title of this post, you may wonder. 

Short answer: nothing! hahaha

Today’s post actually came to my mind during one of my last visits to Brussels airport. Let me tell you the story:

So, I had this evening flight back home, and as usual, I made sure to get to Zaventem early enough to get some dinner. I can’t do it with those cheap-ass Ryanair sandwiches, sorry.

Over there, at Zaventem, I found this Italian restaurant, that even though doesn’t have tons of options is perhaps the best restaurant available over there.

So, I got my table, menu and ordered my food. This was 19h50, approximately.

As I was waiting for my order, more people came by to get some dinner as well.

To my surprise, those people were kindly asked to leave.

It’s around 20h00…

Staff saying the kitchen was closed.

Take a moment, to absorb this… 

I had to as well.

It’s 8pm, we’re at a restaurant on a departures haul of a major airport and it’s Friday (irrelevant for my point).

How can the kitchen be closed????

What time do they think people, travelers, should have dinner? 5pm?

I couldn’t believe it; most of those travelers were complaining because it was dinner time and the restaurant’s staff were not willing to serve more customers.

I don’t find this ok, to be honest.

It’s an airport, where flights depart until late in the evening, people are entitled to have a proper dinner.

If it’d be, let’s say 23h, okay, perhaps the kitchen should be closed. But no; it was only 8pm!

Have you ever been in such a situation, that you would like to get some food at a normal lunch/dinner time, and the restaurant just refused to serve you?

What do you think the closing times at airports should be?

Leave your thoughts in the comments below. I’ll be curious to check them out and see if we share the same views on it or not.

See you soon!

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