This thread seems to be split between people who remember flying post 9/11 and see how much it’s relaxed, and those who maybe haven’t.

I agree with OP that it doesn’t feel like a place where one can relax or just show up and hang out to watch planes. I also agree with others though that it’s currently not as bad as it’s been in the past.

I think this highly depends on where you are. I haven’t flown to the US since 2000, so I can’t speak for how it’s there, but I fly a lot in Asia and Europebamd the only major difference is that the security check is a bit stricter (but not by very much, you have to take the laptop out of the bag these days, but that’s about it).

I remember seeing armed soldiers at the airport in Paris back in the 90’s so that’s nothing new really.

Y’all bored and looking to be pissed. Airports have calmed the fuck down in the past few years. You aren’t taking off belts and shoes most the time and it’s a fairly quick process.

TSA pre is even easier. I’ve spent maybe 10 minutes total, if that, from my last two international flight getting through.

I remember my first time flying in the eighties, couldn’t believe the amount of quality flange in the airport. I didn’t wanna travel any other way. All that changed with rise of the budget airlines, starting with Ryanair. Now every swamp donkey and bushpig can afford to fly, diluting the experience to a tragic degree.

By and large–and depending which country you’re in–the visible security measures have largely tapered off and have gone behind the scenes. Speaking for US airports, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 there were actual US military (fully armed) staged throughout the airports, military and police officers gave every vehicle about 30 seconds to let their passengers and luggage out before yelling or whistling for the driver to move on. Depending on your age, you might not recall this.

Nowadays the airport experience is pretty predictable. One shows up to the airport, they might give you a hard time for sticking around the passenger drop-off point too long, but at the airports I’ve been to there are people flat out parked waiting to solicit arrivals for rides. You go to the ticketing counter, proceed through initial (and maybe secondary) security screening then go to your gate.

Only the passenger screening process has changed substantially, and that is where you might reasonably expect to see an increased security presence–however effective it may or may not be. Dropoff is now the same as it used to be, ticketing is the same, and the gate experience is largely the same, too.

If you’re referring to your experience at one particular airport, then it’s possible it’s a local configuration and not really representative of other airports.

If you are in the US, and you’d really like, many airports have dedicated viewing areas from where you can watch arriving and departing aircraft, and in general there are no security procedures to enter those areas.