Düsseldorf series - Düsseldorf Airport

Düsseldorf airport on a wet day

This is my second visit to Düsseldorf, and I will be here a little while. The airport is compact, the security efficient, so it is pretty quick to get from check in to the departure gate. There is usually one passport controller checking passport at the entry to the A gates that depart to countries outside the European Union, and often he/she looks exceedingly bored with the low traffic. The price for a bottle of water pass security is astronomical: 3,50€ for natural, 2,90€ for sparkling. It isn't just demand and supply. It is rampant capitalism. It is rip off, in the full knowledge that travelers cannot bring their own water pass security. 




Inside the terminal, the marketing of the car rental firm Sixt is overwhelming. The luggage reclaim area is nearly covered in the corporate colour of this car rental company. When I first landed, I almost thought I had entered the wrong terminal. And here, this giraffe stands astride the area as travelers exit the terminal, reminding all and sundry that this firm has favorable rates. Like it or not, this is extremely clever advertising. Who would have thought that giraffes make good advertising, in an airport terminal?








I spotted this display at the departure level of the airport, with a female model sporting a big red nose. I tried to understand what the display was all about, but unfortunately I cannot read German. An opportunity lost for the firm that had taken up the space, made an impact, and failed to deliver the message.