Why I Hate Waiting At Cape Town Airport & Other Travel Adventures

The headline pretty much says it: I hate waiting for the plane at Cape Town Airport. And the reason is that they don't have accessible electrical sockets in the airport lounges, which means that if you are a mobile worker who prefers to use waiting time to catch up with work, you get stuck right quickly.

I know that laptops have batteries, but most don't have much of a life. Anyhoo, yesterday I got to CT  airport about 2 hours before my departure time back to Joburg. Check in was very quick - no crowds and I didn't have luggage. And hour and half later, after bugging the information desk ( they couldn't help) wandering to the airport lounge, which didn't seem to be quite what I was looking for, I was deep in conversation with a businessman who was also travelling to Joburg.

We agreed going to Mugg & Bean was a viable solution for me. God bless Mugg & Bean, I can always count on them to provide me with space to work and drink endless mugs of tea regardless of which city, town or suburb I'm at. But by then, the issue was no longer about my own convenience, but blowing it way out of proportion to encompass the needs of every business traveller that goes through that airport.
Why in heaven's name are they not making it eaier for them to stay connected? What aggravated me even more is that the airport was recently upgraded, and I know I'm raving about a small little thing that means nothing in the great scheme of things.

But my new friend made a very illuminating point ( excuse the pun:-). The need for power sockets at the airport is not just a necessity for business people wanting to spend quality time with their laptops while they wait. Most people  carry cellphones. And sometimes we run out of battery life at critical moments. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to charge your phone quickly, so you can continue calling friends and family and colleagues while still at the airport.

And yes, I did see the lone sockets at the toilet entrances. Do they really expect people to stand at toilet entrances to charge laptops and cellphones?

In other news, the business  end of the trip went well. No sight-seeing or anything, but the presentation went well and client was happy. Hopefully, more work will come out of this trip to launch 2011 with a bang.