Large airports are notoriously difficult to navigate. Beijing’s can be daunting, Kafkaesque, sometimes frightening; even Cincinnati’s can be tricky. With its seven separate concourses, JFK is labyrinthine, but I didn’t find it hard to make my way through it. In New York they expect you to say what you want with no preliminaries and follow their brusque instructions. I grew up there, and it’s easy for me. Something to be said for knowing the drill.

Above: a standing room only crowd at Kennedy airport. I did find a seat, eventually, but not immediately.