Flying can be such a nightmare. It's not just the flight though. No, despite the stale air, and extreme air conditioning, the flight itself is actually the most relaxing part of travelling. What's stressful is getting to the airport, waiting in lines, going through security and potentially being double or triple checked, all so that your flight can be delayed and your luggage lost.

Fortunately, there are a few saving graces of the whole experience. The first of course being, that if you're travelling, there is a good chance you are heading somewhere you want to be. Somewhere hot, somewhere home, somewhere hype. Second is the airport itself. Most big city airports are beautiful buildings, complete with every shop, restaurant, or pampering service you could ever imagine. De-stress your passengers by inviting them in with a beautiful entrance canopy and making them feel comfortable with their favourite shops and amenities.

Here are a couple of common airport nightmares and ways to try to get out of them.

1. You missed your flight.

There are few realities more stressful then sitting on the tube and realising that you got the flight time wrong, and you're actually meant to be in the sky right at that moment. Unfortunately, unlike trains, airplane travel is non-changeable. Missing your flight usually means having to buy another ticket, which is very costly.

Your excuse: First of all, it is critical that you call your airline as soon as you realise you've missed your flight or are going to be late, but be ready with your excuse. Stuck in traffic, taxis breaking down, and road closures won't always get you the amount of sympathy you need unless of course, you deliver the excuse with fear and concern in your voice.

2. You're sick on the plane.

Flying after a big night out or with a common cold can be extremely painful. Being sick anywhere isn't fun, especially not when you're hundreds of thousands of feet in the air and have nowhere to go other then the cramped bathrooms of a stale aircraft.

Your request: Try to turn this horrible experience into a positive one and kindly ask the nicest looking stewardess if there are any free seats in business class. Tell her that you're feeling really ill and by waiting in line for the bathroom every five minutes you are putting the plane and its passengers in jeopardy of being "sick" on. If she has a seat and you seem in a bad state, you might have a shot of getting a free ride in business class.

The thing about airports and flying is your success is completely dependent on who you speak to. A nice employee will understand that you're a broke student and probably won't charge you for overweight. A mean one will charge you fully and not apologize when they loose your bags on the other side.

In knowing how much people dread the experience of flying, it's important that airports make their buildings as nice and inviting as possible. After all, the only thing stressed-out people want, is to relax.