Running late, getting stopped by TSA’s at baggage check, being stuck in the middle seat, everyone has a story about their best or worst experience at the airport. From checking in, to checking bags, to waiting in line, these movies show us that good or bad, airports provide some of the most memorable experiences of our lives.
1. Meet the Parents
Greg Focker just wanted to spend time with his girlfriend and her family as they celebrated the engagement of her sister during the holidays. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse from the get-go. However, it is the scene with the airline flight attendant that has some of the most memorable lines from the movie.
2. Love Actually
Traveling through the holidays can mean spending time with friends, family, and loved ones. It can also be a time to surprise those we care about, making sure those important to us know they’re loved. In this scene at the London airport, a young boy shows us that love can blossom at any age.
3. Catch Me If you Can
Leonardo Dicaprio plays Frank Abagnale Jr., a young con artist who enjoys the thrill of the chase. When he attempts to flee with his new bride, he realizes that he has been set up and must come up with a way to once again escape. Thinking on his feet, he disguises himself as a Pan Am captain and surrounds himself with beautiful, young women.
4. Airplane
The entire movie is a laugh riot, and even though we can’t forget the “don’t call me Shirley,” and “jive talk” scenes on the airplane, it’s the scenes at the airport before and during the flight that are equally memorable. From Rex Kramer talking Striker into landing the plane, to Johnny and his antics, this film will have you laughing throughout.
5. Home Alone
Kevin McAllister has been left home alone at Christmas, and unfortunately, his mother realizes it after they are already in the air. With no immediate flights available, his mother deals with airport workers to figure out how to get back home to her son.
6. The Terminal
Viktor Navorski, a man from an Eastern European country, arrives in New York to discover that war has broken out in his home country. Suddenly, Navorski is a man without a country and is denied entrance to the U.S. However, he also can’t be deported so he is told by the Security Manager that he has to remain in the airport until his status can be fixed.
7. Up in the Air
Another movie that is completely centered on traveling and the airport, many scenes take place in the airport, showing the lonely, yet busy lifestyle of Ryan Bingham. With many wonderful scenes to choose from, perhaps the most intriguing is the beginning, when we see how quickly and efficiently Ryan goes through security.
8. Casablanca
A classic film with one of the most highly regarded airport scenes, features Humphrey Bogart as an American expatriate and Ingrid Bergman as his former lover. Set in Africa during the early days of World War II, Bogart sends Bergman away on a fog-filled tarmac in one of cinema’s greatest scenes with the most memorable quotes ever.
9. Planes, Trains, Automobiles
Whether traveling by car, plane, or bus, getting home for the holidays is almost always hectic. In this film, we see the many things that can go wrong when trying to get home for Thanksgiving. One unforgettable scene is Steve Martin’s obscenity-laced tirade at the rental car counter at Lambert-St. Louis airport after the clerk had sent him to a distant parking lot to find that his car not there.
10. Tommy Boy
When Tommy and Richard decide to go to Chicago to save the family business, the fastest way there is by flight. In this movie’s airport scene, we see Richard talking to a less than intelligent airline ticket agent who is only helpful in getting them a return flight.
